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Riding The Rails: Train Passengers Enjoy A Slower Pace, Gas Savings

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Helene and Hank Demchuk take a look at the timetable before boarding a northbound Amtrak train on Friday in Sebring. Helene said this is her first train ride and Hank mentioned that riding the train was less expensive then finding last minute airline tickets.

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By MANDY SHEETS | Highlands Today

Published: May 17, 2008

SEBRING — Frequent rail passengers say train travel isn't the most reliable means of travel when it comes to timeliness, but they sure enjoy the experience.

Riding the rails is how Charles and Terry Wiggins saw the country.

"It had always been our hope to take long train trips, so when we retired, we took trips all across the U.S.," Wiggins said. "We would leave from Sebring and go to a hub city and from there, the possibilities were endless.

"Washington D.C., Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Denver," Wiggins said, listing a few of the places they have been. "One of the most awesome train trips was through the Rocky Mountains to Salt Lake City, that's the most beautiful scenery you've ever seen."

But the scenery isn't always beautiful, Wiggins said, because the train tracks often go through the industrial parts of cities as well.

"If you want to see this country, how it really is, train travel is the way to go," Wiggins said. "You go through some areas where you can't believe people really live. You see the absolute best and worst of this country."

Wiggins said train travel has changed quite a bit since they took their last trip about five years ago.
"There are not as many options available now for destinations," he said. "It's a real shame because it's a great way to travel."

Sebring is still well connected to the Amtrak circuit with four trains coming through daily – two northbound with a final destination in New York and two southbound with a final destination in Miami.

In 2007, 15,227 passengers got on or off the train at the Sebring station, located at 601 E. Center St.
Nancy Patton travels via train to Indiana to visit family. The Lake Placid resident, who says she is scared of heights and won't step foot on an airplane, said the rails provide a good alternative to flying or driving.

"I personally don't have a car that is reliable enough to drive all the way to Indiana, and with the price of gas, I wouldn't want to drive up there anyway," Patton said.

Plus the long ride gives her a social aspect she wouldn't have in her car, especially in the dining car where single travelers are seated together.

"You meet all kinds of interesting people on trains," Patton said. "As the trip goes on, you learn a little about them and where they are going and why."

Train passengers warn, however, that the timetables are not always reliable, and trains are often running behind schedule.

"Train trips are not for people who have a specific time they have to be somewhere," Patton said. "During long trips, they can usually make up at least part of the time."

Barbara Church, of Sebring, has taken short trips to West Palm Beach – just one stop away on the Silver Meteor train and a long trip to Flint, Mich., that requires stops in Washington D.C. and Chicago and takes about three days.

"I wish they could do something about the schedule so it didn't take such a long time," Church said. "It still beats driving, though. Being a senior, I sure wouldn't want to drive that far by myself."

Carol Nash, whose grandfather was a railroad boss, has left from Sebring to visit family in Massachusetts. Although the trip takes about 30 hours, she prefers it to flying.

"It's a comfortable way to go home and visit," Nash said. "By the time it's over, you are definitely ready to get off, but there is a lot to do. I bring something to read and something to snack on and walk around the cars."

Madaline Epstein said the seats are roomy and have foot support to make them comfortable.

"I loved every minute of my trip," Epstein said about a recent trip to Orlando. "It's a fun ride and you get to see the beautiful landscape of central Florida. I would suggest people bring a blanket or sweater though because they keep the trains very cold."

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