To seek $1 billion to make it world class.

Rob checks in from somewhere on the tracks along I-95:

Nothing beats sitting in the cafe on the Acela, snug at the center of the 8-car phallus, cruising at half of cruising speed through deathly suburban Connecticut, two beers in and staring at a dozen ugly fat men wearing almost the same blue shirt.

Paula hops on the Acela at Back Bay for a trip to New York, and therein lies a tale.

Bill is not real happy with Amtrak:

I had a miserable trip on a regional Amtrak last night from Stamford, CT back to Boston. The train was an hour-plus late and jammed with people. I finally found a seat, and quickly discovered why no one was sitting there. It was next to a bathroom that had a backed up toilet, and the smell was--how to say this politely--overwhelming. ...

The other day, I had to go to New York for business. Finally: A chance to try out the Acela Express train!

Kids, if you've wanted to experience the best American railroading has to offer, now's the time - given the way things are going in Washington, you might not have this chance much longer. But reserve early - I tried getting a seat 11 days before my trip only to discover that all the morning trains were already all booked. So I had to settle for a "regional" train (you know, the one that stops in places like Old Saybrook) in the morning and Acela back in the evening.<!--break -->

The view toward the Back Bay from a bridge over the Amtrak and commuter-rail tracks in Readville.

Not long after taking that photo, I heard the "stand behind the yellow line" warning automaton come on at the nearby Readville station. Whoosh, here comes the Acela from New York, bound for South Station, in this QuickTime movie (sorry for the blue tint; I had my camera's white balance set to "blue hair"):