All you need to know to pack for an overnight train trip
Traveling by rail has long been regarded as a sustainable way to commute between cities, but long-distance and overnight train trips have been enjoying a renaissance of their own. Unlike flying or even driving, train travel allows passengers to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the shifting landscape that would otherwise go by in a blur. But while North American train travel has become more accessible and comfortable, there’s still a lot to consider in preparation for a long-distance ride. [cntraveler.com]
Transit app for the blind can ease everyone’s commute
A groundbreaking new technology aimed at making every inch of a transit network accessible to people with visual impairments could also help many Americans navigate the labyrinthine underground landscapes that GPS can’t reach. Washington DC’s Metro (WMATA) will become the first in the U.S. to offer free, turn-by-turn audio directions throughout 25 of its most heavily utilized subway stations and over 1,000 bus stops, with the remaining stations to be mapped in mid-2023. [streetsblog.org]
Amtrak launches new menu items aboard select trains
There’s good news for Amtrak riders in the Northeast, along with travelers on Amtrak’s long-distance routes: They’ll be the first to see a variety of new food and beverage options available on board, including bacon-and-cheese egg bites, a vegan noodle bowl and a smoked-turkey-and-havarti sandwich. The enhanced menu options are currently available for passengers on Northeast Corridor and long-distance trains. [thepointsguy.com]
Retiree volunteers serve as onboard Amtrak guides
When he retired in 2010, Jim Eagen remembers asking himself: “What am I going to do now?” A few months in, he heard about Trails & Rails. Through a partnership between Amtrak, the National Park Service (NPS), and Texas A&M University, volunteer guides ride trains that pass or go through national parks, sharing stories and information about the region’s history, culture, and nature—and pointing out landmarks as they whizz by. [cntraveler.com]
Train station announcements re-messaged for the deaf
A train station in Tokyo has started reproducing platform announcements and the sounds of train arrivals and departures onto a screen in the form of text and sign language to help the hearing impaired on their journeys. In the trial project that began at JR Ueno Station and will run through Dec. 14, East Japan Railway Co. aims to provide the hearing impaired with a safer and more convenient travel experience. [kyodonews.net/]
