travelwriter

Just in time for the summer travel season. Amtrak has lowered fares on the Northeast Regional. You can save up to 25% off lowest available fares when you book 14 days in advance.

Bypass congested highways and crowded airports and relax on the way to your destination. Once you arrive, take advantage of all summer has to offer. Take in 4th of July fireworks in Boston, see the Manhattan skyline in New York, visit one of the Smithsonian museums in Washington or plan a day at the theme park in Williamsburg.

Sample fares to/from New York:

Philadelphia, PA $34 Washington, DC $49 Boston, MA $49 Baltimore, MD $48 Wilmington, DE $39 Trenton, NJ $27 Providence, RI $41

The rules:

• Valid on Northeast Regional service only
• Discounted one-way Coach fares only
• Valid for travel through September 3, 2009
• 14-day advance purchase required
  

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The Japan Rail Pass is offered by the 6 companies that make up the Japan Railways Group (JR Group): Super Ozora, Narita Express, Hida, Haruka, Shiokaze, and Sonic.

With the pass, you can freely board most trains on these JR Group lines throughout the country.  For modern, convenient sightseeing, a Japan Rail Pass is a traveller’s best friend.  The Japan Rail Pass is a special ticket that is available only to travellers visiting Japan from foreign countries for sightseeing. 

To be eligible to purchase a Japan Rail Pass, you must meet one of the following two criteria: you are a foreign visitor entering Japan under a ‘Temporary Visitor’ visa or you are a Japan National living in a foreign country.

Japan Rail Passes range in price from 14, 150 YEN ($145 USD) for a child’s 7-day pass to 79,600 YEN ($819 USD) for an adult 21-day pass.  Visit Japan Rail Pass for more information.

According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), last Sunday evening a 26-year-old man had his arm sucked into a toilet while trying to retrieve his cell phone onboard a French TGV train.

TGV toilets are equipped with a powerful suction system and when the man reached in to grab his phone that fell into the toilet, his arm was also sucked into the formidable toilet system.

As fellow passengers waited, the man was removed from the high-speed train by emergency services.  Apparently the toilet was still attached to his arm and was later removed by using a saw. Two hours later the train resumed its route from La Rochelle to Paris, France. 

As part of Rail Europe, for 25 years TGV has provided passengers throughout France with comfort and convenience while whisking passengers to their destinations travelling at speeds up to 186 m.p.h.

Why not enter the Train to Spain Sweepstakes here?  Contest closes October 31, 2008; read the official rules here.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced today that London tube trains will be equipped with air conditioning starting in 2010.London’s Underground network, which is almost 150 years old, will have the new cool trains operating on about 40% of the network starting with the oldest areas of the subway system.

Mr. Johnson announced that “London is the coolest city on the planet and now we’re getting the coolest trains too.”  Residents of London can view a mock-up of the new trains Euston Square Gardens from September 27 until October 2.

                                                According to a press release, the new trains are part of the Transport for London’s (Tfl) Investment programme.  The Transport for London Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said “the new air-conditioned trains will be common to all the Underground’s sub-surface lines and will help us deliver a better service to passengers, with improved accessibility, more space and enhanced security.” 

While enroute last night from Folkstone to Calais, a chemical truck onboard a freight train suddenly caught fire as it was travelling through the Channel Tunnel.

The truck which was carrying the highly flammable liquid, phenol, exploded and the fire quickly spread to two other vehicles.  Train traffic came to a hault with 15,000 Eurostar passengers being returned to their original departure points with a total of 25 Eurostar services being cancelled.  Over 20,000 passengers pass through the 31-mile long Chunnel (or Eurotunnel) each day.

According to their website, Eurostar is recommending that “all travellers who hold Eurostar tickets for Saturday 13 September and Sunday 14 September that they should seek alternative means of making their journeys.”  It goes on to say that passengers are also “able to exchange their tickets for travel at a later date, or get a full refund.”

The fire burned for almost 16 hours and 14 injuries were reported.  A similar accident occurred in 1996 with minor injuries reported.

During rush hour today a Metrolink train departed Union Station in downtown Los Angeles bound for suburban Moorpark when it collided with a freight train. 

The head on collision caused six cars to derail and officials state that fuel from the trains could present a further fire hazard. It’s been reported that up to 400 passengers may have been onboard the Metrolink at the time of the crash.

In a frightful scene, black smoke continues to billow from the train cars as firefighters and emergency crews try to free passengers from the wreckage.  Rescue attempts are still ongoing while officials report that 10 people are dead and at least 23 are injured.  Authorities expect the death toll to rise as many passengers remain trapped in the debris. 

In January 2005, Metrolink experienced its deadliest accident in its history with a train crash that killed eleven passengers.