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Senator Makes Amtrak Hire Ticket Agents Because 30% of West Virginia Lacks Internet

posted by janrinok on Sunday June 10 2018, @08:55AM   Printer-friendly
from the sensible dept.

McGruber writes:

Joe Manchin, the senior Senator from West Virginia, has inserted language in the FY19 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies appropriations bill that will force Amtrak to employ at least one ticketing agent in every state that it serves.

His reasoning? "Amtrak has told me that most of their sales are now online, but West Virginians buy far more tickets at the Charleston station than most places around the country. That's not surprising, as nearly 30% of West Virginia is without internet access, and mobile broadband access is also difficult in my state's rugged, mountainous terrain, making online ticket sales difficult."

Source: https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-secures-language-to-ensure-amtrak-ticket-agent-in-west-virginia

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  • (Score: 2) by zocalo on Monday June 11 2018, @07:03AM

    by zocalo (302) on Monday June 11 2018, @07:03AM (#691305)
    I thought I'd implied that I already have - and a few cruises like Hurtigruten's route up the coast of Norway - but they've all generally been extremely scenic pretty much throughout. I've spent a fair bit of time in the interior of the US, covering over a dozen states from border to border by road and rail, and while there are some very beautiful/interesting bits, much of it is now just the (mostly) flat remains of prairie buried under the infrastructure of producing food and energy. A few hours with not much to see in order to get from A-to-B is one thing, several days of it with only the occassional highlight - or a quick look around a city before getting back on board - is something else. There are some train routes in the US I would consider for a vacation, or part of one, - I've traversed the Rockies by train (Denver to SLC) and MDC's Portland to California route should be spectacular, for instance - but a jaunt across the prairie just isn't going to be near the top of the list.
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