What I Learned After First Long Train Ride in Roomette, Things to Know

Changes in travel time are inevitable.

My train ride was scheduled to take 16 hours, and it actually ended up being that long.

A medical emergency on board, passing freight trains, and a mechanical issue with a wheel on the train all slowed us down. At one point, we even traveled backward in order to switch tracks.

It seemed like there were constant delays at the beginning of the route, so I assumed we’d arrive in Sacramento late. But we were able to pick up the pace.

Before going to bed, my car attendant told me we were scheduled to arrive in Sacramento close to an hour early, so I set my alarm for 4 a.m. When I woke up, we weren’t in Sacramento yet, and I had plenty of time left on the train.

Overall, it made me realize that the timetables for rail travel are never consistent, and there may be delays or early arrivals. It’s definitely part of the journey, and it’s better to go into the trip knowing you’ll just have to go with the flow.