> I would argue with the qualifier respectable - the quality of tracks is
> atrocious and once the train leaves Lancaster is comes to a crawl. The same
> distance takes about 1.5 hrs on NEC.
Do you mean because of the stops - Parkesburg, Coatesville, Downingtown, Exton, Paoli, Ardmore, Philly - or just the speed of the train? The frequent stops combined with the proximity to residential areas and towns mean it isn't going to go too fast. I live in Lancaster, and when I used to work in Ardmore I took the train 4 days each week. The 10 trip tickets actually saved me money compared to driving. And as Jordan said it is a commuter train so all those stops were necessary. In Lancaster I had my pick of the seats but by Paoli the train was packed.
I was fortunate that my office was located opposite Haverford College from the station, so when I got to Ardmore it was a leisurely stroll across campus to finish the commute. It was about an hour by rail and would have been longer to drive. For anyone living near or working in the Main Line area of Philly suburbs this train is hard to beat.
This line is also nice for me to take a weekend or a day into Philly - $16 each way. For two people going into Philly, $64 total is less than what I'd spend in gas and Philly's insane parking fees for Center City over a weekend. But taking this line to NYC only makes sense if I am going alone - $53 each way. For two people the trip costs $212 and I can do it for 1/4 that by car in about the same time, and usually have no problems getting free or dirt cheap parking.
Matt
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