Executive Travel : Rails Can Be Cheaper, Easier for Short Trips

Trains, while long associated with romance and mystery, can also be a fast, modern means of business travel.

In fact, riding the rails is a staple among business travelers on the East Coast, where the concentrations of downtown companies and the shorter commutes make trains highly competitive with airplanes and autos. West Coast business people are also finding that train travel for short trips can be cheaper and easier than flying or driving--and almost as quick.

Flying is a little more hectic, a little more stressful and probably isn’t that much faster when you take into account driving to and from the airport and the waits involved, said Lois Slavkin, executive director for USC’s Center to Advance Precollege Science Education, who has traveled to San Diego by train for business.

According to Amtrak spokeswoman Patricia Kelly, 33.7% of the rail company’s passengers are traveling on short-distance trains for business purposes, with another 16% on such trains commuting regularly. Since the recent cutbacks in Amtrak service were chiefly on long-distance routes, most business train travel remains unchanged.

For some short-distance business travelers, trains are especially attractive if the alternative is a small commercial plane, which can be cramped, noisy and nerve-racking.

More alluring for executives are the rail features not found in planes or cars.

For example, the use of cellular phones and computers is unrestricted aboard trains. Riders are free to move about at all times and can sit together to hold meetings, sometimes around a lounge or dining car table.

In addition, seating is roomier than in planes or cars, giving travelers space to work or rest in comfort.

“The main reason I take trains is that both ways I have two hours where I can work, or maybe sleep on the way back,” said Howard Roth, senior economist for Bank of America, who said he travels by train to San Diego about eight times a year.

But David Quigley, an associate with ING Capital Corp. in New York who for the past two months has traveled by train to Baltimore every other week, cautioned that if your work involves a laptop computer, the lateral movement of the trains can be a nuisance.

“You bounce around sideways a lot, and it makes typing and using the mouse difficult,” said Quigley, who added that eventually you can get used to the train’s rhythm and work.

Bumpy rides aside, executives who take trains say the extra amenities and comforts add up to more usable work time, permitting them to disembark feeling rested and focused.

“I find it a very civilized way to be able to work and prepare and arrive at your destination fresh and ready for work,” Slavkin said.

For an extra fee, some passengers can upgrade to cars that feature even roomier seats, phone booths and complimentary drinks.

Amtrak’s East Coast Metroliners, the express trains running between New York and Washington, are faster and not much more expensive than regular trains on the route. On the West Coast, upgrades to Custom Class cost from $3 to $10 on routes between Santa Barbara and San Diego.

To promote the comfort angle, Amtrak has opened four posh waiting rooms called Metropolitan Lounges for first-class ticket-holders in Washington, New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. Complimentary coffee, tea and soft drinks are offered, and redcaps carry passengers’ baggage and escort them to their seats.

In addition to offering comfortable work space, train travel can be cost-effective.

“It’s inexpensive,” Roth said. “It probably costs less for the bank than what they would reimburse me at 30 cents a mile for my car.”

That advantage can also apply to air travel. The lowest round-trip train fare from Los Angeles to San Diego is $31; from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara it is $26. The lowest round-trip air fare from Los Angeles to San Diego, without a Saturday night stay, was recently $161; to Santa Barbara it was $146.

Though cheaper, convenient and more business-friendly than other modes of transportation, trains can and do suffer delays, sometimes lengthy ones.

“The train tends to be on time about 99%,” Roth said, “but, boy, when it’s late, it can be hours late.”

And in the middle of a run, food or newspapers left by passengers may not be picked up quickly.

Most rides from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara or San Diego take from two hours and 45 minutes to three hours. When delays occur, they are usually caused by weather, equipment problems or signal slowdowns due to track work or traffic.

Amtrak’s systemwide on-time rate for the year ended Sept. 30 was 75.7%, a figure that includes delays caused by foul weather during the harsh East Coast winter that year. The on-time rate for the San Diegans, the trains running from Santa Barbara to San Diego via Los Angeles, was 86.4% for the same period.

Once passengers disembark, they can choose from taxis, shuttles or buses to reach their final destinations. Los Angeles’ Union Station has a Budget Car & Truck Rental site, but most stations are some distance from car rental agencies. In some cases, a shuttle can take you to one.