35 replies to this topic

[battalion51]

Since Amtrak provides shuttle service to a daily reliable train in Flagstaff, I guess in their opinion it's not necessary. It is too bad that there is no connection, but Maricopa is a mere 35 miles from Phoenix whereas Flagstaff is 150 miles away. Just out of curiosity where are you traveling from that necessitates you going to Maricopa vs. Flagstaff?

[jccollins]

Amtrak tried to get a shuttle operator interested in serving the Maricopa to Phoenix route, but since the train is so unreliable and doesn't run daily they didn't have much luck. Surprisingly Maricopa still hosts around 40-50 passengers on and off every time the train stops, even without a shuttle.

A company called White's Shuttle (18917 N. John Wayne Parkway, Maricopa AZ 85239. 520-568-4404) does meet every train at the station but operates more like a door to door taxi service and charges about $55 per person for service into the Phoenix Metro Area.

A better option for eastbound Sunset Limited passengers trying to reach Phoenix would be to detrain in Tucson, AZ (the stop before Maricopa) and go to the local Greyhound station (one block, across the street) for a Greyhound bus connection into downtown Phoenix. Amtrak used to show this as a thruway option since Greyhound runs Tucson to Phoenix buses every 3 hours or so, but has removed it since they opened the Maricopa stop. Passengers, howver, can still set up this type of itinerary on their own.

[jccollins]

So maybe when the Sunset isn't delayed as much there will be a bus service? Because 35 miles is a long way for a taxi ride. Amtrak provides bus service from Emeryville to SF, so why not to Phoenix. People who want to go to Phoenix would be stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Unfortunately Amtrak is not even persuing a shuttle operator to take up the service anymore. Even though White's is expensive (nearly twice the one way fare from Los Angeles to Maricopa just for the ride into Phoenix) Amtrak seems to think it is adequate enough. The market is definitely there for a real, economical shuttle, though. White's has no problem filling up their minivan shuttle (6 people @ $55 each + the driver) and encourages passengers to book space well ahead of time if they need it since the "shuttle" is usually full. Crazy logic, huh? That's Amtrak for ya!

[MikefromCrete]

You could call up Bristol Palin and ask her for a ride since she's moving to Maricopa.

[the_traveler]

You could call up Bristol Palin and ask her for a ride since she's moving to Maricopa.

Is she going to be like John McCain (who's from Phoenix) who says that Amtrak doesn't serve his state!

[saxman]

If the Sunset Limited ever does daily, Amtrak said they would try and pursue a shuttle bus between Maricopa. Right now with service at only 3 days a week and the train comes at midnight and 1 am, no shuttle operator will do it. I suppose they would want to be able to make money on it as well. Emeryville to San Fran has dozens of trains per day, so it's not hard to justify a bus between the two.

[DET63]

You could call up Bristol Palin and ask her for a ride since she's moving to Maricopa.

Is she going to be like John McCain (who's from Phoenix) who says that Amtrak doesn't serve his state!

John's basically right as far as the SL is concerned. Three nights a week in each direction doesn't really constitute "serving," IMHO.

OTOH, the SWC does serve the northern part of his state, but maybe that's where all the rednecks and hicks in the sticks live, so they don't figure in his book.

[Devil's Advocate]

John's basically right as far as the SL is concerned. Three nights a week in each direction doesn't really constitute "serving," IMHO. OTOH, the SWC does serve the northern part of his state, but maybe that's where all the rednecks and hicks in the sticks live, so they don't figure in his book.

John McCain was a relatively thoughtful and even honorable politician up until the new millennium. In the last decade however he has completely derailed his good name and gone from a generally reasonable and respectable man to a completely unreliable kook. John McCain may not appreciate it but Amtrak does in fact serve Arizona. I should know, I rode it many times to and from there. McCain's mental maturity has continued to dwindle further and further even as the man himself gets older and older. I'd have had far more respect for McCain if he had stood by his long held values instead of quickly dumping them in order to win reelection.

[railiner]

There are other places in the Amtrak system that could use a 'thruway' shuttle.
Des Moines to Osceola, Ia comes to mind. There is regular Jefferson Lines bus service, but not designed to connect with the Zephyr.
How about Newton and Wichita, Ks?
Any other examples come to mind?

[alanh]

Amtrak does offer ticketing from the three Thruway stops in Phoenix (Sky Harbor, Greyhound, and Metro Center) to connect to the Southwest Chief in Flagstaff. These piggyback on existing shuttle services.

I'm unhappy that there's no Amtrak service here, but you're suggesting that they discontinue all Thruways, or at least not tell anybody about them. I don't see how that helps.

[trainman74]

Phoenix is...the only city in which Amtrak claims to have not one but three Amtrak staions.

Amtrak has five bus stops (i.e., "claims to have five stations") in Monterey, California.

And seven bus stops in San Francisco.

And two rail stations plus two bus stops in San Diego.

And three rail stations plus three bus stops in Los Angeles. (Van Nuys, Chatsworth, and San Pedro are all within the city of Los Angeles.)

[greatcats]

You could call up Bristol Palin and ask her for a ride since she's moving to Maricopa.

Is she going to be like John McCain (who's from Phoenix) who says that Amtrak doesn't serve his state!

John's basically right as far as the SL is concerned. Three nights a week in each direction doesn't really constitute "serving," IMHO.

OTOH, the SWC does serve the northern part of his state, but maybe that's where all the rednecks and hicks in the sticks live, so they don't figure in his book.

Hey, watch it buddy, I live in northern Arizona!!!!!

[EMDF9A]

I'm not sure if it would work, but perhaps you could take the Harrah's Ak-Chin casino bus from Maricopa to PHX