If you price the cost of transporting a car from Lorton to Sanford and do a comparison, the Amtrak cost is less. Also bear in mind that there are far fewer automobiles in one auto carriers than there are passengers in one coach and autos are heavier.
I'd love to see what this comparison is based on.
Me too, since I was comparing Amtrak AT fares to Amtrak non-AT fares (but still Amtrak to Amtrak).
You're obviously a "doubting Thomas" and never shipped a car. Since I am a car collector I have shipped a few. If you contact any one of a number of car moving companys (they are online); interstate shipment of an automobile can easily run you $1.00-$1.50 per mile. If you lucked out you may find someone to do the VA to Florida run for $800 but that would be on the low side.
Yes, the AT runs with two lounge cars; one for sleeper pax and one for coach pax.
The poster originally asked why you pay a hefty fare to take your car along and I disagreed that its expensive. My response was pointing out the alternative cost of transporting an automobile from point A to point B nothing more. If the poster believed that the auto transportation charge was high, comparatively speaking Amtrak is the most economical way to do it. If you wish to debate the reasons the Autotrain car transport is less expensive thats a completely different point. Saving money transporting your car is the bottom line and Amtrak is the price leader.
They look like dining cars because that's what they were originally, dining cars. Auto Train shop personnel in Sanford converted 5 Superliner I diners into special lounge cars. Special in that half the car on the upper level can either work as a lounge car or as overflow seating from the dining car. The other half is strictly lounge car, as is the downstairs area, which also has a special enclosed room for smokers.
Checking a random date for next September a trip on either Silver from DC to Orlando costs $101, low bucket. Pricing the Auto Train for the same date shows a low bucket of $93 one way. So I'm not sure how the AT passenger is paying a premium for their seat. They're paying 8 bucks less for their seat in fact.
Yep. Thanks.
Yea, Business Class doesn't seem right. I don't think there are many business travelers on the AT either.
Since it's quite clear on one's ticket, or eTicket now, that one is paying X for a seat and Y for the car, I see no need to call coach seating anything other than coach seating. The charge for your car appears in the accomodation charge box, just like if you brought a sleeper on a regular train. The coach charge is still called railfare like it always is. This coach seat is identical to every other LD coach seat in Amtrak's system. The meals are part of the accomodation charge, not part of the railfare.
When compared with the cost to drive down to Florida, the car transport price is about the same. From the Lorton Auto Train station to the Sanford Auto Train station is 815 miles (based on Google Maps). My 2005 Ford 500 averages 24mpg highway, so that's approximately 40 gallons. At the national average of $3.83, that's approximately $153 to drive down there, not including wear on the car itself. Amtrak charges $157 to transport that same car. I think I'll pay the $4.00.
I guess I don't see it the same way. On the Autotrain, you don't get the same things in coach as on all other LD trains. Specifically, you get more; your meals. Meals are not included with coach on any other Amtrak LD trains, I am pretty sure.
That's the same way it is on non-AT LD trains. Every sleeper passenger pays railfare, and one pays the additional (roomette/bedroom) accommodation charge. That's how it is listed on that ticket. However, all sleeper passengers get their meals, even those only paying railfare.
