Wyoming Thruway

I didn't see this mentioned when I did a search. It looks like there are a lot of stops in Wyoming recently added. Along with the other thruways that have been discussed.

https://www.amtrak.com/travelplanningmap <-- This doesn't seem to work from this site, but you can get to it on the Amtrak website.

It appears to be in the system, too, because i could book a trip from Chicago to Rawlins.

The thruway bus numbers don't appear on an April 2017 list of Thruways i found online.

Powder river stage (a.k.a. Arrow) would be my guess.

I hope someday they'll bring back the Pioneer. That was the first Amtrak I ever took (to SLC). Worst lasagna ever, though.

Seems like a good way to at least bring back service to the state, even if the Pioneer isn't in the cards right now. It's nice to expand the map.

I went through Wyoming on Amtrak as a kid, and remember thinking the scenery was cool. Would be nice to see that again.

mlanoue said:

I didn't see this mentioned when I did a search. It looks like there are a lot of stops in Wyoming recently added. Along with the other thruways that have been discussed.

https://www.amtrak.com/travelplanningmap <-- This doesn't seem to work from this site, but you can get to it on the Amtrak website.

It appears to be in the system, too, because i could book a trip from Chicago to Rawlins.

The thruway bus numbers don't appear on an April 2017 list of Thruways i found online.

Click to expand...

You are correct on the new additions; surprised the heck out of me. It must be a newly-signed contract, though all the stops appear to be on I-80 & I-25, with service only through Denver (ie, the California Zephyr). There also seems to be similar service through places in CO in which passenger rail hasn't happened in decades (Fort Collins, Greeley).

Rockymtnchris said:

Powder river stage (a.k.a. Arrow) would be my guess.

Click to expand...

Powder River Transportation is now a wholly owned subsidiary of CoachUSA (which itself is a subsidiary of Stagecoach PLC). I'm guessing the contract was signed with CoachUSA, who is presumably providing the connecting service.

mlanoue said:

Seems like a good way to at least bring back service to the state, even if the Pioneer isn't in the cards right now. It's nice to expand the map.

I went through Wyoming on Amtrak as a kid, and remember thinking the scenery was cool. Would be nice to see that again.

Click to expand...

My mother went to visit her aunt in Los Angeles as a young woman, departing and returning from her small(er) town in WY via train. Today that is now technically possible through Amtrak, albeit with a multi-hour bus ride.

It certainly provides more options and gets the message out that one can still ride the train from places it doesn't actually go. That leaves only one state in the Lower 48 from within one still can't book an Amtrak ticket for departure or arrival. Though for most WY residents, it's still cheaper to drive to CO to catch the train.

Rockymtnchris said:

I hope someday they'll bring back the Pioneer. That was the first Amtrak I ever took (to SLC). Worst lasagna ever, though.

Click to expand...

Lasagna will be replaced with gas station vending machines on the new Thruway service.

RSG said:

It certainly provides more options and gets the message out that one can still ride the train from places it doesn't actually go. That leaves only one state in the Lower 48 from within one still can't book an Amtrak ticket for departure or arrival. Though for most WY residents, it's still cheaper to drive to CO to catch the train.

Click to expand...

South Dakota, right?

fairviewroad said:

Rockymtnchris said:

I hope someday they'll bring back the Pioneer. That was the first Amtrak I ever took (to SLC). Worst lasagna ever, though.

Click to expand...

Lasagna will be replaced with gas station vending machines on the new Thruway service.

RSG said:

It certainly provides more options and gets the message out that one can still ride the train from places it doesn't actually go. That leaves only one state in the Lower 48 from within one still can't book an Amtrak ticket for departure or arrival. Though for most WY residents, it's still cheaper to drive to CO to catch the train.

Click to expand...

South Dakota, right?

Click to expand...

Gas station burritos and nachos would be gourmet bistro compared to the lasagna I bought on the Pioneer. (and way cheaper.)

Based on the newest route literature I picked up during my layover at SAC valley station in CA, I would agree that SD appeares to be the only Amtrakless state (at least in the western half of US).

fairviewroad said:

Rockymtnchris said:

I hope someday they'll bring back the Pioneer. That was the first Amtrak I ever took (to SLC). Worst lasagna ever, though.

Click to expand...

Lasagna will be replaced with gas station vending machines on the new Thruway service.

RSG said:

It certainly provides more options and gets the message out that one can still ride the train from places it doesn't actually go. That leaves only one state in the Lower 48 from within one still can't book an Amtrak ticket for departure or arrival. Though for most WY residents, it's still cheaper to drive to CO to catch the train.

Click to expand...

South Dakota, right?

Click to expand...

I believe so.

Good for Amtrak. It certainly makes sense to expand this service in CO and WY with the new Intermodal transit/bus/train terminal in Denver.

We often visit Fort Collins and this would make life easier without the hastle of a Denver rental and drive on I-25. The fare isn't bad - From Fort Collins to Chicago the fare is $423 in a roomette. It's $399 if you start in Denver using a mid Nov. date.

In Fort Collins the Greyhound station is in the downtown transit center (borders the C&S/BNSF line) so I assume this service will use that. It's a short walk to nearby restaurants and brew pubs in that lively and fun town, and home to Colorado State U. Car rental companies are available with a short Uber ride if you then want to venture to other northern CO points.

With the agreement between Amtrak and Indian Trails Bus in Michigan where supposedly ALL I.T. buses code share with Amtrak and now the expansion into Wyoming (which carrier?), I wonder if there has been an epiphany with some of the bus companies that the general public prefers Amtrak to buses and there market plan is best served by Amtrak doing the long distance with passenger comfort and the bus getting the trip beginning/end rather than rental car of Uber?

Palmland said:

Good for Amtrak. It certainly makes sense to expand this service in CO and WY with the new Intermodal transit/bus/train terminal in Denver.

We often visit Fort Collins and this would make life easier without the hastle of a Denver rental and drive on I-25. The fare isn't bad - From Fort Collins to Chicago the fare is $423 in a roomette. It's $399 if you start in Denver using a mid Nov. date.

Click to expand...

The connections in Denver are pretty good, with a Thruway 8105 departure for FCC at 11:55 AM, which is only 4.5 hours or so after the arrival of # 5. The outbound is pretty sweet as well, with a Thruway 8106 departure from FCC at 17:10, just two hours from the scheduled departure of # 6 at 19:10. This is much better than the Thruway connection provided by Greyhound to catch the Southwest Chief in Raton, which often results in an AM arrival via train and a PM departure via bus, or vice versa.

Presumably the contractor company will be allowed to use one of the gates in the underground bus concourse, which would allow for an exit right at trackside.

In Fort Collins the Greyhound station is in the downtown transit center (borders the C&S/BNSF line) so I assume this service will use that.

Click to expand...

The 'station' for Fort Collins/FCC is listed as the Harmony Road Park and Ride at 4308 East Harmony Road, so I'm pretty sure Greyhound isn't the contractor for the service (none of the Greyhound schedules north of Denver mesh with the published Thruway Bus schedules, either). The service seems designed for locals who don't wish to commute to Denver to make the connection. That's great for northern CO in general, but not so much for outside visitors who are making Fort Fun their final destination and outbound departure point.

An alternate connection could be to/from Greeley/GRE, where the 'station' is listed as the GETrax Office Bus Stop, 1200 A Street, which is in downtown Greeley with many more amenities than the Harmony Road Park and Ride. The transit time is only 10 minutes longer, but the layovers are longer waiting for the bus/shuttle in Denver and then the CZ in Denver Union Station. Interestingly enough, ticket prices seem to be a little cheaper with GRE as the destination/departure point.

It's a short walk to nearby restaurants and brew pubs in that lively and fun town, and home to Colorado State U. Car rental companies are available with a short Uber ride if you then want to venture to other northern CO points.

Click to expand...

This section of the city is known as Old Town, and though the main business/government center, is also Party Central for Colorado State University students. Fun fact: Old Town Fort Collins was one of the inspirations for the various Main Street U.S.A. attractions in the wonderful world of Disney theme parks.

Palmetto said:

fairviewroad said:

RSG said:

It certainly provides more options and gets the message out that one can still ride the train from places it doesn't actually go. That leaves only one state in the Lower 48 from within one still can't book an Amtrak ticket for departure or arrival. Though for most WY residents, it's still cheaper to drive to CO to catch the train.

Click to expand...

South Dakota, right?

Click to expand...

I believe so.

Click to expand...

Indeed. As well as the only contiguous state never served by Amtrak.

There's a good factoid for the Jeopardy show.

Palmetto said:

There's a good factoid for the Jeopardy show.

Click to expand...

I wonder how many of the Champions in just the past ten years could correctly answer...

It's sad Amtrak has no service in South Dakota. I bet SD had train service, in the pre-Amtrak days when passenger rail service was readily available in cities all over the U.S. many decades ago. Shudder, just to think that probably one of the only non-car ways to travel in that state is probably something like Greyhound, or one of the other bus companies. I don't even think Megabus has any bus service in SD(including even Sioux Falls) to my memory, but maybe I'm wrong?

South Dakota did have some passenger service prior to Amtrak, but not much...The Milwaukee Road had a stub train from Minneapolis to Aberdeen, SD...on the route of its former transcontinental Olympian Hiawatha. At one time the MILW also crossed the state to Rapid City, as did the Chicago and North Western. The Illinois Central ran from Iowa into Sioux Falls, and the Burlington Route went from Nebraska into western SD.

Currently, Jefferson Lines offers the most bus service to SD.

It appears that the contractor for the Thruway route is Arrow Stage Lines, out of Norfolk NE [Johnny Carson's hometown]. Their current schedules line up perfectly with the new AMTK route schedules.