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Guest
Guest
Allen,
Yes its the City of New Orleans. Problem always was that if you went up in the morning the short distance train left too early to get to spend much time in chicago. Thus throwing you to the long distance train as the way home. I have noticed that lots of people ride it after they get done shoppiing or work in chicago, and they seem to have a system for steering the passengers to certain cars which perhaps they wouldn't even run if they didn't have a great deal of short distance service on that line. Same thing going to chicago untill just recently, actually last month. The only way to chicago was the City Of New Orleans unless you went at 5 at night. Now the short distance train goes from here at 8:30 am. That is a great improvement over 4 am and usually it was hours late. Last time I rode it a few years ago it was over 5 hours late. That rather ruinned our holiday trip for the day. But if it were on time it got in at 10am or so which left you quite a bit of shopping time. Now we will get up there at 1pm if everything goes as planned. Return at 8 pm. Not a lot of time considering the 112.00 price, but then thats my problem. It all sort of boils down to the fact that the middle of the country hasn't had the frequent train travel options that the east has had for years. I was up there and it seemed you could go to new york every hour or so from other major cities.
Larry
Yes its the City of New Orleans. Problem always was that if you went up in the morning the short distance train left too early to get to spend much time in chicago. Thus throwing you to the long distance train as the way home. I have noticed that lots of people ride it after they get done shoppiing or work in chicago, and they seem to have a system for steering the passengers to certain cars which perhaps they wouldn't even run if they didn't have a great deal of short distance service on that line. Same thing going to chicago untill just recently, actually last month. The only way to chicago was the City Of New Orleans unless you went at 5 at night. Now the short distance train goes from here at 8:30 am. That is a great improvement over 4 am and usually it was hours late. Last time I rode it a few years ago it was over 5 hours late. That rather ruinned our holiday trip for the day. But if it were on time it got in at 10am or so which left you quite a bit of shopping time. Now we will get up there at 1pm if everything goes as planned. Return at 8 pm. Not a lot of time considering the 112.00 price, but then thats my problem. It all sort of boils down to the fact that the middle of the country hasn't had the frequent train travel options that the east has had for years. I was up there and it seemed you could go to new york every hour or so from other major cities.
Larry
The price of operating the train doesn't necessarily remain the same depending on how many ride it on any given day. If the train is full, Amtrak may add an extra waiter in the dining car. A full train needs more cleaning than a half empty train. A full train also needs more fuel to haul the extra weight (not a whole lot I'll admit, but it does need more), and a full train uses more water and also has more sewage to dispose of.You know I loved train travel, and still perhaps do. I guess I just don't care for the way the fares are arrived at. Planes, Buses you name it, a fare should be a fare. The price of operating the train is the same if it runs full or empty. They should decide what each passengers share is and thats what every one pays. If your service is good maybe it will run full, but I shouldn't have to pay extra because it is doing well. thats not my fault. I see its not amtraks problem alone, its the whole travel industry. Perhaps if they had the proper support from the goverment they wouldn't be left sticking it to the passengers who are late at booking the same triip someone else paid way less for. This is undoubtedly like Religion or Politics, those who think its a great system will defend it and those that don't, won't!
And then there is the whole concept of overhead and capital costs, which I won't go into.
Larry, one question. Is the more expensive train, train #58/59? If so, the reasons behind that would simply be that Amtrak first off wants short distance riders to ride the short distance trains when available, not the long distance train where they could sell the seat to someone going a longer distance. Secondly, the short haul trains are further subsidized by the State of Illinios and they have some say in what price is charged. The long distance train is not subsidized by Illinios and Amtrak must charge more to pay for the costs of operating the train.Ok I will own up to some thing here, I went back into the Amtrak reservation site suggested here and found that the one way fare is indeed 27.00 on two of the trains. The third showed up below the screen and I didn't catch the first time that it was 71.00 one way on it. Thats quite a difference though for the same coach seat as you went up on. But depending on the load, those figures are subject to being raised. I have run into that before.