Longview TX to Houston TX

[jdcnosse]

I'll hopefully be traveling to Arizona in January via the Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited, however I have family in Houston that I'd like to visit as well. So far my itinerary is:

Jan 3

371 Pere Marquette from GRR to CHI

21/421 Texas Eagle from CHI to Longview, TX (arriving Jan 4)

Jan 4

Thruway bus from Longview, TX to Houston, TX

1 Sunset Limited from HOS to TUS

I'm curious as to how on time the TE is when it arrives to Longview, TX as I know the TE is known for being quite late most of the time, and the connection according to Amtrak is less than an hour to the thruway bus. Also if we miss our connection, I assume there is another thruway bus that would leave later? The plan is to spend the day in Houston with my family before boarding the train at like 9-10pm and continuning on the journey to Arizona.

 

[wmk]

The bus waits for the train if late.Only train passengers carried on bus.

 

[Gingee]

We took it a few years ago and I remember it was a very short time between the train arrival and the bus.

 

[librarian]

I have taken the Thruway bus to and from Houston twice this year. The bus is sitting in the parking lot of the Longview, TX Station when the train arrives. (we were 1 hour late) It is operated under contract with Lone Star Lines. It does not leave Longview until all train passengers have boarded. It stops for a restroom break, and to obtain food and drink if desired at Nacogdoches. The driver informed us 1 hour before reaching Houston in case we need to contact someone, and he offered to call taxis if anyone needed them. The Houston Amtrak Station usually closes the afternoon that I took the bus, but they remained open until the bus arrived, 30 minutes late. It is a nice operation with courteous drivers.

 

[wmk]

For a bus,this is a nice ride.Lone Star coaches is a local Texas company,friendly drivers,clean late model busses,not crowded,easy four hour trip on good Texas highways to Houston.I have ridden it three times.On a humorous note;on the trip last summer there was a boy,maybe 15 maybe younger,.,riding from Longview after visiting grand parents near Longview.He boarded with fishing tackle and three watermelons.One hit the floor at the first stop light,fortunately it only cracked.To get a ticket on the thruway you must connect to amtrak ,so his grandmother took him to marshal the previous day and he rode the Eagle to Longview(only about a 30 minute ride).Technically he was an Amtrak passenger with a stopover.I suspect the reason for this arrangement was his grandmother didnt want to put him on the long dog with a change in Dallas.Reasons need no imagination.His mother was sure suprised when he started bringing watermelons off the bus in Houston.We arrived early and the northbound bus hadnt left yet so the small Houston amtrak lot wascrowded...............Using the thruway to connect tothe Sunset is a great idea.Travel time is less to SAS with no night time layover in SAS.Layover in HOS will be mostly daytime......I wouldnt worry about the Eagle being on time.Every time I have ridden it it has been on time,as well as when I have picked up friends.But then I think I am just lucky or the Eagle loves me.

 

[jdcnosse]

Thanks everyone for the help, and that I'd very comforting to know that the bus don't leave until we are on it, and that it's only Amtrak passengers. Now I just have to talk it over with the family to make sure they know I'd like to visit lol