TransitGeek
Service Attendant
A friend of mine, who lives in Havasu City, AZ, asked me to research options for her to get to her husband's Air Force graduation in Arlington, TX. Of course, my first bet was the Texas Eagle. In trying to find a way to get her from Havasu to somewhere along the Eagle's route, I made a cursory check into possibilities between Phoenix and Maricopa- and, to my surprise, the City of Maricopa has instituted commuter bus services along the route. Better still, the park-and-ride lot is a mere couple of blocks from the Amtrak station in Maricopa. Fares are $3 each way, and the bus operates on weekdays- so you can catch the Tu/Th #1 and the We/Fr #2.
However, there is a catch, and it's a biggie. I said you can get TO the train, and you can. The second bus of the night leaves Phoenix at 5:29 and arrives in Maricopa at 7:00pm, leaving you with (three dull hours in Maricopa and) ample time to connect to either 1 or 2, which call there at 11:47pm and 10:28pm respectively. If you're getting off one of those trains, however, you're out of luck- the MaX to Phoenix doesn't leave until 5am the next morning. Still, it'd be useful for Phoenix-based railfans who want to do some form of circle trip, with a return on the Flagstaff-Phoenix thruway.
However, there is a catch, and it's a biggie. I said you can get TO the train, and you can. The second bus of the night leaves Phoenix at 5:29 and arrives in Maricopa at 7:00pm, leaving you with (three dull hours in Maricopa and) ample time to connect to either 1 or 2, which call there at 11:47pm and 10:28pm respectively. If you're getting off one of those trains, however, you're out of luck- the MaX to Phoenix doesn't leave until 5am the next morning. Still, it'd be useful for Phoenix-based railfans who want to do some form of circle trip, with a return on the Flagstaff-Phoenix thruway.