What's the shortest length you'll regularly ride Amtrak?

[Spokker]

I live along the LOSSAN Corridor. Today we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano on a whim. There were no Metrolink trains available (they recently cut half of them) so we looked into Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.

It would have cost $11 one-way on August 7th, 2010 to ride from Santa Ana to San Juan Capistrano. For the two of us, the round-trip cost would be $44. Because Amtrak is priced for intercity rail and not for these short distances, this is way beyond what I am willing to pay for a relatively short trip. Also, Amtrak tends to be less of a deal for couples and better for solo travelers.

So we decided to drive, which was a nightmare, but that's another story.

In any case, what is the shortest length you are willing to travel on Amtrak? When does Amtrak become too expensive for the ride? I regularly take the Surfliner *from* Los Angeles (I never take it *to* Los Angeles because you don't get free transfers to Metro Rail), but only when I'm traveling solo.

As an aside, the Surfliner trains I observed in San Juan Capistrano were packed. If we were going to Santa Barbara or San Diego, we would definitely be on the Surfliner. It's just not worth it for shorter trips, though. Unfortunately, we don't have the proper Metrolink service to cover those shorter distances. Orange County really needs to get its act together on regional rail because the demand is clearly there (while we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano late in the day which means we missed the Southbound Metrolink train, we observed a Northbound Metrolink train that was packed).

 

[Ashland Train Enthusiast]

I think it might depend on location, but the shortest routes that I've taken with some regularity have all been around the 2 hour mark, when I lived in NC, I would take the Piedmont from KAN, where I worked, to CYN, where I have family, to visit for a weekend, and then take it back at the end of the weekend. The trip worked out to be more cost effective than driving, and when weekend traffic on I85 is taken into account, quicker as well. I've recently moved to DC, an excellent move in terms of train availability, and I've trained to Richmond, also about 2 hours, to visit family/friends for the weekend. Same deal as working out to be quite a bit quicker than driving, esp. given DC traffic southbound on I95 on a Friday.

~ DCTE

 

[jmbgeg]

I live along the LOSSAN Corridor. Today we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano on a whim. There were no Metrolink trains available (they recently cut half of them) so we looked into Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.

It would have cost $11 one-way on August 7th, 2010 to ride from Santa Ana to San Juan Capistrano. For the two of us, the round-trip cost would be $44. Because Amtrak is priced for intercity rail and not for these short distances, this is way beyond what I am willing to pay for a relatively short trip. Also, Amtrak tends to be less of a deal for couples and better for solo travelers.

So we decided to drive, which was a nightmare, but that's another story.

In any case, what is the shortest length you are willing to travel on Amtrak? When does Amtrak become too expensive for the ride? I regularly take the Surfliner *from* Los Angeles (I never take it *to* Los Angeles because you don't get free transfers to Metro Rail), but only when I'm traveling solo.

As an aside, the Surfliner trains I observed in San Juan Capistrano were packed. If we were going to Santa Barbara or San Diego, we would definitely be on the Surfliner. It's just not worth it for shorter trips, though. Unfortunately, we don't have the proper Metrolink service to cover those shorter distances. Orange County really needs to get its act together on regional rail because the demand is clearly there (while we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano late in the day which means we missed the Southbound Metrolink train, we observed a Northbound Metrolink train that was packed).

I would take Seattle to Tacoma.

 

[the_traveler]

If it's a small enough price, I'll take ANY Amtrak train!

I know one of our infamous members (chuljin) took Amtrak to/from Glendale to/from LAX for <$3 each way and earned 100 AGR points each way!

I go to BOS (using a multi-city booking and 2 trains an hour apart) for $8 per train - and earn 400 AGR points per RT!

 

[Spokker]

If it's a small enough price, I'll take ANY Amtrak train!

I know one of our infamous members (chuljin) took Amtrak to/from Glendale to/from LAX for <$3 each way

Glendale-LAX is $7.50 this summer.

That's my point. Amtrak is intercity rail. The local commuter trains are more economical for shorter distances, but service is sparse except for the San Bernardino Line.

Orange County, CA just doesn't have good intra-county transportation. Apparently, even with 12 lane highways, it takes an hour to go from Anaheim to San Juan Capistrano on a Saturday. For the car-less, all we have are local buses and four Metrolink trains per day on weekends.

I think it's clear that those in charge of LOSSAN are not providing the robust levels of service you need to attract riders of all types.

 

[battalion51]

Well for folks in the Northeast (and I think even on the west coast) if you're able to get a monthly pass then it can become quite economical to go relatively short distances. Granted this only works on high density corridors, but it is doable.

 

[Bob Dylan]

The shortest run I take is the ONLY trains available down this way which is the Texas Eagles! AUS-TAY-AUS is $5.95 each way Senior fare, 200 railpoints plus any bonsuses ,during the double/triple bonus promo I rode like 25 times which got me to Select Status and delicious Bar-B-Q lunches. :wub: Id say the Portland,OR to Vancouver,WA route and the California routes would be heavily ridden by point riders, wish we had more trains down our way!(But so does everyone else! :lol: )

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I travel two or three times a year from Atlanta to Birmngham and back. No reason other than to ride a train. It is a four hour trip one way.

 

[Heading North]

WAS-BWI and WAS-BAL seem to be pretty common in the Northeast, especially given the limited MARC service (and none on weekends). I've done both a few times, but try to aim for the lowest bucket. Although I have seen people very upset about delays to BWI from trains that were delayed in CSX territory... if your train doesn't originate in WAS, reliability can be tricky.

I've also gone ALX-WAS or vice-versa when the Metro has been acting up, or for a treat and some AGR points.

There's also some local daily traffic PJC-PHL that I've seen, since it's a fast, comfortable ride (on the 3 trains that do it) and it means not having to change trains in Trenton. And lots of commuters on the Keystone Service (especially Philadelphia to Lancaster).

 

[LA Resident]

I live along the LOSSAN Corridor. Today we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano on a whim. There were no Metrolink trains available (they recently cut half of them) so we looked into Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.

It would have cost $11 one-way on August 7th, 2010 to ride from Santa Ana to San Juan Capistrano. For the two of us, the round-trip cost would be $44. Because Amtrak is priced for intercity rail and not for these short distances, this is way beyond what I am willing to pay for a relatively short trip. Also, Amtrak tends to be less of a deal for couples and better for solo travelers.

So we decided to drive, which was a nightmare, but that's another story.

In any case, what is the shortest length you are willing to travel on Amtrak? When does Amtrak become too expensive for the ride? I regularly take the Surfliner *from* Los Angeles (I never take it *to* Los Angeles because you don't get free transfers to Metro Rail), but only when I'm traveling solo.

As an aside, the Surfliner trains I observed in San Juan Capistrano were packed. If we were going to Santa Barbara or San Diego, we would definitely be on the Surfliner. It's just not worth it for shorter trips, though. Unfortunately, we don't have the proper Metrolink service to cover those shorter distances. Orange County really needs to get its act together on regional rail because the demand is clearly there (while we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano late in the day which means we missed the Southbound Metrolink train, we observed a Northbound Metrolink train that was packed).

Unfortunately Metrolink is basically set up as a commuter train for M-F riders and its weekend service is basically an afterthought. Too bad because every Metrolink train I've ever ridden on the weekends has been packed. You've also got a double-whammy in LA-Orange counties because of the ubiquitous car culture. That being said, Metrolink's Orange County line could fill trains on weekends because the stations are near popular tourist sites e.g. San Clemente by the beach, San Juan Capistrano in the heart of downtown tourist eating and shopping, Anaheim near Disneyland and next to Anaheim Stadium, Fullerton in the heart of Old Town Fullerton. Amtrak has its fares a bit higher than perhaps they could be in order to give Metrolink first crack at the short trips. That helps everyone on weekdays but is a big drawback on the weekends. I wish they would study Metra in Chicago in how to provide good weekend service on commuter lines.

 

[jmbgeg]

The shortest run I take is the ONLY trains available down this way which is the Texas Eagles! AUS-TAY-AUS is $5.95 each way Senior fare, 200 railpoints plus any bonsuses ,during the double/triple bonus promo I rode like 25 times which got me to Select Status and delicious Bar-B-Q lunches. :wub: Id say the Portland,OR to Vancouver,WA route and the California routes would be heavily ridden by point riders, wish we had more trains down our way!(But so does everyone else! :lol: )

Great catch on Portland-Vancouver. Much shorter than Seattle-Tacoma.

 

[Spokker]

Unfortunately Metrolink is basically set up as a commuter train for M-F riders and its weekend service is basically an afterthought. Too bad because every Metrolink train I've ever ridden on the weekends has been packed. You've also got a double-whammy in LA-Orange counties because of the ubiquitous car culture. That being said, Metrolink's Orange County line could fill trains on weekends because the stations are near popular tourist sites e.g. San Clemente by the beach, San Juan Capistrano in the heart of downtown tourist eating and shopping, Anaheim near Disneyland and next to Anaheim Stadium, Fullerton in the heart of Old Town Fullerton. Amtrak has its fares a bit higher than perhaps they could be in order to give Metrolink first crack at the short trips. That helps everyone on weekdays but is a big drawback on the weekends. I wish they would study Metra in Chicago in how to provide good weekend service on commuter lines.

I suggested that Metrolink operate FRA-compliant DMUs on the weekends because they are supposedly less expensive to operate.

I think the fact that Metrolink and the Surfliner share LOSSAN gives Metrolink an excuse not to offer robust weekend and off-peak service. What they ignore are the riders who are just going 15-30 miles.

 

[tp49]

I ride SAC-DAV for $5 one-way at 14 miles or so and 15 minutes total. I can take the local city bus as well but it takes close to an hour even though its use is included in my transit pass.

 

[dlagrua]

I do the PHI to WAS trip a few times per year. It's only an hour and fifty minute trip and it goes quickly. You take your coffee aboard (or visit the cafe) , sit down, watch the scenery and in no time you are in DC. The mysterious thing is that the NEC and Acela trains offer the exact same travel time.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Running between SAS and AUS is my shortest O&D. Takes about an hour by car or up to three hours by train. I generally pay $15-20 each way. Not bad but also not that great of a deal since my car can get me there at least twice as fast for no more than half the cost.

 

[jis]

I do the PHI to WAS trip a few times per year. It's only an hour and fifty minute trip and it goes quickly. You take your coffee aboard (or visit the cafe), sit down, watch the scenery and in no time you are in DC. The mysterious thing is that the NEC and Acela trains offer the exact same travel time.

Which specific trains did you selectively use to come to that conclusion? Generally the Acela's take around 10+ mins less than the fastest Regionals. Admittedly that is not a heck of a lot of difference. But then neither is it that they take the exact same travel time in general. So mystery solved ... it is not!

As I keep pointing out to anyone that will listen, people do not ride Acela and pay the premium fare for it just for or even primarily for the time it saves. Anyone that thinks that is not fully connected to reality

BTW, the Amtrak code for Philadelphia 30th St. is PHL. AFAIK PHI is not a code used by Amtrak for any station, but I have not checked to verify.

 

[BillyJo]

I've gone from New Haven to Hartford on the shuttle train a few times. I'll take Metro-North up from NY, and then switch in New Haven. The shuttle train is only $11 bucks or so.

 

[Guest]

Running between SAS and AUS is my shortest O&D. Takes about an hour by car or up to three hours by train. I generally pay $15-20 each way. Not bad but also not that great of a deal since my car can get me there at least twice as fast for no more than half the cost.

There is even a shorter run, San Antonio to San Marcos, Lvs. SAS 7AM-Returns from SMC @ 7PM

(if the Eagle is on time), costs $10.20 if bought in advance. Admittedly San Marcos is not Austin but theres lot to see and do in such a small city.I live in Austin and am from San Marcos so perhaps I'm somewhat prejudiced?

 

[Edgefan]

Same day "day" trips can be had for my wife and I if the California Zephyr is behaving itself. Mt. Pleasant, IA to Galesburg, Il is a very nice ride and curbs the between trip angst. Lunch, shopping, railfanning make for a nice day for both. (Ok, sweetie have fun shopping :lol: ) Not to mention the added points to our AGR memberships! An hour and a half ride is the usual, 71 rail miles.

 

[Edgefan]

$14.00 each fare each way.

 

[daveyb99]

The shortest run I take is the ONLY trains available down this way which is the Texas Eagles! AUS-TAY-AUS is $5.95 each way Senior fare ...

That can be a very long wait in TAY. Ever thought about one stop further north at TPL?

DAL-FTW-DAL is also a fast one. Usually $7.00 each way, with an hour or so in FTW before returning eastbound. And if things go wrong, the TRE is always available to get back.

Also fun is a sleeper upgrade. Low end is $44.00 each way, which includes Lunch DAL-FTW. If you book DAL-CBR (Cleburne, TX - same $44.00) you can stay comfy in your sleeper until the northbound #22 arrives, at which time you walk across the platform and head east.

 

[Guest]

I have done the AUS-TPL-AUS run several times, it is $12.50 ea. way and TPL is an interesting day, especially the RR Museum in the old Santa Fe Depot! Have also been to FTW and DAL many times but lately the Eagles arent having dependable OTP! You are correct about the TRE also, it's a nice and different ride between FTW and DAL, suppoosedly Amtrak will take this route when TRE is finished with track work! This eliminates the backup move in FTWand should improve the OTP of the eagles once it starts!

 

[LA Resident]

The shortest run I take is the ONLY trains available down this way which is the Texas Eagles! AUS-TAY-AUS is $5.95 each way Senior fare, 200 railpoints plus any bonsuses ,during the double/triple bonus promo I rode like 25 times which got me to Select Status and delicious Bar-B-Q lunches. :wub: Id say the Portland,OR to Vancouver,WA route and the California routes would be heavily ridden by point riders, wish we had more trains down our way!(But so does everyone else! :lol: )

Great catch on Portland-Vancouver. Much shorter than Seattle-Tacoma.

And one where you the "scheduled" 52-minute return from Vancouver to Portland, if done on the EB, will always be "faster" than you think!

 

[LA Resident]

I live along the LOSSAN Corridor. Today we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano on a whim. There were no Metrolink trains available (they recently cut half of them) so we looked into Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.

It would have cost $11 one-way on August 7th, 2010 to ride from Santa Ana to San Juan Capistrano. For the two of us, the round-trip cost would be $44. Because Amtrak is priced for intercity rail and not for these short distances, this is way beyond what I am willing to pay for a relatively short trip. Also, Amtrak tends to be less of a deal for couples and better for solo travelers.

So we decided to drive, which was a nightmare, but that's another story.

In any case, what is the shortest length you are willing to travel on Amtrak? When does Amtrak become too expensive for the ride? I regularly take the Surfliner *from* Los Angeles (I never take it *to* Los Angeles because you don't get free transfers to Metro Rail), but only when I'm traveling solo.

As an aside, the Surfliner trains I observed in San Juan Capistrano were packed. If we were going to Santa Barbara or San Diego, we would definitely be on the Surfliner. It's just not worth it for shorter trips, though. Unfortunately, we don't have the proper Metrolink service to cover those shorter distances. Orange County really needs to get its act together on regional rail because the demand is clearly there (while we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano late in the day which means we missed the Southbound Metrolink train, we observed a Northbound Metrolink train that was packed).

Here's the shortest of all (I think)!!!!

It's Emeryville-Berkeley, on the Capitol Corridor!

Four minutes!!

For $6.50 ($5.85 if you book AAA)!!!

If you had money to burn, you could do 12 one-way trips on a day, each with a separate ticket, for $93.60 and rack up 1694 points!

 

[LA Resident]

I live along the LOSSAN Corridor. Today we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano on a whim. There were no Metrolink trains available (they recently cut half of them) so we looked into Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner.

It would have cost $11 one-way on August 7th, 2010 to ride from Santa Ana to San Juan Capistrano. For the two of us, the round-trip cost would be $44. Because Amtrak is priced for intercity rail and not for these short distances, this is way beyond what I am willing to pay for a relatively short trip. Also, Amtrak tends to be less of a deal for couples and better for solo travelers.

So we decided to drive, which was a nightmare, but that's another story.

In any case, what is the shortest length you are willing to travel on Amtrak? When does Amtrak become too expensive for the ride? I regularly take the Surfliner *from* Los Angeles (I never take it *to* Los Angeles because you don't get free transfers to Metro Rail), but only when I'm traveling solo.

As an aside, the Surfliner trains I observed in San Juan Capistrano were packed. If we were going to Santa Barbara or San Diego, we would definitely be on the Surfliner. It's just not worth it for shorter trips, though. Unfortunately, we don't have the proper Metrolink service to cover those shorter distances. Orange County really needs to get its act together on regional rail because the demand is clearly there (while we decided to visit San Juan Capistrano late in the day which means we missed the Southbound Metrolink train, we observed a Northbound Metrolink train that was packed).

Here's the shortest of all (I think)!!!!

It's Emeryville-Berkeley, on the Capitol Corridor!

Four minutes!!

For $6.50 ($5.85 if you book AAA)!!!

If you had money to burn, you could do 12 one-way trips on a day, each with a separate ticket, for $93.60 and rack up 1694 points!

That should be 16 one-way trips for $93.60. Sorry. But you get the point!