Cheesed About Trains

DetroitDad · February-13-11, 05:24 PM

In trying to book a Amtrak ride to Chicago from Detroit anytime this week/weekend, I found all the trips sold out,

I was not aware there was more demand then supply, when it came to commuter rail.....

**old guy** · February-13-11, 05:34 PM

Quite a few people I know are getting really fed up with airports especially for short flights.

**Magnatomicflux** · February-13-11, 05:37 PM

Yup. Trains are going to make a comeback until more people start taking them and they're profitable again. Then the gov will start harasssing people at the station too. I really hope that doesn't happen, because trains are great.

**mwilbert** · February-13-11, 05:38 PM

Amtrak is intercity rail, not commuter rail.

Amtrak runs a very limited schedule on most lines, and the trains are often full. The problem is that they lose money on the fares; running more trains means losing more money, so they can't afford to run more trains. Filling trains is economical, but running additional trains isn't. I wish they could--I'd rather take the train to Chicago than fly or drive.

In the northeast corridor, where the trains actually make money, or at least lose less, you can usually get a ticket, except on special occasions like the day before Thanksgiving.

**Richard** · February-13-11, 05:43 PM

Couple of weeks back I traveled via Amtrack from FL to MLPS to attend my fathers funeral,had 4 change overs and considering the circumstances ,enjoyed every single one.Costs were 50% lower then air.

Because of the storms rolling through the airlines where shut in some areas,we blasted through a storm front and I felt more safe then I would have in an airline,sometimes it was half full and others it was completely full. It used to be that the Amtrack that services the Baltimore/DC was the only profit producing run in the US I am not sure now but back then it was standing room only.

I did notice that when you came closer to large cities the rider-ship would increase dramatically as in it was mostly used for trips of 50 miles or less more so then the cross country aspect.

**3rdDegreeBurns** · February-13-11, 06:08 PM

Amtrack has set ridership records 11 out of the last 13 years. Glad the republicans in congress want to cut the funding...

DetroitDad · February-13-11, 06:15 PM

Yeah, we didn't even consider flying as an option. This is Detroit to Chicago, which isn't that far, so I can't imagine many people would fly there. Then again, I don't travel very much.

Grrrr, It is looking like we will be a drivin'. Those freeways scare the shoe strings off of me though, Maybe I can convince them to do road trip down Michigan Avenue, from downtown to downtown. Hmmm, we'll see how the wife goes for that.

**Richard** · February-13-11, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by 3rdDegreeBurns

Amtrack has set ridership records 11 out of the last 13 years. Glad the republicans in congress want to cut the funding...

All modes of public transportation trains and buses etc. saw huge spikes when the price of gas hit $4 a gallon and with OPEC saying that we can comfortably absorb $100 plus a barrel? Personally I am not liking our country being controlled by overseas oil consortiums.

**oladub** · February-13-11, 06:21 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

In trying to book a Amtrak ride to Chicago from Detroit anytime this week/weekend, I found all the trips sold out,

I was not aware there was more demand then supply, when it came to commuter rail.....

One partial solution for excessive demand would be to raise ticket prices to raise money to plow back into the system for improvements. If Amtrak would sell the same number of $220 tickets as $200 tickets, the balance could be used for more trains or better tracks. It seems like a no brainer. The alternative is to wait for Republicans to raise Amtrak subsidies.

What if a private company wanted to take over a money losing line meeting all Amtrak standards?

**PeachLaser** · February-13-11, 06:30 PM

I knew a couple that took Amtrak from LA to Jacksonville. Took them almost a week to get across Texas. Anytime a freight train needed to come through, they had to get on a sidetrack and let the freight through as it had priority. Hopefully, other regions of the country are better.

We were trying to meet the train so we went to the Amtrak station. They said the train was running late, and I replied that we weren't in a hurry and we could wait an hour. Then the ticket agent said, "When I say late, I mean it can be a day or two late!"

After riding the trains of Switzerland and Japan last year, I can say that we have a ways to go!

**Richard** · February-13-11, 06:43 PM

Valid point .

Every other country in the world heavily subsidizes rail transport systems,not for the rail itself but for the economic impact to the areas that they service,if one looks at the numbers as to how much time and dollars are spent by sitting in a car in traffic in theory we are paying for rail by far over and above the costs of running it.

2010 U.S. Census reported 308,745,538 residents if everybody put $10 in a pile which is 1/10% of the money spent each month in lost time and gas and maintenance sitting in traffic that gives you $3,087,455,380 . We are paying for it, just not able to use it.

DetroitDad · February-13-11, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by Richard

All modes of public transportation trains and buses etc. saw huge spikes when the price of gas hit $4 a gallon and with OPEC saying that we can comfortably absorb $100 plus a barrel? Personally I am not liking our country being controlled by overseas oil consortiums.

I don't know if anyone is in control anymore: Wikileaks Peak Oil

Isn't that what eventually happens? Everything slips away from those who are corrupt?

The drug dealers and other black market millionaires live the good life, and look flashy. They win until they lose.

**iheartthed** · February-13-11, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

Yeah, we didn't even consider flying as an option. This is Detroit to Chicago, which isn't that far, so I can't imagine many people would fly there. Then again, I don't travel very much.

Grrrr, It is looking like we will be a drivin'. Those freeways scare the shoe strings off of me though, Maybe I can convince them to do road trip down Michigan Avenue, from downtown to downtown. Hmmm, we'll see how the wife goes for that.

Try the MegaBus. It picks up at several locations: downtown, Wayne State and in Ann Arbor. It drops off at the exact same location as the Amtrak in Chicago [[Union Station). And it's about the same travel time [[or maybe less) as taking the Amtrak.

LodgeDodger · February-13-11, 06:57 PM

Why not take the MegaBus? You can get incredibly cheap round-trip fares from Detroit to Chicago. They even have wi-fi. Sometimes they offer specials for a $1 each way.

**Richard** · February-13-11, 07:05 PM

Yep ,but one can also look at as the stage is being set and we are going to caught again with our pants down.

I have a good friend that worked for the oil companies in the early 70s they drilled hundreds of wells in the everglades then capped them,I have no doubt that in the end this country is slick on that aspect as being the last one holding the cards.We are involved in a war in a country,its a country that is needed to have control because it is keeping another ever so tiny country that has some of the largest reserves from sending those reserves down the pipeline to port for shipping.

Yea we are paying for it, dearly. Sorry DD did not meen to threadjack.

DetroitDad · February-13-11, 07:15 PM

Wow, I've never heard of them. Apparently this Mega Bus departs right from the Rosa Parks Transit Center, and will drop us off right at Union Station.

Three round trip tickets cost us just $99! Thanks! Now lets see, how what else can I call this besides a bus, so my wife won't think we're taking a bus.....

**oladub** · February-13-11, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

Wow, I've never heard of them. Apparently this Mega Bus departs right from the Rosa Parks Transit Center, and will drop us off right at Union Station.

Three round trip tickets cost us just $99! Thanks! Now lets see, how what else can I call this besides a bus, so my wife won't think we're taking a bus.....

Make sure you are at the bus stop on early. My son got to the Madison Mega Bus stop in time but it was overbooked and so took off to Minneapolis without him. He went to the airport with other stranded ticket payers, rented a car, and made it back in time for work the next day.

**iheartthed** · February-13-11, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

Now lets see, how what else can I call this besides a bus, so my wife won't think we're taking a bus.....

Tell her exactly what it is, the MegaBus. It's a double decker inter-city mode of transit. They run up and down the east coast, Midwest and all over Great Britain.

**Scottathew** · February-13-11, 07:26 PM

Full trains means the service is being run efficiently. Hopefully demand will stay high and it will make sense to add additional capacity.

**dtowncitylover** · February-13-11, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

Three round trip tickets cost us just $99! Thanks! Now lets see, how what else can I call this besides a bus, so my wife won't think we're taking a bus.....

Yeah, your wife might not fit in with her Prada shoes and Gucci dress. jk. But the Megabus is mostly used by normal people. No Greyhound types here.

**douglasm** · February-13-11, 07:33 PM

Except on limited routes, I don't really think of the future of Amtrak is as a long haul carrier. DetroitDad tried it for the right reasons. To fly from Detroit to Chicago, you have to drive to the airport, be there a couple hours early, suffer the indignity of going through security, fly, disembark, then drive into Chicago. With Amtrak, you show up, ride, and get off at your destination without having to go through the hassles.

Amtrak's long term future is in sub-500 mile runs. It's been a big hit out here with it's Seattle/Portland service, and on routes like Detroit/Chicago, Chicago/St.Louis and other natural pairings where they're airline competetive on a house to house basis [[by that I mean not just the actual travel time, but the "full" trip time) is where the future of passenger rail lies.

One reason why passengers ride so much rail in Europe is the same basic reason. The distances are reletively short, and the trains are comfortable. And they don't make money, either.

**Magnatomicflux** · February-13-11, 07:36 PM

A bus??? I know those are cheap deals but, C'mon...take the train. A top heavy bus at the mercy of a sleepy driver, or other motorists for that matter thru god knows what kind of weather? At least you can get up an walk around a train...or have a drink. And the engineer can't fall asleep on you. There should be a dead man switch, or a buzzer that goes off in the cab to wake them up if they have to. If noone responds to it, the train goes into "emergency" and comes to a stop by itself....not via veering off a freeway into a ditch. Or....if the engineer runs a red light, the dispatcher tracking the train can put it into emergency.. Buses get delayed too, like when they hit bridges and flip over killing passengers. When's the last time Amtrak skidded off the rails in a snowstorm? When was the last train accident a passenger was killed in?

Sorry.......I like trains

The gov' should at the very least try and build new connections for passenger rail that by-pass major interchanges for freight trains to try and minimize delays.

**canuck** · February-13-11, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by douglasm

One reason why passengers ride so much rail in Europe is the same basic reason. The distances are reletively short, and the trains are comfortable. And they don't make money, either.

Yep, the Spanish Railways introduced high speed and chucked a whole lot of lines that didnt benefit shorter travel destinations. And tourists as well as spaniards travel on shorter routes.

**ghettopalmetto** · February-13-11, 08:22 PM

Unfortunately, Amtrak can't add much service because they just plain don't have the equipment to do so.

**Magnatomicflux** · February-13-11, 08:52 PM

They should start buying up all the stuff they've gotten rid of and refurbish them. VIA is still running cars frm the 40's for cryin out loud and they're in excellent shape.