Amtrak boots the buses

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

http://www.utu.org/worksite/detail_news.cfm?ArticleID=32039

Amtrak boots the buses It was the railroad's version of turning a carriage into a pumpkin, according to this report by Brad Cooper published by The Kansas City Star.

Since last spring, Amtrak has replaced trains with tour buses on part of its route to skirt track construction between Kansas City and St. Louis.

The buses scared away thousands of passengers in what otherwise was a successful year for Amtrak nationwide. The Missouri route saw the biggest percentage decline in ridership in fiscal 2006 of any short-distance route in the country.

But now, Kansas City passengers can again board Amtrak trains bound for St. Louis knowing their trip won't be spoiled.

And as state officials prepare to lobby for a route that would connect Springfield to St. Louis, the railroad is offering discounts to get back the passengers it lost.

Amtrak is resuming full rail service while Union Pacific, which shares its rail line with passenger trains, wraps up $32 million in track upgrades intended to enhance safety and improve train speeds.

However, a Union Pacific spokesman said more major track work is in store for the route in March and April. He said Union Pacific would work with Amtrak to make "necessary adjustments" to accommodate passenger traffic.

Interrupting rail service with buses chases riders away.

"There's a substantial number of people out there that once they're told it's going to be on a bus instead of a train, they're just like, 'Well, I'll just take some other mode of transportation,'_" said Rod Massman of the state Transportation Department.

Nationwide, Amtrak's ridership was up 1.1 percent in the year ending Sept. 30, and the railway rolled up a record $1.4 billion in ticket revenue.

But ridership between Kansas City and St. Louis was down 12.8 percent, while similar short-distance routes nationwide were up 4.5 percent.

Amtrak patronage in Missouri fell partly because buses carry only 40 to 50 passengers, compared with about 150 people on a train, said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.

"We held down capacity," Magliari said. Amtrak hopes the discounts will reverse the trend. Today the railway will begin offering a 50 percent discount on second adult fares for each adult ticket purchased. The discounts will last until April 1.

 

[yarrow]

it certainly is true for our family that we don't want to bus. we can understand it in the case of emergency. we would love to go rt from spk to emy but won't because the trip back is half bus(klamath falls to pasco).

 

[lepearso]

I can see why people are not as happy about traveling by train if it means "bustitution." When Amtrak has to bus people over large portions of the route, it sometimes means that services over the truncated train routes have to be suspended, mainly food service.

I was traveling through Missouri this past summer on my way to Kansas while the UP was under construction. Although everyone appreciated the complimentary snack packs from Amtrak, they simply are not as nice as ordering something hot (or something cold!) from the cafe.

Also, when you are tired and weary from boarding a train the night before in Memphis and tumbling out of your seat at 3 a.m. for a 2-hour bus (read: van!) so that you can board another bus for another 3-hours is simply no fun!

 

[Guest_timetableflagman_*]

Buses could be seen as mere cramped one-coach trains. The reason people take the train is the more spacious coaches (even high-capacity coaches), dining (lounge, etc.) and sleeping cars: all traversible while enroute! Buses can be great short-distance connectors with the trains. The train, however, offers accommodations that are quite necessary (dining: whether diner-lounge, etc. and sleeping cars) for long-distance surface travel.

The plane accommodates by speed (i.e., get the trip over with quickly). The train also, properly, travels by night for long-distance trips using otherwise down (sleeping) time for travel at surface speeds rather than speeded day-time travel as is often with planes. Overnight buses are like sleeping on coach, only more cramped. Even a rudimentary (couchette?) sleeping car might be welcome over an overnight bus.