Chicago to Columbia, SC

[Everydaymatters]

Does anyone know how I could go from Chicago to Columbia, S.C. via Amtrak?

I'll have to rent a car when I get to Columbia, unless someone knows a way to get from the Amtrak Station to Ft. Jackson.

I'm looking at the System TimeTable for Spring 2005 and it looks like there's a train that goes to Columbia, but I can't figure out where I'd change trains, what trains I'd take, etc.

I'm still hoping to hitch a ride with another family member, but in case that doesn't work out, I'll probably go via Amtrak.

 

[Guest]

Does anyone know how I could go from Chicago to Columbia, S.C. via Amtrak?
I'll have to rent a car when I get to Columbia, unless someone knows a way to get from the Amtrak Station to Ft. Jackson.

I'm looking at the System TimeTable for Spring 2005 and it looks like there's a train that goes to Columbia, but I can't figure out where I'd change trains, what trains I'd take, etc.

I'm still hoping to hitch a ride with another family member, but in case that doesn't work out, I'll probably go via Amtrak.

You can take the Cardinal or the Capitol Limited into DC and then the Silver Star to Columbia. Check the schedules online to see which one best connects. You may have to spend a night in DC.

 

[Penn Central]

Just remember that the Cardinal only runs three days a week.

 

[AlanB]

The Silver Star does indeed run to Columbia, SC. However it should be noted that there are problems right now on that line. After an inspection by the FRA, over 90 miles of track was basically condemed by the FRA. They imposed a speed limit of 10 miles an hour for most of those 90 miles between Raleigh NC and Hamlet NC.

Last I had heard, Amtrak was running the Star on a diverted route, that saw the train rejoin the line south of Hamlet, which allowed it to make most of it's regular stops. But this could have changed since then, I'm not sure. Especially since the FRA is continuing to inspect the rest of the line south of Hamlet.

Now all of that said, you must next consider the fact that southbound the Star arrives in Columbia at 1:44 AM if it's on time. And coming home it departs at 1:12 AM again assuming that it's operating on time.

If that still doesn't put you off, then IMHO I would probably try to connect from the Cardinal, if you can fit it into your schedule. The reason for that, is that the Cardinal connection will see you being bussed from Charlottesville, VA to Richmond, VA. The odds are much better that you'll make that connection, than the one from the Capitol Limited.

The connection from the Capitol to the Star is only an hour and a half. And lately thanks to the problems with NS, the Capitol is probably averaging close to 2 to 2 - 1/2 hours late. That would mean a miss in DC and most likely an overnight for you in DC.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

CLB (Amtrak, Columbia SC) appears to be pretty much downtown. There is a Hampton INN about six or seven blocks away, I think. Ft. Jackson is on the East and Southeast of the Interstate Beltway around Columbia and is BIG. If you are going there as a servicemember I would imagine they'd pick you up at Amtrak. Otherwise, I would expect that the local transit system would have the base on one or more of it's routes, as I'm sure civilians work there. Right offhand it doesn't look like transit buses actually go past the Amtrak station, but they do travel to within about three blocks of it I think. If your cellphone has free long distance (it seems that most of them do nowadays), I would suggest calling the CLB station by phone and asking specific questions of the station agent, as they would probably have the answers since they live and work in Columbia. You can email the metro Columbia transit authority with questions about their bus routes, at [email protected] and their main site is here: http://gocmrta.com/

And a couple other options I'd just toss in: Take the Crescent to Clemson, and rent a car. Drive time about 2.5 hours to Columbia Or get off at Greenville, rent a car, drive to CLB, about 1.75 hours. Both stops in early morning but not in the middle of the night like the Star at CLB is. Caveat - I don't know how easy it is to rent a car at either of those two spot in the early morning, or what the station facilities are like.

Next option - take the Palmetto (sched arr CHS about 7 pm) or the Meteor (sched arr CHS about 5 am) to Charleston, and rent a car (CHS station is not far from the CHS airport - I've done that there), drive time under two hours from there to Columbia, on the Interstate. I've driven from CHS to the Asheville NC area several times, which is a LOT farther than the drive to CLB, and it's not bad at all. CHS is a fairly busy station, taxi to the airport wasn't too expensive, and (I think) if you rent Hertz with pickup/dropoff at the airport, Hertz will pick up the tab for the taxi each way to/from Amtrak (call and check to see if that's still in effect - it WAS when we were there about 4 years ago). Both CHS arrival times are a lot more civilized than the Star's scheduled arr into CLB !! This time of year you will probably find locally grown fresh ripe peaches at roadside stands - yum !!

 

[Sam Damon]

Your best bet to get to Fort Jackson from the Amtrak station is to catch a cab. My $0.02.

I actually travelled on the Fort Jackson Christmas Exodus special train during the 1980s. I believe they still run it. Of course, that train left directly from post.

 

[frj1983]

The Silver Star does indeed run to Columbia, SC. However it should be noted that there are problems right now on that line. After an inspection by the FRA, over 90 miles of track was basically condemed by the FRA. They imposed a speed limit of 10 miles an hour for most of those 90 miles between Raleigh NC and Hamlet NC.

Jeepers,

What is it with CSX? You think they would get the hint that they need to keep their tracks in good working order...how many times in the last number of years has the FRA had to step in? This can't possibly help the Companies bottom line and perhaps it's time for the FRA or another Federal safety agency to slap them upside the head and hit them with a million dollar fine. If I were a stockholder I'd be really unhappy not only in the bottom line loss but in the bad publicity as well.

 

[Everydaymatters]

I like the idea of taking the Cardinal and then a bus to Richmond, mainly because I've never been on that run. The early morning arrival is not to my liking, so I think I'll take a cab to the Hampton and rent a car the next morning.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Well, I'd for sure call the station agent and talk to him/her and get their recommendations for lodging and so forth. They know the area, and they know what's open and what's not at that time of the night, probably. They might also know if any lodging would have a courtesy van available at that time of night, and also where the nearest/best car rental would be both to the station and to whatever hotel you end up with (also a good question to ask the prospective hotel - and I'd call and talk to them also because of the likely time of your arrival). And frankly I'd still be more inclined to take 97 or 89 into CHS and rent a car from there because it's a whole lot more civilized train arrival time there and not a bad drive from there to Columbia. And if you haven't visited Charleston, it's certainly worth your time, if you can spare the time. I actually spent some Navy time at Charleston Naval Base back in 1972.

 

[Everydaymatters]

It looks like it's a little less than 2 hours from Charleston to Columbia. I was in Charleston in 1978 and though it was terrific, but won't have time to spend there on this trip.

The arrival times of 89 and 97 are a lot better, so it's something I'll have to mull over. Would I be able to rent a car when either of those trains arrive so I'd have it in the morning if I stayed overnight in Charleston?

Family Day starts at 9am for my grandson at Ft. Jackson, which would mean leaving Charleston at 7a.m.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Meteor (97) is scheduled in to CHS at a little after 5 am. Palmetto is scheduled into CHS a little before 7 PM, more than six hours earlier than the Star is scheduled into Columbia.

Check with Hertz - last time we went into CHS we were headed to Montreat NC, just east of Asheville, for a church music conference. We got into CHS on the Meteor (98) about 9 pm, got a cab to CHS airport for a Hertz rental, and Hertz gave us credit for the taxi fare to/from the airport both for pickup and for dropoff. And the airport is quite close to Amtrak. Both are on the west side of CHS, so that drops a few minutes off the travel time to Columbia. That time we got a motel right there and started the trip the next morning, but you could just drive to Columbia that evening and check in to a motel. A Palmetto arrival the evening before the Ft. Jackson event would give you the option to arrive, rent a car, and be in Columbia at a motel by 10 or 11 that night, with a decent night's sleep before the Family Day, which an arrival on the Star into Columbia probably wouldn't.

 

[Squeakz2001]

This is totally off topic, but: I LOVE FT. JACKSON! My family went there when my brother graduated, I thought it was such a neat place. I was kinda surprised, though, the food was horrible! Hehe, good thing I only had to eat it for a few days!

 

[Everydaymatters]

Hi Squeakz,

Did you go to the Family Day the day before the graduation? If so, how was it.

Did your brother get to leave base right after the Graduation?

Betty

 

[blueman271]

AmtrakWPK may i ask what your rate in the Navy was? I too spent some time down in Charleston, about seven months down at NNPTC. It is a wonderful city, with a lot of historic buildings and interesting archetecture downtown. The Charleston train station is no more than a ten to fifteen minute cab ride from the airport, and if my memory serves me correctly it is only two exits past the airport on the interstate.

 

[BobWeaver]

And a couple other options I'd just toss in: Take the Crescent to Clemson, and rent a car. Drive time about 2.5 hours to Columbia Or get off at Greenville, rent a car, drive to CLB, about 1.75 hours. Both stops in early morning but not in the middle of the night like the Star at CLB is. Caveat - I don't know how easy it is to rent a car at either of those two spot in the early morning, or what the station facilities are like.
Next option - take the Palmetto (sched arr CHS about 7 pm) or the Meteor (sched arr CHS about 5 am) to Charleston, and rent a car (CHS station is not far from the CHS airport - I've done that there), drive time under two hours from there to Columbia, on the Interstate. I've driven from CHS to the Asheville NC area several times, which is a LOT farther than the drive to CLB, and it's not bad at all. CHS is a fairly busy station, taxi to the airport wasn't too expensive, and (I think) if you rent Hertz with pickup/dropoff at the airport, Hertz will pick up the tab for the taxi each way to/from Amtrak (call and check to see if that's still in effect - it WAS when we were there about 4 years ago). Both CHS arrival times are a lot more civilized than the Star's scheduled arr into CLB !! This time of year you will probably find locally grown fresh ripe peaches at roadside stands - yum !!

Clemson is an unmanned station in a college town, so your odds of getting a rental car at 5:30 in the morning are somewhat lacking. I would think Greenville would be a better bet as far as a rental goes. Driving either from Clemson or Greenville to Columbia is easy, it's I-85>I-26 all the way. As far as Florence and Charleston go, the Florence Amtrak station is almost an hour away on the dot from Columbia, but Charleston would be a little over an hour and a half. I personally would arrive/depart in Florence because of the shorter drive.

And about those peaches, the latest figures are saying that we have lost 85-90% of our peach crop here in the state. But that's not to say you won't find any, we picked up some last week and they were pretty good.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

the latest figures are saying that we have lost 85-90% of our peach crop

Holy cow! That's terrible. Was it the fires, or freeze, or drought, or what? Those peaches were one of the real highlights every year we went up to the Montreat music conference in late June. We always made it a point to drive some secondary roads partway, in GA, so that we'd come across some of those roadside produce and fruit stands.

 

[MrFSS]

the latest figures are saying that we have lost 85-90% of our peach crop

Holy cow! That's terrible. Was it the fires, or freeze, or drought, or what? Those peaches were one of the real highlights every year we went up to the Montreat music conference in late June. We always made it a point to drive some secondary roads partway, in GA, so that we'd come across some of those roadside produce and fruit stands.

In my part of central KY they have lost all the peaches and 80% of the apples from the big spring freeze. We lost almost all our rose bushes!

 

[BobWeaver]

the latest figures are saying that we have lost 85-90% of our peach crop

Holy cow! That's terrible. Was it the fires, or freeze, or drought, or what? Those peaches were one of the real highlights every year we went up to the Montreat music conference in late June. We always made it a point to drive some secondary roads partway, in GA, so that we'd come across some of those roadside produce and fruit stands.

Blame the freeze. We had no fires around here luckily. I'm not saying that you won't find any peaches, just don't be surprised if they are relatively high priced and/or small.

 

[Michael Young]

Your best bet to get to Fort Jackson from the Amtrak station is to catch a cab. My $0.02.

I actually travelled on the Fort Jackson Christmas Exodus special train during the 1980s. I believe they still run it. Of course, that train left directly from post.

LOL... I stumbled across this while doing a Google search. You may have bought your ticket from me. I was the last (and only) Amtrak agent to actually work at the Joint Ticket Office on base at Fort Jackson. It was a 45-day temporary vacancy just for the Christmas Exodus Special. I worked in the old RR ticket office that had been vacant for about 20 years. That was the last Special that ran as a separate train. We only ran them for about 3 years, and, I think, one year we might have run two sections, I'm not sure. If we did, that was probably the year they decided to open a ticket office on base. They do not run them any more, and haven't for years. (I've been retired for 15 years now.) In fact, the spur to Ft. Jackson was taken up quite a few years ago, however I believe they have preserved the right-of-way in case they ever want to put it back.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

You could try the Palmetto then transfer to a bus for better timing, though I don't know much about that. You could also take the Cardinal to Charleston, West Virginia and take a Greyhound to Columbia. IF you can stand a nine hour bus ride!

 

[Aaron]

You could try the Palmetto then transfer to a bus for better timing, though I don't know much about that. You could also take the Cardinal to Charleston, West Virginia and take a Greyhound to Columbia. IF you can stand a nine hour bus ride!

5 year old thread.

 

[ParrotRob]

1334209078[/url]' post='360312']You could try the Palmetto then transfer to a bus for better timing, though I don't know much about that. You could also take the Cardinal to Charleston, West Virginia and take a Greyhound to Columbia. IF you can stand a nine hour bus ride!

I'm pretty sure this trip happened 5 years ago!

 

[BobWeaver]

You could try the Palmetto then transfer to a bus for better timing, though I don't know much about that. You could also take the Cardinal to Charleston, West Virginia and take a Greyhound to Columbia. IF you can stand a nine hour bus ride!

I think the OP has probably made his/her trip by now, seeing as this thread was started almost 4 years ago.

 

[Lori Donath]

CLB (Amtrak, Columbia SC) appears to be pretty much downtown. There is a Hampton INN about six or seven blocks away, I think. Ft. Jackson is on the East and Southeast of the Interstate Beltway around Columbia and is BIG. If you are going there as a servicemember I would imagine they'd pick you up at Amtrak.
Otherwise, I would expect that the local transit system would have the base on one or more of it's routes, as I'm sure civilians work there. Right offhand it doesn't look like transit buses actually go past the Amtrak station, but they do travel to within about three blocks of it I think. If your cellphone has free long distance (it seems that most of them do nowadays), I would suggest calling the CLB station by phone and asking specific questions of the station agent, as they would probably have the answers since they live and work in Columbia. You can email the metro Columbia transit authority with questions about their bus routes, at [email protected] and their main site is here: http://gocmrta.com/

There is no public transit at 1:44 AM in Columbia (it's pretty poor even during the day time).