Cost per mile of any long distance train

[RickIronton]

What is the best and cheapest cost per mile in a sleeper of any long distance train?
I'm coming up with the Texas Eagle or the Empire Builder but I'm really not adept at figuring out mathematically the rate.
And I'm discounting the coronavirus threat.

 

[Qapla]

Are you talking "end-to-end" ? The price can vary depending on origin and destination if you are talking segmented.

 

[RickIronton]

Yes, end to end.

 

[Rasputin]

I haven't done these calculations for a while but my guess would be the Texas Eagle. The Lake Shore is definitely not the cheapest in a per mile calculation.

 

[Ryan]

Paging @niemi24s, he has all the cost data at his fingertips.

 

[saxman]

Well if you have time, you can always use amsnag to figure out the different sleeper buckets for each train and go from there. Mileage is published in the PDF timetables. I'd be curious to see some data myself.

 

[bratkinson]

And don't forget to calculate cost per mile if Amtrak gives you a conjunctive fare such as I have booked multiple times in past years...CHI-PDX on #421 & #14 or #11 & #422 the other way. I'm thinking it comes out to about a 15% total fare savings (I book a roomette) over booking each train separately. I've got that booked as part of AGR redemption in late April...if Amtrak doesn't cancel any of the 9 trains I'll be riding.

 

[Rasputin]

When I have done this in the past, the Lake Shore usually comes as the highest per mile cost (with the lowest amount of quality amenities and service.)

 

[niemi24s]

Don't know about which is the "best", but the cheapest sleeper is (as you suspected) a Roomette on the Texas Eagle at 22.1¢/mile. In contrast, the expensivest is a Bedroom on the Auto Train at 131.5¢/mile. Those figures based on non-sale fares for one adult over the entire route.

FYI, all the different sleeper fares (buckets) presently known are available here. . . Long Distance Train Coach & Sleeper Fares (Buckets) . . .and as mentioned above, the route miles are available here . . . Train Schedules & Timetables | Amtrak . . .with the exception of the Silver Star. Route length for the Silver Star is 1513 miles.

 

[Ryan]

Having nothing better to do while teleworking and on a call, I'm recreating your table and then producing a new one with cost per mile.

The links to all of the timetables on that page now only open a COVID-19 alert, so I'm having to use the latest system timetable on timetables.org for mileage. Yay.

 

[Ryan]

So, uh.... Here's some data. Transcription errors probably mine. Spreadsheet available upon request for anyone wanting to check my work or not have to painfully recreate the wheel.

Probably some thoughtful analysis when I'm not brain dead. Maybe some pretty conditional formatting.

First, the transcribed table. Small mods needed:


Second, the same table, divided by route mileage:


Edit: Darn, that's tiny. Working...

 

[west point]

RYAN: -- Amtrak removed the link but several years ago they published that approximately $4.00 per mile was the cost of operating a passenger car. As I recall that was everything - maintenance, cleaning, fuel, loco wear and tear, etc

 

[niemi24s]

Here's a bucket chart with the route lengths (in blue) added:

Have fun dividing!

 

[Ryan]

Already done, two posts up.