New Thruway service in Wisconsin

[Monon81]

Amtrak press release with schedules (PDF)

CHICAGO – Amtrak passengers have more destination options with the addition of Thruway Bus connections to two Empire Builder stations, providing access to the Green Bay, Madison and Wausau, Wisc., areas.The new Amtrak Thruway Bus connection provides service to the Columbus (Madison) and Portage Amtrak stations. The Columbus, Wisc., connection will provide service to and from Madison, Beaver Dam, Waupun, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton and Green Bay. The Portage connection will provide service to and from Westfield, Stevens Point, Mosinee and Wausau.

This service is provided in partnership with the State of Wisconsin by Lamers Connect, and can be booked via Amtrak.com, 800-USA-RAIL or the new iPhone app.

The Empire Builder operates daily between Chicago and Seattle/Portland via Spokane, Wash., St. Paul and Milwaukee.

Lamers, a long-time charter operator, has already been running a Wausau-Oshkosh-Milwaukee thruway service that connects with Hiawatha service to Chicago. They have also recently revived Madison-Dubuque and Madison-Green Bay services which were dropped by Greyhound many years ago.

The schedule seems to be an afterthought on an already existing bus service and not really coordinated with the Amtrak schedule. Both the Green Bay-Columbus and Wausau-Portage schedules make a connection to 7 (westbound EB) and from 8 (eastbound), although both with a two to five hour wait. Both arrive minutes before a connection to 8, but offer no connection from 7.

The press release also shows a Madison-Columbus bus that connects to 7 (2 hour wait) with no corresponding connection from 8. A quick look at the Lamers Connect schedule shows that the Wausau-Portage bus continues on to Madison, but I suspect that the bus can't wait around for a delayed Empire Builder.

While I applaud Lamers for reviving some routes long abandoned by the 'hound, the connectivity with Amtrak leaves something to be desired.

 

[fairviewroad]

While I applaud Lamers for reviving some routes long abandoned by the 'hound, the connectivity with Amtrak leaves something to be desired.

I'll say. According to this, once you leave Madison you can never return. :giggle:

Of course, you can, if you stay on the EB all the way to Chicago and then backtrack to Madison via the Van Galder bus. But that's a roundabout way of doing

things.

Generally speaking non-dedicated Amtrak Thruway connections are pretty iffy in terms of value to the traveler.

 

[Eric308]

While I applaud Lamers for reviving some routes long abandoned by the 'hound, the connectivity with Amtrak leaves something to be desired.

I'll say. According to this, once you leave Madison you can never return. :giggle:

Of course, you can, if you stay on the EB all the way to Chicago and then backtrack to Madison via the Van Galder bus. But that's a roundabout way of doing

things.

Generally speaking non-dedicated Amtrak Thruway connections are pretty iffy in terms of value to the traveler.

With me, it was more like, when you get to Madison you can never leave. Anyway, at first the bus idea sounded great....but I'll just drive my old car to Columbus and have it waiting when I hop off the EB.