STARLIGHT to BUILDER connection broken

[Superliner Diner]

As posted by Train Riders Assn. of California:

* Rider Alert *

Due to the chronic lateness of Train #14, Amtrak longer honors the direct connection between the northbound Starlight and the eastbound Builder at Portland, a popular connection.

Instead, what has become the almost daily bus bridge will become the official connection. This involves getting off the train in Klamath Falls and being bussed to Pasco. The good news is this will be a guaranteed connection and the bus will wait for the train at Klamath Falls. The disadvantage is that your train trip through Oregon will instead be eleven hours on a bus. The schedule is as follows:

Dp. Klamath Falls 9:15am

Dp. Chemult 10:45am

Ar. Pasco 8:15pm

Amenities:

€ Bottled Water

€ Meal Stop

€ Through Checked Baggage

Note that the WB Builder to SB Starlight connection at Portland remains guaranteed.

--

Alan C. Miller

Executive Director

Train Riders Association of California

===========================

Imagine the poor sleeper passengers who now have to sit upright on a bus for 11 hours (minus the meal stop). It introduces a negative at a time when the EMPIRE BUILDER is supposed to be relaunching itself, promising passengers a more rewarding experience.

The new connection is officially shown in Amtrak's inventory as Thruway Bus #3014.

 

[saxman]

I just did this bus ride last weekend. I did to see parts remote Oregon which was pretty amazing with all the vastness. But I missed the Cascade range. The bus ride was VERY long as they took us to Spokane from Klamath Falls. At least the driver showed us 2 movies. But I had a hard time sleeping cause I didn't have a pillow.

 

[Midland Valley]

11 hours on a bus is 103/4 of an hour too long.

 

[MrFSS]

I just did this bus ride last weekend.

How many buses does it take to transport the passengers? Or, are there not many who want this guranteed connection?

Was the bus halfway comfortable?

 

[denmarks]

I thought I would do some research on any fare change with the introduction of an 11 hour bus. THERE IS NO CHANGE! I experimented with the 2 routes with a roomette next April 1 and got the same fare by going through Portland or with the Klamath Falls - Pasco bus. By the way, there was no indication that the Portland connection would not be guaranteed. So for the same fare you ride a bus and do not get a free lunch. At least with the old Portland guarantee you could request a fare adjustment if the bus was used.

Another question. The Klamath Falls connection only allows 1 hour and the Pasco connection 42 minutes. How would the time be made up when the train has been at least 4 hours late lately? Are they indicating 11 hours when maybe the trip is much less?

Since I will be overnighting in Seattle none of this matters to me other than an interesting conversation piece.

 

[Guest]

The trip between Klamath Falls, OR and Pasco, WA is just under 400 miles and would take 7.5 - 8 hours without stopping. It sounds like the actual lateness of the Starlate will dictate how many stops (if any) the thruway bus makes other than the scheduled stop in Chemult, OR to receive additional passengers. So if #14 arrives into KFS a little over 5 hours late passengers can probably expect to be handed a brown bag lunch "on the house" (gee, thanks Amtrak) and NO meal stop so that the bus can still arrive into Pasco on time to meet the EB.



BTW - inventory is limited to one full thruway bus on the route since Amtrak (indirectly) has to pay for each driver to deadhead back to KFS the day following their run.

 

[jccollins]

Oops, that last post was me.

 

[saxman]

If the 14 train were really late, the bus would probably continue to Spokane. Thats what we did anyways. We stopped at Pasco to let a few pax off, but the Builder had already come and gone. Since the Builder has a good two hours in Spokane, we made it there in plenty of time.

As for number of buses...the number of pax connecting didn't even fill half of one bus. At least that was the case with me.

Chris

 

[Midland Valley]

If this is the same bus company that operates the FORCED Bussing from Galesburg to Indy and other parts of the mid-west, I won't be making that connection. Those busses can rot in for all I care. No air, no toilets, no human at the wheel; no thanks!

 

[battalion51]

You know as bad as everyone makes the buses sound, I had a really good experience on the bus from TPA to ORL a few years back. The driver was great, told us everything we needed to know, and got us there right on time. Granted that's also a much shorter bus ride than this.

 

[sechs]

It depends on who the bus operator is. There are good ones and bad ones, as in everything.

 

[Steve4031]

The best part of riding a bus is . . . getting off. As far as that connection, I would just plan an overnight in Portland. I understand a light rail line is there, and from what I have seen from the train, Portland is a nice city.

 

[MrFSS]

would just plan an overnight in Portland

I spent three nights there last year. Except that it rained every day, a great place.

There is a Marriott Courtyard a few miles from the station and those folks run a van to pick you up and take you back as needed with just a phone call. The hotel is 1.5 blocks from the light rail line station, too.

 

[AmtrakFan]

Personally I would just send a day or two in Portland or Seattle.

 

[battalion51]

I think a lot of us are missing the positive in all of this. At least they are offering the bus alternative. Many times when they break a connection, it's just broken, that's it, too bad so sad. At least in this instance Amtrak is making the effort so you don't HAVE to overnight in PDX or SEA.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I think a lot of us are missing the positive in all of this. At least they are offering the bus alternative. Many times when they break a connection, it's just broken, that's it, too bad so sad. At least in this instance Amtrak is making the effort so you don't HAVE to overnight in PDX or SEA.

Well said. And buses are not necessarily so bad---in and of themselves.

I have ridden up to eight hours in a bus and I have survived.