The Texas Eagle finally has Hope

[stntylr]

Yesterday morning the city of Hope, ARK announced that Texas Eagle service will begin on April 4th.

They have fixed their short platform and are ready to go.

http://www.hopestar.com/article/20130321/NEWS/130329920/-1/opinion

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

Thats great to hear. Congrats to Hope, Arkansas

 

[daveyb99]

Great News. Now if we can just get the overall Texas Eagle service upgraded and not treated like a stepchild.

 

[Shortline]

Great News. Now if we can just get the overall Texas Eagle service upgraded and not treated like a stepchild.

Yep-that.

 

[saxman]

I've known some of the guys getting this done. They've only worked on it for over ten years. I'm sure they are stoked and happy to see it done and HOPEfully I can make a trip up to Hope for the dedication.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Great News. Now if we can just get the overall Texas Eagle service upgraded and not treated like a stepchild.

Amen Brother! (Wonder if Bill and Hilary will Ride the Eagle down from LRK to visit his Boyhood Crib and the Museum?

 

[white rabbitt]

jim when i saw that headline i thought u were posting

:hi: :giggle: :giggle: :giggle: that miss polly had retired

 

[VentureForth]

I don't care who you are... That's funny right there.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

In the words of the lolcats, your title, what you did there? I saw it.

Rabbit, dude, too funny.

 

[JayPea]

jim when i saw that headline i thought u were posting:hi: :giggle: :giggle: :giggle: that miss polly had retired

:lol: :lol: :lol: We couldn't be so lucky!! I'm glad to see Hope finally getting their station situation taken care of. I like to take pictures of all the stations the train stops at during my trips and since I'm going on the TE this summer, I will have one more to add to my collection

 

[the_traveler]

jim when i saw that headline i thought u were posting:hi: :giggle: :giggle: :giggle: that miss polly had retired

That would just be HOPEful thinking!

 

[afigg]

Amtrak has issued a news release on the new TE stop in Hope: AMTRAK TEXAS EAGLE ADDS STOP IN HOPE, ARK. Excerpt:

CHICAGO – The Amtrak Texas Eagle will serve the city of Hope, Ark., starting April 4. Tickets are available to serve the Hempstead County seat, a Southwestern Arkansas community of more than 10,000 that is also the location of former President Bill Clinton’s birthplace, now an historic site under the National Park Service. A major celebration is being planned in Hope with local and Amtrak officials later this spring.\The westbound Texas Eagle (Train 21) is scheduled to depart Hope at 5:09 every morning, with arrivals that morning in Dallas, that afternoon in Fort Worth and that evening in Austin and San Antonio. The eastbound Texas Eagle (Train 22) is schedule to depart Hope at 9:18 every evening, with arrivals in Little Rock that night, St. Louis the following morning and Chicago that afternoon.

Connections to other Amtrak trains can be made in Fort Worth, San Antonio, St. Louis and Chicago to Oklahoma City, Kansas City and more than 500 locations in the Amtrak netwo

The number of passengers getting on or off in Hope is likely to be modest. Any ideas on where people boarding in Hope are more likely to be heading? Towards Dallas and FTW as those would be daytime trips with an early 5:09 AM departure from Hope or towards St Louis or Chicago which will be overnight?

This makes for 4 new Amtrak station stops in the past 5 months. Can't say that there is not progress in expanding Amtrak.

 

[fillyjonk]

Y'know, I take the TE 4-5 times a year and I have NEVER had the infamous Miss Polly. Or if I did, it was one of her "good" days, I guess - never have had a problem with the dining car crew on the train.

 

[fairviewroad]

Despite the press release, as of this evening (3/26) you can't actually buy a ticket to/from Hope on the Amtrak website.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

I think its going to take time for the Arrow system to be modified.

 

[VentureForth]

The number of passengers getting on or off in Hope is likely to be modest. Any ideas on where people boarding in Hope are more likely to be heading? Towards Dallas and FTW as those would be daytime trips with an early 5:09 AM departure from Hope or towards St Louis or Chicago which will be overnight?
This makes for 4 new Amtrak station stops in the past 5 months. Can't say that there is not progress in expanding Amtrak.

NO, No, no.... This is a DESTINATION! The birthplace of CLINTON!

 

[fairviewroad]

Despite the press release, as of this evening (3/26) you can't actually buy a ticket to/from Hope on the Amtrak website.

I think its going to take time for the Arrow system to be modified.

Somebody needs to tell that to the Amtrak marketing department, which issued a press release three days ago that included the

phrase "Tickets now on sale" in the headline. Mr. Left Hand, meet Mr. Right Hand. I suppose it's possible that tickets are on sale

through the 800-number but not the website, but I doubt it.

 

[Bus Nut]

The station is on Amtrak.com and listed in the 4/4/13 timetable. Does the system not let you go there at all, or does it not let you go there before April 4th?

 

[saxman]

The station is on Amtrak.com and listed in the 4/4/13 timetable. Does the system not let you go there at all, or does it not let you go there before April 4th?

Ed
I just tried booking on the Amtrak app and it works for me starting on the 4th. I'll be going to Hope on May 18th for the opening ceremony.

 

[RichardK]

Great News. Now if we can just get the overall Texas Eagle service upgraded and not treated like a stepchild.

Amen Brother! (Wonder if Bill and Hilary will Ride the Eagle down from LRK to visit his Boyhood Crib and the Museum?

Maybe they could name the station after them. After all, the Little Rock airport is now called "Bill and Hilary Clinton National/Adams Field" What a mouthful.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Great News. Now if we can just get the overall Texas Eagle service upgraded and not treated like a stepchild.

Amen Brother! (Wonder if Bill and Hilary will Ride the Eagle down from LRK to visit his Boyhood Crib and the Museum?

Maybe they could name the station after them. After all, the Little Rock airport is now called "Bill and Hilary Clinton National/Adams Field" What a mouthful.

They'll probably continue to call it Adams Field similar to how most Old Timer Washingtonians still call RR/National Intl. "National!"

(Could also end up being "Billary" which lots of Clinton haters use when refering to the Dynamic Duo!! <_< )

 

[fairviewroad]

The station is on Amtrak.com and listed in the 4/4/13 timetable. Does the system not let you go there at all, or does it not let you go there before April 4th?

Sometime between when I posted and when you posted, the station was added to the booking engine. But more relevantly, it was approximately

72 hours between the time that Amtrak issued a press release headlined "Tickets on sale now" until the time that tickets were actually on sale.

Obviously the marketing department didn't do its homework. And one hopes (no pun intended) that not too many people tried to book a ticket

to/from Hope during that time, only to give up in disgust. Nevertheless, it's a moot point now.

 

[white rabbitt]

Amtrak

 

[white rabbitt]

There’s New Hope on the Texas EagleMarch 28, 2013


Great news, blog fans!

Our Texas Eagle is adding service to Hope, Ark., beginning on April 4, and you can buy your tickets today.

Aren’t familiar with the Texas Eagle? It’s one of our longest routes and travels between Chicago and LA via Dallas and Austin. In fact, we were affectionately calling it the SXSW Train this spring, because we often had bloggers on board heading to the festival.

Our new stop in Hope (birthplace for Bill Clinton, nbd) means the train will roll through the city bright and early at 5:09 a.m. each morning heading to Austin and then at 9:18 p.m. each night heading to Chicago. It’s also worth mentioning that both trips earn some major Amtrak Guest Rewards points.

Interested in seeing the train in action? Check out this blogger interview from inside the dining car of the Texas Eagle. We dare you to not book a ticket after watching it.

Go Hope, Arkansas! Go America!

 

[daveyb99]

This makes for 4 new Amtrak station stops in the past 5 months. Can't say that there is not progress in expanding Amtrak.

A new stop is expansion of sorts ... but I would rather see new routes.