Just checked on coach fare Atlanta, New York., one way, with Sr Discount was still over $200, no wonder more people flying. Couldnt believe it
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The cheapest airfare I could find was on Spirit Airlines with a two week advance purchace was $274. Driving would cost about the same. You didn’t state how soon you wanted to travel but I can tell you with $4.00 per gal gas, that is HIGHWAY ROBBERY. Diesel is even higher so that’s impacting all modes of transportation.
Amtrak generally sets their lowest coach fares to match the airlines lowest on the “big city” OD pairs.
Just tried it for Oct 13. Fare is $120 in coach with no discount. The train you are looking at is likely pretty full. Amtrak does the same thing the airlines do. The first-comers get the cheap seats and as the seats fill up, the price goes up. Fridays and Sundays fill up pretty fast. Mid week, you’re most likely to get better fare. Stay away from holiday weekends. Longer lead time helps, too.
The same things that work when trying to get a cheap airfare also work for Amtrak.
That doesn’t make much sense, if thats their “strategy”. “Hmmm, for the same price, I can get there in a fraction of the time, on a plane…which should I take ?”
If they want to compete against an airline, charging the same price for a ticket isn’t going to do it.
You may have answered your own question. Between major cities that are far apart, the train can never compete with an airline! That game was over 50 years ago. Even at the “match the airlines” prices, Amtrak loses money.
Even if Amtrak was free, then the question becomes, “Hmmm for only an extra $120 I can fly in four hours what would take me 20 hours by train.” How many people’s time is worth less than $10/hr?
I live in Houston. Amtrak service is VERY limited here. It only goes 2 directions so my choices are New Orleans or San Antonio. SA is 4 hours or so by car. Amtrak only goes through here Fri-Sun and even then going west it’s scheduled departure time is 9:30 PM. A scheduled 6 hour train trip arives in SA at 3:30 am. No way I’m doing that. Then consider that they are on time an average of 3% with the average delay being upwards of 5 hours!!! Down here, freight has the right of way over passenger trains so delays are very common. No way I’ll take the train out of here.
This is the nations 4th largest city and our rail options from here are terrible. It used to be a booming passenger rail location with 3 stations at one point back in the glory days. Now Grand Central station is gone with a warehouse in it’s place. The old Katy station is obviously gone and the trackage removed. Union Station is now a part of our baseball stadium. Even if Amtrak had a better schedule and was on time here, the station is nothing more than an over glorified phone booth located under one of our freeways. It’s not a friendly place and there are many vagrants living on the benches at the station. That’s a great way to attract riders! It could be free and you couldn’t get them.
I believe what oltmannD meant to write was that Amtrak has instituted the “yield management” pricing practices that are similar to what the airlines practice, in that as the train fills up, the remaining seats gradually increase in price. This makes sense in that Amtrak has been under the gun for raising its revenue for as long as it has been around. While we may not like it, that is the way it is.
As for not offering service, that is the result of investment in one mode (highways) while disinvesting in another mode (railroads). What with the high prices of fuel and transportation that are going to remain with us, the passenger train will have to act as a placeholder until we the people are willing to reverse the decades of neglect and disinvestment in passenger rail. I can assure you that any acts to reverse the decades of neglect will not be cheap, and attempts to build anything like the Grand old stations of yore will be quite expensive – more expensive than, say, attempting to retain the infrastructure.
We the people have yet to learn that once some of this infrastructure is gone, its gone.
What I’m trying to say here is that if we want service, then we should expect to have to pay for the additional track, roadbed, and stations and facilities necessary for support of such service. If only enough funding is provided for only one train per day each way, then that is what you are going to get. If you want faster or more frequent service, then ante up the funds. Once the stations are gone, then it will be all the more expensive to re-install their facilities. Don’t expect more than one train per day if you fail to provide funding for such. If we wish to see trains with 4-6 frequencies per day each direction on all the routes, then we are going to have to fund the rail system provider to the degree that we fund our highways. In other words, don’t expect service for which you did not pay.
If cost and time were the only criteria for deciding how to travel long distance between between most larger cities, why would anybody drive? Given the relatively low cost and high speed of air travel you would think that the Interstate Highways in rural areas would be almost empty of cars. Wouldn’t it be unusual to see a car with plates from several states away?
My point is this. I do not believe anybody at Amtrak or any rational supporter of long distance rail service sees any growth potential for the trains to take air travelers away from the airlines. On the other hand, with current costs for fuel, it seems that new passengers may be those that would otherwise drive.
New York to Atlanta goes this way. Drive (per Mapquest) 890 miles in 14.5 hours-assumes no traffic problems, rest or food stops. At 20MPG and $4.00 gas fuel cost is $180. Amtrak Crescent is an 18 hour run. The coach fare next week is $191 but the same seat in August is offered at $151. AAA and NARP members can get 10% off and Age 62+ get a 15% discount. Your call.
My call ? As originally stated; take a plane instead of either [;)]
p.s. I haven’t owned a car that gets only 20 mpg in decades. Even my 1994 V-6 Pontiac Bonneville gets in the high 20’s on the highway.
Whether one drives or takes a commercial carrier depends on numerous values. Here are a few items one has to consider.
As a rule it costs me less to take a plane, train, or bus as long as my assumptions regarding the operation of my Toyota Corolla are valid, and I am traveling by myself.
The variable cost of driving my Corolla from New York to Atlanta would be $151 plus meals, one night accommodations and tolls. I follow the National Safety Council’s advice and never run more than 500 miles in one day. However, the cost of driving jumps to $259 if I assume, as most cost accountants do, that all costs are variable in the long run. The cost of driving includes more than the consumables. It includes insurance, depreciation, etc.
The per mile cost of operating my Corolla is a function of the purchase price, financing charges, if any, time of ownership, estimated salvage value, gasoline, etc. If I had a big gas guzzling SUV that I only planned to keep for three years, the cost of driving could increase significantly.
The Amtrak fare for August 15th would be $153. It would be a better deal than driving, even after adding three meals and a drink or two in the lounge car, because I would not incur the accommodation and toll charges associated with driving. However, if I have to rent a car in Atlanta, this could change the numbers significantly. It depends on how long I would need the rent car.
If I chose to fly from New York to Atlanta on August 15th, it wo
Samantha: How would an Auto train if available cost compare?
It is 855 miles from Lorton, Virginia to Sanford, Florida, which are the end point stations for the Auto Train.
The fully allocated cost to drive a Toyota Corolla, based on my profile, from Lorton to Sanford would be $237.95, plus approximately $75 for one night accommodation and $40 for meals, which brings the total to $352.95. This assumes a late morning or early afternoon departure from Lorton and a late morning or early afternoon arrival in Sanford. It also assumes that the meals are taken at fast food restaurants. MapQuest shows the driving distance at 816 miles and estimates the time required to drive at 12.05 hours.
The cost to take the Auto Train would be $302. Meals are included in the ticket price, which covers a coach seat and a vehicle like the Toyota. Large SUVs and pick-ups attract a higher fare for the vehicle. The train is a better deal provided our single traveler does not get carried away in the lounge car.
The fully allocated cost with four people (two adults and two children) in the same type of vehicle would be a little more than $237.95, because of the incremental weight, plus $75 for one night accommodation and $160 for meals. The total tab to drive for four people would be $472. 95. This scenario assumes the kids sleep in the same room as the adults, and meals are eaten in fast food joints.
The cost for the adults and kids to take the Auto Train would be $524, assuming no discounts. In this scenario driving would be a better deal.
If two people drove the cost would be approximately $392.95. If they took the Auto Train the cost would be $413. Given the difference is only $20.05; the choice to drive or take the Auto Train would not be driven by the cost differential.
Samantha: Had no idea it was that close. As Sgt schultz would say “very interesting” . Now if you ever have the time figure two heavy corridors Wash - Atl and Detroit - Florida for An auto train operation. I75 through Atlanta is full of people from the Ohio - tronto area.
I think you mean Arte Johnson of Laugh In…
Ohio to Florida along I-75 would be a teriffic market for an Auto Train. Covington KY to Lorton would work. There’s no place to run it though…
The best route, NS’s CNO&TP is already beyond full. Now, if the Amtrak would pay for double track…
Because the scenry’s better, and a lot of the time we don’t figure in the extra 8 hours tarmac time (4 eah way) flying across the country would take less time than the train. but a
[quote user=“Flashwave”]
Because the scenry’s better, and a lot of the time we don’t figure in the extra 8 hours tarmac time (4 eah way) flying across the country would take less time th
[banghead] I can’t believe what I’m reading. Supposedly serious railfans talking about flying rather than taking the train, and then have the nerve to wonder whether or not Amtrack will survive.
Dick
Texas Chief
I think you’re taking it wrong. It’s serious railfans who want Amtrak to provide some seriously useful trains in an efficient and productive manner.
One can be a serious railfan while still not being blind to reality.
Don has the right line of thought in the previous post.
[quote user=“Mailman56701”]
[quote user=“Flashwave”]
Because the scenry’s better, and a lot of the time we don’t figure in the extra 8 hours tarmac time (4 eah way) flying across the country w