End of the line for Greyhound!

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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Rural Greyhound passengers get last boarding call By Patrik Jonsson, Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
Fri Aug 26, 4:00 AM ET

WINDSOR, N.C. - For the first time in as long as most people can remember, the old “silver dog” failed to stop last week in Hollywood, Fla.; Hurricane Mills, Tenn.; and Ludlow, Vt. - just a few of close to 1,000 out-of-the-way hamlets where residents can no longer leave the driving to Greyhound.

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So far, 750 rural towns - and hundreds of more in-between “flag stops” in even smaller places - have lost their Greyhound connection this year. Service stopped at 81 locales last week alone, and hundreds more are expected to be dropped as the Dallas-based carrier and its subsidiaries roll out new routes across the country into 2006.

It’s part of a broad restructuring of the 91-year-old long-distance carrier, which is trying to regain traction after losing $22 million in the first quarter of this year. Left in a puff of exhaust are the small towns that helped define the image of the Greyhound as a low-rent hitch that appealed to Americans’ sense of adventure and earned it broad cultural recognition in everything from country songs to movies like “Midnight Cowboy.”

Greyhound’s new strategy: adopt faster and more direct urban routes.

But in bypassed towns like Windsor, N.C., one of 31 stops in this state that lost bus service last week, the decision compounds a sense of dislocation and increasing distance from the country’s booming urban centers - not to mention the loss of a cheap ticket to the big city for many rural poor, especially in the South, for whom the Greyhound remains an important connector to country roots.

“Most people come from the country, not the city, and they have to have a way to come back for weddings and funerals, and the bus is still that way for a lot of people,” says Maria Wesson of Windsor, as she packs pork bar

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That why we need Amtrak more than ever Before. Greyhound and Airlines are going downhill everyday. We Need More Travel Choices like more Amtrak around.[2c]

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If there isn’t enough ridership for a bus, how could AMTRAK do better?

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Well that is a good question. My only thought is that bottlenecking and the lack of other modes of transportation will require some sort of mass-transit renewal (did I spell that right?-it doesn’t look right)

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It won’t. As a matter of fact. Amtrak is useless just like the rest of the transportation system. Hiway systems across this country are severly over crowded,our government would rather fork out billions for the hiway’s than try to convince americans to switch their modes of transportation. Bus lines and airlines are on the verge of going banktrupt. Amtrak struggle. Hiway system over crouded. Any ideas? Allan.

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In spite of predicted energy shortages we still proceed as though it’s our manifest destiny to provide infrastructure for every motor vehicle the manufacturers can sell.

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Rather than give Amtrak more money to pick-up where Greyhound left off, maybe the government should give Greyhound direct subsidies like it gives Amtrak. If Greyhound lost $22 million in the first quarter (typically a slow travel period) then in theory at most the government would have to do is provide a $100 million dollar subsidy to Greyhound to maintain currently levels of service. Sounds a lot cheaper than what Amtrak is asking for. Greyhound transported 40 million people last year versus Amtrak’s 25 million and provides service to over 6000 cities and towns versus 500 on Amtrak. Sounds like giving the money to Greyhound would better decision than giving it to Amtrak. I like trains but its hard to ignore the numbers.

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I have ridden greyhound 5 times in arranging oreintation for trucking into the Midwest and down into the Tennessee.

I will not ever ride Greyhound again. There is just too much time lost trying to stay awake and watch your person/valuables and fighting off the bums that panhandle for money.

Greyhound’s express routes are the way to go, the local routes adds hours and days to your trip. Sure you leave the station right away out of D.C. but find yourself jumping on and off I-81/I-40 for the next 18 hours. Yuck.

America’s need for passenger ridership really is very high. Will the Government pay for routes and passenger trains or other service into every little town that needs it? No.

Frankly it is my opinion we as Americans have the responsibility to establish commerce and private ventures for profit aimed at providing the services we need. No one else is going to do it.

I suspect also the re-urbanization and movement of peoples out of the smaller towns back into the large areas that have the services and transport is also happening. The rest of us are able to get around with our cars and SUV’s.

When I travel, I look at Airline first, train second and finally my own vehicle third. I would prefer to travel two days between Little Rock to Baltimore with a overnight in a nice hotel at Knoxville TN than endure a packed bus full of everything from the good to the bad and tripping over the ugly.

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Well, I’m relieved. I thought I was meeting my demise.

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Thanks for the [^]

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The USAS does need a national passenger transportation system with Amtrak and its rail routes as its core and all markets analyzed as to whether bus or rail is most suitable for existing conditions. In some cases, tourist railroads could provide the service for less subsidy than anyone else.

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Sounds like Greyhound is going through the same thing the railroads went through. The first trains to go were the small town locals. The last were the city to city name trains. How anyone in rural America can survive without a personal car is a mystery to me.

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…Perhaps our counrty should mesh Amtrak and Greyhound service together to serve more “smaller” communities and make our ground transportation more complete…Details would have to be assembled by our transport exports…but the two services together serving 25 and 40 million is quite a chunk as it is now…and with intergrated services and properly funded, perhaps the two working together could do even a better job of moving people.

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That might be a good idea. I know in Ontario, GO Service includes GO buses as well as GO trains and often coordinate with each other. The main problem with giving that as an example is that GO is reclusive to the GTA and areas around it where as Amtrak and Greyhound are national if not international (I don’t think they own property in Canada-could be wrong). So the expenses are on a greater scale.

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So, Open Access killed Greyhound?[}:)]

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Perhaps with an RDC or railbus (20 seat) like the ones the Native Americans use on fmr BC Rail route . . .

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Greyhound is in trouble, has been since March of 03. That is where I worked for 14 years until I got laid off in the first round. Since then, routes have been cut, stations shuttered and jobs lost. Greyhound does cut back towns and routes every so often, last time was 1990. They will get to the level they want, start rebuilding and reorganizing and go all over again. Don’t cry for Greyhound…they have been trying for goverment subsidies since the airlines got bailed out after 9/11.

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Well— Very Simple Cross Honor Amtrakand Greyhound tickets and share reservations computers

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ModelCar hits on a good point.

Greyhound and Amtrak’s relationship, inspite of various connections, has generally been viewed as adverserial.

In these times of $3.00+ gallon for gasoline Amtrak and Greyhound can indeed become much more viable and valued. However, as long as we persist with the general attitude that we don’t want to leave our cars or big SUV’s sitting in the garage, this idea won’t work.

If I could catch a train from Tampa to Macon GA that runs 79 mph most of the way, connect and fini***he trip to Vidalia, GA on Greyhound…I sure would! I get a headache just thinking about driving my family for 5+ hours on I-75, where I have seen so many traffic jam-ups and jack-knived trucks and car accidents. On my last long distance drive on this interstate, we got to see to smashed up semi-trucks sitting in a ditch…while we poked along at 4 mile per hour for over 1/2 hour.

As Earl Pitts says daily: Wake up, Uh-Merica! [:0][:p]

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I guess the rumors of your demise were highly exadurated.[;)]