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Iowa Pacific’s ‘Hoosier State’ debuts Sunday with some surprises
So far this seems very encouraging. Would that IP succeeds, with the amenities they’ve introduced, in not only covering their costs but ekeing out a modest profit too.
But given the city pairs and the competing transpo modes linking them, this is going to have to be merely a prelude to multi-frequency service or it will fail. But where will the $$$ come from to accomplish the operating infrastructure expansion out on the freight railroads necessary to achieve reliable otp? And from where will more engines and cars for multi-frequency service come from?
"…and told Hill that she would be riding “a less luxurious train.” I guess Amtrak would be happier with her on Delta or Greyhound.
Remove that locomotive off the rear and we might have an honorary streamliner! The dome makes fluid lines against the locomotive and transitioning to the coaches.
Thanks, Bob, for keeping all of us up-to-date on this story!
Would love to see more corridor partnerships like this and see rail travel return to its “golden age” so to speak.
Megabus. 5 trips Chicago-Indianapolis. 3h20m. $26 one way.
Greyhound. 7 trips. 3h35m - 4h20m. $20-26 one way.
Train: 1 trip. 5 hours. Lv Indianapolis 0600. Return arrival 2350.
Sigh . . .
The apparently snide comment from Amtrak’s reservation supervisor aside, I do hope Amtrak look at this as a project worth making work. Ellis obviously is itching to bring change to a rail system that’s too scared to experiment or take a risk. What a great railroader. We need more like him.
This new Hoosier State train is one of the more hopeful developments to happen in recent years. There are still problems but this is a good beginning towards the eventual full service corridor that could eventually develop with more trains running just a bit faster. Ed Ellis deserves kudos for this effort.
Would truly appreciate this type of Service and Class between Phoenix and San Diego or even Phoenix and Tucson. But alas the star Antares will burn itself out before any form of commuter rail visits the State of Arizona!
(Only the Hattie “B” made it into town.)
How about extending that Bloomington-Crawfordsville feeder go Greencastle, halfway between the two? One stop at the courthouse, and one on the DePauw University campus might get more than a few riders.
A lesson to be learned here for Amtrak if everything goes as planned and no one fouls up the operation.
What will be worth watching is the effects on ridership of the marketing effort which I am very impressed with so far.
How funny that Iowa Pacific understands the benefits of offering reasonably-priced, potentially loss-leader food, in order to spur sales of the actual train tickets and put butts in seats. What a shame that certain nimrods in Congress don’t get it. And despite Amtrak’s efforts to sabotage this train, chances are that the creative, inpired, non-bureaucratic-dimwits at Iowa Pacific will kick Amtrak’s ass. Which is what Amtrak is, of course, truly afraid of.
“Less luxurious,” is it? And that worn out, bare bones Horizon car I rode in the last time on this route is more “luxurious?” Amtrak’s response is snide and demonstrates that they feel threatened. They should be. And where are those new single level cars that are almost 2 years behind schedule? No explanation? It’s time for some creativity and competition.
Amtrak refused to operate the second southbound train on Monday evening. Instead two busses were used, one running express to Indy from Chicago and the other covering the local stops. Ed Ellis Facebook site indicates this was a process issue. His answer, quoted from Facebook in response to a question of mine about why the train was bustituted, follows. Note, the response is an open Facebook friends post.
“So, bustitution. The reality is that there was a process failure, and it was a learning experience for INDOT, IPH and Amtrak, and there was a conference call with an effective discussion of what the process must be in order to make the unusual Monday schedule work each week. We agreed on a departure process that should work all the time, and everyone is committed to making their part of the process work. It was the second day of a two-year contract, and I don’t see any “conspiracy” from where I sit, just dedicated railroad and state employees who are disappointed it didn’t work yesterday and committed to getting it right.”
Mr. Ellis is diplomatic and his response as a business person and as a railroader is obviously appropriate and I accept this was some sort of one-time issue. It is very hopeful to see this exchange with Amtrak, IPH and INDOT was in Ellis’ view mutually positive.
Of course there will also be no northbound HOOSIER STATE today from Indy to Chicago, as there will be no cars present in Indy to run the train. Southbound on Tuesday is a CARDINAL/Amtrak day, so the next run of the new service should be tomorrow from Chicago back to Indianapolis.
A review of availability a moment ago on the Amtrak.com website shows the new HOOSIER STATE running, and has been updated to show food/beverage service is now available on this previously very spartan train. For now that is described as a "Snack Car’, like any other midwest train. Hopefully this can be updated to reflect the much higher level of service offered in a dome-loun
Iowa Interstate, All Aboard Florida… Let’s hope these enterprises mark the rebirth, however modest, of privately operated passenger rail in the US.
Congratulations to Ed Ellis and to Iowa Pacific, who seem to view the passenger as something more than a dreaded inconvenience. About the only other carriers who are passenger minded are Megabus and Southwest Airlines,
So far Ed Ellis looks like the magic man as the only operator of a non strictly tourist train that can make a profit even with fares competing with low fare bus operators…
He has run a very slow Eastern Flyer between almost Tulsa and almost Oklahoma City and the rides sold out in hours, but those were . So raise a glass to Iowa Pacific holdings for being able to run freshly painted IC scheme equipment on slow routes and continue to make a profit enough to keep the equipment in shape and clean.
But please I have been a working stiff my whole life and the attacks on Amtrak especially the on train employees is just silly… Iowa Pacific may truly revolutionize the passenger train business or watch the Iowa Pacific passenger enterprise do a Titanic.
To compete with bus.com,
goedgotrain.com ! :-}