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Speed, price drop for proposed Minneapolis-Duluth passenger service
Interesting that the proposed travel time is 2-1/2 hours. Google Maps says that the trip is 2-1/4 hours by car. The cost of getting to Duluth and then renting a car to get around seems to be way too high to entice many people to ride the train. This from a very train-centric person. I suspect that this proposal will fall flat just like all the others have since AMTRAK ceased operating the route.
It doesn’t have to be faster than a car. Just compairable and frequent. If driving is 2.25 and train is 2.5 then the train will pull a decent crowd as there are a lot of people who don’t want to spend that much time driving. 4 round trips is great. Where most amtrak service goes wrong is they only offer 1 round trip on a corridor.
Wonder how much the price will drop before it is shovel ready? Did the planners eyeball it too high? And , of course, there is frequent bus competition on this route.
Now if a midway frequency could continue as, or connect with, an afternoon train to Chicago…
Charles - Since your from MN you should know that there is lots to do and see very close to the Duluth station. It happens to be the home of one of the best RR museums in the upper Midwest. I have ridden the 261 steam excursions to Duluth and appreciated the accommodations just across the street or 2 blocks north of the Depot. The River Walk is nearby and Steam excursions to Two Harbors and Dinner/Pizza trains are popular. The convention center is also very close by. To me this sounds like the perfect opportunity to leave the car at home.
Staying in Canal Park can be an issue with parking on big event weekends such as Grandma’s Marathon so a train option would be welcome.
A half a billion still sounds like a lot of money to start up a short-haul train on existing good track. I think Ed Ellis could start up something for a lot less. Not as fast but just as rideable and classy.
90 mph is fast enough for me. As I get older the drive is less and less appealing. More frequency is more important than higher speed as it makes it more convenient to get there. And yes, John, the RR museum – actually the whole museum of which the RR is just one part – is reason enough to make the trip.
Yes, there is a lot to see near the station, but many potential passengers will still have a destination that requires a car rental. For this reason:
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There should be local transit connections at the depot.
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Car rentals should be available at or very near the station.
This is an area where Amtrak could do better nationally.
Increased service from Minneapolis to the fastest growing state .
I miss Jeffery Guse. Was that his name?
The best way to send $500 million dollars?
Paul, if you have $500 million, you don’t need to worry about sending it. They will come pick it up. Heck, I’ll come pick it up!