VIDEO TO HELP SELL LD TRAINS

A freind forwarded to me a U-Tube “Visit Russia” promotional (propganda?) video, with beautiful scenery and somewhat appropriate background music. (For explanaition of the “somewhat,” contact me at daveklepper@yahoo.com.) This got me thinking that long overdo is a really well done video, available free of charge, of the beautiful and dramatic sigihts that one can visit and see with train travel in the USA. (And Canadians should have one for Canada, also.) This should not be limited to just what can be seen from an Amtrak window, although lots of that should be inlcuded, but also the Grand Canyon, reachable by rail connection, and Pikes Peak and the Royal Gorge, again easily reached by bus and then train connections.

I am not the one to suggest thsi to Amtrak. A railfan video artist who can do the job properly can spend some time, write a proposal, and submit samples of his own work to Boardman, and possibly have a rewarding period of being paid for railfanning.

This promotional videa would then be senet to travel agents world wide, and be freely available on the internet, etc.

Pipes Peak! Now that is a good marketing idea! If the pipes came with a sufficient supply of marijuana, it would appeal to a lot of folks and clearly take them to a peak of euphoria. And with the new laws in Colorado, the staff could begin passing out the weed just after Number 5 and Number 6 cross the boarder.

And I always pictured MIT engineers as being long on mathematical and engineer skills but short on marketing ideas. How wrong I was! OK, the devil made me do this.

On a more serious note, I have ridden the train from William Junction to the Grand Canyon and the Royal Gorge offering. Both trains are worth the time and money.

Mixed marketing. Riding trains to see scenery and riding trains to get from point A to point B or Z. The difference in customer reasons and needs causes the confusion. And arguments.

I think I understand what you’re saying, Henry, but isn’t that – or couldn’t it be – one of Amtrak’s strengths? Getting from A to B more comfortably than any other mode (and seeing some scenery along the way, if you like). AND, the only way to go if you’re doing the tourist thing.

Admittedly, different trains/routes are more or less amenable to each of these – NEC and other corridor services more for A-to-B, LD trains more for the scenery, but there certainly is – or can be – significant overlap.

And, since tourist travel tends to be more price-inelastic (i.e., you can charge higher fares while losing fewer passengers), why not push it? As it is, it feels like a lot of Amtrak’s current promotion is already focused on the “scenic” aspect. why not a video to go along with the “Amtrak Vacations” brochure?

It could be Amtrak’s strengths or its weakness. Depends on who is looking at it and the philosophy of those funding it. After that it is how Amtrak markets it. “Chicago to Seattle in 48 hours by train!” does not cut it for those wishing to go between the two cities in the most expeditious way but “The beauty of the Northern Rockies by Rail leaving Chicago and Seattle each morning” may get more attention from the daisy pickers. OR: “Its not a rough mountain road from Minneapolis to Seattle but smooth and comfortable…etc”. Then you’ve got to price it and schedule it for the clientele and deliver the promise.

Sam1, thanks for the tip for the spelling correction, now done. Who is going to be the one who does the promotion for thisi promotion?

Another idea, after the innitial Beauty of America video, the next step would be route specific, for the Cardinal, Capitol, SW Chief, CZ, combined Sunset and Texas Eagle, Empire Builder, and C. Starlight. At that point Amtrak might be able to turn a nickle on them or at least recover costs and still do a sales job.

For LD trains, for the long haul, as opposed to riders of shorter distances en route, seeing the scenery and enjoying the experience are what you need to focus on. Almost nobody would be using the train to get from CHI to SEA as transportation. Your market is primarily tourists taking a land cruise. Increasing ridership is not going to lead to breaking even, according to the factual research sam1 has shown us. It will only increase the loss, unless there is a hefty fare increase.

As Henry said above, “… you’ve got to price it and schedule it for the clientele and deliver the promise.”

Schlimm, what I see is increasing the demand, particujlarly for first-class space, and not increasing capacity but rasing prices to better cover costs of providing the serivce. Not good for us railrans, biut good for the economy and for the USA in genenral, if more foreign tourists visit. We railfans can alwaya rough it out in coach or work special deals with group rates.

I hope LD trains can continue, but, like you, wish to reduce subsidies, and some tourist promotion may be a good approach. Amtrak can have a reasonably high price for the one-time tourist, but have frequent railroader programs, and special discretionary fares for people like wounded veterans. Th regular 1st-class fares could even be high enough to subsidize the coach passengers who are buying a service essential for them.