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Setting fares is a challenge.  Amtrak has to consider competing air and bus fares, as well as the cost of driving.  Moreover, it has to consider time, convenience, and comfort factors.  And it has to consider its cost structure.  I assume that your fare is for two seniors.  I checked to see what it would cost you to travel from Shreveport to Chicago on September 3rd and return to Shreveport on September 10th.  I looked at train, airline, and bus fares as well as driving a car similar to my Corolla.  These are the factors that Amtrak has to consider in setting its fares.  On Amtrak a coach seat would cost $352, which is close to the fare that you quoted.  The trip would take 21 hours and 14 minutes, assuming the Texas Eagle is on time.  Don't bet the farm on it.  It is infamous for running late.  In addition to the coach fare, you probably will have some incremental meal expense in the dinning car, i.e. the difference between what it costs you to eat at home and what it would cost you to eat in the dinning or lounge car.  A roomette would cost $737.60, but meals are included in the price of the room.    Several airlines are quoting $399 for two people from Shreveport to Chicago and return. Northwest has four flights a day that offer this fare.  Continental has considerably more flights, but it wants $528 or $176 more than the coach train fare.  The best flying time is 4 hours and 10 minutes.  Excluding students and retirees, time is a consideration for most people.  For them the difference between the airfare and train fare ($47) is immaterial.  And for business people the $176 is immaterial.  Time is very important for most business people.Greyhound wants $275.10 for two round trip tickets from Shreveport to Chicago.  The travel time is 20 hours and 50 minutes or slightly quicker than the Texas Eagle.  In addition to the fare, you probably would have some incremental meal expense at the transfer points.  Driving a car similar to my Corolla would cost $473.  This is the fully allocated cost, which includes fuel, maintenance, depreciation, insurance, etc.  It also includes the number of miles over the life of the vehicle and its estimated residual value.  The estimated driving time is 13 hours and 32 minutes according to MapQuest.  In addition, you probably would incur some incremental meal expense on the road, depending on where you eat, and you would have the cost of a motel, since you don't want to drive all the way through.  When Amtrak sets its fares it has to take all of these factors into consideration.  Its coach fare is more than the bus fare and only slightly less than the best airfare.  When meals are factored into the matrix, the total cost of traveling by train could equal the cost of flying.  Even the difference between driving and the train is not terribly significant ($121), excluding the motel cost.  If you need to rent a car in Chicago, driving, even with the two extra motel nights, could be less than taking the train, depending on how long you rented the car in Chicago.If Amtrak was a business, it would have to set its prices to cover all of its costs and provide a return to its shareholders.  But it is not a business.  It sets its fares to respond to the market factors discussed above, with the understanding that its federal and state government partners will cover its loses.  In a nutshell, if Amtrak raises its fares, it will drive some potential passengers to alternatives, i.e. planes, buses, and personal vehicles.  The trick, which is more difficult than most people realize, is to raise the fares without chasing off so many passengers as to result in lower rather than higher revenues.  Doing so is a big whoops!
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