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Rethinking Low Speed Rail
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<p>Most folks don't need to fly first class from Shreveport to Chicago. In fact, from Shreveport to DFW, first class is not offered. They are not on the airplane overnight and, therefore, don't have to worry about getting a good night's sleep. They can get that in a hotel.</p> <p>The cost of air service from a regional city to a major city or vice versa frequently is more than to or from major metropolitan communities. Approximately 75 per cent of Americans live in or within 50 miles of a major metropolitan area. This is the norm.</p> <p>Now lets suppose a wife and spouse needs to get from DFW to Chicago to attend a half day event on October 10th. The cost of round trip coach tickets on Amtrak's Texas Eagle would be $238. Dinner, breakfast, and lunch in the dinning car, depending the menu choices, would cost in the neighborhood of $266 if they picketed from the middle of the menu and left a modest tip. Meals in the lounge car probably would be in the neighborhood of $100 to $125. Including the cost of means in the cost of travel, the total tab would range from $338 to $504.</p> <p>To get to a 10:00 a.m. event in Chicago on October 10th, our travelers would have to leave Dallas at 3:20 p.m. on Monday, October 8th. They would arrive in Chicago Tuesday at 1:52 p.m. learly, they could not make a 10:00 a.m. event in Chicago if they departed Dallas on Tuesday, October 9th. Moreover, unless the event was held very close to Chicago's Union Station and is over pretty quick, they will need to spend another night in Chicago and depart on Thursday at 1:45 p.m., arriving back in Dallas at 11:30 a.m. on Friday. </p> <p>They will need a hotel room in Chicago, unless they are bunking with family or friends, for Tuesday and Wednesday nights. A budget hotel in Chicago (Red Roof Inn) will set them back at least $276 for two nights. In addition, they will incur the cost of dinner Tuesday and Wednesday as well as breakfast on Wednesday and Thursday. This is another eight meals. If they eat these meals at a family restaurant, it will add approximately $100 to their travel bill, bringing the cost of the trip to $$714 to $880 before miscellaneous items. </p> <p>The meal expense is a major factor in comparing air vs. surface travel because one is usually away from home longer when traveling by surface mode. And this means that they must eat more meals outside of the home, which are considerably more expensive than eating at home.</p> <p>The cost to fly in coach would be $323.60 assuming that they had carry on bags, which would be all that is required for a short trip. Assuming they took an afternoon flight from DFW on Tuesday, returning Wednesday evening well after the event, they would need a hotel room Tuesday night. The Red Roof Inn room would cost $138. They would need dinner Tuesday and Wednesday nights as well as breakfast Wednesday morning. This would cost them in the neighborhood of $80, for a total trip cost of $542 before miscellaneous items. The most probable cost difference in favor of air travel is approximately $260. </p> <p>The cost difference is significant for most people. Time is equally important for most people, who have a value that can be assigned to their time. When this is added to the cost differences outlined above, it is easy to see why most people don't even consider taking a train long distances. </p>
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