Resurrection of Midwest-Florida Auto Train service is a recurring topic on the Amtrak Unlimited site and here. It's been discussed to death, and the practical realities of scheduling, routing, equipment availability, cooperation from host railroads, support from appropriate State governments, etc. always seem to collide with these dreams. If you live to see it, that means you are very young indeed.
Tom
Any conversation about rail passenger service to Las Vegas seems to me entirely idle. The market has gotten along without it very well since when -- the 1990s and the Desert Wind?
Auto train? "High-speed rail"? Let's see the market for an Amtrak-style plug first.
Airline service to and from Las Vegas so competitive. I live 4 hrs into California from Las Vegas and I can drive it round trip for less than round trip air. But sometimes that trip time can double depending on travel dates as i-15 backs up in those areas where it is only 2 lanes yet. Taxis, Uber, Lyft all available in Las Vegas. MGM branded casinos on strip now charging for valet AND self parking. If you want to tour places outside of Las VEgas like Hoover Dam you might consider renting a car or taking a day tour.
Your points are fully appreciated; however, one of the lingering issues with Amtrak has been its fixation to settle on the routes it was given in 1971. (Auto Train was pushed by Claytor's proforma to Congress in 1983--the last new long distance train/route).
Amtrak needs to learn how to re-structure itself to serve seasonal destinations.
(FYI-your response did not come up on Disquis)
Excuse me, but I was strictly referencing how AOE clearly understood how the market had changed, which is why they flew travelers to Albuquerque, Salt Lake, etc. for no more than 1 night aboard between any destination vs. traditional 2 nights coming out of CHI or west coast.
If I remember correctly, AOE was purchased by Colorado Railcar and re-named Grand Luxe; over expanded right before the Great Recession.
Cute! That would go hand-in-glove with a former Amtrak CEO claiming to the world how "Amtrak was on a glidepath towards solvency."
Frankly, AOE did understand the market re the point I have made and reiterated here today.
The point I elaborated on was a narrow vision how AOE understood the market no longer wanted to waste another day and night traveling to get their vacation going. To the same extent, this would support an Auto Train concept, at least during the summer season, between CHI-DEN, allowing travelers to avoid the tedious drive and still have their family car with them. AOE sold-out and became Grand Luxe, just before the economy creashed in 2007.
American-European Express started in 1989, bankrupt in 1991. AOE started in 1991, went bankrupt in 2006, well before the economic crisis of 2008. GrandLuxe took over and later went bankrupt. Pattern?
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
Now I guess the suggestion is Chicago to Denver, which might have some appeal.
Some of the recent comments ignore a few things that Congress baked into the original Amtrak concept, and are still part of the equation, whether you like it or not:
1. Amtrak was set up by Congress to provide year-round passenger rail service. Not to set up one way service, yielding the reverse travel to airlines. It was not set up for seasonal travel, although seasonal fluctuations are unavoidable in many, if not most, markets.
2. It doesn't matter where you try to establish a new Auto Train service. There is no Amtrak budget to buy new auto carrying equipment and finance the creation of new terminals with auto handling facilities for a speculative new experimental service. If you have a good idea (arguable, but let's assume), plus absolutely no money, then we can create an algebraic equation. If B equals Brainstorm, then 1B x $0 = 0.
RME zkr123 Would Amtrak ever consider adding an Auto Train service to Vegas? Ideally from Chicago or Denver. I am beginning to wonder something just a bit different. What if Amtrak offered a service that would coordinate or run a dedicated train of auto carriers separate from an "Auto Train" passenger consist, on a schedule either constituting a 'second section' of the passenger train or providing some guaranteed arrival time either before or reasonably after the passenger time? (No real reason why that service couldn't run with freight power and ordinary senior railroad crews, is there?)
zkr123 Would Amtrak ever consider adding an Auto Train service to Vegas? Ideally from Chicago or Denver.
I am beginning to wonder something just a bit different. What if Amtrak offered a service that would coordinate or run a dedicated train of auto carriers separate from an "Auto Train" passenger consist, on a schedule either constituting a 'second section' of the passenger train or providing some guaranteed arrival time either before or reasonably after the passenger time? (No real reason why that service couldn't run with freight power and ordinary senior railroad crews, is there?)
The guys in Omaha already offer a permutation of what you are suggesting. UP doesn't deal with consumers but they have a "retail" partner who does.
ShipCarsNow (UP)
https://www.shipcarsnow.com/index.html
Ready Logistics
http://readylogistics.com/
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