Amtrak Thruway Bus

[CMStPnP]

So I mentioned Setra busses for Amtrak thruway and thought I would start another thread for this.   Having been to Europe a few times via Germany I have ridden in Setra coaches.    The items I liked about them was large windows, soft quiet ride, forward visibility, legroom and pitch of the seats.    Setra is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Damliar Truck (Mercedes Benz).    No surprise to me that Mercedes bought them up as their Economy brand as the quality was high.  They just started to sell them in the United States and Canada in 2020.

Unfortunately, they still do not sell Mercedes brand city and cruising buses in U.S. and Canada, they are far superior to the American brands currently sold in my view and I am not sure why Mercedes doesn't sell them here.    Perhaps their market studies say they would not do well here financially not sure.    Anyways check out the Setra website and the seats (which are very easy to fall asleep in.....sitting up).    The other thing I forgot about but remembered after reading the link.   Sidewall Convection heating when you sit next to the window......also awesome.   You don't get the cold draft down from the window in cold weather.

https://www.setrausa.com/our-story

 

[Overmod]

You know, of course, that the poster child for the sort of thing I was talking about was a Kassbohrer (the articulated Golden Eagle) and, in fact, I believe Kassbohrer marketed the Eagle shell under the selbsttragend name in Europe.  There have been, I believe, coaches here (I think my daughter's school has even chartered a couple); all that's "new" is Daimler-Benz taking over their own distribution and marketing.

The 'current' SETRA USA appears to be a bit like the Maybach of buses... there's a good side to that, and a sort of Provost-like over-the-top expense side to that.  Certainly they could build buses of the quality and features I was talking about; their financing department might indeed be open to discussion of production of specialized parlor coaches on terms that Amtrak would financially guarantee in return for having 'right of first use' from the bus-operator 'owners'...

I confess that those $35,000 2007s are interesting, even if they would require a mechanical go-through.  The interiors and some of the amenity systems would need rebuilding anyway... someone might run the numbers and see what the budget might be for a reliable utilization turn at $500-$600 a run...

 

[CMStPnP]

Overmod

someone might run the numbers and see what the budget might be for a reliable utilization turn at $500-$600 a run

Well for starters they only need one bus to do both RT per the schedule (twice daily).    So roughly $2400 a day for that contracted bus would be the expense.    Of course revenue or profit would depend on ridership.

[blue streak 1]

Would those buses meet the DOT various USA requirements..?  I remember that ordering an European car for import that it needs many items not requird in Europe.

[Overmod]

blue streak 1

Would those buses meet the DOT various USA requirements..?

The ones Kassbohrer and DB have built for import over the years always have.

I'd presume anything the new 'Setra USA' markets here going forward would be fully and expensively compliant.  Many of the Mickey Mouse DOT restrictions, like mandatory sealed-beam headlights, were remediated long ago (or harmonized with European or Asian standards for cross-production).  I believe the pollution controls suitable for current European standards allow compatibility with North American ones, so no showstopping concern there.

[Overmod]

CMStPnP

Well for starters they only need one bus to do both RT per the schedule (twice daily). 

I was thinking more in terms of developing the service up to what would justify construction of the rail alternative, which I believe implies both more trips and much higher ridership.  That might require more than one bus (second section, anyone?) on some peak trips, and timing on whatever the train schedule will come to involve even if the arrival time is later.  To some extent the bus allocation would be known in advance, ideally days in advance, so alternative use of the luxury buses could be better made, but at peak times more buses might be needed to cover the demand as a train service would...