No.
The original Auto Train Corporation initiated a Louisville-to-Sanford service which was a dismal failure. The intent was to attract travelers from St. Louis, Chicago, Indianapolis, Toledo/Detroit, Cincinnati, etc. Automobile drivers from all these points would converge on Louisville for the trip. Ridership never materialized; costs were high; schedules were frequently not met. I can't give an in-depth explanation, but that's a general picture.
Amtrak marketing people investigated a potential service from Chicago to the west coast or to Arizona destinations. Practical issues of scheduling and station capacity, plus the unavailability of equipment, argued against this.
Passengers on the present Auto Train often suggest an extension of that route northward. If this were to happen, I think the Philadelphia area would be a likely location for the northern terminus. This would put an extremely long train on the NE corridor where normal train speeds are 100+ m.p.h. The Auto Train would be the equivalent of the guy who pokes along at 40 m.p.h. on the Interstate, while everybody else is doing 70. The double deck Auto Carriers would present clearance problems. Lower level carriers would have lessened capacity, so the train would be even longer and more unwieldy. Investment in new station facilities would require money that Amtrak doesn't have. It should be remembered that the current Auto Train uses two trains, one in each direction, with several spare cars available to protect maintenance schedules. The northward extension would require 3 or 4 trains to protect the schedule, and Amtrak doesn't have that much extra equipment. An alternate routing over CSX north of Washington is probably not in the cards because of the already crowded situation on CSX's single track line to Philadelphia.
Any new or expanded Auto train service would be an unproved experiment, and Amtrak does not have the millions of dollars such an experiment would require.
The present Auto Train is a unique train that serves a unique market. Don't expect to see additional Auto Trains in other markets any time soon.
Tom
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