Amtrak & Millennials, Etc

[runnerdude48]

The probable reason that Amtrak doesn't advertise their long distance trains is that they know that there is virtually no market for train travel over 750 miles and certainly not overnight. Two years of increased temperatures does not indicate a trend and neither do two millennials in a sleeper on the Sunset Limited.

[charlie hebdo]

State Supported Corridor Profile:

54% female, average age 47; 22% retired.

Average income $83,000

24% vacation; business 31%; family and relatives 45%

71% RT.

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/businessplanning/Amtrak-Five-Year-Service-Plans-FY18-FY23.pdf

[JPS1]

In 2018 Amtrak spent $93.1 million on advertising, down from $106.7 million in 2017 and $104.2 million in 2016. 

 

In 2017 Amtrak launched a multi-media campaign “Break the Travel Quo”.  The program featured a series of videos lauding travel by Amtrak and poking light hearted fun at the obvious alternatives.  You can sample some of the videos on YouTube.  Search for “Break the Travel Quo”.

 

Most of the Amtrak ads that I have seen have touted the NEC and/or other corridors.  Probably for a good reason!  It is were rail travel makes sense; it is where Amtrak can compete effectively against the alternatives.  Advertising the long-distance trains that are used by less than 1 percent of intercity travelers is throwing good money after bad, and Anderson probably knows it.  

[charlie hebdo]

Acela Express Profile:

45% female, average age 50; 10% retired.

Average income $170,000

17% vacation; business 61%; family and relatives 22%

76% RT.

[charlie hebdo]

NEC Profile:

55% female, average age 47; 15% retired.

Average income $123,000

28% vacation; business 32%; family and relatives 40%

71% RT.

 

[Deggesty]

From time to time as I travel, young people, especially those who are traveling by train for the first time, strike up conversations, generaaly to ask questions--which I usually can answer.

 

[BaltACD]

I have seen billboards on I-95 advertising Auto-Train.  I have seen 'occasional' Amtrak ads on television in the Baltimore-Washington area.  Neither is done at a level where if you didn't know about Amtrak and what it does that it would ring the bell to get you to try their services.

Class 1 carriers and Amtrak seem to subscribe to the theory that advertising is a cost with no benefits in increased revenue.

[JPS1]

Amtrak’s Five-Year Service Line Plans, Base (FY18) + Five Year Strategic Plan (FY2019-2023), Page 66, has select customer profile data that sheds some light on the characteristics of the long-distance train riders.

In sleeper class, which accounted for 16 percent of the long-distance travelers in FY18, 53 percent of the customers were male; average age was 61; 52 percent were retired; average income was $102,000 per year; 92 percent were traveling for non-business purposes; 61 percent were roundtrip, and average distance traveled was 991 miles.

In coach class 60 percent of customers were female; average age was 54; 38 percent were retired; average income was $67,000 per year; 92 percent were traveling for non-business reasons; 64 percent were roundtrip, and average distance traveled was 497 miles.

[CMStPnP]

RailSpike

Maybe if more people knew there was a long-distance travel option other than an airplane or car, the future of long-distance trains might get taken off the chopping block.  Or maybe this is all just wishful thinking.

Trains mentioned that in NewsWire in the 5 year plans post.    Amtrak says: "Millenials are not interested in Long Distance Train Travel" and that the Long Distance Line applies mostly to retirees and rail afictinado's.....and that Amtrak has to address that issue.    However, Amtrak provides no real evidence to support the statement and as Trains Editors noted they identified the problem but no proposed solution to even attempt to fix the problem.

Fred Frailey also has an article in the most recent issue of Trains Magazine where he discusses what he would do.

I see Millenials each time I ride the Texas Eagle but they are not all that numerous and typically they are riding in Coach vs Sleeper and they are riding at least one overnight though not typically point to point.    The last trip I had two at my dinner table and were riding from Chicago to Austin, TX.

[RailSpike]

My wife and I recently rode a sleeper on the Sunset Limited and adjacent to our room was a young couple (Millennials).  I inquired as to why and how they decided to take the train.  They said they had seen Amtrak trains but knew nothing about them.  Then a relative told them about travel by train and being able to travel overnight in a bed so they decided to give it a try. And a plus was the Dining Car! They said they were loving it and would likely do it again.  They wondered why they had never heard of this travel option except hearing about it from their relative.

Question: When is the last time you saw an ad for Amtrak?  I've not seen one in years and I've never seen an ad for an Amtrak sleeper.  Thus, I'm not sure Amtrak wants any new customers.  Capacity problem?

I've been riding trains since before Amtrak.  When I tell friends we took the train somewhere they look at me like I'm from Mars. Once I tell them about the train their comment is usually, "that actually sounds like a fun thing to try".  And then they reply, "I've never even considered taking the train".  Note: I tell them the truth that the equipment is 30+ years old and you can't be in a hurry.  It's for the experience.

Maybe if more people knew there was a long-distance travel option other than an airplane or car, the future of long-distance trains might get taken off the chopping block.  Or maybe this is all just wishful thinking.