Bill:
I have not given up on Amtrak and will use it again. It just did not
work for us last year. As it worked out, we only paid for a one way
ticket for two round trips due to frequent flyer miles that were left
from my days of corporate flying.
Ed
--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, William Barber <clipperw@E...>
wrote:
> Ed,
>
> You may want to consider your Denver trip again. I just checked
> Amtrak's fare Chicago to Denver and return and it is far lower
than you
> were quoted a year ago. I used a AAA fare code, a Superliner
standard
> bedroom and plugged in the dates of 3/25/04 outbound and
3/30/04
> return. The total fare is $427 purchased through the Amtrak
website.
> The deluxe bedroom, of course, is higher around $950. Coach
fare is
> only $144 RT.
>
> I have been using Amtrak regularly, lately, between KC and
Mendota and
> usually get a coach fare of $34.20 each way and get there in 5
1/2
> hours. I can't drive my truck there for that price and it would take
me
> almost 8 hours, plus I have to put up with all of the semis on
I-80.
>
> BTW, the lowest RT airline fare that I could find on the same
dates,
> using Expedia, was $221, using ATA or Frontier. United's
lowest fare
> was $296 and AA's lowest was $314.
>
> So, you may want to think about recreating your trip once more.
> Unfortunately, thanks to Uncle Pete's portion of the trip, Amtrak
#6 if
> frequently late and the western portion of the Q's trackage is
somewhat
> rough these days, I am told. However, my recent experience
with Amtrak
> is good service, on time once under way, friendly employees
and good
> food. I am leaving for Illinois on Sunday. My last trip was a
REAL
> experience. I rode #4 from KC on Feb. 9, just after they derailed
the
> train east of Argentine yard. After some significant discussion,
they
> finally decided to use the KC - St. Louis equipment between
KC and
> Chicago. We left KC 5 hrs. late with one locomotive one
Amcafe car, one
> horizon coach and one Amfleet coach. We were limited to 80
mph across
> Missouri because the locomotive was not equipped with an
ATS pickup,
> but boy, did that train accelerate! To Amtrak's credit, they
provided
> food at KC Union Station while we waited and they also
provided food
> for everyone on the train while enroute at no cost to the
passengers.
> The crew did a great job under somewhat stressful
circumstances.
>
> I would use Amtrak anytime I can. BTW, the security is
wonderful; there
> "ain't" any!! The only thing they did was check my ID when I
picked up
> my ticket. I think their service is at least as good as when I rode
the
> Nebraska Zephyr between Chicago and Omaha in 1957. Give
them another
> chanc, Ed.
>
> Bill Barber
>
> On Wednesday, February 25, 2004, at 04:53 PM,
CBQ@yahoogroups.com wrote:
>
> > Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 22:25:34 -0000
> > From: "Ed DeRouin" <Ed@p...>
> > Subject: One Last Gasp.....
> >
> > The thread about the demise of the passenger trains in the
> > 1960's has been an enjoyable read. Yes, the Q's trains were
> > showcases at one time, along with several others. And, yes, I
> > was and am a proponent of quality inter-city (read through
train,
> > in our day) rail transportation, but the highway and airline
lobbies
> > had clout that the rail industry lacked, plus a lot of public
support.
> >
> > Just last year, I explored taking Amtrak from Chicago to
Denver
> > and return to retrace our ride in the 1968 version of the DZ. I
can
> > only think that Amtrak's pricing is determined to discourage
> > riders whom do not wish to travel between endpoints. The
room
> > charge was outrageous, over $1000 each way. The cost of
> > having a toilet in the room was a whoping $258 - each way.
> >
> > Tactics used to discourage business are not new to industry
and
> > if they were used in the Menk era, as many suggest and I
agree,
> > we should step back from our passion and explore the why
or
> > why nots.
> >
> > By the late sixties, the Q was suffering more than just a loss
of
> > passenger revenue. Money was diverted to the owners at St.
> > Paul to prepare for BN. Look at photos from the later sixties
and
> > notice the appearance of the right-of-way.
> >
> > While some may have enjoyed the arguements, I really have
not.
> > sjl is a fan of a great railroad that ran great trains with pride
and
> > professionalism, as am I. I was called to respond over what
I
> > perceived to be an unjustified arguement about a single
> > executive. If you have another opinion, that is fine. One does
not
> > rise to thise lofty heights without burying bodies along the
way.
> >
> > Ed
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