Future of Amtrak in Memphis

[Bears]

Amtrak itself is in trouble, but does anyone have any idea on how to fix it? How is the "City of New Orleans" line doing? Has anyone ever taken it or is it basically reserved nowadays for people with aviophobia or rail enthusiasts? Personally, I think Amtrak would do alot better if it functioned as a commuter rail as well as a national rail service since cross country travel is now dominated by airlines.

[qwertycc]

I took it up to Chicago back at the end of May--it wasn't full, but it had a good crowd. Granted, it was around Memorial Day, but it seemed to be doing decent business. Unfortunately, it's not much cheaper than airfare (and rather expensive compared to low-cost carriers) and takes a lot longer. It even takes a bit longer than driving and is, of course, more expensive.

It was more about the "train experience" and convenience of not driving late into the night for my wife and I. We also planned to stay in and around downtown, and it was very convenient to arrive right in Downtown Chicago just a couple blocks from the Sears Tower to start our sightseeing.

[Rardy]

My family regularly takes the Amtrak to come see me from Louisiana. Although there have been a couple of mishaps (one time the power failed and they sat on the rail for 3 hours without A/C in July), on the whole, the train is a great alternative to driving.

I've seen fares as low as $14 each way from here to New Orleans. Of course those are sales, and you can't book till about a week before, but still -- you can't drive that cheaply.

[qwertycc]

^Yes, I have seen much cheaper prices between Memphis and New Orleans than Memphis to Chicago. I'm sure some of the high price with our tickets to Chicago was due to Memorial Day weekend, but we did buy them less than a week before leaving hoping for the price to lower.

[gatesofmemphis]

My family and I have taken the City of New Orleans to New Orleans a couple of times. It was very cool. You travel through forests and swamps and small towns and downtown Jackson -- the kind of stuff you don't see from I-55, or if you do, it's too far away to make an impact. The price has been very good as well -- I think $200 round trip for 2 adults and a small child.

We haven't gone to Chicago on the CoN. It's about twice the price, but we might do it next summer.

[tombarnes]

I've taken the City of New Orleans a number of times, though not recently. It's a very pleasant trip, and you do get to see lots of small-town America as it rolls by. WHile the trains can't compete in terms of speed, they do offer a nice chance to see the country. I agree that Amtrak may be forced to reevaluate its business plan in the future, but I'd hate to see the storied long-distance trains go the way of the oxcart.

[frankliner]

Amtrak itself is in trouble, but does anyone have any idea on how to fix it? How is the "City of New Orleans" line doing? Has anyone ever taken it or is it basically reserved nowadays for people with aviophobia or rail enthusiasts? Personally, I think Amtrak would do alot better if it functioned as a commuter rail as well as a national rail service since cross country travel is now dominated by airlines.

[kayman]

Honestly, the State of Tennessee should do like North Carolina and take the initative to start its own statewide train service. That way it would offer a way for people in Nashville to use a train service again. Also the same for people in Chattanooga and Knoxville.