Passenger Trains > Spring Break

Spring break is in full swing in Minnesota now.
MSP airport had +40000 through the airport in one day a week ago when #8 was bustituted.
I see 7 + 8 the Empire Builder is still in its short winter consist.
I know 7 & 8 don't travel south.
Don't students and family's ride Amtrak anymore?
Maybe because the half priced fare for teens disappeared?

Short answer: Why would college students want to wait hours/days for late trains like your number 8 when they can fly or drive and be on Florida beaches in no time?!?

Also, the "Floridian" ( Chi-Miami) was discontinued in 1979-- a victim of Prez Carter's budget cuts. That spring break option has been gone now for almost 40 years!! Sad

Low cost airlines have heavily eroded Amtrak's share of budget travelers.  People riding in coaches now are generally doing so for reasons other than pure cost - the experience, reluctance to fly, convenience at a few destinations with poor air access, etc.  The days when people rode LD trains b cause it cost a fraction of air travel are long gone.

Dave

kbehling Wrote:
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> .......Don't students and family's ride Amtrak anymore?
> Maybe because the half priced fare for teens
> disappeared?
 
I doubt there are many teen-age LD passenger rail fans.

Young people today don't have time to wait for anything and they sure don't want to a day of their break traveling.  They would rather spend that time partying, and in some cases, getting locked up (where they may spend a day not partying,)  I'm not talking about just travel either.  They have no patients for anything.

Two years ago I took my son and his family on a trip from CIN to WAS.  They enjoyed the trip but all they wanted to do was get where they were going.  My daughter-in-law said she would never do it again.  BTW, they're in their 40s.  The kids were 8 and 10.

John

it's a new age we live in today with almost everything one click away. The convenience of taking the CZ as compared to driving through northern Nevada makes life a lot easier for me when visiting my son and his family, especially in the winter. The only trouble is only a few people use it in Nevada except for Reno. I've written my congressman but I understand I'm only the "loud minority" voicing my concerns. 

I  took my grandson and his girlfriend on an Amtrak short trip 2 years ago. Wouldn't you know the day we rode the train was 90 minutes late. They both said " never again" and meant it. Sad but true.

   Ross Rowland

I have some regular college students that ride the "LD" SW Chief.  We had a big crowd
of KU students at Lawrence today, and again tomorrow.  Hopefully, being tech savvy students,
they had the notifications set up to let them know the train was running late.  Amtrak should really
be calling these people the day before, not a surprise text at 400am letting them know the train is
3 hours late.  If people are allowed to sleep in a little, it really helps their attitude.