Auto Train service expansion?

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Actually the real showstopper is the design limit of 1200kW of the cabling. It is not that hard to create a small subfleet of ALCs with 1200kW HEP Inverter replacing the 1000kW HEP Inverter.
Have to wonder if Amtrak is going to keep its present method of HEP for the new car orders. Amtrak could install the VIA method of HEP distribution. As I understand it the VIA system can work together with present Amtrak cars but only use the Amtrak method of distribution. However, to use the VIA method that uses 2 locos and cross over power to every car all cars must only be the VIA method ,
 
Has any evaluation ever been made of an autotrain-like service that begins in Lorton (say), breaks in say, San Antonio and terminates in LA? No niggling--just LD transport of vehicle and driver.
 
No, there was at one point service from Louisville to Florida, which caused the failure of the private AutoTrain. I think the service is only really economically viable on 16-20 hour runs over flat country. Mountains really dampen the schedules of mixed trains more than regular passenger service. Chicago to Denver was at one point weighed, and I think would be very successful. What I think would be extremely successful but has never been studied is I80-I10 on the CONO route.
 
Has any evaluation ever been made of an autotrain-like service that begins in Lorton (say), breaks in say, San Antonio and terminates in LA? No niggling--just LD transport of vehicle and driver.
I don't know, but am assuming Florida is especially attractive as a sun and sea destination for people from the north east, and maybe to a lesser degree from across the broader mid-west, offering them a means to escape grey winters. LA (and its broader area) is pretty much a rival to Florida in that respect, so the number of people wishing to commute between the two will be much lower.
 
No, there was at one point service from Louisville to Florida, which caused the failure of the private AutoTrain. I think the service is only really economically viable on 16-20 hour runs over flat country. Mountains really dampen the schedules of mixed trains more than regular passenger service. Chicago to Denver was at one point weighed, and I think would be very successful. What I think would be extremely successful but has never been studied is I80-I10 on the CONO route.
Not only is it 16-20 hours over flat terrain, but there's a market of people who are staying over long enough to make it worth their while to bring their car along rather than rent one. Maybe Chicago - New Oerleans might work, though I don't think there are as many snowbirds going to that part of the Gulf Coast. Not sure about Chicago - Denver, as the vacationers are al heading for ther mountains, and, presumably they would be let off in Denver and have to drive through the mountains on their own. What might be interesting to study would be a service that runs from Denver to Grand Junction, allowing people to avoid having to drive over the mountains, especially in snowy weather. That might also be attractive to truckers, too. Also, a similar service from Reno to Sacramento to allow drivers to avoid driving the Donner Pass.
 
The Upper Midwest to Florida is a great market for an autotrain, and I don't think the others compare. Snowbirds who spend half the year in the South, and vacationers spending a week at the theme parks. Kankakee to Sanford! But it would need the freight route that misses the mountains. Unlikely.
 
Not only is it 16-20 hours over flat terrain, but there's a market of people who are staying over long enough to make it worth their while to bring their car along rather than rent one
We have discussed this many times...the Northeast to Florida, is a very unique market that is not matched anywhere else, as far as "snowbirds" go...
 
We have discussed this many times...the Northeast to Florida, is a very unique market that is not matched anywhere else, as far as "snowbirds" go...
As a snowbird in a group that has a large Midwest contingent, the destination of choice is the Northwest Florida panhandle, near the Alabama border. That's a full day's drive from the southern terminus of the current Auto Train. Unlike the disaster that is I-95, our group members primarily use I-65, which is relatively flat, seldom busy and less impacted by severe winter weather than the more hilly Eastern options. Therefore it just makes sense to drive one's own vehicle, and parking lots between Panama City and Mobile are literally full of license plates from the Midwest states, Ontario and Manitoba. Not sure where the top end of an Auto Train "funnel" would have to be to capture the most users, but not sure the present southern terminus in Sanford would be that practical either.
 
IMO what causes AutoTrain a success is that it only takes 2 train sets + spares to operate daily service both ways. As well, just the 2 end stations and the intermediate servicing facility at Florence which also services the Meteor & Palmetto. Almost all of the proposals require 4 train sets. However, 3 day a week service would only require 2 sets but Amtrak would have 2 (or more) terminals that would only see intermittent use. Building two terminals costs big bucks.

We see how 3 day a week service causes dispatchers not getting used to that operation. Look also at the pandemic's terrible operation at fewer than daily OTP. Now maybe if Amtrak gets enough Superliner-3s the present rolling cars might make
 
As a snowbird in a group that has a large Midwest contingent, the destination of choice is the Northwest Florida panhandle, near the Alabama border. That's a full day's drive from the southern terminus of the current Auto Train. Unlike the disaster that is I-95, our group members primarily use I-65, which is relatively flat, seldom busy and less impacted by severe winter weather than the more hilly Eastern options. Therefore it just makes sense to drive one's own vehicle, and parking lots between Panama City and Mobile are literally full of license plates from the Midwest states, Ontario and Manitoba. Not sure where the top end of an Auto Train "funnel" would have to be to capture the most users, but not sure the present southern terminus in Sanford would be that practical either.
A fellow snowbird but from the Northeast however. There is a large Midwest contingent on both coast of Florida. The ones I know are in southwest Florida. I take my parents to Florida down and back every year on the Auto Train. I still have to drive 4 hours to the final destination from Sanford Fl. Sanford might not be a practical termination for the panhandle of Florida but it works for most of Florida. I assure you there are plenty of license plates in Southwest and Southeast Florida from the Midwest, Ontario and Manitoba. The worse part of driving on I95 is north of Lorton VA. I95 south of Lorton is less congested, less prone to severe weather and relatively flat. Thus the Auto Train offers no relief from the worse parts of I95. What it does provide is relief from driving for 1 to 2 days and wear and tear on your vehicle. Yes, I would like the Auto Train to have further north and south terminuses but I think it works okay for most people. If there was a Midwest auto train it would be sold out on every trip just like the Northeast Auto Train.
 
Edit: The following post was transferred from a thread discussing the upcoming combining of the Silver Star and Capitol Limited in the fall.

Although just a fantasy at this point, and although it's a roundabout route, this would have been a great way to try a second Auto Train route. Lots of snowbirds from Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio and even Canada would have preferred a two-night train ride vs. a two night boring auto/hotel road trip.

I know the present conditions wouldn't allow this, but a European type Motorail service added somewhere along the way would allow Amtrak to test out the market.

Yes, Auto-Train failed at this but there were lots of issues with that service (I personally lost about $1000 in stock when they went bankrupt - a lot when a young student) and that was in the 70s a long time ago.

Although not feasible right now there definitely is a market there to be explored one day.

https://www.seat61.com/motorail-trains.htm
 
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Adapting the existing Auto Train or even considering expansion, it would seem like a good idea to begin adding EV chargers on the car carriers to attract EV owners who worry about finding charges that are available and work while traveling long distances. And make sure they advertise that cars can be charged while enroute.
 
Adapting the existing Auto Train or even considering expansion, it would seem like a good idea to begin adding EV chargers on the car carriers to attract EV owners who worry about finding charges that are available and work while traveling long distances. And make sure they advertise that cars can be charged while enroute.
That would be rather difficult, considering the wide variation in the location and connection protocol of charge ports on EVs. There would need to be cables on both sides of the cars, the cables would need to be long, and they would need to be managed somehow to stay out the way when loading and unloading. (Short cables would require knowing the location of the charge port before loading, careful positioning of the EV, and lots of wasted space between vehicles.) It would have to be limited to NACS connectors, since that is the evolving standard, or the drivers would have to deal with a variety of adapters, which seems unlikely.

I'm not sure I would trust a presumably low-paid driver under extreme time pressure to hook up and disconnect my Tesla, especially if an adapter were involved.

What Amtrak could do is install some high-power chargers at the stations, and allow passengers to charge their vehicles for 30 minutes after checking in before surrendering them for loading.
 
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The need to deliver power to a large number of 30Amp or higher circuits using a 480v HEP systems over and above supplying the train of 17 cars which in itself maxes out the capability of the HEP cables, seems like a complete non-starter to me (pun intended). At present the Auto Carriers have no HEP Cable, even of the pass through kind IIRC.
 
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While hypothetically possible, this is not a practical idea in my opinion. You could theoretically run HEP backward from a DPU (and might more reasonably run HEP forward from a DPU to passenger cars) but frankly why would you want to charge EVs en route? Gas cars aren't fueled up by Amtrak either. Just build a charging station at or near both terminals and let the passengers handle things themselves. (And honestly any staffed Amtrak station ought to consider also becoming a charging stop, but that's probably best discussed in some other thread).

As for the next Auto Train route, I haven't heard a convincing reason Lorton-Chicagoland is a bad idea, provided Lorton has or gets enough capacity.
 
No. Chicagoland to Lorton with through service connects the Midwest and lower Northeast/upper Southeast (DC, Baltimore, Richmond, plausibly some folks as far afield as Philly or Raleigh) in one day, and connects Chicagoland to Sanford in two days. If you go direct from Chicagoland to Sanford, you still connect in two days, but it takes you three days to reach Lorton/Washington.

You can also cheat, moving the new depot far enough south and east along your preferred corridor to claw back some buffer time, keep your turnarounds workable but short and equipment utilization high, and to stay clear of the Chicago south of the lake traffic jam.
 
If a second auto train from the upper midwest was a thing to consider, what about a Chicago to New Orleans route?

Disclaimer: I’ve never rode the auto train and know next to nothing about it other than this thread.
 
No. Chicagoland to Lorton with through service connects the Midwest and lower Northeast/upper Southeast (DC, Baltimore, Richmond, plausibly some folks as far afield as Philly or Raleigh) in one day, and connects Chicagoland to Sanford in two days. If you go direct from Chicagoland to Sanford, you still connect in two days, but it takes you three days to reach Lorton/Washington.

You can also cheat, moving the new depot far enough south and east along your preferred corridor to claw back some buffer time, keep your turnarounds workable but short and equipment utilization high, and to stay clear of the Chicago south of the lake traffic jam.
I can't even see what the route would be, except to bring the train right through Washington Union Station and then up the Metropolitan Branch used by the Capitol Limited. But that route involves crossing the Appalachian Mountains over the Sand Patch Grade, which would mean very slow running, even slower than that of the Capitol Limited. Remember, the Auto Train is essentially a big old freight train with a bunch of passenger cars stuck in front. The Capitol takes 8 hours to get from Washington to Pittsburgh. You can drive it in 4 and a half hours. An Auto Train would take longer than that. For most people, even those taking long-distance trains, it would be faster and cheaper to just take the Capitol Limited and rent a car when you get to your destination. The Virginia -Florida Auto Train has the advantage of a clientele that is staying at their destinations for a long period of time, which makes it more economical to bring one's own car rather than renting it.
 
I'll suggest one thing they can do to the Auto Train to improve the service: Completely remodel the stations. People check in up to 4 or 5 hours before departure and have to wait around in those airport style seats. OK, if you're in Sanford, you can take a shuttle into town and hang out there, but there is absolutely nothing of interest around Lorton. Plus, when the train arrives its destination, the passengers have to wait around for up to an hour for their cars. It's really uncomfortable and unpleasant. How about setting it up like one of the better Metropolitan Lounges with nice padded couches and seats and tables, along with upgraded food service (even if they charge for it)? I also wonder if it would be possible for one to be able to go right to their accommodations on the train as soon as they drop of their car and check in?
 
The Virginia -Florida Auto Train has the advantage of a clientele that is staying at their destinations for a long period of time, which makes it more economical to bring one's own car rather than renting it.
Lot's of snowbirds traveling between Florida and "Chicagoland". Ohio was the second biggest market after the northeast when Auto-Train did their due diligence before expanding in the 70s. And don't ignore the Canadians who also have a big presence in the Sunshine State. The market is definitely there.
 
The biggest advantage of the current Auto Train is that it covers the busiest travel corridor in North America of that length, and it can be operated with just two consists and two sets of OBS crew (+ contingency) and four sets of T&E crew (plus contingency). There are very few routes that meet all those criteria. That is what makes this current route unique and also makes it not something that can be used to model any other operation on any other route. And yet it is barely profitable with so much going for it.
 
The biggest advantage of the current Auto Train is that it covers the busiest travel corridor in North America of that length, and it can be operated with just two consists and two sets of OBS crew (+ contingency) and four sets of T&E crew (plus contingency). There are very few routes that meet all those criteria. That is what makes this current route unique and also makes it not something that can be used to model any other operation on any other route. And yet it is barely profitable with so much going for it.
I could see maybe a Denver -Salt Lake City route as an alternative to driving over the Rockies. I've seen I-70 shut down in the winter there, not sure whether the trains keep running even when the roads are closed. Not the same kind of traffic as I-95 on the east coast, but it's an important transcontinental highway. One major user might be truckers, who can thus avoid the potentially unsafe driving over the mountains. Heck, they could send the trucks unaccompanied and have different drivers drop them off and pick them up at the terminals. But that's getting close to being a freight train. This sort of service might work in the Sierra Nevada, too.
 
I could see maybe a Denver -Salt Lake City route as an alternative to driving over the Rockies. I've seen I-70 shut down in the winter there,
I think most drivers going between Denver and Salt Lake City will use I-80 thru Wyoming as their alternate. Those wanting to see the scenery will drive via I-70 and US-6…
 
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