Amtrak Serving "College Towns"

[Metra Electric Rider]

Where was the train station in Bloomington? Down in the low area southwest of downtown?

 

[jphjaxfl]

Where was the train station in Bloomington? Down in the low area southwest of downtown?

It was right downtown off of Walnut Street until 1966 when it moved to the edge of the McDowell yard until the passenger service ended in September, 1967. Amtrak stopped at a downtown platform at 4th and Morton Streets from 1975 until the Floridian was discontinued in October, 1979. Unfortunately the Monon line has been truncated between Crawfordsville and Bloomington with freight trains using another CSX line in the area.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Where was the train station in Bloomington? Down in the low area southwest of downtown?

It was right downtown off of Walnut Street until 1966 when it moved to the edge of the McDowell yard until the passenger service ended in September, 1967. Amtrak stopped at a downtown platform at 4th and Morton Streets from 1975 until the Floridian was discontinued in October, 1979. Unfortunately the Monon line has been truncated between Crawfordsville and Bloomington with freight trains using another CSX line in the area.

Thanks, I've got vague memories of old depot looking buildings southwest of courthouse square, which makes sense.

 

[jphjaxfl]

Where was the train station in Bloomington? Down in the low area southwest of downtown?

It was right downtown off of Walnut Street until 1966 when it moved to the edge of the McDowell yard until the passenger service ended in September, 1967. Amtrak stopped at a downtown platform at 4th and Morton Streets from 1975 until the Floridian was discontinued in October, 1979. Unfortunately the Monon line has been truncated between Crawfordsville and Bloomington with freight trains using another CSX line in the area.

Thanks, I've got vague memories of old depot looking buildings southwest of courthouse square, which makes sense.

Illinois Central also had depot in downtown Bloomington, IN.

 

[west point]

Train service to college towns have several items that cause extreme swings in demand. College schedules are all over the grass.

1. Some have no summer classes

2. Some have classes 6 days a week with Saturdays until 1200

3. Some have night classes

4. some have classes 0700 - 1800

5. Some have no Tuesday or Thursday classes.

6. Some have no cut classes on last week day ( Friday or Saturday ? )

So how can Amtrak or any other agency plan capacity ?.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Train service to college towns have several items that cause extreme swings in demand. College schedules are all over the grass.

1. Some have no summer classes

2. Some have classes 6 days a week with Saturdays until 1200

3. Some have night classes

4. some have classes 0700 - 1800

5. Some have no Tuesday or Thursday classes.

6. Some have no cut classes on last week day ( Friday or Saturday ? )

So how can Amtrak or any other agency plan capacity ?.

You're thinking of Amtrak in this context being used as a commuter train service. I'm think of Amtrak being used more of as a service for college students traveling at the beginning/end of semesters, breaks, holidays, or maybe just for the weekend.

 

[jebr]

Train service to college towns have several items that cause extreme swings in demand. College schedules are all over the grass.

1. Some have no summer classes

2. Some have classes 6 days a week with Saturdays until 1200

3. Some have night classes

4. some have classes 0700 - 1800

5. Some have no Tuesday or Thursday classes.

6. Some have no cut classes on last week day ( Friday or Saturday ? )

So how can Amtrak or any other agency plan capacity ?.

The same way agencies plan for people's work schedules, shopping trips, nights out on the town, and the scores of other plans people make. After all, people work varying schedules, second shifts, third shifts, take days off of work, work 4 10s instead of 5 8s, etc.

For Amtrak specifically, it might mean running an extra train after the majority of classes for the week are done and back on the evening before classes start for the week, at least for residential students, and ensuring capacity for school breaks. Typically this would be a Friday afternoon/evening train out and a Sunday afternoon/evening train in. Amtrak is, for the most part, not competing for the daily college student commuter, but rather the "traveling home/going out of town for the weekend" college student. Most residential students have a fairly regular "8-5 Monday - Friday" class schedule (at least that most of their classes don't start before 8, end after 5, or meet on weekends.) Those are usually done by commuting students who already have other obligations, and likely would use local transit for their commuting needs if they don't drive there.

It's not rocket science to schedule trips to meet the needs of college students any more than it is to meet the needs of any other group of people.