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 ,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wouldn't it be "Chicagoland - Sanford"?
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.
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.
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 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…
