It goes back to the old question about whether trains are primarily transportation or recreation. Be careful about emphasizing the "journey is the destination" point of view; taxpayers aren't so keen to subsidize peoples' rolling vacations.
Plus, I don't think most of the population is very interested in spending half their vacations on trains *BINGO!* instead of at the real destination with the family and friends they were traveling to see, especially if they have to pay the same or more to get there.
So what's the solution for Amtrak? There may not be one.
While not so much an argument in favor/against the fares, many railfans tend to put
too much emphasis on the "..Well, you
save on the cost of hotel when going from WAS to CHI on the Cap.........." Ah yeah. You also LOSE about 12 hours (or so)
vs. flying. Don't get me wrong I
myself use that argument (save on hotel) to justify some of my business trips via Amtrak.
But in the last 30 days, I've had to travel from WAS to Minot, WAS to El Paso, WAS to Kansas City, WAS to Atlantic City, NJ. Tomorrow I'm going WAS to Davenport, Iowa and next week WAS to Raleigh, NC. In only one case did rail make economic or travel time sense, and that was WAS to Atlantic City, NJ. (I traveled exclusively on Continental, so at least I'm indirectly earning AGR points, just not
rail points)
Trust me, I used AmSnag, and planned a sample itinerary for every trip via rail. But if I choose to go via rail, the time is just too long, and the cost (when u include a sleeper) is just too high, But
mostly it's the
time factor that kills me.
Case in point: Tomorrow I have to be in Davenport, IA in the afternoon. I
could take the CAP (in fact I was reserved for today) but would have missed my son's basketball awards tonight, and had to rent a car out of Chicago, or suburban Chicago. As it is, I have to end up flying into ORD, then to the Quad Cities airport. Go to the trade show tomorrow day/nite, overnight in the Quad Cities, and fly home to BWI Tuesday AM.
What was really disappointing was the WAS Raleigh, NC trip. Amtrak's COACH fare is $58, (add $24 for Biz Class) and I have to LEAVE BWI at 7:46AM, (or as late as 9:14AM) and don't get into RGH until 4:42PM, a whole day out of the office...... Or (and this
really sux) fly SWA, for $69.70 (all taxes & fees incl.) spend less than one hour in the air, add an hour for check in and security, no checked bag, so don't have to wait....but DO have to add cab fare to downtown Raleigh.......
Unless it's on the NE corridor, and I include Richmond in that now, (with what 9 daily trips to Richmond now, that's great) I have to burn DAYS on the train, and the strain that puts on the wife and family (Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Lacrosse, Soccer, Dance, Rotary Club, Yard-Work, House-Work, etc., etc.)