Denver from MSP

[WWW]

So my plans changed from the ACE event in WV thinking of the Rocky Mountaineer Red Rocks Colorado excursion.

Looking (booking) Amtrak's schedule - I am routed on the Empire Builder to Seattle - the Coast Starlight to Sacramento - and then the Zephyr to Denver

It would seem that I have encountered Amtrak's Bermuda Triangle of getting the quickest easiest best way to get from MSP to Denver !

Why not the EB to Chicago and then the Zephyr even though it requires an overnight in Chicago town and perhaps reduced overall cost ?

Egads it is less expensive and invasive flying to Denver (which I am going to do).

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Arrow probably can’t handle the overnight part in providing a “direct” routing. You could use the multi-city feature to book it.

 

[jis]

Arrow probably can’t handle the overnight part in providing a “direct” routing. You could use the multi-city feature to book it.

Arrow won't automagically handle any connection unless a human administrator enters it as a valid connection. It is highly unlikely that anyone would have thought of entering that overnight connection as a valid one.

 

[zephyr17]

Why not the EB to Chicago and then the Zephyr even though it requires an overnight in Chicago town and perhaps reduced overall cost ?

Why not indeed. So use Multi-City and book it.

 

[TC_NYC]

Something also worth considering is making the 5 hour drive from Minneapolis to Milwaukee and catching one of the morning trains from Milwaukee to Chicago to avoid the overnight in Chicago.

 

[WWW]

There is a lot to be said about getting to the connection city before the weather hits your location or one you may pass through.
BUT a drive of 5 hours to MKE to take the am train to CHI for a connection - hummm - might just think about a cheap airfare.
There are alternatives - just have to be savy enough to make them work.
However for the train buff - flying - is sort of out of character - but EGADs the Amtrak fares cost compared to flying i.e. MSP - DEN
and even the MSP ORD MDW airports - done that dozens of times to catch the time critical afternoon Amtrak trips that the EB 8/28
would miss or not make a legal connection.

 

[minnrider]

There are 17 direct flights daily from MSP to Denver with fares as low as $79 each way. Taking Amtrak from MSP with an overnight in Chicago would take 48 hours compared to a 2-hour flight. Driving to Milwaukee to avoid the overnight in Chicago would still be journey of over 24 hours. Plus, the expense of taking Amtrak, even in coach, would be more than flying. Amtrak is basically useless trying to travel anywhere south/southwest from MSP to places such as Denver, Kansas City, Dallas, Phoenix, etc.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Yes the Amtrak system is a skeleton.
While not every journey works well, it does work for quite a few of them.

So if it’s fits your needs, enjoy the trip.

Honestly can not remember the last time I payed cash for a sleeper train.

 

[allanorn]

Looking (booking) Amtrak's schedule - I am routed on the Empire Builder to Seattle - the Coast Starlight to Sacramento - and then the Zephyr to Denver

That actually sounds rather fun for someone with time and money. I did EMY-PDX-CHI-NYP which the computer recognized as legal, and I would recommend it if you can get some actual time off-train (unlike my trip).

I'd probably route your trip via PDX instead of Seattle for the potential of more time off-train, but I wouldn't argue about the creative routing if you can take advantage of it.

Arrow won't automagically handle any connection unless a human administrator enters it as a valid connection. It is highly unlikely that anyone would have thought of entering that overnight connection as a valid one.

That might explain why SAN-LAX-further north isn't showing up for a Surfliner-CS connection any longer ... even the 4am departure out of SAN.

 

[Willbridge]

It used to be that customers figured out an intermodal trip, but bus service has been cut back from four trips to two and Osceola no longer has a bus agent.


The Osceola bus stop is two miles to the Amtrak station, at a Pilot truck stop.

 

[railiner]

Driving time, Minneapolis to Osceola via I-35 according to Google maps is only 4 hours, 22 minutes for the 292 mile drive. Rail fare would be cheaper as well.
I would imagine parking there would be reasonable.

That’s how I would do it, if I didn’t want to fly…

 

[WWW]

Driving time, Minneapolis to Osceola via I-35 according to Google maps is only 4 hours, 22 minutes for the 292 mile drive. Rail fare would be cheaper as well.
I would imagine parking there would be reasonable.

That’s how I would do it, if I didn’t want to fly…

Would sort of follow the ole Rock Island line MSP to Kansas City

 

[railiner]

Pr

Would sort of follow the ole Rock Island line MSP to Kansas City

Pretty close….although the “Rock” crossed the “Q” a little east at Chariton, instead of Osceola…

 

[NorthShore]

What's the cost to fly to Milwaukee? Direct rail link from there.

 

[WWW]

What's the cost to fly to Milwaukee? Direct rail link from there.

Fares MSP MKE one-way current for 4/10 - Y Main cabin $379 - C+ $399 and F $429

Shame that 8/28 can't do better to make Chicago connections - - -

Only hope for that new 2nd train from MSP to CHI to offer better service and connections

Need to consider dropping the stops at small low revenue yield stations to get a better earlier arrival in Chicago ?

 

[zephyr17]

Need to consider dropping the stops at small low revenue yield stations to get a better earlier arrival in Chicago ?

Why would you think dropping a few stop and scoot 1 or 2 minute stops would materially affect Chicago arrival time enough to make any difference in connections at all?

Those short stop and scoot stops are the source of significant political support, particularly in Montana, BTW.

The main cause of delays is dispatching/freight train delays and lately equipment failures with the ALC-42s. The schedule itself was recently restrung with BNSF in light of the new FRA/STB Passenger Delay metrics and rules.

 

[jebr]

Only hope for that new 2nd train from MSP to CHI to offer better service and connections

It's not going to connect with any of the western trains eastbound (and probably not officially to the eastern trains eastbound either, though perhaps to the CONO and LSL if the Builder's running extremely late.) The scheduled arrival time is around 7 PM, too late to make most of the connections comfortably.

I don't think we'll be seeing a train that connects to the western LD trains from MSP anytime soon - you'd either need to have a very early morning departure (latest would probably be 5 AM, given the eight-hour run time) or significant track upgrades to allow for faster run times along with an early morning departure.

Frankly, in the short-term the best I'd expect would be for Amtrak to partner better with Jefferson Lines and have the existing bus service properly connect in Osceola and Kansas City. The fact that they aren't even doing that makes me think they aren't terribly concerned with having connections to the western LD trains.