This is yet another example of why we need more than one train a day in each direction on that route. Have you written to your Congresspeople asking them to fund it (along with the purchase of Superliner IIIs that will presumably be needed to make it happen)?
I think the entire long-distance network needs to quadruple in frequency. Each route should have four trains spaced six hours apart. The advantages are numerous:
- Every station would now have a morning, afternoon, evening, and middle-of-the-night train stop. This will greatly increase the options for travellers, especially in those cities where the only current option is 2 AM. But even for cities with daylight stops, this would be huge. I'm sure many people in Chicago would rather leave for out west in the evening and not in the middle of the afternoon. Or leave to go out east in the morning and not the evening.
- More passenger options will mean more passengers and greater utility.
- Amtrak will no longer have to pay for hotels for missed connections. The passenger can wait in the station for six hours for the next train. That wouldn't be uncommon at an airport.
- So many more options for layovers during a trip. Ever want to see Havre, MT? Me too, but I don't know that I'd want to spend 24 hours there. But six hours would be nice. Some people might want to travel for 12 hours during the daylight in coach, and then spend the night at a hotel and then repeat the next day. Others might want to spend their waking hours in towns and then spend 8-12 hours overnight on the train getting to the next destination. You could even "camp" your way across the U.S. and take coach between stops.
- City pairs about 8 hours apart would be served much better for business travellers. Instead of the daylight run between MSP and CHI, you could just take the overnight and be ready for business first thing in the morning upon arrival.
- Amtrak could guaruntee some connections that they now cannot. (The could guaruntee all connections, really) Such as Coast Starlight to Seattle to the Empire Builder. There would just be a long-ish layover between the gaurunteed trains.
