Is The Eclipse A Missed Opportunity For Amtrak?

[Thirdrail7]

Capacity has been added to the special so keep checking.

 

[NorthShore]

I think an overnight in STL and a daytrip to Jefferson City would actually be the better and more reasonable trip.

 

[calwatch]

Many people have booked multiple locations to maximize their choices so there will be capacity in the next few days. I have to cancel one of my hotel reservations by Wednesday.

 

[user 1215]

Other locations (albeit without special trains) will be at 100% coverage: Albany and Salem, OR (~10 AM), Hazstings & Lincoln, NE (~1 PM), Kansas City, MO (1:08 PM), Clemson, Greenville (2:38ish), Columbia (2:43) and Charleston SC (2:46).... Hey - I may take the Palmetto...

Southbound on the Meteor (Charleston) would make for a very long day for a late return North, but would work.

I can make a day trip on the Palmetto, but most other locations either have middle of the night arrivals and departures, requiring awkward accommodation requirements.

 

[pennyk]

From Florida, the Silver Star is scheduled to arrive in Columbia, SC at 4:01am and depart southbound at 1:38am. It is a long day trip, but it appears to be the easiest way for me to see a total eclipse.

 

[Bob Dylan]

From Florida, the Silver Star is scheduled to arrive in Columbia, SC at 4:01am and depart southbound at 1:38am. It is a long day trip, but it appears to be the easiest way for me to see a total eclipse.

But can you stay awake that Late?

 

[Seaboard92]

From Florida, the Silver Star is scheduled to arrive in Columbia, SC at 4:01am and depart southbound at 1:38am. It is a long day trip, but it appears to be the easiest way for me to see a total eclipse.

Would you like to have lunch. You'll be in my town. And surprisingly I'm not on the road.

 

[the_traveler]

And surprisingly I'm not on the road.

But you said nothing about being on the RAILS! Unless you meant railROAD! :giggle:

 

[jis]

From Florida, the Silver Star is scheduled to arrive in Columbia, SC at 4:01am and depart southbound at 1:38am. It is a long day trip, but it appears to be the easiest way for me to see a total eclipse.

Would you like to have lunch. You'll be in my town. And surprisingly I'm not on the road.

Yeah let's meet up for lunch somewhere downtown.

 

[Seaboard92]

From Florida, the Silver Star is scheduled to arrive in Columbia, SC at 4:01am and depart southbound at 1:38am. It is a long day trip, but it appears to be the easiest way for me to see a total eclipse.

Would you like to have lunch. You'll be in my town. And surprisingly I'm not on the road.

Yeah let's meet up for lunch somewhere downtown.

Sounds like a great plan. Send me a message with where you're staying an I can pick you up

 

[jis]

All the info is in the pm among the three of us. I will post my hotel info there.

 

[sicariis]

The Downeaster is promoting viewing the partial eclipse in the Ocean View Dome Car on train 683. https://www.facebook.com/AmtrakDowneaster/posts/10155572398647145. Lots of tickets still available.

 

[KmH]

Are the providing solar eclipse glasses?

 

[RSG]

Are the providing solar eclipse glasses?

That's a very good point, and is probably the real missed opportunity for Amtrak. There's no way anyone can safely look at the sun except during the brief period of 100.0% totality, in the locations where that's possible. Even that is not worth the risk of possible eye damage. (Various local media outlets around the country are highlighting people who have that damage, acquired during past events.) No amount of casual visual protection will be sufficient to prevent eye damage and it borders on irresponsibility to promote something without also stating a necessary requirement.

A TV station in Denver ordered 335,000 pairs of ISO-certified eclipse glasses and partnered with the local NFL team and a local chain of oil & lubrication shops to distribute them out over the past two weeks. People were lining up around the block to get their one-per-person pair + a football collectable card. They ended their distribution with the last 3000 pair on Thursday afternoon. During every announcement of availability the team's name was mentioned and the oil change business' name and employees were prominently featured.

Imagine if Amtrak ordered 1,000,000 pairs of eclipse glasses and distributed them along the routes in which the 2017 eclipse traverses, along with something which could be used after the event. Imprinted, say, with #Amtrak and #RideTheRails (or even their standard marketing slogan, #EnjoyTheJourney). Couple that with press releases and media events announcing the various distributions and the return could have been something that couldn't have been bought with twice the cost in advertising dollars. Kids (aka 'future passengers') would have been excited and their parents might have been prompted to consider a new method of vacation travel in the upcoming future.

I've always said there's a special place in hell for marketing types (particularly those who promise something that can't be delivered), but the same is true for those who fail to take advantage of opportunities dropped in their lap. The Great American Eclipse is something that didn't need to be created by a high-powered--and high-priced--advertising agency, didn't need an investment of infrastructure (other than what might normally be needed for a Thanksgiving weekend), and didn't need something dependent on a human-created scenario which might not pan out. It just needed some advance planning and management types along with a little creativity to make it happen.

 

[Acela150]

I'm surprised that CN was willing to work with Amtrak to give them a slot for this train. Since the relationship there isn't exactly good last I heard.

 

[bretton88]

I'm surprised that CN was willing to work with Amtrak to give them a slot for this train. Since the relationship there isn't exactly good last I heard.

Pay the rate for the track slot, and they'll let you go for a one time run, I'm sure. Being this is basically an express, it's probably easier dispatching and not subject to the otp requirements of a regular train.
Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[MikefromCrete]

I'm surprised that CN was willing to work with Amtrak to give them a slot for this train. Since the relationship there isn't exactly good last I heard.

It apparently took months of negotiations to get CN to run this one round trip.

 

[pennyk]

I'm on 92 now and I am guessing that half the train is getting off in Columbia. This is the first train ride for several passengers with whom I spoke. One coach passenger could not afford air fare. A sleeper passenger could not get a plane reservation. I'm where I want to be.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I feel sorry for anyone who needed to travel to the prime areas for regular reasons (business, family, etc) and had to pay the high prices I'm sure the hotels and airlines are charging.

 

[Ryan]

Fortunately, Marriott doesn’t adjust redemption rates for evens like this. I have one room on cheap points and two rooms at the (also cheap) government rate just inside the path of totality south of Knoxville.

 

[JayPea]

I live where it will be about 96% of totality. Close enough for me.

 

[RSG]

Fortunately, Marriott doesn’t adjust redemption rates for evens like this. I have one room on cheap points and two rooms at the (also cheap) government rate just inside the path of totality south of Knoxville.

I'm surprised the properties themselves didn't have blackouts; I've sometimes had problems booking with points at places where there wasn't a big event going on.

 

[RSG]

I feel sorry for anyone who needed to travel to the prime areas for regular reasons (business, family, etc) and had to pay the high prices I'm sure the hotels and airlines are charging.

I know there are those unavoidable situations, but many businesses have just waved off doing travel during this weekend and its shoulders; somewhat like Thanksgiving and the week between Christmas & New Years Day. Still, that doesn't account for the support staff which has been imported into the high traffic areas. My local hospital relies heavily on travelers for their nursing staffing requirements as well as some physicians and they probably aren't going to be occupying the local hotels like they usually do. There's also the emergency responders who've been imported and the personnel from restaurants outside the path who've been recruited to assist. It's definitely an issue, to be sure.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Are the providing solar eclipse glasses?

That's a very good point, and is probably the real missed opportunity for Amtrak.

<snip>

It just needed some advance planning and management types along with a little creativity to make it happen.

I snipped out the stuff between the the first sentence and the last sentence because it was long and irrelevant since the passengers on the special are receiving glasses with their tickets. I don't know what (if anything ) it says on the side but they were sponsored by Amtrak and the state entity that was instrumental in making this trip occur.

I guess if you were on the train, you'd know this.

I'm surprised that CN was willing to work with Amtrak to give them a slot for this train. Since the relationship there isn't exactly good last I heard.

It apparently took months of negotiations to get CN to run this one round trip.

It took many months and the state getting involved.

 

[CHamilton]

Amtrak trains to and from Oregon have been sold out. The crew on train 11 (20) did a great job of deboarding almost 300 people yesterday at SLM, and a similar number of boardings on 14 (20) today. And the OBS crew (8) got rooms cleaned and dinner served very efficiently, and were very good about communicating procedures. The "eclipse specials" on both days ran late, but the extra capacity was appreciated.