Pullman Pulled their schedules?

[tommylicious]

I was on the Pullman site and seems they've pulled their schedules. What's going on with them?

 

[CCC1007]

On the front page there is a banner ad for western trips, so it looks to me that they have leased their cars to a third party for their tours.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I noticed that too... currently there is a Kentucky Derby Special to Louisville, The Reno Fun Train (which is operated by Pullman's parent company Iowa Pacific) and Uncommon Journeys, which apparently leases the cars.

I always felt the City of New Orleans service was done as an "easy" start up... to learn how to operate this service and show Amtrak and others that they know what they are doing. I rode it once when they were offering those crazy low fares, and I loved it. Should have gone again while I could!

 

[hessjm]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the CONO being turned in Jackson MS?

 

[OBS]

I "heard" that they have not been able to negotiate an agreement with Amtrak for2016...

 

[rtabern]

Rumor is Amtrak was not happy with Iowa Pacific taking over the Hoosier State and so they jacked the rates they were charging them to tack the cars on to the back of 58 and 59. Instead of paying the higher 2016 rates, IP decided to just end the service to New Orleans for now.

 

[andersone]

Bummer,, the IP CONO was going to be my bucket trip for sprin 2017,,,,, I will keep my fingers crossed,,,

 

[cirdan]

I wonder if Amtrak felt any erosion in sleeper passengers due to what Iowa Pacific was doing on the CONO.

I don't think it could have made much difference somehow.

Seeking to get even over the Hoosier State seems a bit childish to me.

 

[rtabern]

A younger couple out of Glenview, IL bought two ex-Great Northern half-dome/lounge cars last year. Their goal was to add the cars permanently into the Hiawatha train sets -- one dome for each of the train sets. Their business model was to sell "monthly memberships" and create a luxurious experience for people who do the daily commute between Milwaukee and Chicago... or between Chicago and Milwaukee. They got this idea from Metra's Union Pacific North Line. For many years now, a group of wealthy business out of Lake Forest, IL have a private car attached to one of the Metras that they use to commute to and from the city each day. This was grandfathered in from the old C&NW days and still is done on one train set every weekday. (The equipment is kept overnight in Kenosha, WI and is sometimes visible from the station -- it's the only single-level Metra car I know of!) Anyway, this couple was planning the same deal for the Hiawathas. Then, on weekends, they were going to have groups use the cars for charters... serving a nice meal, etc for Scouts, Red Hats, Corporate groups, etc.... Amtrak quickly put the qua-bash on this... telling them they could not sell tickets... fearing this would compete with their revenue on the regular Hiawathas.

 

[dlagrua]

IMO, the only way for Pullman to succeed is to sell the operation to the freight railroads and let them run occasional passenger trains. This eliminates the middleman and the problems that go along with it.

 

[seat38a]

Rumor is Amtrak was not happy with Iowa Pacific taking over the Hoosier State and so they jacked the rates they were charging them to tack the cars on to the back of 58 and 59. Instead of paying the higher 2016 rates, IP decided to just end the service to New Orleans for now.

Doesn't Amtrak crew still run the train?

 

[erierail]

I have a friend that worked for Pullman, he and many co workers were laid off. It would be hard to conclude that his operations were profitable since they were not stand alone operation, rather just added to an existing Amtrak train. I don't blame Amtrak playing hard ball.

 

[CoachSlumber]

I wonder if Amtrak felt any erosion in sleeper passengers due to what Iowa Pacific was doing on the CONO.

I don't think it could have made much difference somehow.

Seeking to get even over the Hoosier State seems a bit childish to me.

Doubt it was much of a factor, especially since Pullman raised its prices substantially and went to once-a-week service.

 

[CoachSlumber]

Too bad, but I've had the sense this was coming for awhile. I think they just couldn't attract the volume. The vision was to attract upper middle class vacationers, not just rich people of the sort who can afford the special excursions. The price had once been a pretty good deal for what was provided, but it then climbed to a very high point--for a train ride with very little scenery and a lot of nighttime hours.

Oh, well, I got to ride it a couple of times.

 

[Palmetto]

Reminds me of the American Orient Express. Didn't they run out of "top end" customers after some years? Perhaps this is what happened to Iowa Pacific as well. OTOH, the Canadian to the north seems to fill lots of cars, but in the tourist season.

Is the train to the Kentucky Derby a stand-alone train?

Pulllman Rail Journeys has put up quite a bunch of trips since I last visited.

 

[CCC1007]

Reminds me of the American Orient Express. Didn't they run out of "top end" customers after some years? Perhaps this is what happened to Iowa Pacific as well. OTOH, the Canadian to the north seems to fill lots of cars, but in the tourist season.

Is the train to the Kentucky Derby a stand-alone train?

Pulllman Rail Journeys has put up quite a bunch of trips since I last visited.

the AOE died in part to a lawsuit against them, trademark infringement from the Venice simplon orient express.

 

[CoachSlumber]

Reminds me of the American Orient Express. Didn't they run out of "top end" customers after some years? Perhaps this is what happened to Iowa Pacific as well. OTOH, the Canadian to the north seems to fill lots of cars, but in the tourist season.

Is the train to the Kentucky Derby a stand-alone train?

Pulllman Rail Journeys has put up quite a bunch of trips since I last visited.

I interviewed Ed Ellis for an article, and he was clear that he wasn't trying to do a top-end Orient Express thing but to try to recreate the Pullman experience and aim at upper middle class folk who might ordinarily vacation at a resort. I don't think enough business materialized, and the price crept up into the range of Canadian tourist trains--without the Rocky Mountains.

I always had the sense that this was a pilot for running similar service to New York. I am guessing it is very expensive to run private cars into New York, however. My guess is that Iowa Pacific will now stick to special excursions. I doubt we will see any more scheduled overnight service, especially if Amtrak is being difficult.

 

[west point]

It may be that the City will have a very long cancellation Jackson - NOL ?

 

[neroden]

I wish Amtrak would stop being difficult. The market for running extra cars on a train at extra prices... is primarily out of New York.

I do think this might partly have been caused by the mess on the CONO route in the Jackson-NOL section. No point in running during the bustitution, and nobody knows how long it will go on for.

 

[Palmetto]

I am not sure that Amtrak is being difficult. It seems that at least some of the posted trips and tours are on the hind end of an Amtrak train.