St. Louis-Chicago Additional Service

[uncleboots]

If this subject has previously been mentioned I apologize. Amtrak has added Overnight Service from St Louis to Chicago. A connecting Motorcoach leaves St. Louis at 11PM and connects with The City of New Orleans arriving in Chicago at 9:15 AM. The Soundbound City of New Orleans leaves around 8PM connecting with the Motorcoach arriving in St Louis at 5:30 AM. Rooms are available.

 

[me_little_me]

So you get on a bus at 11PM and, if the train is on time, you arrive in Carbondale and sit in the waiting room until after 3AM then get to go to bed for a few hours if you take a room. That sounds so wonderful to me. NOT!

Of course, if the CONO is late, you have just wasted a lot of money on a room since you stayed up all night until it arrives. Wooh! That's even better!

And that's better than Business Class on the 5:30PM train which is cheaper than COACH on the BUS and COACH on the CONO? Such deals I can live without..

Note: I randomly selected a one way trip on June 17th. B/C on 306 ($74) vs coach ($80 bus and CONO coach) and roomette ($264 bus and CONO roomette).

 

[railiner]

I have to agree. Establishing a “Thruway” connection via Carbondale for this service is very questionable.
Anyone wanting an overnight trip between Chicago and St. Louis would be better off just taking a bus all the way then that connection.

 

[SubwayNut]

That Thurway bus is primarily disigned to provide connections between St. Louis, Carbondale and New Orleans, including stops inbetween (replacing the former River Cities through coach that used to be detached from the City of New Orleans at Carbondale). The fact that Arrow has been programmed to sell STL to CHI tickets via it is completely incidental with much longer layover times than the Southbound connection.

Just look at it's scheduled times:

Lv. St. Louis - 11:00pm
Ar. Carbondale - 1:00am
Connecting train #59 to New Orleans Lv. 1:26am
Connecting train #58 to Chicago Lv. 3:16am (Yes you have more than 2 hours if #58s on time to wait before proceeding northbound)

In the reverse direction:
Train #59 from Chicago Ar. Carbondale 1:21am
Train #58 from New Oreleans Ar. Carbondale 3:11am
Thurway bus Lv. Carbondale 3:30am
Ar. St Louis 5:30

 

[20th Century Rider]

That Thurway bus is primarily disigned to provide connections between St. Louis, Carbondale and New Orleans, including stops inbetween (replacing the former River Cities through caoch that used to be detached from the City of New Orleans at Carbondale). The fact that Arrow has been programmed to sell STL to CHI tickets via it is completely incidental with much longer layover times than the Southbound connection.

Just look at it's scheduled times:

Lv. St. Louis - 11:00pm
Ar. Carbondale - 1:00am
Connecting train #59 to New Orleans Lv. 1:26am
Connecting train #58 to Chicago Lv. 3:16am (Yes you have more than 2 hours if #58s on time to wait before proceeding northbound)

In the reverse direction:
Train #59 from Chicago Ar. Carbondale 1:21am
Train #58 from New Oreleans Ar. Carbondale 3:11am
Thurway bus Lv. Carbondale 3:30am
Ar. St Louis 5:30

Sounds like a grueling trek to me! Calling it an overnight service is a bit deceptive...

 

[chrsjrcj]

Hasn’t the thruway bus existed since the discontinuation of the River Cities?

 

[thully]

A similar thruway connection is offered Chicago-Detroit - in addition to the Wolverine, it will offer the eastbound Lake Shore Limited to Toledo (arriving around 3am) then a Thruway bus leaving at 6:30ish to get you there an hour later.

That thruway bus is intended for westbound LSL (and Capitol Limited) passengers connecting to Michigan destinations, but they offer it for eastbound as well. Though since COVID service cuts, this is in fact the only way to same-day connect from eastbound LD trains to Detroit, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, and Jackson.

So at least there’s a reason for that to be offered, but it’s pretty pathetic that the only eastbound Wolverine being offered does not make the LD connections.

 

[20th Century Rider]

A similar thruway connection is offered Chicago-Detroit - in addition to the Wolverine, it will offer the eastbound Lake Shore Limited to Toledo (arriving around 3am) then a Thruway bus leaving at 6:30ish to get you there an hour later.

That thruway bus is intended for westbound LSL passengers connecting to Michigan destinations, but they offer it for eastbound as well. Though since COVID service cuts, this is in fact the only way to same-day connect from eastbound LD trains to Detroit, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, and Jackson.

So at least there’s a reason for that to be offered, but it’s pretty pathetic that the only eastbound Wolverine being offered does not make the LD connections.

A priority with me is a good night's sleep so the next day can be enjoyed fully awake and with energy. I guess if you're in your 20s or 30s you are strong and able to cope. But a few decades down the road... it ain't so!

 

[uncleboots]

I have to agree. Establishing a “Thruway” connection via Carbondale for this service is very questionable.
Anyone wanting an overnight trip between Chicago and St. Louis would be better off just taking a bus all the way then that connection.

The motor coach connection is mainly for the Southbound City Of New Orleans going to New Orleans and the Northbound City of New Orleans coming from New Orleans. Chicago connection was a add on, As far as your bus comment, have you seen some of the characters who ride Greyhound.

 

[uncleboots]

Hasn’t the thruway bus existed since the discontinuation of the River Cities?

The Motorcoach connection is mainly for the City of New Orleans going to New Orleans and coming from Néw Orleans.

 

[uncleboots]

Hasn’t the thruway bus existed since the discontinuation of the River Cities?

Yes it has.