Thruway Bus Newton KS -Oklahoma City (http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4008453)

Amtrak routes now available through bus line in Wichita | KSN-TV (http://ksn.com/2016/04/18/amtrak-route-now-available-through-bus-line-in-wichita/)

So, not a train to Wichita, but a bus? Meh

So, not a train to Wichita, but a bus? Meh

I would agree but I can tell you that drive to Newton arriving at 3am is BRUTAL. even worse is the drive back after arriving at 3am. I've done it twice and each time it was harder. This is at least another option than driving with bloodshot eyes at 2am with no one else on the road in Kansas.

There are precedents for the Newton-OKC thruway bus connection scattered across the Amtrak system map. Newton-OKC is nothing new, but it is a positive step forward for OK transportation. https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/631/638/SystemMapMar2015.pdf

I'm fascinated by the Amtrak system, and someday I'd like to take a long distance train trip (just to say I have). My mom used to take the train from Houston to LA when she was young to visit families.

My question though is this, I've priced out some trips, and it always looks like the cost/time is awful compared to just paying for flights, or even driving in some instances.

Same for me. .I have taken the train to Austin and the leg from Ft worth to Austin we had our own little private sleeper. I loved it!. so thought we should do a longer trip. every time I go to price one out I can't make myself do it because its so much more expensive and time consuming. I would be ok with it taking longer that is a given but having to pay twice as much as a flight is hard to swallow.

I'm fascinated by the Amtrak system, and someday I'd like to take a long distance train trip (just to say I have). My mom used to take the train from Houston to LA when she was young to visit families.

My question though is this, I've priced out some trips, and it always looks like the cost/time is awful compared to just paying for flights, or even driving in some instances.

Pretty much the same. I'd like to do it, I get the itch, then I look at the price and time compared to a plane. When I was planning my recent trip to New Orleans, I looked at the train. For about a second. When I saw it would cost $600+ and take two days I laughed at the funny joke and moved on.

Seriously, go look at the route yourself, you'll laugh. You go from OKC to Fort Worth, then sit there for two hours. Then get on a train to (seriously, not making this up) CHICAGO. For 24 hours. Then after that 24 hour ride, you need to stretch your legs...so good thing you are stuck in Chicago for 6 hours. Then you get on a train for a 20 hour ride to New Orleans. For more than a plane ticket. You almost spend more time sitting in train stations than just driving there took.

Now, before anyone says this comparison is not fair because there is not a direct route, the first leg (OKC to Fort Worth) takes 4 hours. The drive there takes less. There was an episode of Big Bang Theory (I know, I know, the show sucks, I've stopped watching myself) where the characters got on a train, but then had a plan to get off at the next stop, drive back home, pick something up, then drive to meet the train at the next station and get back on. Is there a better example of ridiculous?

Again, I would love to ride the train. But I will *never* ride it as a method to get to a destination under these conditions. The riding of the train would BE the destination, and honestly, I'm not as attracted to the idea if all I am doing is riding a train for two weeks.

Here's What That Post About Taking a Train Across the US for $213 Doesn't Tell You (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-fadden/what-train-across-us-for-213-doesnt-tell-you_b_8930832.html)

Ive taken the train from Newton to NYC and Chicago on different trips (mom hates flying). Then I took it from NEwton to LA. It was woeful, esp being 13-15 years old at the time.

My first experience with unions was going to LA. We got so far behind that the crew reached their max work hours. So we had to stop 5 miles from our next stop (between Needles, CA and Kingman, AZ) , in the middle of the desert, where they 4 wheeled in a new crew. Can't make that stuff up.

She still uses it though to get to our place in Sedona. When getting on the train on her most recent trip she had 2 big bags with her. The man assigned to each car basically stared at her when she asked for some help with the bags. His exact words were "I'm not a porter." Didn't help her at all. Must be tough to be a decent human being.

My first experience with unions was going to LA. We got so far behind that the crew reached their max work hours. So we had to stop 5 miles from our next stop (between Needles, CA and Kingman, AZ) , in the middle of the desert, where they 4 wheeled in a new crew. Can't make that stuff up.


That's an FRA thing, not a union thing. Conductors are capped at the number of hours they can operate in a day, similar to how truckers are capped. But it's much more stringent.

For those talking about wanting to do it but the price Here's the thing. I've taken 2 long train trips leaving out of Newton. The first one was

First was a baseball trip
Newton to Chicago (everything goes to Chicago it is THE hub, it's huge and you can get anywhere from there) Once in Chicago I spent a few days and went to a cubs game.
Chicago to Baltimore and went to an Orioles Game
Baltimore to DC
DC to NYC and went to Yankee Stadium and Shea stadium (year before both were torn down)
Rode it back to Newton

2nd trip was a football/fun trip
Newton to Chicago (cubs game)
Chicago to Sandusky Oh (cedar point)
Sandusky to Buffalo (then drove up to Niagara falls for a few days)
Buffalo to South Bend (OU/ND game)
South Bend to Newton.

On the first trip it was longer, something like 10 days. So I bought a rail pass. https://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak/selectpass
$459 and you can go anywhere over 15 days. my railpass covered every part of that trip. to see Chicago, Baltimore, DC and NYC for $459 for the travel was crazy!

2nd trip I planned on doing a rail pass at $459. I called in to buy it (only way you can get it set up to pick up in Newton) and the lady said let me look here. and she pieced it together for around $357(just looked it up). This was 2013 so not long ago.

So if you are wanting to go look at the rail pass or just call in. Both of those trips were a blast. I will say chicago to Baltimore is long and in the Mountains they lost radio contact and we had to wait 5 hours but you have plugs for your phone. bathrooms. and plenty of room to stretch out or walk around. We brought coolers on the train and had plenty of food and drinks for the trip. I highly recommend. Wife and I are thinking of taking another one sometime soon.

I could see a bus ride to Newton to catch the SW Chief to either LA or Chicago. No worries about the car and leave the driving to someone else.

His exact words were "I'm not a porter." Didn't help her at all. Must be tough to be a decent human being.

Not at all surprised - and that just about sums up my experiences on Amtrak. Have taken it several times Kalamazoo-Chicago (helluva lot cheaper to fly out of ORD than AZO at times - even with the $50 cab ride from Union to ORD). Last time we did it the agent at the station demanded to weigh our bags - one weighed 40 lbs, the other 50.5. I kid you not, the agent made us repack 0.5 lb from one bag to another because "you can't have anything over 50 pounds". I asked the agent first of all half a pound? Really? I then tried to reason with her that that 0.5 lb would still be on the train, just in another bag - so what the hell difference does it make? I'm gonna be the one handling the bag on the train, not you? She clearly lacked the mental capacity to process this and actually made us move a shirt from one bag to another. Not to mention it was 85 degrees on the train (in the middle of winter no less). Next time we're going to just suck it up and fly. Not at all worth the hassle.

And I can't imagine an overnight trip in Amtrak coach. No thank you!!!

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And I can't imagine an overnight trip in Amtrak coach. No thank you!!!



I am a large man. Envision an Irish Santa on vacation in cargo shorts and a polo rather that hot hrrid typical santa gear.

I was a smaller version of myself, and thus c-pap free, the last time I was on amtrak. However, the then me slept ok in coach. I rode comfortably on a greyhound last summer too, despite being larger now and the seating area, though adequate, being smaller than the train coach seats.

It's not horrid to travel thus way, unless a delay sets your teeth to grinding.

All this and they get how much government subsidy? The only place the trains make sense is the densely populated NE.

One of the best trips I ever took was NYC to MTL by train. It was about a ten hour trip through some of the nicest scenery that autumn affords and it was less than 150 roundtrip a couple of years ago.