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| Re: Auto Train PHOTOS (1204863) | |||
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Re: Auto Train PHOTOS |
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Posted by Alan Follett on Sat Feb 16 13:24:53 2013, in response to Re: Auto Train PHOTOS, posted by RockParkMan on Sat Feb 16 10:30:41 2013. I wonder if there are other markets in which the Auto Train concept would be commercially viable. The other obvious possibility, Midwest-Florida service, was a flop when the old AutoTrain Corporation tried it, though the fact that the northern terminus was Louisville didn't help. (The idea was that Louisville would act as a central collection point for traffic from Chicago and Cleveland and Detroit and other Midwest markets, but as one of my Chicago acquaintances remarked at the time, "Hey, if I have to drive halfway to Florida, I might as well just drive all the way.") Still, given Amtrak's demonstrated ability to fill the Virginia-Florida trains, it might be worth another try, perhaps with a better-located Midwest terminal.Auto Train seems particularly suited to snowbird markets, where people travel a long distance for a long stay, and want to have their car with them rather than pay for a long-term rental at the destination. So, another possibility would be service from some Midwestern point to somewhere in Arizona. And I believe there's considerable snowbird traffic from eastern Canada; an Auto Train terminal somewhere in northern New York or New England might attract more of this than Lorton can. (Montreal to Lorton is another one of those perceived "halfway to Florida" situations.) Alan Follett Hercules, CA |
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