What do you think about adding more auto trains?

I had never heard of it, so I googled it. It actually sounds fun! And affordable. It’s a great way to get somewhere and not have to drive there, but you get to have your car with you. I think the biggest plus is that you can pack your car with all that you want, where as on a plane you are charged by weight and would be limited to how much you could take on your trip.

Fundamental problem: cost. WOuld there be consistent enough traffic to run an Auto-Train, both directions, year around?

What would be the good routes? Mayve Chicago to Florida? Chicago to Dallas? Seattle to LA with a stop in San Francisco?

The other thing is that while car carriers are easy to find, the railroad would need significant numbers of passenger cars as well,and there aren’t all that many of them to go around. No one in the US is manufacturing Amtrak-style passenger cars.

I’m a train buff, and I think this is a great idea, but I don’t think the economics exist.

@elbanditoroso It’s a great point of course, the cost has to be considered. I don’t know if the auto train runs at a profit or not. I’m assuming it very full during certain times of the year. I used it to move to Florida when I graduated college. On the train with me were quite a bit of people moving to Florida looking for construction type work. My grandma used to use it when she would come down to Florida with her SO for a month in the winter.

I don’t know how many automobiles are on a typical auto train, but it doesn’t have to be 100 I would think. You can use the train for both passengers with cars and passengers without cars. I wonder how many autos in a train car? I don’t remember.

Even if it runs at a loss, I wondered on the other Q if it’s more cost effective for the country than building some of the newer mass transportation ideas.

I think probably starting south of some major cities is best, so you capture both cities and outlying areas. Like the current line is in VA south of DC and NY, and obviously south of New England and Canada. It ends north of Orlando, so people traveling to and from South Florida, Tampa and Orlando might consider using it. It still is not in an ideal spot in my opinion, but it’s pretty good.

Maybe south of St. Louis area-ish to Alberquerque for cross country and Midwest snowbirds who go to Arizona? It would be great if there were tracks that were convenient from Ohio to Florida for MI, and OH, but I don’t think there are. Unless, there are tracks for moving goods that could be utilized. I don’t know what the tracks are like for that. I guess I could look up a map. It’s a non-stop venture, so you don’t need stations on the route.

I can see situations where I might opt for a train ride with my car instead of putting all the wear and tear on my vehicle. Probably not very often but it could work with enough people opting for it over the course of a year.

From a business perspective there is a much simpler and much more flexible alternative in shipping cars by truck and letting the owners fly themselves. They use the car-carrying trucks you see often on the highway.

My mother-in-law used such a service, sending her car to Florida in December and back in April or May.

@Call_Me_Jay In my experience shipping a car uncovered is more expensive than what you pay to transport the car on the auto train, and of course a covered shipment even more. On the train it’s a covered shipment for those who care, although those who care might be afraid to put their car on the auto train.

For sure shipping your car and flying is a good option to consider though. For just a month it’s probably not worth it, better to just rent a car, but for three months or more it is probably cost effective and you wouldn’t want your car sitting for 3 or 6 months probably anyway. Plus, the car transport will pick up your car right at your house or nearby commercial area, so it’s likely more convenient than driving to the train station. Although, you still have to get to the airport.

It would have to be for an extended stay. I rarely go anywhere for more than a week or two. Another factor is the hassle of getting to and from the airport. I live about 1½ miles from a train station, and it takes just one change of train to get to the airport. In addition, the train ride is free, because of a local deal for senior citizens.

In my experience shipping a car uncovered is more expensive than what you pay to transport the car on the auto train

I said “from a business perspective.” The cost of organizing trains for a very small potential market is prohibitive.

Even for simply carrying people there isn’t direct train service from here (Chicago, a huge railroad hub) to Florida. It takes two days, using at two trains, or two trains and a bus.

For most trips, the train can’t compete with driving or flying. I say this as someone who rode Amtrak this week.

^^Yes, all that is true.

I have never heard of that before, but it sounds interesting. I don’t fly, so for me it would be a terrific option.

I probably should have provided a link. https://www.amtrak.com/auto-train?cmp=pdsrch-Brand+Call+Only-google&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5bKhrLy-3wIVRFmGCh2fOQ9BEAAYASAAEgKnrfD_BwE