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Ridership numbers isn't the whole story. For example, the Empire Builder only runs one train per day each direction, which puts a serious limit on the total rid
by ARandumGuy 3y ago
Ridership numbers isn't the whole story. For example, the Empire Builder only runs one train per day each direction, which puts a serious limit on the total ridership that's even possible.
Anecdotally, I've used the Empire Builder for two trips this year, and both times every train was completely booked (on a weekday, no less). There is demand for these trains, which I suspect would be even higher if Amtrak ran faster, more frequent, and more consistently.
- runarberg 3y agoThe Empire Builder is actually kind of a weird one. It is both an important interurban between Chicago and Minneapolis (and possible as far as Fargo) as well as between Seattle and Spokane (and Portland and Spokane), but also a very popular tourist route. The fact that it is serving both these purposes is kind of a determent to both. It runs to infrequently (and at weird hours) to serve as a nice interurban, and it gets too overbooked to serve a tourist route. To fix this the state of Washington (and Minnesota) need to operate more frequent interurbans that only services the end portions of the route (like 4 trains a day at least), and then Amtrak could operate the whole Empire builder in a more sane manner.