Amtrak Offering 30% Discount for Solar Eclipse Travel

[C855B]

http://www.x95radio.com/2017/06/28/amtrak-offers-discount-for-travel-to-view-solar-eclipse/

Funny thing... don't try this the day of the eclipse. The timetable makes it seem possible to get on the train in CHI and get into Carbondale (the largest city near peak totality) in time, as #391 is scheduled into CDL at 12:45pm. <=== This is an error. Should be 1:45.

Oops... no, you will be stuck on the train during the event at 1:20pm. 391 is going to be at least an hour late, just like it has been, every day, for over two years. CN seems to always stab it north of Champaign-Urbana, like clockwork.

Amtrak's marketing heart is in the right place, but this is a potential PR nightmare for them as throngs in Chicago just think they'll be able to make a 1-day round trip out of the spectacle. 

EDIT: Never mind. Misread the schedule. Unless the state arranges for an "Eclipse Special" (highly unlikely), there's no single-day round trip option. If you want to take the train in and out of Carbondale to see the eclipse, you'd already better have lodging.

[jagged ben]

I don't think it will do much good on the Coast Starlight.  Those tickets seemed to be sold out last I looked.

[C855B]

I think the discount only applies to train #'s 390-393, the Illinois-sponsored trains.

[C855B]

... Unless the state arranges for an "Eclipse Special" ...

I don't know why I didn't hear about it (maybe it was publicized only in the Chicago area), but Amtrak is running an "Eclipse Express" for a one-day round trip from CHI to CDL. Carbondale is essentially at the point of longest duration of totality and therefore the center of the universe for eclipse watchers.

Despite a 3:00 a.m. departure, the train was sold out in 22 hours: http://www.wjbdradio.com/local-news/2017/08/12/amtraks-eclipse-train-in-illinois-sells-out-in-22-hours

[C855B]

Amtrak #399, CHI-CDL Illinois Service, "Eclipse Special", 8/21/2017 7:26 a.m. @ Centralia, IL:



CN dispatcher was amusing on the radio, talking excitedly to an NS westbound waiting at the crossing, "You get to wait for the solar eclipse special!"

We were hoping beyond hope that this train was going to get the new Chargers for the publicity. I would guess doing that would put too many eggs in one basket and, given the two P42's, they must have wanted to be extra-sure the train was failure-proof. CN is the worst performer of record for Amtrak support - even worse than CSX - so if Amtrak messed-up mechanically on an extra train I'm sure there would have been heck to pay.