Amtrak Milwaukee Airport Station

So you mean to tell me that 4x/week service to Myrtle on Hooters and SEALs hop to Tampa Bay's OTHER airport makes it viable? How about a bigger sample...or better yet...a real airline.

Matt, I DO think that Gary is viable, although I understand that there will have to be some infrastructure improvements to accomodate larger airplanes. I was just commenting how people seem to laugh off anything associated with Gary. I would note that you did not include it in your initial list of airports with a rail link in the Central time zone.

LI Loco wrote:AirTrain runs from JFK Airport to Jamaica where you can change for the Long Island RR to Penn Station or the E train subway (which also stops there). LIRR is faster, but more expensive. It also has more comfortable seating, if you are fortunate enough to get a seat.

AirTrain also runs to the Howard Beach subway station where you can catch the A train, which also stops at NYP, but only after first going through downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan.

Wait. So, to get from Trenton to JFK,

Northeast corridor to NYP
NYP to Jamaica
Jamaica to JFK?

Those of you who haven't travelled from/to O'hare this summer, delays are currently running higher than the 'summer of hell' in 2000. There are very good reasons why people will use any viable alternative.

MKE is Midwest Express' hub, and with many non stop flights in more comfortable planes than United/AA dominant at OHare, it doesn't seem like a bad idea at all.

metrarider wrote:MKE is Midwest Express' hub, and with many non stop flights in more comfortable planes than United/AA dominant at OHare, it doesn't seem like a bad idea at all.

And typically with higher fares than ORD due to lack of competition.

For those around here who use air transport (I'm sure many more than like to admit; some may even enjoy it; I admit to enjoying it back in the days depicted in the movie "Catch Me If You Can"), Mr. Metrarider on "on the mark" according to an article appearing yesterday in The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/06/busin ... elays.html

Secondly, I believe you will find that Midwest Express has simply "rechristened" themselves as Midwest Airlines. Not sure what this means nowadays, but they are reportedly known for in-flight service "better than the average". Can't tell you first hand; I've never had reason to fly 'em.

Lastly to Mr. Dinky, welcome to our Forum. However, I must wonder why you choose a screenname depicting one of the most misleading terms I ever heard during my years within and about the railroad industry. "Dinky', along with the equally distasteful term "scoot", is a term used for a Chicago area commuter train. However, I can hardly think that a rush hour METRA/BNSF train coming by my house at 70mph and carrying some 1000 souls as a "dinky'. I would say that is mighty essential transportation; be assured no one out on "The Ronnie" (I-88) is moving at 70mph at that time of day, let alone the posted 55mph.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Lastly to Mr. Dinky, welcome to our Forum. However, I must wonder why you choose a screenname depicting one of the most misleading terms I ever heard during my years within and about the railroad industry. "Dinky', along with the equally distasteful term "scoot", is a term used for a Chicago area commuter train. However, I can hardly think that a rush hour METRA/BNSF train coming by my house at 70mph and carrying some 1000 souls as a "dinky'. I would say that is mighty essential transportation; be assured no one out on "The Ronnie" (I-88) is moving at 70mph at that time of day, let alone the posted 55mph.

there is a train called the dinky that runs between Princeton Junction and Princeton on the NEC.

Origins of my screen name are from the NEC variety as suggested. Not the Chicagoland variety.

Jumping on The Ron....or is it the Ronnie, the Dutch, the Gipper....might not have you going 55 until past Naperville or Aurora, but what does that have to do with the price of cocoa futures?

dinky wrote:

metrarider wrote:MKE is Midwest Express' hub, and with many non stop flights in more comfortable planes than United/AA dominant at OHare, it doesn't seem like a bad idea at all.

And typically with higher fares than ORD due to lack of competition.

And in turn Midway is cheaper than O'Hare. But the fact is while many travellers are very cost sensitive, many others are not. The market is not defined by the discount economy ticket.

metrarider wrote:market is not defined by the discount economy ticket.

It is becoming more and more that way. Look at the legacy carriers....it's not working anymore. Just look at the most recent promo by SWA....gonna put a hurtin on those airlines desparately preserving cash.

http://www.jsonline.com/traffic/news/sep04/261997.asp

Riding the rails

Nov. 22 is now the target date to open a new railroad station at Mitchell International Airport, adding a fifth stop to Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line, state Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi said. Updates on construction of the station are available at www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/state/gmia.htm.

Robert Madison

I like the idea of Amtrak trains stopping at airports, or stations close to airports. Too bad the Long Distance Trains cannot do it. It seems Amtrak will only do it for corridor trains.

Well, the long distance trains only run once a day. As a practical mode
of airport transportation, that's not very useful. Not many people are
going to schedule a long distance train trip just to go to an airport;
they'd fly instead!

Not to mention that, after traveling for a few days, a long-distance train can be a couple of hours late. An unwitting traveler booking a long-distance train to an airport could easily miss his/her flight by booking on the Empire Builder (even though that train generally has better OTP than most).

Robert Madison

like the idea of Amtrak trains stopping at airports, or stations close to airports.

Amtrak also stops at Newark International Airport, along with NJ Transit. However, fares there are pricey as the PANYNJ levies a $5 fee on airport rail fares.