Crescent Report / Clemson Closure / Utility of Long Distance

[gt7348b]

For personal reasons, I needed to get from Greenville from Atlanta so I took the Crescent this evening. I looked at taking Megabus or Greyhound and neither was as convenient as Megabus doesn't stop in Clemson or Greenville and Greyhound's stops in Anderson and Greenville are not on bus routes or near hotels. It is a little hike, but at least you can walk to downtown Greenville from the Amtrak station (as I did) or take Uber/Lyft. While on the trip, had a couple thoughts:
* I was surprised at the number of people taking short haul trips to Toccoa, Greenville, Gastonia (who knows why), etc. given that the arrival times on the 20 are dismal especially if the Crescent is late (it was - by about an hour)
* Does anyone know why the Clemson station has been closed for three years? The official line is some bridgework by SCDOT, but having been under the bridge and now seeing the station as we passed through it, that does not seem like a reasonable explanation. I would have preferred to go to Clemson, as my family lives nearby, but I wasn't going to Greenville and then taking a bus back to Clemson.
* The Atlanta Brookwood Station is way to small for the number of customers and they've closed the Kroger across Peachtree so there's nothing to nearby to get something to eat except the Pepsi (? Its Atlanta!) vending machine in the station

Overall, I don't think Amtrak and advocates does a good enough job selling the usefulness of the Long Distance Trains for short trips (except for the Empire Builder). My better half's mother uses the Sunset to go from Houston to Lafayette several times a year and I'd use the Crescent more often if it stopped in Clemson again. Just some random thoughts after a pleasant ride on the Crescent to destinations most on this board don't experience.

[mtuandrew]

I didn’t realize Clemson had closed. The one and only Crescent trip I ever took was Clemson-Washington, and it doesn’t make sense to me why it would remain closed. Seemed relatively popular when I took it.

[east point]

gt: here is link to Crescent ridership every station.

https://www.railpassengers.org/site/ass ... 443/52.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[bobinyec]

The bridge over the underpass at the north end of the Clemson station was being rebuilt. That shifted all rail traffic to another track just to the west of the track that has the platform. Since there was no platform on that track, Amtrak decided to not board passengers there. An argument ensued about temporary platforms and construction standards. Nothing was resolved.

After so long I'm surprised the original main track next to the station is not back in service.

jb

[SouthernRailway]

Thanks for the posts. I also find it odd that Clemson is still closed. All they have to do it put a small walkway across the tracks from one door of the train, at a minimum, to allow boarding there.

Is the walk from the Greenville train station to downtown safe? How long did it take: 10 minutes?

[Jeff Smith]

Clemson reopening: IndependentMail.com

Amtrak will resume service in Clemson at the beginning of August.

Kimberly Woods, a spokesperson for Amtrak, said service to Clemson will resume on Aug. 1 with daily service to the city. The Amtrak Crescent train 19 is scheduled for a 5:39 a.m. daily arrival, Woods said.

Service was suspended in 2016 due to bridge replacement work on the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge over State 133.

Crews also rehabbed the existing passenger platform at the Clemson Amtrak station.
...

[Greg Moore]

This is one reason I think Amtrak could do very well with a day train WAS-ATL. Lots of little stuff they can pick up along the way.

Oh well, to dream.

[Anthony]

That's good the service is starting back up at this important college town. Many of the station's passengers are Clemson University students.

[SouthernRailway]

Agreed. I find it odd that it was closed for 3 years: surely ridership from the area went way down. If you’re going to drive from Clemson to Greenville you might as well keep driving to the airport.

[lordsigma12345]

It technically wasn’t completely closed they still offered a Thruway Bus connection from Clemson to Greenville while the train wasn’t stopping although it departed Clemson at 4 AM so you’d have to sit a long time at Greenville waiting for the train especially if it’s late rather than at your own house until it gets close.