Amtrak Quad Cities Proposal Chicago, Moline, Iowa City

As a former University of Iowa student and Iowa City resident for 9 years, I am excited about this route coming to fruition. The U of Iowa's incoming freshmen classes every year typically have about 30% coming from the Chicago suburbs. I would expect collegiate-based ridership levels and peaks to be similar to those of the Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg trains (Western Illinois U), and the Illini/Saluki trains (U of Illinois, Eastern Illinois U, Southern Illinois U).

As well, with this service to begin with 2 trains per day in each direction, the possibility of single day round-trip travel exists for riders going in both directions.

And lastly, I fully expect the Iowa Interstate Railroad, who will host the trains from Wyanet, IL to Iowa City (and further west with future expansions), to be a model business partner with Amtrak to keep these trains moving reliably on schedule. Based on their past and present ventures and community outreaching - the Chinese QJ steam engines, hosting the "Hawkeye Express" shuttle train for U of Iowa football fans - this company has everything to gain by putting their name out in a positive light in association with the Amtrak service. Plus they'll be getting CTC signaling, upgraded track and sidings, and speed limits upped from their current 40 MPH for freight operations. Clearly a rare instance of a win/win for a rail carrier to add new passenger train service.

AMTKHawkeye wrote:As a former University of Iowa student and Iowa City resident for 9 years, I am excited about this route coming to fruition. The U of Iowa's incoming freshmen classes every year typically have about 30% coming from the Chicago suburbs. I would expect collegiate-based ridership levels and peaks to be similar to those of the Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg trains (Western Illinois U), and the Illini/Saluki trains (U of Illinois, Eastern Illinois U, Southern Illinois U).

If the Illinois residents in question can afford the higher out-of-state tuition in Iowa, they most likely can also afford automobiles. In any case, ridership associated with universities is entirely seasonal, with brief periods of peak demand that's best serviced with more flexible chartered buses, or heaven forbid, ride sharing programs that don't involve any form of public transportation.

AMTKHawkeye wrote:And lastly, I fully expect the Iowa Interstate Railroad, who will host the trains from Wyanet, IL to Iowa City (and further west with future expansions), to be a model business partner with Amtrak to keep these trains moving reliably on schedule. Based on their past and present ventures and community outreaching - the Chinese QJ steam engines, hosting the "Hawkeye Express" shuttle train for U of Iowa football fans - this company has everything to gain by putting their name out in a positive light in association with the Amtrak service. Plus they'll be getting CTC signaling, upgraded track and sidings, and speed limits upped from their current 40 MPH for freight operations. Clearly a rare instance of a win/win for a rail carrier to add new passenger train service.

The last time Amtrak went into such an arrangement with a midwestern shortline railroad, we had the short lived service to Janesville, Wisconsin. Doesn't anyone remember the Lake Country Limited?

This project smells like a colossal money loser. There are huge upfront investments, since the infrastructure in question isn't owned by a Class 1, and it certainly isn't up to Class 1 mainline standards. More to the point, there isn't the sort of population on the Iowa end that might support healthy ridership. It's all very puzzling indeed.

I agree with AMTKHawkeye that this will be a very well used service. It's a 90-mile extension of Illinois' planned Quad Cities service. Just about all of Illinois' routes serve college towns and do quite well because of it. I read somewhere (nothing like being able to quote a source!) that Iowa State has one of the largest percentage of out-of-state students among Big 10 (or is it Big 10 Plus 2 now) schools. I would think a lot of those students are from Illinois, particularly the Chicago area. Iowa Interstate's president has already said the railroad will be happy to host the service. Of course, they'll get track and signal improvements as part of the deal.
The Lake County Limited was part of Amtrak's ill-fated freight experiment and didn't really have a passenger base. The schedule was based on freight demands and precluded daily commuter service. When the freight traffic didn't develop, it died a well-deserved death. It was a fiasco from the beginning.
The Iowa City service has support from Illinois and Iowa as well as the local regional railroad. I think it will be very successful.

The last time Amtrak went into such an arrangement with a midwestern shortline railroad, we had the short lived service to Janesville, Wisconsin. Doesn't anyone remember the Lake Country Limited?

That was mainly to carry parcels.

I'm just wondering that with an average speed of 53MPH....will it really compete with autos and busses on that route.

Up it to a tad over 65mph average...then we're talking!!

goodnightjohnwayne wrote: If the Illinois residents in question can afford the higher out-of-state tuition in Iowa, they most likely can also afford automobiles.

Just because you can afford something means you want to spend money on it.

I could afford a $400 flight to LAX, but I rather spend $33 with Amtrak.

If the Illinois residents in question can afford the higher out-of-state tuition in Iowa, they most likely can also afford automobiles.

On this point, I must say that the student parking situation for U of Iowa students is abysmal at best. Students who live on campus pay several hundred dollars per year to simply store their cars in a remote lot 5 miles from the downtown campus. The university and Iowa City itself both make a killing on parking meters, parking garages, and resulting fines.

No, this train will not solve these problems for everybody, but it most likely will for at least some. And it's not like the university will be the only source of ridership, rather a slice of the pie.

I wish someone would come up with a stock response to the such-and-such train failed back in - you name the year - argument whenever the subject of new service comes up. As others have pointed out, the circumstances usually are not the same. Not to mention that the times have changed? Then is then; and now is now.

I don't see why this project would smell like a colossal money loser given that the population, not to mention size of student bodies, along this line are several times that along the Quincy route. I would also expect that culturally the areas served are the same; i.e., I wouldn't expect Quad Cities and Iowa City to be less pro-rail than Macomb or Quincy. And the Illinois zephyr has been running regularly with an additional coach, having nothing to do with seasonal university traffic.

Of course, it's all very puzzling indeed if sucking up to the pump is the only way to go.

@Johnwayne, if you're hung up on the "giant money loser" issue, you had better start writing your congressperson. All passenger trains lose money.

AMTKHawkeye wrote:

If the Illinois residents in question can afford the higher out-of-state tuition in Iowa, they most likely can also afford automobiles.

On this point, I must say that the student parking situation for U of Iowa students is abysmal at best. Students who live on campus pay several hundred dollars per year to simply store their cars in a remote lot 5 miles from the downtown campus. The university and Iowa City itself both make a killing on parking meters, parking garages, and resulting fines.

No, this train will not solve these problems for everybody, but it most likely will for at least some. And it's not like the university will be the only source of ridership, rather a slice of the pie.

I'm sure there are no artificial restrictions preventing someone from offering private spaces for less. They don't because even at the rates you're talking about, it wouldn't pay. The fact that price for parking 5 miles away seems high to you is just the effect of subsidized parking, depressing the price people think parking ought to cost.

Tadman wrote:@Johnwayne, if you're hung up on the "giant money loser" issue, you had better start writing your congressperson. All passenger trains lose money.

It comes as a shock to some, but absolutely everything the government does loses money. I've yet to hear of the US army turning a profit for example.

Greg, thanks for a good chuckle at 7:30... You guys make good points about many government activities losing money, but it's really important to drive home the point that a government agency isn't necessarily in business to make money, and it isn't only there to serve as a service of last resort. Some times, the agency is in place in order to provide an option that is more in line with recent policy or public good. In this case, our nation recently has been interested in reducing foreign oil dependency and being greener overall. The new Iowa trains do fulfill this concept.

Just for the heck of it, what are the ave speeds of the trains to/from S. Illinois, W. Quincy? St. Louis?

Carbondale trains average anywhere from 52mph to 56mph over the trip, depending on if they are on time or up to 30 mins late.