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I am trying to book a trip for my wife from East Lansing to Winter Park, FL for next month. I chose Sept. 12, but all the available options on the reservations page of AMTRAK's web site have a "canceled" designation at the beginning of them. Is the Blue Water no longer running? On the Florida end, all options put in a bus from Jacksonville to WPK. What is going on?
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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Apparently, no one at this forum knows what is going on, and no one else has seen this on the AMTRAK web site. Yesterday we drove to East Lansing to get my wife a reservation from LNS to WPK for next month. The agent at the LNS station had no idea either why the web site shows "canceled" for dates after 9/12, but says it may have something to do with trackwork somewhere. But the Blue Water is still running -- I picked up a new (summer) national timetable, and see no service alerts for the 3 trains my wife will be taking, and the AMTRAK web site shows no service disruptions for those trains either.
I had a voucher from an unused reservation I made for my trip last year, and was able to apply the entire fare for my wife LNS-CHI; CHI-WAS, and WAS-WPK with it -- and I got her a roomette on both the Capital and on the Silver Star, and even have a little bit of the voucher value left to use later!
When I mentioned Lansing to Florida, however, the agent wanted to reserve my wife on the bus to Toledo from LNS, then get her a roomette in Toledo at midnight for TOL-WAS -- we gratefully turned down that proposition and insisted on the LNS-CHI and CHI-WAS routing! Also, I was surprised that the agent was able to reserve her a roomette out of WAS on #91 instead of #97 -- previously, AMTRAK has not been allowed to book that connection in WAS since it was too short of a layover, even though I/we have usually been able to make that connection. Apparently, #30 must be running more reliably and closer to schedule now into WAS, so they are allowed to reserve the shorter connection now.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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I went and put in that date and found two options that could get you there. Go back and try it again.
Posts: 711 | From: Santa Ana | Registered: May 2003
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First, pleased to learn that 30-WAS-91 has been restored as a legal connection.
No doubt, Rich, that you reported the trip is a 'go' for Jan, she has chosen to leave Lansing on a date other than Sep 12 or Sep 13, as you omit any mention of a bus transfer.
Likely the reason for 'Busteetoot' 3391 is Sun Rail trackwork on Sat Sep 15 and Sun Sep 16. Why the website has not been modified to show the 91-JAX3391 connection, who knows. Possibly Amtrak is trying to deter passengers from traveling through JAX on those dates to lessen the number of buses they must hire.
Evidently, now that the sale of the ACL through Orange and Seminole Counties for Sun Rail has been completed, CSX has completed whatever work needed to reroute freight traffic along the SAL through Ocala and The Villages.
Posts: 9976 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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That is helpful to learn that 30 to 91 is a legal connection again. I can envision a couple of scenarios where Chicago to Raleigh or Cary, NC would fit my future tavel plans.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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