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On a Canadian Rail forum a few people, who claimed they knew what they were talking about, have stated that Amtrak is no longer interested in selling the North America Rail Pass and it will be discontinued sometime in the near future. I'm just curious if anyone on this board has heard that Amtrak is unhappy with the pass and wants to eliminate it.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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You had me worried there for a minute....NARP is also the National Association of Railroad Passengers. Whew!
HopefulRailUser Member # 4513
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Yes, it gave me visions of mass executions.
amtraxmaniac Member # 2251
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LOL-I'm with you smitty, I was thinking the SAME exact thing. STILL, the rail pass situation is just as troubling.
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Vickie got it right. For a moment I thought I might be a card carrying member of a subversive group targeted for elimination. The postman delivering my newsletter may have marked my door for secret police searches. None of us are safe. Our only hope is to seek asylum in France.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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While I'm not in a position to affirm or deny the admitted rumor Mr. Royal notes, there are "two sides of the coin' with regards to both Amtrak and VIA participation in the North American Rail Pass.
On one side, Amtrak and VIA have a "moral obligation" to participate in the Pass at least for European nationals. Let's consider it 'reciprocity' for the many US and Canadian citizens that travel to Europe and use the rails at dirt cheap rates while the "locals" pay what seem to me as "sky high" fares.
On the other hand, I would guess most Pass traffic occurs during the peak travel periods on both sides of "the 49th". Use of such simply represents a dilution of revenue both Amtrak and VIA would otherwise realize.
yukon11 Member # 2997
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Sure hope that they don't discontinue the North American Rail Pass. Some day,I hope to do a loop from the SF Bay area, to Chicago, to Toronto, to Vancouver by VIA, then back to Northern Calif. using the Cascades and Starlight. The No. American Rail Pass would come in handy. Even though the trip would have Canada included, I always wondered why Canada has to be included..why not the option of including Canada or just the states?
I also would like to see Amtrak drop the maximum of 4 x one-way trips. Why not just a 30 day pass whereever you want to go, US or Canada. Another consideration, why not offer a 1-month rail pass which includes some nights in a sleeper? I know you can always upgrade to a sleeping unit while on board, but what about a monthly rail pass (at additional cost) which would include a certain number of nights in a sleeping unit...either economy or deluxe bedroom?
Richard
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Our trip planned for this summer was reserved on a North America Rail Pass, since we will be on the Canadian from VAC-TWO as well as on AMTRAK. The funny thing, though, is that our overall fare would have been pretty much the same even if we did not go on the Pass (we will be in sleepers on all overnight segments)
And yes, I too, thought "NARP" meant "National Association of Railroad Passengers" when I first saw this thread!!!
royaltrain Member # 622
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Given the confusion over the title of my thread, I have re-named it. In addition to National Association of Railroad Passengers, it could also mean National Association of Retired Persons. I apologize for any misunderstandings.
In any event it would appear that no one outside of a posting on the Canadian Passenger Rail forum, has heard of the ending of this pass. Come this December, I am considering once again using it, but since I now have enough points to travel on the Chief in a deluxe bedroom from L.A. to Chicago, it is questionable if it is worth the cost.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Mr. Royal Train -- I assume there are several hundred railfans in the Toronto area, but I was just curious -- about 10 years ago (actually, in 1999), I rode the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver, and on the train was a teacher from the Toronto area named "Glenn." He was a very pleasant chap (he reminded me of Gordon Lightfoot), and quite knowledgeable about VIA and Candian rail in general, plus knowledgeable about many other "Canada" things -- he rode from Toronto to Jasper on my train, and spent most of his time in the dome car with the rest of us on that train.
I know the chances are one in several hundred, but could that fellow have been you?
royaltrain Member # 622
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Mr. RRRich--Sorry no, I am not that teacher named Glenn. I have lived in Toronto for many years, and I make it a habit to ride The Canadian at least once a year to Vancouver, and occasionally shorter trips such as Winnipeg, Jasper or Edmonton. It is such a great train, and I feel lucky to live in a city where I can board it whenever I want (three days a week).
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