Husker Commuter Train

[huskerscott]

I thought this was a interseting read. I think pretty cool if it was revived. I like the idea of the train going to Ames,Manhattan, or Lawrence. Providing the fact that we stay in the Big 12.

 

http://www.huskerextra.com/articles/2010/05/15/football/doc4bedb8f6a63d5487350283.txt

 

Grad study: Husker train from Omaha to Lincoln is feasible

 

 

Matthew Roque will present his feasibility study on a commuter train that would carry Husker football fans from Omaha to Lincoln Saturday to ProRail of Nebraska, an advocacy group for rail transportation.

 

The public is invited to attend ProRail’s quarterly meeting, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Hardin Hall, 3310 Holdrege St. in Lincoln. It started as a project to compare the perennially challenged Amtrak to passenger rail services in other nations.

 

“I’m a systems guy,” Roque said. “I like efficiency.”

 

After $140 in library fines, he got a tip from his former adviser, retired planning Professor Brito Mutunayagam, who told Roque a planning alumnus who works at Union Pacific had this idea for a Husker train.

 

So, guided by new adviser Bob Kuzelka, Roque, the systems guy, systematically started work on what became a thorough, 91-page analysis on whether a football game day train could be restored between Lincoln and Omaha.

 

“Although it will require tremendous entrepreneurial effort to purchase and refurbish passenger equipment, work with a rail operator to schedule and run the trains, and negotiate with the freight railroads to use their track, the benefits of this service outweigh the costs,” his study concluded.

 

“With the financial estimates presented in this report, there should be a small profit to the company that provides this service.”

 

Forgotten to many, a football train used to run from Omaha to Lincoln, but it stopped more than 30 years ago.

 

John E. Bush, an avid railroad advocate, agent of NP Dodge Insurance in Omaha and a source in the footnotes of Roque’s study recalls the earlier rail service vividly.

 

“I was, effectively, the porter,” he said.

 

Operated by Omaha P.R. guy Bill Kratville from the mid-1960s to the mid-’70s, the service typically brought four or five cars of people to Lincoln, on what is now the Amtrak route on BNSF Railway tracks.

 

The operation was popular with the Husker administration, the study says.

 

“When the South Stadium was opened in the mid-1960s, Bill was offered a block of seats, 30 of which are still administered by his son, Mike Kratville,” the study says. “Although a popular service where the cost was $25 per couple, the game day special came to an end in the mid-1970s primarily because of increased railroad freight traffic, increasing insurance premiums, and the inability to cover costs.”

 

Kratville’s Auto-Liner company ran special trains to away games as well, Bush recalled.

 

But that was a different time under different railroad management regimes.

 

“The railroads were still running passenger trains on a regular basis,” Bush said. “It was a fairly simple matter to operate on an ‘extra’ basis.

 

“Asking or expecting a freight railroad to do that now ain’t going to be easy.”

 

Roque is undaunted.

 

It’s being done elsewhere, his study showed. A Hawkeye Express is leased to the University of Iowa athletic department, for example.

 

Roque sees a “rolling tailgate party” running from the Amtrak station in Omaha to the Amtrak station in Lincoln, or to a new passenger setoff north of Memorial Stadium, on Union Pacific rails through Wahoo or BNSF Railway lines through Ashland and Waverly. The bi-level commuter cars would have concessions, advertising and corporate sponsorship.

 

If Amtrak won’t do it through its charter services, Roque nominates Herzog Transit Services of St. Joseph, Mo., which operates commuter services around the country.

 

For every unlikelihood or doubt in logistics, scheduling, financing, authority and equipment, Roque’s study has what appears to be a realistic option.

 

The greatest skepticism came from Amtrak, BNSF and UP, as might be expected.

 

“My greatest support was from the insurance company, United Shortline Insurance Services Inc.,” Roque said. “I was ecstatic.”

 

He sees reason for his enthusiasm to be contagious, from a survey of more than 100 people in and around Omaha.

 

“Approximately 90 percent of survey respondents answered that they would use this service if available,” Roque wrote.

 

“It has been suggested to ProRail Nebraska that there is interest in having a game day service that starts in McCook, Nebraska, and travels to Lincoln for home games.

 

“The popularity of this service could even spur interest in attending away games in locations such as Manhattan and Lawrence, Kansas, and Ames, Iowa.”

 

Roque said he’d love to manage it.

 

As United Shortline Insurance Services says on its website: “Welcome to a new train of thought.”

[husker B-rent]

yeah read that this morning, my initial thought is that i would love it!!!! i hate driving from omaha to lincoln on game day!!!!!!

[74Hunter]

Can't imagine this happening. This will be more expensive and much slower than driving your own car, or renting a bus. Amtrak just cannot compete.

[knapplc]

Can't imagine this happening. This will be more expensive and much slower than driving your own car, or renting a bus. Amtrak just cannot compete.

 

When's the last time you checked out traffic on I-80 from Omaha to Lincoln on game days? I doubt seriously that it'll be slower. If anything, it'll take the same time, and most likely it'll be faster, and put most people on the ground about as close to the stadium as they would normally park.

 

I think it'll fail because of the cost involved, because it's far cheaper to drive your own car than spend $15 or more on a train ticket. Plus your own car gives you flexibility to come and go when you want, so if you want to leave right away you can leave, or if you want to stick around for dinner or to hit O Street after the game you can do that, too. With the train, when it leaves you leave, or else.

[teachercd]

Am I the only one that doesnt ever hit traffic on I-80 on the way to a game? What time do you guys leave for games usually, like how far in advance do you leave.

[bbeerma2]

Best idea ever. Can drink to your hearts content and not have to drive. Gets rid of a lot of DWI drivers after the games.

[74Hunter]

Can't imagine this happening. This will be more expensive and much slower than driving your own car, or renting a bus. Amtrak just cannot compete.

 

When's the last time you checked out traffic on I-80 from Omaha to Lincoln on game days? I doubt seriously that it'll be slower. If anything, it'll take the same time, and most likely it'll be faster, and put most people on the ground about as close to the stadium as they would normally park.

 

I think it'll fail because of the cost involved, because it's far cheaper to drive your own car than spend $15 or more on a train ticket. Plus your own car gives you flexibility to come and go when you want, so if you want to leave right away you can leave, or if you want to stick around for dinner or to hit O Street after the game you can do that, too. With the train, when it leaves you leave, or else.

Last year, went to the Tech game. It took us barely over an hour to get there from Omaha. I have been to many games, and it's never taken me over 2 hours to get to Lincoln. By the time you drive to the Amtrak terminal in downtown, get on the train, wait for departure, etc., and then you don't know how much rail traffic or railwork is taking place on those routes. All it takes is a broken rail or a derailment and Amtrak may not even get to Lincoln.

 

While I don't know the price of a ticket on Amtrak, I'd be willing to bet that it would be $50-$60.

[74Hunter]

Best idea ever. Can drink to your hearts content and not have to drive. Gets rid of a lot of DWI drivers after the games.

Until you have to drive from the Amtrak station in downtown Omaha to get home. Then you can get your DUI and spend the night in the Omaha Correctional Facility.

[knapplc]

Can't imagine this happening. This will be more expensive and much slower than driving your own car, or renting a bus. Amtrak just cannot compete.

 

When's the last time you checked out traffic on I-80 from Omaha to Lincoln on game days? I doubt seriously that it'll be slower. If anything, it'll take the same time, and most likely it'll be faster, and put most people on the ground about as close to the stadium as they would normally park.

 

I think it'll fail because of the cost involved, because it's far cheaper to drive your own car than spend $15 or more on a train ticket. Plus your own car gives you flexibility to come and go when you want, so if you want to leave right away you can leave, or if you want to stick around for dinner or to hit O Street after the game you can do that, too. With the train, when it leaves you leave, or else.

Last year, went to the Tech game. It took us barely over an hour to get there from Omaha. I have been to many games, and it's never taken me over 2 hours to get to Lincoln. By the time you drive to the Amtrak terminal in downtown, get on the train, wait for departure, etc., and then you don't know how much rail traffic or railwork is taking place on those routes. All it takes is a broken rail or a derailment and Amtrak may not even get to Lincoln.

 

While I don't know the price of a ticket on Amtrak, I'd be willing to bet that it would be $50-$60.

Really? I'm always seeing giant snarls on I-80 before and after the games. I live in north Lincoln so my commute to a game is like ten minutes, tops, but it seems like there's a glut of slow-moving cars on the interstate.

 

Still, I think we're in agreement that cost is the biggest reason this won't work, traffic or no traffic. Even if they built a purpose-built light rail line between Lincoln and Omaha (which is highly unlikely for decades), I just don't see this happening. People like to drive.

[Axl_sued_me]

Best idea ever. Can drink to your hearts content and not have to drive. Gets rid of a lot of DWI drivers after the games.

Until you have to drive from the Amtrak station in downtown Omaha to get home. Then you can get your DUI and spend the night in the Omaha Correctional Facility.

 

 

Not if you live downtown.

[krc1995]

Best idea ever. Can drink to your hearts content and not have to drive. Gets rid of a lot of DWI drivers after the games.

Until you have to drive from the Amtrak station in downtown Omaha to get home. Then you can get your DUI and spend the night in the Omaha Correctional Facility.

 

 

Not if you live downtown.

[krc1995]

Can you imagine the party atmosphere and a bar car too boot? So take a cab or have family pick you up when get back to Omaha. It's an old school idea and I love it.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

They talked about this on 1620 the other day and the great majority of callers (90%+) said they would use the service. The ability to party on the way down and back seemed to be an important factor. Another point was the ability to snooze on the way back. If it gets off the ground it looks like it would be fully utilized.

[Overland Park Husker]

Put in the monorail. It's the 21st century,

[cb1954]

Can't imagine this happening. This will be more expensive and much slower than driving your own car, or renting a bus. Amtrak just cannot compete.

 

When's the last time you checked out traffic on I-80 from Omaha to Lincoln on game days? I doubt seriously that it'll be slower. If anything, it'll take the same time, and most likely it'll be faster, and put most people on the ground about as close to the stadium as they would normally park.

 

I think it'll fail because of the cost involved, because it's far cheaper to drive your own car than spend $15 or more on a train ticket. Plus your own car gives you flexibility to come and go when you want, so if you want to leave right away you can leave, or if you want to stick around for dinner or to hit O Street after the game you can do that, too. With the train, when it leaves you leave, or else.

Last year, went to the Tech game. It took us barely over an hour to get there from Omaha. I have been to many games, and it's never taken me over 2 hours to get to Lincoln. By the time you drive to the Amtrak terminal in downtown, get on the train, wait for departure, etc., and then you don't know how much rail traffic or railwork is taking place on those routes. All it takes is a broken rail or a derailment and Amtrak may not even get to Lincoln.

 

While I don't know the price of a ticket on Amtrak, I'd be willing to bet that it would be $50-$60.

 

Well, It probably wouldn't be Amtrack, some small company. I worked for the railroad for almost 30 years, the track from Linclon to Omaha has maybe dozens of trains a day. That is the problem. Trying to run one passenger train in all that traffic could be a mess.