Amtrak Thruway
Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transit buses, vans, taxis, ferry boats and commuter rail trains.
Train and Thruway tickets are typically purchased together from Amtrak for the length of a passenger's journey and connections are timed for guaranteed transfers between the two services.
In addition to providing connecting service to unserved areas, some Thruway services operate as redundant service along passenger rail corridors to add extra capacity.
History and purpose[]
Amtrak operates the Thruway network to extend the reach of its train services, offering connections to destinations not directly served by Amtrak trains. The earliest incarnation of such a service was launched in January 1973, to provide a connection between Amtrak's Inter-American in Laredo, Texas, and the Aztec Eagle train run by N de M from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.[1] The following year, Amtrak launched an agreement with Greyhound allowing for passengers to buy combined bus and rail tickets for connecting services run by the two companies. These services were the predecessors of Thruway Motorcoach. The first Amtrak bus service to bear the name "Amtrak Thruway" was launched in California in 1993.[2] Amtrak launched a significant expansion of Thruway Motorcoach services across the United States in 2014.[1]
Routes[]
Northeast[]
- Boston to Manchester (Boston Express)
- Boston to Concord/Berlin, New Hampshire (through-ticketed Concord Coach Lines route)[3]
- Boston to Concord/Littleton, New Hampshire (through-ticketed Concord Coach Lines route)[4]
- Boston to Newburyport, Massachusetts/Portsmouth, New Hampshire (through-ticketed C&J route)
- New London, Connecticut to Foxwoods Casino (through-ticketed SEAT route)
- Philadelphia to Atlantic City, New Jersey (through-ticketed NJ Transit Atlantic City Line rail route)
- Philadelphia to White Haven/Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pennsylvania (service provided by Martz Trailways)
- Wilmington, Delaware to Dover, Delaware/Salisbury, Maryland (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Washington, D.C. to Charlottesville, Virginia (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- BWI Airport Amtrak station to Kent Island/Easton/Cambridge/Salisbury/Ocean Pines/Ocean City, Maryland (operated by BayRunner Shuttle)
- BWI Airport Amtrak station to Frederick/Hagerstown/Cumberland/Grantsville, Maryland (operated by BayRunner Shuttle)
- Portland, Maine to Bangor (through-ticketed Concord Coach Lines route)
- Buffalo to Jamestown, New York (through-ticketed Coach USA Erie route)
East[]
- Westport, New York to Lake Placid, New York (operated by Ground Force 1)
- Killington to Rutland (Gramps Shuttle)
- DeLand, Florida to Daytona Beach (thruway service is a taxicab provided by Tri Star Taxi)
- Orlando/Tampa to St. Petersburg/Fort Myers, Florida (operated by Martz First Class)
- Wilson, North Carolina to numerous cities in eastern North Carolina (Greenville, New Bern, Havelock, Morehead City, Goldsboro, Kinston, Jacksonville, and Wilmington) (through ticketed motorcoach operated by Southeastern Tours of Greenville).[5]
- Charlottesville to Richmond, Virginia (operated by James River Transportation)
- High Point, North Carolina to Winston-Salem (operated by Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation)[6]
- Meridian, Mississippi to Dallas (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Harrisburg to State College/Altoona/Ebensburg/Johnstown/Greensburg/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Pittsburgh to Columbus/Dayton, Ohio/Indianapolis, Indiana (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Charleston, West Virginia to numerous cities in northern West Virginia (Sutton/Flatwoods, Weston, Clarksburg, Fairmont & Morgantown) (operated by Barons Bus Lines)
Midwest[]
- Toledo, Ohio to East Lansing, Michigan via Detroit and Ann Arbor, Michigan (Trinity Transportation)
- Battle Creek, Michigan to Flint (through-ticketed Indian Trails route)
- Kalamazoo, Michigan to St. Ignace (through-ticketed Indian Trails route)
- Kalamazoo, Michigan to Grand Rapids (through-ticketed Indian Trails route)
- Kalamazoo, Michigan to Sault Ste. Marie (through-ticketed Indian Trails route)
- Kalamazoo, Michigan to Gaylord (through-ticketed Indian Trails route)
- Port Huron to Detroit (Hoosier Ride)
- Chicago to Rockford, Illinois/Madison, Wisconsin (through-ticketed Van Galder Bus Company route)
- Indianapolis to Galesburg, Illinois/Davenport, Iowa (through-ticketed Burlington Trailways route)
- Chicago/Indianapolis to Louisville, Kentucky (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Carbondale, Illinois to St. Louis (Vandalia Bus Lines)
- New Orleans to Baton Rouge (Greyhound Lines)
- Kansas City, Missouri to Oklahoma City via Tulsa (through-ticketed Jefferson Lines route)
- Milwaukee to Oshkosh, Wisconsin/Wausau, Wisconsin (through-ticketed route)
- Milwaukee to Green Bay, Wisconsin via Appleton, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac
- Milwaukee to Madison, Wisconsin (Badger Bus)
- Milwaukee to Houghton, Michigan (Indian Trails)
- Milwaukee to Minneapolis/St. Paul via Eau Claire, Wisconsin (Jefferson Lines)
- Galesburg, Illinois to Springfield, Illinois
- St. Paul-Minneapolis to Duluth, Minnesota (through-ticketed Jefferson Lines route)
- Newton, Kansas to Oklahoma City via Wichita.
- Toledo, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois
West[]
- Albuquerque to El Paso (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Denver to Colorado Springs/Pueblo (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Denver to Glenwood Springs, Colorado (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Flagstaff to Williams/Grand Canyon (through-ticketed Groome route)
- Flagstaff to Phoenix (through-ticketed Groome or Greyhound route)
- Flagstaff to Sedona (through-ticketed Groome route)
- Kingman to Laughlin, NV and Las Vegas, NV (through-ticketed Vegas Airporter route)
- Lamy, New Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Longview, Texas to Shreveport, Louisiana
- Longview to Houston/Galveston
- Houston to Galveston (through-ticketed Kerrville Bus route)
- Maricopa to Phoenix (through-ticketed Stagecoach Express route)
- Oklahoma City to Kansas City, Missouri via Tulsa (through-ticketed Jefferson Lines route)
- Raton, New Mexico to Denver (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Salt Lake City to Boise (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Salt Lake City to Las Vegas via St. George (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- San Antonio to Laredo (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- San Antonio to McAllen (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Temple to Killeen/Fort Hood
Pacific Northwest[]
- Seattle to Vancouver, British Columbia (through-ticketed Cantrail route)
- Seattle to Bellingham and Vancouver, BC
- Seattle to Vancouver Island/Victoria, British Columbia (through-ticketed Victoria Clipper ferry route)
- Portland to Eugene-Springfield (through-ticketed POINT route)[7]
- Portland to Astoria (through-ticketed POINT route)
- Spokane to Boise (through-ticketed Northwestern Trailways route)
- Seattle to Wenatchee/Spokane (through-ticketed Northwestern Trailways route)
- Portland to Pendleton/Boise (through-ticketed Greyhound route)
- Portland/Albany to Corvallis/Newport (through-ticketed Valley Retriever route)
- Redmond to Chemult (operated by TAC Transportation)
- Klamath Falls to Brookings (through-ticketed POINT route)
- Klamath Falls to Crater Lake (through-ticketed Crater Lake Trolley/Klamath Shuttle route)
- Eugene to Bend/Ontario (through-ticketed POINT route)
- Eugene to Coos Bay (operated by TAC Transportation)
- Klamath Falls to Ashland
California[]
- 1: Bakersfield – Los Angeles – Santa Ana – San Diego (Operated by Coach USA)
- 1C: Bakersfield – Burbank – Westwood/UCLA – Santa Monica[8]
- 3: Redding – Sacramento – Stockton
- 4: Los Angeles – Santa Barbara
- 6: Stockton – San Jose – Santa Cruz (some Stockton – San Jose services operated by Altamont Corridor Express trains, San Jose – Santa Cruz operated as Highway 17 Express by Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District)
- 7: Martinez – Napa – Santa Rosa – Arcata
- 10: Santa Barbara – Bakersfield – Las Vegas, Nevada
- 15A: Merced – Yosemite (through-ticketed Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System route)
- 15B: Fresno – Yosemite (through-ticketed Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System route)
- 17: Oakland – San Luis Obispo – Santa Barbara
- 18: Santa Maria – San Luis Obispo – Hanford – Visalia (operated by Orange Belt Stages)
- 19: Bakersfield – Pasadena – Riverside - San Bernadino
- 20: Sacramento – South Lake Tahoe (through-ticketed El Dorado Transit route) or Reno/Sparks, Nevada
- 21: San Jose – San Luis Obispo – Santa Barbara (operated by AmericanStar Tours)[9]
- 39: Fullerton - Palm Springs - Coachella Valley
- 99: Oakland/Emeryville – San Francisco
Substitution for Amtrak trains[]
Thruway buses can also be used as an alternative to the Amtrak Downeaster on the following segments:
- Boston (North Station) to Dover, Exeter, or Durham/UNH – one northbound (Bus 8619) and one southbound (Bus 8618) (C&J bus)- this segment can be reserved through Amtrak ticketing systems
- Boston (South Station) to Portland, Maine – Portland/Boston Flexpass is valid on Concord Coach or Downeaster runs between Portland and Boston – no reservations required (The Downeaster serves Boston-North Station, while Concord Coach serves Boston-South Station
References[]
- ^ a b "Historic Timeline — Amtrak: History of America's Railroad". history.amtrak.com. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
- ^ Munson, Jeff (April 27, 1993). "Amtrak offers link to valley". The Union Democrat. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
- ^ Berlin and Conway, NH, Concord Coach Lines. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
- ^ Littleton and Plymouth, NH, Concord Coach Lines. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
- ^ Vacations in North Carolina by Train and Thruway Bus, Amtrak. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
- ^ Route 5, Piedmont Authority for Regional Transit. Retrieved 2017-08-25.
- ^ "Cascades (Portland-Eugene) - POINT". Retrieved 2021-10-11.
- ^ "Route 1C: Bakersfield – Burbank – Westwood/UCLA – Santa Monica". Amtrak San Joaquins. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
- ^ "Amtrak Rt 21 Reinstated Bus Service Effective November 1, 2020". 31 October 2020.
External links[]
- Amtrak
- Intercity bus companies of the United States
- Bus transportation in the United States