Train Excursions Are Making Tracks

Incentive: Travel

Train Excursions Are Making Tracks
March 10, 2009
Train travel making a comeback (Originally published in Successful Meetings, Feb. 2009 issue)

By Andrea Doyle

President-elect Barack Obama was planning on following in the tracks of many other presidents when he traveled by rail to his inauguration in Washington with stops in Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore along the way. Although at presstime details were scant, it was being reported that he was scheduled to ride a private charter train through each city, picking up Vice President-elect Joe Biden in Delaware. Obama evoked Abraham Lincoln throughout his campaign, and this was no different, as Lincoln arrived in Washington via the rails in 1861.

Although this historic journey put train travel in the spotlight, for many, it has become a way of life in light of the state of the airline industry. Cuts in flights, sometimes drastic fare increases, and à la carte fees that apply to luggage, meals, even pillows and blankets are new insults. Delays are an older one. The days of air travel being glamorous are long over. Gloomy is a better word to describe the industry. As a result, many are searching for alternative modes of travel, and for some, train travel fits the bill perfectly.

There were 28.7 million Amtrak passengers in 2008, an 11 percent increase over the 25.8 million passengers in 2007, according to Amtrak's Cliff Cole, a spokesperson. "Roughly six percent of this increase can be attributed to the increased cost of fuel and the eroding conditions at the airports," adds Cole. Amtrak’s Acela Express between Boston and Washington is its most successful train, extremely popular with business travelers along the Northeast Corridor.

Highway and airway congestion, volatile fuel prices, and increasing environmental awareness all contributed to Amtrak's successful year, adds Cole. Amtrak offers intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states on a 21,000-mile route system.
As society becomes more eco-conscious, train travel is being selected as an energy-efficient alternative to air travel. The U.S. Department of Energy found that Amtrak, on an energy-consumed-per-passenger-mile basis, is 18 percent more energy-efficient than commercial airlines. By "training it," the carbon footprint of your trip is reduced.

Watching the Pacific Go By

Some groups are finding that trains are not only a viable mode of transportation, but can also be a great way to get a group together. HelmsBriscoe, a global leader of independent site selection and RFP services, was having its West Coast team meeting in Santa Barbara, CA, in April. Many of the attendees were coming from San Diego and Los Angeles counties, so the group decided to take the train.

"Gas was just so expensive, and there was a group of about 20 of us who were going to Santa Barbara. We decided to try the train," explains San Diego-based Kim Davidson, regional manager of HelmsBriscoe. A few members of the group boarded the COASTER in San Diego, and other associates got on at their respective stops. "We had such a great time all sitting together, and it was a wonderful chance for everyone to catch up. The view was incredible, as most of the time the Coaster is looking out at the Pacific. On the way home, we were served wine and snacks. The train got stuck for an hour right before coming in to the last stop in downtown San Diego, but even though we were sitting still for that hour, we had a wonderful time. Sure beats L.A. traffic and the cost of gas!"

Training It in Canada

There are many trains to choose from in Canada. For multiple-destination meetings, VIA Rail Canada offers scheduled train service throughout the country. VIA Rail's new Priva services let companies reserve a deluxe private car, or the entire train, with a personalized itinerary, for customized meetings, receptions, and tours. (For more information, go to www.viarail.ca/priva. For other touring and train meeting options in Canada, there are Rocky Mountaineer Railtours and Algoma Central Railway.)

Sandy Biback, president of Toronto-based Imagination+Meeting Planners, was recently part of a teambuilding exercise on a VIA Rail train. "The Canadian Society of Professional Event Planners (CanSPEP) was having its annual meeting in Windsor, Ontario. A first-class VIA train was outfitted with audiovisual equipment and food and beverage. We picked people up in Toronto, Oakville, Hamilton, and London, and did a teambuilding exercise on the train. What a great way to start a conference," she says.

A facilitator worked with the group during the four-hour train trip, and had each participant answer questions to determine what "color" they are. She then conducted exercises to reinforce teambuilding amongst different colors. "We hadn't even arrived in our destination city and we were already bonding and developing a group dynamic," says Biback.

Riding the Rails in Europe

Riding the rails in Europe is an attractive option for business travelers as well as groups. The convenience of hopping on a train downtown, and the speed of hig-performance lines, have made traveling by rail in Europe extremely popular. As high-speed routes continue to open across Europe, and new rail relationships are forged across borders, trains increasingly scoop travelers away from airlines. The change began with the introduction of London-Paris Eurostar trains through the Channel tunnel in November 1994.

Railteam is an alliance of seven European high-speed rail operators collaborating to integrate high-speed rail travel between major European cities, and working to compete with airlines on punctuality, environmental impact, pricing, and speed. By coordinating departure times among cities, the Railteam high-speed train network will be able to offer consistent and efficient travel for its users. Railteam’s plans include increasing its rail passengers from the current 15 million a year to 25 million by 2010. (Go to www.railteam.co.uk for more information.)

Trials are under way in Europe and Japan for hybrid high-speed train systems, which will cut emission levels by half and fuel costs by a fifth. Virgin Trains in the UK recently launched Britain-s first biodiesel passenger train, dubbed The Voyager. The train is fueled by 20 percent biodiesel (derived from biological sources including rapeseed, soybean, and palm oils) to reduce carbon emissions without harming the engine. Plans are in the making to convert to 100 percent biodiesel at a later date—the equivalent of taking 100,000 vehicles off the road.

Going Where the Tracks Go?

There is no doubt that the train can be a realistic, enjoyable alternative to air travel, but this is only true if you or your group is going where the tracks go.

"Train travel probably works very well in the densely populated areas of the northeastern corridor, but for the vast majority of the country, especially out here in the West where everything is spread out, it can take days just to get to the next major city," says Steve Collins, president, Breckenridge, CO-based Resort Meeting Source. "It is just not practical out here, and the cost is comparable to flying, so any advantage is absolutely lost. If the cost is about the same to fly somewhere in an hour or two, or take the train there in a day or two, which one wins?"

If viable, some planners give their attendees the option. Sue Walton, an independent meeting planner based in Evanston, IL, always arranges an Amtrak discount for the meetings she plans. She makes sure this is prominently displayed in the marketing materials sent out prior to the gathering. "It's also one of the first questions I ask of a location. I have a lot of eastern attendees at my conferences who do not drive. I work the beginning and end of at least one conference around the Amtrak schedule to and from Chicago for the three train buffs who are regular participants. I even got a discount in 2007 for Scranton, PA. I got it for New York City, Philly, and Harrisburg. I never gave up on trains," says Walton.

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