TAKE THE TRAIN.

Recently I was invited to participate in a meeting with Amtrak, Main Street Texarkana, local community leaders and downtown property owners to discuss  a collaborative effort to increase Amtrak ridership, provide those riders with attractions and amenities that will make them want to stay and enjoy Texarkana USA and advance the improvement of our local railway station.  While ideas have been generated for a very long time, there seems to be a renewed momentum in expanding the discussion and taking some next steps.  While a number of us are working on this, I thought you might find it interesting how the station is being used today.

Below you will find a table of data below that we received from Amtrak that illustrates the Origination/Destination passenger counts at the Texarkana Station.  The way your read this is to look at the cities on the left column and then track how many riders departed FROM Texarkana to that destination as well as how many people started at that city and came TO Texarkana.  It’s fascinating to learn how people use the train to get to and from places like Chicago, St. Louis, Austin, and Los Angeles.  It is an incredibly diverse list of destination options. 

Our goal at the Chamber is to work with our local partners to find ways to increase the likelihood that more riders will 1) make Texarkana a destination to enjoy our amenities; 2) stop over on their way to somewhere else and spend a day or two visiting our wonderful city; and 3) consider making us a transfer point for places like Shreveport, Houston and even Dallas via bus, thereby reducing their transit times and offering a stopover point here that is a positive and memorable experience.

In the coming weeks, we will also talk about plans for high speed rail that could be coming to our area in the next couple of decades.  The sooner the better!!  Plans are already in the works to connect Dallas and Houston with a privatized high speed rail line that could come as soon as 2020.

Twice a year, my mom comes to visit me from Chicago and she always takes the train.  So, Amtrak is important to me because she is someone who doesn’t like to fly and isn’t really able to drive long distances.  Without this option, I wouldn’t get to see my mom as much!!!  So, I am personally vested in seeing the service here be the best that it can be.  Maybe you know of someone like my mom who enjoys this form of travel and uses it frequently.  If you are interested in helping on this project, please contact me or Ina McDowell with Main Street Texarkana and help us with this vital and often overlooked transportation option.  It’s one of the assets we have that we need to promote and defend!!!

It’s another great day at the Texarkana Chamber!  -Bill Cork

Amtrak Texarkana USA Ridership
	Fiscal Year 2014 Year to Date
Station Name	From Texarkana	To Texarkana	Total
Alton, IL	15	15	30
Alpine, TX	3	0	3
Arkadelphia, AR	7	6	13
Austin, TX	61	70	131
Benson, AZ	0	1	1
Bloomington-Normal, IL	68	55	123
Cleburne, TX	7	6	13
Chicago, IL	876	937	1,813
Carlinville, IL	4	7	11
Dallas, TX	419	426	845
Del Rio, TX	2	2	4
El Paso, TX	5	5	10
Fort Worth, TX	241	238	479
Hope, AR	32	42	74
Joliet, IL	58	53	111
Los Angeles, CA	168	176	344
Lincoln, IL	8	6	14
Lordsburg, NM	0	0	0
Little Rock, AR	136	106	242
Longview, TX	241	291	532
McGregor, TX	6	9	15
Marshall, TX	21	24	45
Mineola, TX	12	11	23
Maricopa, AZ	82	60	142
Malvern, AR	8	4	12
Ontario, CA	19	16	35
Poplar Bluff, MO	23	20	43
Pontiac, IL	9	5	14
Pomona, CA	0	2	2
Palm Springs, CA	2	3	5
San Antonio, TX	150	175	325
San Marcos, TX	35	35	70
Springfield, IL	93	79	172
St. Louis, MO	361	361	722
Taylor, TX	20	19	39
Temple, TX	41	43	84
Tucson, AZ	6	7	13
Walnut Ridge, AR	33	34	67
Yuma, AZ	0	0	0
Total	3,272	3,349	6,621