I could literally bike across the Great Plains faster than a train and save enough money to buy a new bike. You first have to take the train to California, then to Oregon, and back halfway across the country.
I could literally bike across the Great Plains faster than a train and save enough money to buy a new bike. You first have to take the train to California, then to Oregon, and back halfway across the country.
It does, but I just checked Amtrak’s site and it doesn’t suggest that route. It suggests what OP has in their picture.
It’s likely because the Zephyr is usually several hours late by the time it gets to Chicago, and the last train from Chicago to Minneapolis leaves within an hour of the scheduled arrival.
Who fucking knows, though. Could just be that Amtrak’s route planner is dogshit, which I would not find unlikely.
When I saw it earlier, the screenshot looked Microsofty, so I checked Bing Maps, and it suggested the same diversion (although now it routes more directly). Maybe that’s the underlying service, and it’s biased towards sending folks via the Pacific Northwest, because even staying overnight in Chicago seems like it’d beat a four-day trip.
So I think you’re right.