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I hope your week is going well! This newsletter is jammed packed! New posts, chatting about my trip, LA travel tips, and more!

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Wisconsin Pulls Funding for Amtrak I-41 Thruway Bus Service

The Amtrak Interstate 41 Thruway Bus Service, which connects Green Bay, De Pere, Appleton, Oshkosh, and Fond du Lac to Milwaukee's Amtrak trains, will end on October 1, 2025. This wasn't Amtrak's decision; it resulted from Wisconsin's Republican-controlled legislature.

They cut passenger rail funding from the state budget, despite Governor Tony Evers requesting over $15 million to keep the service running. This decision ultimately led the Wisconsin DOT to end the program officially.

The service has run two daily round-trip trains since 2009, timed to connect with the Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha. Rising costs made it unsustainable without state subsidies.

Hope remains: The 2021 Infrastructure Law awarded Wisconsin a $500,000 grant to study extending Hiawatha service to Green Bay along I-41, potentially replacing this bus route with actual train service.

Sources: Wisconsin Department of Transportation announcement, Trains Magazine Pro​

New Posts Out This Week!

This past week, I continued my Amtrak in each state series, focusing on Amtrak in Oklahoma and Amtrak in North Dakota. If you are interested, check it out!

Soon, I will publish the directory page that lists all of them. If you are wondering, North Dakota is next, and no, there is no logical reason for what comes after.

Making the Train-to-Plane Connection in Los Angeles

If you want to do what I did last week and fly to LA to catch the train, or vice versa, there is a simple and affordable solution.

As always, you can get a taxi, ride share, or walk for 6.63 hours over 14 miles between the train station and the airport.

The Basics

The LAX FlyAway operates directly between Union Station (where all Amtrak trains arrive in LA) and all Los Angeles International Airport terminals for $12.50.

• No reservations needed; show up and board.
• The journey takes 45-60 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.

How to Pay

You can tap to pay with a contactless card, mobile wallet, or a TAP card to pay the $12.50 fare.

Finding Your Bus

At Union Station: Look for FlyAway signage. The pickup area is outside and clearly marked within the station complex.

If you are in the old part of the station, walk through the tunnel leading to the tracks. Once outside, go upstairs, and you should see where you need to go.

At LAX: The blue pillars at each terminal mark FlyAway stops. These are hard to miss and clearly labeled.

Service Details

Buses typically run every 30-60 minutes, with frequency varying according to the time of day. Service operates daily, though you’ll want to check the current schedules for early morning or late evening flights.

Pro Insider Tip

Board at an Earlier Terminal. The FlyAway route begins at Terminal 1 and stops at each terminal along the curve.

If you can safely walk to a lower-numbered terminal, you'll have a much better chance of securing a seat.

For example, Terminal 1 is almost directly across from Terminal 7, so you just have to cross the traffic.

I wish I had known that earlier, because I was waiting at Terminal 7 and could have walked over to Terminal 1 instead of almost getting left behind when the bus there was already full.

I actually learned this tip later while chatting with a fellow passenger in the Southwest Chief’s dining car.

Quick Take on FlyAway Buses

• Plan for buses to fill up quickly during peak times, holidays, and rush hours.
• If the bus is full at your stop, you'll have to wait for the next one.
• Allow extra time and consider catching an earlier bus than you planned
• The buses can hold standard train luggage, so you can easily transfer from your plane to the bus and then to Amtrak. And the lighter your bag, the simpler everything becomes! Bags larger than a backpack need to go under the bus.

What has Kev been up to?

Here is a little about the Journey: Sturtevant → Chicago → LA → Pittsburgh → Lancaster

Started on the Hiawatha, on the train, and from the station where my love of train travel first began. The train has been reduced from six cars to four or five; that extra car would be appreciated. Also, Amtrak really needs to wash that train!

Chicago to O'Hare: Since I was flying out early in the morning, I got a hotel room for the night. To get there, I took the Blue Line, which took me to the airport. It felt disorienting, navigating the airport as if I were flying instead of just passing through. The hotel was walkable, with a Target nearby for snacks.

Flight to LA: TSA has improved; more airports now let everything stay in bags and shoes to stay on.

Although the Flight had the usual first-world problems (no outlet, broken shade, slow Wi-Fi), it arrived safely and early.

Overall, the flight was smooth, and although there were some issues, I have no complaints. I used the credit card flyer as a shade, so I was happy.

Los Angeles Union Station

Found the bus from LAX, the one I mentioned earlier in this section, after nearly boarding the wrong one. At Union Station, I enjoyed lunch at Traxx and drinks at their bar.

Lounge disappointment: Amtrak's new three-hour access rule means no lounge entry is allowed until three hours before departure, even when transferring. This causes genuine inconvenience for connecting passengers; reach out to Amtrak if you agree!

Southwest Chief & Weather Drama

It was a beautiful day to board the Southwest Chief! The trip went smoothly with good food, although one perpetually grumpy couple at lunch reminded me that some people complain no matter what. It is not a bad trip if you only need to deal with one.

The train got delayed by high winds; it's fascinating to watch an entire weather front move through. You don't usually get such a clear view of meteorology in action.

Chicago Connections: to The Floridian

The Chief was delayed on the BNSF "racetrack" as we entered Chicagoland because we got stuck behind a Metra train. It was moving, but it had to make station stops.

We arrived at track 26, then I had to walk to track 24. As we pulled in, I could see the Floridian from my window, and because of timing I could walk right on.

My trip on the Floridian wasn't very long. I got on, settled in, ate dinner, went to bed, and woke up early to get off in Pittsburgh.

"Funny" miscommunication: I asked the car attendant to lower the bed, but he thought I wanted dinner and got flustered. Later, we realized the mix-up, and he apologized while making my bed.

Pittsburgh Layover

The Floridian arrived a few minutes late when I actually wanted to be an hour late. That way, I could get some extra sleep.

While the 2+ hour wait isn't terrible, it's not a particularly exciting station. Most connections are early in the morning or late at night. Although the station has improved over the years, it is still not as enjoyable as others, especially at these unusual hours.

I think my problem is that during those times, I want alone time, which isn't practical. Plus, I often transfer at bigger stations that offer more than vending machines.

A kind Amish gentleman helped navigate the coffee machine, though my dollar didn't want to cooperate. I suppose it didn't want to be there for very long. I ended up with bottled coffee, not ideal, but caffeine is caffeine.

The Packed Pennsylvanian

Never seen the Pennsylvanian so crowded! Even the business class was full. Great for Amtrak, less so if you're used to having two seats. The

The timing of this trip was great, for some trees were changing color, while others were still green.

"Wrong" side wisdom: I hastily grabbed a window seat and ended up on the left instead of the usual right side for Horseshoe Curve views. It turned out to be just as breathtaking anyway! People often get too focused on the "perfect" seat and forget that both sides offer fantastic scenery.

Sent my Disney-fan friend photos of the "back side of the curve" (Jungle Cruise reference). Am I the only one who finds that hilarious?

Lancaster Success

My Friend David filmed my train passing, hoping to share that video soon. Station layout took a moment to figure out, but the mission was accomplished!

For more details and photos, they are available on Patreon.

Next Week: More details about the Horseshoe Curve experience, and the not-on-a-train section of the trip.

Looking at the Markers

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Until Next Week…

Happy planning and safe travels,
Kev Monteith