I have been an Amtrak traveler since the beginning of my college career. I first started using the train when I was a student at DePaul University to inexpensively transport myself from Chicago to my hometown of St. Paul.

What is typically a 50-minute plane ride or a six-hour car ride from one city to the other results in an approximately eight-hour Amtrak train ride through the backwoods of the Midwest.

There are some benefits to taking the Amtrak, including scenic routes, the ability to stand whenever desired and the guiltless conscience of knowing you chose the more environmentally friendly travel option.

However, there are many reasons why Amtrak needs to improve its customers’ travel experience, specifically for student travelers, if it wants to increase its ridership numbers.

What was once an advantage of choosing Amtrak travel was its low prices, but, at the end of 2023, Amtrak decided to switch its fare structure, which resulted in its “Flex” fares increasing by at least 30% and included the removal of the “Saver” fare category, according to TheStreet.

The benefit of this structural change is that the train’s “Flex” fare tickets will allow customers to cancel or modify their trip up until the train’s scheduled departure, which was not an available option for customers prior to the update. 

Christian Wallace-Bailey, a community member and frequent Amtrak traveler, said he enjoys the travel experience Amtrak provides but recognizes the many disadvantages that this mode of transportation brings.

“It’s not as affordable as I believe it should be,” Wallace-Bailey said. “It needs to be much cheaper in order for it to compete with short-hall, super carbon-polluting, city-hopper flights.”

Wallace-Bailey also said, anecdotally, it feels like Amtrak is comparatively more expensive than air travel in terms of cost-benefit.

When I ventured from Chicago to St. Paul on Amtrak in 2021, roundtrip costs were significantly more affordable than what roundtrip prices are today.

My trip to Chicago earlier this month cost $173 for a one-way ticket alone.

“It’s really hard to make the case for why one should take the Amtrak when it is so slow … and it’s super expensive,” Wallace-Bailey said.

Not only is pricing a concern for traveling college students in particular but so is having the ability to complete school assignments and stay in contact with friends and family while traveling.

Eliza Bohart, a fourth-year student at the University of Minnesota, said she had an enjoyable first experience on Amtrak over spring break, but she was surprised to learn customers didn’t have access to Wi-Fi on the train.

While Wi-Fi isn’t a desired amenity for every traveler, it is a helpful tool for college students and remote workers who require Wi-Fi access to complete various tasks and assignments.

Not every Amtrak train is without Wi-Fi, but every train I’ve traveled on from Minnesota to Illinois has lacked that amenity. 

This was challenging for me because I was traveling during the school year when I wasn’t on winter or spring break and had assignments to complete.

“When I think about the needs of college students, I think Amtrak probably isn’t the best mode of transportation for them,” Bohart said. “For college students, there’s a lot of demands on our time and I think the lack of Wi-Fi in particular can be really challenging.”

Bohart added Amtrak may be a great mode of transportation for vacation travel when people can be more flexible with their schedules and time, but it’s not quite advanced enough to act as a functional and reliable form of transportation year-round.

The train’s infrastructure is another concern, as it may be difficult for wheelchair users and other people with disabilities to navigate.

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about Amtrak trains, it’s that the unbelievably narrow staircases that take customers up to the top level of the train and the tiny bathrooms that look nearly identical to ones you’d find on an aircraft.

Certain carry-on bags barely fit in the staircase leading to the top-level seating area, let alone necessary medical equipment that people may need.

According to Amtrak’s website, accessible room accommodations are available to customers in need of those services. Other helpful services are available for those who don’t necessarily require an accessible room but need additional support from Amtrak staff.

The accessible rooms include in-room bathrooms, a first-class attendant, beds, complimentary lounge access, priority boarding and complimentary meals.

While accessible rooms are a plus for those who need them, it isn’t guaranteed requests will get approved, as they are on a first-come, first-served basis.

All necessary accommodations either encourage or require a request at least 14 days in advance and if requests aren’t made, there is no guarantee accommodations will be made for these customers.

While Amtrak’s protocol for caring for travelers with disabilities seems to be relatively effective and well-designed, it isn’t to say that further accommodations can’t be made in an easier and generally more accessible way for all people in need of these services.

It may be hard to believe, but I generally support and appreciate all that Amtrak does for national travelers. 

Wallace-Bailey said the fight for improving rail travel in the U.S. is not a hopeless situation and that change is possible if people show their support for this mode of transportation.

As long as people continue to utilize this service and demand better Amtrak travel experiences, customers of the beloved railroad corporation should see improvements over time.