Traveling between home and school is a staple of the college experience for many Drake University students, but the means of doing so have become increasingly expensive and inconvenient. I’m sure those of you residing outside of Iowa can relate, as the only options currently available to you are to travel by car or plane, and if you’re without access to a car or somebody willing to drive to Des Moines to pick you up, you’re stuck having to shell out money for a flight, or not travel home at all.
I have experienced this very dilemma when leaving for breaks, since my home lies in the suburbs of Chicago, roughly a five to six hour drive from Drake. Since my car lives there and my family, understandably, does not desire to spend 12 hours on the road, a plane tends to be my only way to get home.
In the fall semester, these flights were around $250 for me, but this past spring break, the price skyrocketed to a whopping $650. Spending this much money just to take a 55-minute flight to a neighboring state was physically painful, but there wasn’t an alternative.
A cheaper method of transportation does exist, just not here in Des Moines: the Amtrak railroad service. According to its website, there are currently over 30 routes with 500 destinations throughout 46 states. While many of these routes run through major cities, Iowa’s capital is not one of them.
There are actually six Amtrak stations within Iowa, located in the cities of Burlington, Creston, Fort Madison, Mount Pleasant, Osceola and Ottumwa. Drake students are out of luck though, as the closest station is in Osceola, approximately 47 miles away from the University and a 45-minute drive. If you can’t find a ride back home, it seems unlikely that you’ll find a ride to Osceola.
Amtrak fares range in price depending on where you’re traveling and whether the trip falls on a weekday or weekend. Generally speaking, a flight might be the better option for those traveling cross-country, but if you only need to go over a state or two, the Amtrak would be the cheaper alternative, with prices tending to be under $200. These days, that’s a lower price than the weekly trip to the grocery store!
The cost-friendly and convenient nature of Amtrak doesn’t stop there. Aboard the train, there is free Wi-Fi, dining services and comfortable seating. Riders are also allowed two carry-on items and a personal item and can check up to four bags, with two of them being free. Air travel could never reach such levels of comfort. These perks make Amtrak much more favorable than flying, as most airlines only allow for one carry-on and one personal item and charge for checking bags.
Though there have been proposals for Amtrak to expand its network and have lines running through cities that are excluded from the current routes, including Des Moines, it doesn’t look like current Drake students will have that available to them anytime soon. For now, we’ll be stuck with the less affordable and inconvenient option of flying or begging for a seat in a friend’s Toyota Camry.
