NEWS

Amtrak offers discounted train to Eugene for Duck games

Laura Fosmire
Statesman Journal

Attention, Ducks fans: There's now more incentive than ever to consider taking the train to your next home football game.

The Oregon Department of Transportation announced Friday that the Amtrak Cascades passenger train will be offering discounted rates to and from Eugene during University of Oregon home football games. Regular fares will be bumped down an extra 25 percent for both one-way and round-trip tickets — plus, train riders can flash their tickets for a free trip on the Lane Transit District bus from the station to the football stadium.

"There were a lot of partners involved in putting this together," said ODOT spokeswoman Shelley Snow. "It's been a really fun effort for everyone involved."

The bottom line, she said, is that the train service is supported by state dollars. The more people riding the train, the better.

"We're always looking for ways to boost ridership and that's exactly where this came from," she said. "This makes perfect sense, and the University of Oregon was especially excited to market this to season ticket holders through the alumni association."

The promotion has the added bonus of potentially easing traffic congestion on Interstate 5, which becomes notoriously tricky in the Eugene area on game days. Full Amtrak trains can carry approximately 260 passengers, Snow said, which is possibly that fewer people on the roads trying to get into Duck country.

"We often put out news releases a day or two in advance to give folks a heads up to expect extra congestion," she said. "What if those people took the train instead of being on the interstate? It could very well be safer. We expect good things."

Discounts don't necessarily apply only on game days. Riders looking to be in Eugene on Saturday can potentially take the train down on a Friday and return home on a Sunday, depending on what time is kickoff.

"We decided depending on the time of kickoff," Snow said. "You could perhaps stay the night and still get a discounted rate coming back on a Sunday train, it just depends on what time the kickoff is scheduled."

And for Oregon State University Beaver fans who might be feeling a little left out, not to worry — there's talks of a similar deal headed your way.

"The train does not go to Corvallis, but we are actually looking into doing something because it does stop in Albany," Snow said. "It's in very preliminary discussions right now, but what we're looking at is some sort of bus that would do a shuttle from Albany to Corvallis in plenty of time for the game."

Snow hinted at other possible benefits to riding the train, including staff members in Ducks gear and prize giveaways for train passengers. Those arriving in downtown Eugene will also find activities for Travel Lane County's Duck Downtown, in which pre-game parties, discounts and entertainment will be featured in downtown Eugene the night before games.

For full details on the train discounts, go online to www.Amtrak.com/GoDucks