Following Amtrak’s announcement in March concerning charter trips and passenger cars, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society (FWRHS) made the decision to delay ticket sales for The Joliet Rocket in order to reassess and reconfirm the cars planned for the event.
As of this writing, it is the goal of the FWRHS to finalize the consist for The Joliet Rocket by May 1st and open ticket sales within 30 days.
“While the delay in ticket sales is unfortunate, it’s our priority to make sure our customers have a seamless experience throughout the entirety of our event – from the ticketing process through the trip itself,” said Kelly Lynch, Vice President. “In light of the new policy, we needed to guarantee the availability of the equipment to the best of our ability, because in most cases the cars themselves are as unique as the steam locomotive.”
A sampling of the cars being confirmed for The Joliet Rocket, which is planned to include Deluxe Coach, First Class, First Class Suites, Dome Car, Open Air Car and Executive Class. For ticket prices, click here.
While the September 15th and 16th trips are not Amtrak events, the privately owned passenger cars that commonly operate in excursion service have been traditionally stored and transported by Amtrak at cost. New restrictions on the transportation of private cars currently limit where many are stored or how they are delivered to venues around the country.
In 2017, over 2,500 people enjoyed 2017’s four roundtrip excursions between Joliet, Illinois and Chicago’s LaSalle Street Station. The trips this year will feature an extended layover, improved service and other amenities.
FWRHS will notify its membership, the general public, and subscribers to the event waitlist when this issue has been satisfactorily resolved and ticket sales can progress. Click here to join our waitlist!
