The month of May is the start of a new season for scenic train ride tours. But will the cooler than normal temperatures put a damper on train reservation software bookings? Check out how scenic train tours are adjusting to the weather for the start of the 2013 season.
Given the unusually chilly temperatures this week, scenic train ride operators and passengers will have their mettle tested as the new sightseeing season begins.
In Wisconsin, they know a thing or two about braving the weather. Green Bay Packer football fans have a legendary reputation for their ability to handle the elements. Just as hearty are the citizens of Spooner, home of the Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad. The railroad's website was recently updated with information in response to this week's the chilly temps:
Sightseeing trains and the move to our new depot have been postponed due to the relentless winter weather conditions. Operations at the new depot at N6639 Dilly Lake Road in Trego are now expected to begin on Saturday, May 25, 2013. All Pizza Trains, Bed & Breakfast Trains and Dinner Trains will operate as scheduled from the Spooner Depot.
Note that the brief postponement is only a minor inconvenience for passengers and as of this writing the special 'Mother's Day Buffet Train' event is still scheduled to take place on May 12th. And should the weather challenges persist past this week, affecting the Mother's Day schedule, Wisconsin Great Northern has its refund and will call policies readily accessible on their website.
There may be a slight delay to the start of the scenic train ride season in Spooner, but they are soldiering on in New Hampshire unabated.
The Conway Scenic Railroad, like other train tours in the northeast, finds itself operating in cooler than normal temps at the start of its new season. However, a quick look on the official website shows it's "full steam ahead!"
We are open for the season! Opening weekend was almost a sell-out, with lots of people in town, and there obviously was a pent-up demand for a relaxing, old-fashioned train ride. We are open weekends only until May 6th, when limited daily service begins.
Cold temps are actually part of the experience at the Conway Scenic Railroad. One of the tour choices in the train reservation software is a "steam in the snow" excursion. The special event during winter is a "photographers’ special train operated in conjunction with the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts" and sells out constantly.
Note that Conway encourages passengers to book tours as early as possible, even with this week's slightly inclement weather. Cultivating a sense of urgency to make early reservations is not just for the purposes of sales, there is genuine high demand during the first week of the new season.
Booking a scenic train tour as early as possible is not always a requirement, sometimes there's a guaranteed seat - that is if you are a straight 'A' student.
Last week, the 24th annual Excellence in Education Day rewarded students with a perfect 4.0 grade point average a scenic train ride through the hills of Marquette, Michigan. The tour was sponsored by the Cliffs Natural Resources mining corporation as part of its larger initiate to improve academic performance.
Being one of the largest mining companies in the northeast means having plenty of rolling stock on hand to facilitate a train tour. Stops on the train tour included Cliffs' Tilden Facility, Lake Superior and Ishpeming Transportation Division, Marquette Regional History Center, and the Marquette Ore Dock.
This particular train tour was a private, invitation only event that isn't not available to the pubic directly. But should Marquette wish to reenact most the the scenic adventure the students enjoyed they can do so by visiting the private train tour company's websites in combination with the national service offered by Amtrak. That is, of course, after this week's cold weather subsides.
ThunderTix’s train reservation software is design to maximize profits by lower your costs. Unlike live music concerts, train ride operators are under Federal law to know exactly who is on board. Our technology not only enables compliance with passenger manifests, it integrates barcode ticket scanning to make the process nearly automatic.
We can help you cho-cho-choose the best plan based on your current and projected passenger ticket estimates. We can also get you up and running with handheld barcode scanners to rent or buy. Once you start selling tickets online, we are sure you’ll never look back to the labor intensive paper tickets of yesteryear.
The 2013 season is underway, rain (snow) or shine. Interested in learning more about saving money using our train reservation software? Please contact us at your convenience.
