March 28, 2024

Buses at Ames, Des Moines connect to Amtrak trains on six scheduled dates

Amtrak can ticket passengers from more than 500 locations to Des Moines or Ames for the holiday season using an Amtrak Thruway Bus Connection to the trains at Osceola Dec. 18-20 and Jan. 11-13.

Same-day travels to Chicago and next-morning arrivals in Denver are possible from central Iowa — all without driving.

Fares from Ames or Des Moines to Chicago start at $61 and to Denver start at $98. The fares are each-way and include both the Thruway Bus Connection and coach railfare on the famed Amtrak California Zephyr, a train with wide, reclining seats, leg and foot rests and choice of dining options.

The buses are operated by Arrow Stage Lines under a contract with Amtrak.

The buses will receive and discharge passengers at the Ames Intermodal Facility and the bus depot in Des Moines, with guaranteed connections to Amtrak trains five and six in Osceola, a popular gateway to central Iowa that saw more than 14,000 passengers last year.