Bobcat Bucket List #91

Bobcat Bucket List #91: Take the Amtrak to Austin

On October 30th in 1970, President Richard Nixon signed the Rail Passenger Service Act (RPSA), creating the National Railroad Passenger Corporation. This corporation came to be known as Amtrak, which is the railway company that now accompanies more than 32 million passengers each year. The railway system that travels through Austin today is known as the Texas Eagle and originates from the brick depot. The depot was built in 1947 for the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

If you are wishing to take a trip from San Marcos to Austin, the train leaves at 8:32am every morning, arriving in Austin at 9:23am. There is a train available at the end of the day that takes you back to San Marcos leaving at 6:30pm and arriving at 7:12pm. 

The San Marcos station was founded in 2001 and serves Amtrak and city bus customers. It’s located downtown on 338 S Guadalupe Street.  The platform is wheelchair accessible and contains plenty of parking spots along with a drop-off area. Once inside the train, you will find two levels of seating. The seats contain reclining chairs with plenty of legroom, fold down trays, storage space for luggage, and an overhead light for any late night work or reading. 

Once in Austin, the train stops at 250 N Lamar Blvd right off the Colorado river that flows through the city. This is a larger station that offers waiting areas for travelers, a checked bag service, ticket kiosks, and vending machines. 

The trip to Austin takes just over 50 minutes, which is roughly the time it takes to drive between San Marcos and Austin during rush hour. Public Transportation, such as the Amtrak, is far more environmentally friendly in comparison to taking a car. Taking the train is also very affordable with the round-trip cost between San Marcos and Austin costing roughly $20.