All aboard the Hawkeye Express!

>> AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA,
PUBLIC SERVICE IS A CORE
MISSION.
EACH FALL, FANS BY THE THOUSANDS
SAVE TIME AND HASSLE BY CLIMBING
ABOARD THE HAWKEYE EXPRESS.
>> THE HAWKEYE EXPRESS IS A
THROWBACK TO THE DAYS WHEN FANS
FROM ALL AROUND TOOK TRAINS TO
KINNICK STADIUM TO SEE THE
HAWKEYES PLAY.
THE IDEA FOR A NEW HAWKEYE
FOOTBALL TRAIN CAME FROM
MARK JENNINGS, ASSOCIATE
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT IOWA.
>> ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO RIGHT
NOW, WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT HOW WE CAN HELP THE TRAFFIC
PROBLEMS WE HAVE AROUND
KINNICK STADIUM AND THE PARKING
PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE -- LOTS OF
CONGESTION.
WE KEPT LOOKING AT THAT TRAIN
TRACK THAT RAN RIGHT NEXT TO
KINNICK STADIUM, AND WE WONDERED
HOW WE COULD UTILIZE THAT.
AND I CALLED DAN SABIN, TOLD DAN
WHAT OUR IDEA WAS.
>> HE SAID, "IS THERE ANY WAY
YOU CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET A
TRAIN TO OPERATE INTO
KINNICK STADIUM, LIKE IN THE OLD
DAYS?"
AND I SAID, "WELL, LEAVE IT WITH
ME.
I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO."
>> AND IN TWO WEEKS, HE HAD A
TRAIN FOR US.
>> LEASING THE SKI TRAIN
FROM COLORADO, SABIN AND
JENNINGS GOT THE SERVICE GOING
IN 2004.
AFTER TWO SUCCESSFUL SEASONS,
THEY PURCHASED THEIR OWN
COMMUTER CARS, TO MOVE MORE
PEOPLE IN LESS TIME.
WITH A CUSTOM PAINT JOB, THE
HAWKEYE EXPRESS WAS REBORN.
>> WELL, IT'S REALLY EXCITING.
FROM THE TIME OF THE FIRST
TRAIN, WHEN YOU GET THE SECURITY
PEOPLE AND SOME OF THE
TAILGATERS, IT JUST CREATES KIND
OF AN ATMOSPHERE THAT I'VE
NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
>> VERY NOSTALGIC EXPERIENCE,
VERY UNIQUE.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER SCHOOL
IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS A
SITUATION QUITE LIKE THIS,
WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY
COMMUTE TO THE STADIUM ON AN
ACTUAL TRAIN.
>> AND WE GET A LOT OF COMMENTS
ON THE EASE OF GOING TO AN IOWA
FOOTBALL GAME BY PARKING OUT
HERE AND HAVING THAT OPPORTUNITY
TO USE THE TRAIN.
>> THIS IS IDEAL FOR OUR
VISITING FANS.
YOU CAN GET TO KINNICK STADIUM
HASSLE-FREE.
>> WITH THE HAWKEYE EXPRESS MORE
POPULAR THAN EVER, THE TRAIN IS
A FAMILIAR SITE COME FOOTBALL
SEASON.
>> MY TWO SONS ARE REALLY IN
CHARGE OF THE TRAIN NOW, AND
THEY DO A GREAT JOB TO MAKE
SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS DONE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH ALL THE RULES
AND WITH A VERY SAFE OPERATION.
I'M PRETTY PROUD OF THE WAY THE
VOLUNTEERS WORK SO WELL
TOGETHER.
WE HAVE PEOPLE LITERALLY
STANDING IN LINE TO BE
VOLUNTEERS TO WORK THE
HAWKEYE EXPRESS.
>> IT'S SUCH A FEEL-GOOD
PROJECT.
IT GETS CARS OFF THE ROAD.
IT GETS THEM OUT OF THE
CONGESTED PARKING LOTS, AND IT'S
FUN, UNIQUE.
EVERYBODY HAS BEEN COOPERATIVE
TO WORK ON THIS.
>> REDUCING TRAFFIC AND
PROVIDING A FAST, EFFICIENT
RIDE, THE HAWKEYE EXPRESS WILL
CONTINUE TO BE A GREAT PART OF
GAME-DAY ATMOSPHERE AT IOWA.
>> WE REALLY ENJOY IT.
IT'S CERTAINLY NOT HERE TO MAKE
MONEY.
IT'S CERTAINLY HERE TO TAKE CARE
OF TRAFFIC AND ASSIST THE
UNIVERSITY AND THE HOSPITAL IN
EVERY WE CAN TO REDUCE
CONGESTION.
BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN WITH
IT, TOO.
>> IT'S JUST A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE
THAT I THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD
TRY ONCE.
IT JUMPS OUT AND GRABS YOU
BECAUSE IT'S A LARGE TRAIN, AND
IT'S ALL BLACK AND GOLD.
YOU CAN'T MISS IT.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com