♫ "SecKC takes the morning train" ♫

Introducing:

The First Annual

H 0 H 0 C O N

H 0 B 0 C O N

Who: All Tramps, Hackers, Journalists, or Federal Agents.
Where: On a Train between Kansas City to St. Louis
When: December 27-28, 2025

Come one, come all, to the first hacker con on a train! We will embark on a journey aboard one of America's best kept secrets - Amtrak. Enjoy the fellowship of other hackers on our 5-1/2 hour journey each way across the state of Missouri. There is no fixed agenda for this con; instead we are encouraged to use this time as a hackathon. Bring a project to hack on and share with others. At the same time, join in helping others with their projects. There will be mid-bandwidth WiFi available, so you'll have access to whatever you need, as long as it's not YouTube or Ollama models.

The ride will give you a new perspective of the midwest as you take a path unlike driving on highways. Find wilderness minutes outside of the city, industry in rural areas, picturesque views of rivers, and be surprised by three tunnels - one of which goes under a town. There are two trains per day, but by taking the morning train, we get daylight for the whole ride, allowing a pleasant view for the duration of the trip.

This is an un-con. We won't have official permission to have talks on the train, and as these are shared rail cars, we might or might not be able to do so. However, there is nothing to prevent you from talking to people you know on the train.

Please fill out this form, even if you're not attending!

Cost:
There is no fee for attendance.
Agenda:
We will ride the rails in the comfort of steerage class, where you will be pleasantly surprised to find that there is 120VAC and USB-A power at every seat. There are no seatbelts, and you are free to stand and walk around as much as you would like on this quiet, smooth ride. Reexperience the joys of access to public travel unmolested by Theatric Security Adminstration, while paying a fraction of air travel.

Amenities:
There is Amtrak provided WiFi, but we will also try to have additional Internet connectivity via Starlink and Calyx.

Departure:
* Kansas City, Union Station - Train 318, Saturday morning 8:40am
Lodging:
* St Louis Union Station Hotel, Curio Collection
Return:
* St Louis, Union Station - Train 311, Sunday morning 8:10am

Budget:
* Amtrak - About $50 each way for tickets. If enough people show interest for group rates, we can get round drop for $90/person (prepay.)
* Hotel - About $175 solo, or split with another hacker
* Food and Beverage - On train, in StL, etc. Yes, you may bring food and bev on the train!

Rules:
Don't be a dick. Don't mess with any of Amtrak's stuff, or other passengers. The conductors are bad asses, and WILL throw you off the train if you are being a problem.

Additional information coming soon, or just reach out to rixon.