The idea of the artist in residence is to get away from one's daily routines and environment into a new and enriching environment for the artist. Its not a "get from point A to point B" that they're giving away its a "experience riding around the US on the railway and talk with the people who are on the train or see the scenery so that you can become a better writer." The start and end of the trip are purely coincidental.
As to if its less expensive than tickets: section 10 of the official terms shows what will be given: a travel voucher for 1 person on a sleeper train for between 2 to 5 days that would be worth about $900. The key here is given - free is much less than the cost of tickets.
The idea of the artist in residence is to get away from one's daily routines and environment into a new and enriching environment for the artist. Its not a "get from point A to point B" that they're giving away its a "experience riding around the US on the railway and talk with the people who are on the train or see the scenery so that you can become a better writer." The start and end of the trip are purely coincidental.
As to if its less expensive than tickets: section 10 of the official terms shows what will be given: a travel voucher for 1 person on a sleeper train for between 2 to 5 days that would be worth about $900. The key here is given - free is much less than the cost of tickets.