Texianbear54 In the first place, why shoudl the San Antonio--New Orleans run get stuck with single level Horizon cars?
In the first place, why shoudl the San Antonio--New Orleans run get stuck with single level Horizon cars?
Texianbear54: It is all about lack of superliner equipment (SL). Most western LD trains & AutoTrain need at least 1 additional sleeper and 2 additional coaches (AT 2&4). With at least 36 train sets operating and another 6 cars for mainenance spares where are you gooing to get 44 extra sleepers and 88 extra coaches of SL equipment???. Until traffic SAS - NOL increases Horizon equipment is a good choice. Until new additional SL equipment comes aqvailable this is a good choice.
What happened to the Superliner equipment the SL did use when it ran east of New Orleans?
It just seems like Amtrak is focusing more on their limitations than their opportunities. San Antonio and New Orleans are both popular destinations for Houstonians, and with gas prices so high if Amtrak could offer a decently quick and convenient schedule--and let people know about it--they could attract a lot of ridership!
I would love to see Amtrak try that--even with Horizon equipment, including a diner, with the promise that sleepers would be added as soon as possible.
And how many high platform stations are there between LA and NO?
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I don't understand.
Someone mentioned "high level" cars...and I thought that meant for high platform stations...but what was meant was Viewliners, etc.....that' what I get for being in the east!
Texianbear54 What happened to the Superliner equipment the SL did use when it ran east of New Orleans? It just seems like Amtrak is focusing more on their limitations than their opportunities. San Antonio and New Orleans are both popular destinations for Houstonians, and with gas prices so high if Amtrak could offer a decently quick and convenient schedule--and let people know about it--they could attract a lot of ridership! I would love to see Amtrak try that--even with Horizon equipment, including a diner, with the promise that sleepers would be added as soon as possible.
The Amtrak proposed train from San Antonio to New Orleans would consist of one Superliner coach with premium class seating, one Superliner baggage coach and a Superliner cross country cafe car. Premium coach class passengers would be offered up-market meals at their seats. It sounds like this service would be similar to business class service.
As outlined below, the San Antonio to New Orleans trains would be a day time operation. Therefore, there would be no need for a sleeping car, unless there was enough traffic to warrant a through sleeper. However, it appears that part of the reason for running the Texas Eagle as a through train from Chicago to LA is to eliminate any switching in San Antonio.
The San Antonio to New Orleans train would operate daily, with a 7:50 a.m. departure from San Antonio and a 9:45 a.m. departure from New Orleans. The eastbound train would call at Houston at 11:58 a.m. whilst the westbound train would call there at 6:25 p.m. Eastbound the train would arrive in New Orleans at 9:00 p.m., whilst the west bound train would arrive in San Antonio at 11:00 p.m. Connections to or from the Texas Eagle in San Antonio would be guaranteed.
I would sure like to see this come about. It would greatly improve service in Texas.
Texianbear54 What happened to the Superliner equipment the SL did use when it ran east of New Orleans?
I assume you mean the Sunset (SS) east of NOL? When the SS service was discontinued east of NOL only one train set was freed up. Because no funds had been set aside by congress the Superliner (SL) equipment that was major damaged both at Bay Canot and afterwards was not repaired until last year and this year with ARRA funds. In the meantime other services needed more SL cars such as the Empire builder, Coast Starlight, & AutoTrain (has the highest recovery factor of any LD train). In fact the Cardinal lost its 2 train sets of SL equipment to the other SL long distance trains including the Eagle. Right now more single level sleepers are on order and I suspect that we may even see the Capitol Limited loose its SL equipment temporarily until more SL type equipment is built. Remember the longer a train is the less the loss usually is.
By the way California has announced a $110 M order for more California cars (25?)(SL type) and they may return the SL cars they have on long term lease back to Amtrak. (6?)
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