amtrak amfleet wrote:Quick question from amtrak amfleet. Does anybody out there think that Amtrak should put in a Salt Lake City-Boise-Seattle route? Give me your ideas. Thanks
***********************************************
The old UP "City of Portland" ended up in Portland lol . There people could connect to go north to Seattle, south to Eugene and even California.
If such a train had to go thru Denver, that might be a plus. Doesn't that line (first transcontinental, I think) go thru Salt Lake City also ) . . ? Many, many years ago the UP ran trains up to Sun Valley in Idaho (why not?; they developed the resort), so there's probably a sensible routing provided dear Uncle Pete is in a mood to be, well, sensible.
But you're going to have a lot of people in line in front of you for desired new Amtrak routes! Perhaps someone reading this post will know if Amtrak has a "wish list" of desired new routes. Of course, that leaves the NEC out, also extant lines that have Amtrak service, but in the rest of the country there are, as we know, manymanymany places that had service cancelled in the mid-late Sixties, even up to 1971, that hasn't yet been restored (note false air of optimism ).
I for one would LOVE it if the Cardinal were restored to daily or even five-a-week service, and traffic restored on the old C&O main line from Charlottesville east to Richmond and Newport News (all you'd need is a car or two to split off of the D.C.-bound part of the train that now runs. I guess that counts as the kind of new route for Amtrak that's really a heritage line pre-1971 and Amtrak.
I'd love it if the jocularly named "Harley Staggers Special" came back (pre-1971 name "The Pocohontas"). Recall that of the pre-merger N&W and C&O and their competing overnite trains, not only did they have very close cities of origin (Newport News is to the north of Chesapeake Bay; Norfolk south), they ran on each company's main line; they had the same destination (Cincinnati OH); and I believe in the Pennsy/Penn Central years they both connected with the same Chicago-bound train (the "James Whitcomb Riley"). But varnish on the Pokey is just a pipe dream for the foreseeable future if they can't even get the Cardinal up to snuff.
Many Chicagoans are shocked to find there still are no more trains between Chi and Miami. Depending on routing, it could be an all-CSX route but not necessarily. Perhaps Amtrak could buy a couple of the streamlined section sleepers that VIA is on the edge of getting rid of, and charge extra for a "Some Like It Hot" service.
al-in-chgo
al-in-chgo wrote: amtrak amfleet wrote:Quick question from amtrak amfleet. Does anybody out there think that Amtrak should put in a Salt Lake City-Boise-Seattle route? Give me your ideas. Thanks ***********************************************But you're going to have a lot of people in line in front of you for desired new Amtrak routes! Perhaps someone reading this post will know if Amtrak has a "wish list" of desired new routes. I for one would LOVE it if the Cardinal were restored to daily or even five-a-week service . . . But varnish on the Pokey is just a pipe dream for the foreseeable future if they can't even get the Cardinal up to snuff. Many Chicagoans are shocked to find there still are no more trains between Chi and Miami. Depending on routing, it could be an all-CSX route but not necessarily. Perhaps Amtrak could buy a couple of the streamlined section sleepers that VIA is on the edge of getting rid of, and charge extra for a "Some Like It Hot" service. al-in-chgo
But you're going to have a lot of people in line in front of you for desired new Amtrak routes! Perhaps someone reading this post will know if Amtrak has a "wish list" of desired new routes.
I for one would LOVE it if the Cardinal were restored to daily or even five-a-week service . . . But varnish on the Pokey is just a pipe dream for the foreseeable future if they can't even get the Cardinal up to snuff.
I agree with Al. There are just too many higher priority routes with greater ridership potential.
With respect to the Cardinal, unless it's schedule is changed, IMHO it should be discontinued. It's blazing 31.4 mph average speed between Cincy and Chi is a joke. Not to mention it's oh so "convenient" departures from Cincy at 1:03 am and Indy at 6:30 am for Chicago and southbound arrivals at 11:55 pm in Indy and 3:14 am in Cincy.
As far as Chi-Florida service is concerned, the old City of Miami route is no longer possible because the IC abandoned the Fulton-Birmingham line some years ago. A routing over the CSX would be a disaster. The only possibility left is NS through Ft. Wayne-Cincy-Chattanoga-Atlanta-Macon to Jacksonville. The old SR between Cincy and Atlanta is pretty windy and mountanious and the Southern's streamlined Royal Palm was able to average only 39 mph over that 491 mile portion of its run. But if, and that's a big IF, it could be run over the FEC from Jacksonville to Miami it could possibly be successful.
Mark
Amtrak does not have enough Superliners for their present system, let alone expansion. That's the reason the Sunset Limited will not resume between Florida and New Orleans.
Chicago to Florida was Amtrak's worst route during the 1970s. It was the poorest performing route financially and in timekeeping. It also had the most derailments.
The most likely expansion for Amtrak would be a day train connecting New Orleans with Florida, aimed at connecting with the City of New Orleans. Other than that, it is up to the individual States to expand service, as we saw last fall in Illinois.
I think any expansion of service is a good thing!!!
underworld
******************************************************************
Dale, I had thought that the reason Amtrak isn't running to Florida from New Orleans is that the track is all messed up from Katrina. Has that been put to rights?
And I agree that under the present system, if an individual state wants passenger trains that just aren't in Amtrak's plan, then they ought to pony up their share. As you say, the funding worked in Illinois--and hopefully now there are procedures in place to keep four (count'em 4) passenger trains on the same line stalled by bad weather!).
Al
Al, the line reopened just over a year ago, on Jan 1, 2006. I don't disagree with Amtrak for not bringing the route back, it was a very poor performer, and UP and CSX will not, and can not, run it on time.
This group was planning a daytime Florida-New Orleans train, which I think makes more sense.
By the way, congrats on getting your letter published in the magazine, page 6 March 2007.
The CSX tracks from New Orleans East have been repaired and are in service. The stations in Louisiana, Missippi, and Alabama were destroyed or badly damaged and have not been repaired. THAT is one of the hang-ups.
Mel Hazen
Jacksonville, FL
Mel Hazen; Jax, FL Ride Amtrak. It's the only way to fly!!!