Where would you want Amtrak to go?

[SchemerBob]

If money was no option, where would you want Amtrak to go, besides the current routes?

[TheS.P.caboose]

I'd like to see the Desert Wind again. It ran between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.

[CBQ_Guy]

Now there's a loaded question! [:-^]

[espeefoamer]

The Pioneer,from Salt Lake to Seattle via Portland[:)].

[DrummingTrainfan]

I'd like to see Omaha-KC-St Louis.

[CBQ_Guy]

Now there's a loaded question! [:-^]

[BNSF4ever]

1. If border security issues could be resolved, then the International between Chicago and Toronto.

2. Amtrak California service from Oakland to Los Angeles.

[Anonymous]

Chicago-Memphis (CNIC)-Birmingham-Atlanta (NS) overnight

[CG9602]

I think I'd like to see at least double the amount of frequencies on the existing routes, plus a Chicago to Florida route.

[blhanel]

I wi***hey'd shift the Zephyr to the UP transcon- they'd hit alot bigger population centers here in Iowa, including Cedar Rapids![:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by blhanel

I wi***hey'd shift the Zephyr to the UP transcon- they'd hit alot bigger population centers here in Iowa, including Cedar Rapids![:D]

And left it in the FRC where it belongs [:p]

[Junctionfan]

I think there should be Amtrak service between Vancouver and Los Angelas stopping at Seatle, San Fransisco and a few others along the way.

It might be interesting to explore a possible route between Boston, MA and Halifax, N.S-call it the Maritime Limited.

[Tharmeni]

Restore the Indy-Louisville route, extend it south through Nashville and on to Florida, making it the first Florida-Chicago route to run in years..

[Hugh Jampton]

From anywhere to Calgary. I need to go there and the nearest place I can get by train is Edmonton.

[cpbloom]

[:p][:p][:p]

Let's make a series of high speed Amtrak trains that run between Cleveland Columbus and Cincinnati.

Let's have a train that runs between New York and Kansas City with stops at Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Indianapolis and St Louis.

If NS will let us use the Rathole, I'd have a train running from Detroit to Atlanta, possibly all the way to Miami.

Why not press our luck and ask NS if we could run a train from Detroit to Columbus, south into W Va. and east to Norfolk VA.

[daveklepper]

1. North Station - South Station connector. Then NE Corridor to Halifax, Concord, NH, and then traffic may justify hourly service Boston - Portland

2. Chicago Memphis Birmingham Atlanta Jacksonville Miami

3. Salt Lake City to both LA and Seattle

4. Montrealer and Washingtonian running again, for two routes NY - Montreal (Continue the Adirondak)

5. Pittsburgh (through cars from NY and Washington) - Indanapolis - St. Louis - Kansas City

6. Detroit - Toledo - Cincinnati - Louisville - Nahville - Atlanta - Jacksonville - Miami

7. Restore the Broadway Limited on as close to its old schedule as possible

[TomDiehl]

I'd like to see a return of the Phoebe Snow. But of course, the Lackawanna Cutoff would have to be restored first across New Jersey and the Portland Bridge.

[oltmannd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cpbloom

[:p][:p][:p]



If NS will let us use the Rathole, I'd have a train running from Detroit to Atlanta, possibly all the way to Miami.

As far as using the CNO&TP, f you paid NS to double track Atlanta to Chattagnooga, they just might let you!

[oltmannd]

I'd start here:

http://www.fra.dot.gov/Downloads/RRDev/corridors.pdf

and then play connect the dots

[jchnhtfd]

dang, Dave K, you beat me to it. Increased frequency (either two Adirondacks or bring back the Montrealer/Washingtonian) from New York to Montreal. Double frequency to Chicago from New York/Boston (and do something so that CSX can run them on time!).

The North Station/South Station connection in Boston would be wonderful, and extend at least some NE Corridor runs to Portland ME and Concord NH. (someone said money no object -- but I just have to add that the North Station/South Station connection was originally part of the 'Big Dig' but got canned by the MassDOT, which is almost as anti-rail as the ConnDOT -- and going on north, New Hampshire, in its infinite wisdom (supported by a hefty payment from a bus company) has decided not to support the Downeaster, never mind any new service).

Albuquerque to Denver would be right handy at times... and it would seem that Chicago to southern Florida might be useful.

But... as someone up there noted, there aren't enough cars to run the trains they have, never mind add new ones...

[jkeaton]

With regard to "It might be interesting to explore a possible route between Boston, MA and Halifax, N.S-call it the Maritime Limited." - there was such a train into the 1960s, called the "Gull" (a better name than Maritime Limited, as 'Maritime' doesn't mean as much to USA folks as it does to Canadians), which was routed CN-CP-MEC-BM. It was one of the few jointly-operated CN-CP trains. I think it would make a great "cruise train" route, at least in the summer - fabulous scenery! (AOE, are you listening?)

Other than Halifax-Boston, I'd vote for Chicago-Florida, Detroit-Atlanta or Detroit-Florida, Minneapolis-Florida and Minneapolis-Winnipeg, Atlanta-Raleigh and Atlanta-Miami. But I suspect that there's a lot more possibilities in fast service between city pairs 200-300 miles apart - Tampa-Miami, routes between Cleveland, Columbus, Cinncinnati and Detroit, etc.

Ottawa-New York would be nice too...

Jim in Ottawa

[chad thomas]

Bring back the Desert Wind and the Pioneer.[swg]

[DrummingTrainfan]

I forgot to mention this in my last post. A Scottsbluff, NE-Omaha, NE stopping in Lincoln and Kearny along with smaller towns. It would be great if it could be a Talgo or "Amtrak Midwest" (same as Amcal just different paint). Just no P42's and Superliners...I can get picst of those on the Cal Zypher.

[Junctionfan]

What about the Rainbow between Buffalo and Detroit using CN lines through Ontario that would allow them up to 90 mph for most of the trip on the Dundas/ Chatham Subdivisions?

[Anonymous]

Ever since 1971, I've resented the fact that Amtrak took off the last thread of service on the (New York) Washington-Birmingham (New Orleans) route. Denied service to Roanoke, Bristol and Knoxville; also ended any real-life connection to the "Chattanooga Choo-Choo."

That line was Southern Rwy Washington-Lynchburg, VA; N&W Lynchburg to Bristol VA/TN, then Southern again Bristol-Birmingham (and points South). It was fun watching varnish in southwestern Virginia in the Sixties: a mixture of N&W, Southern, and occasional thru rolling stock; also some trains used N&W motive power but at least one (Birmingham Special) was Southern all the way through -- E unit and helper, I believe.

[pat390]

capitol limited used to stop in my town (valparaiso IN) it wouild be pretty cool if they restored that service

[Anonymous]

For that matter, it would be pretty cool if Amtrak restored the anomalous "Valpo Locals"--a category that technically didn't exist, Amtrak commuter service.

[Anonymous]

Since I live in central Arkansas I would like to see Amtrak start a route east and west with Little Rock a part of it. This "middle line" would connect the East Coast and West Coast and save passengers time by not having to go either all the way to Chicago or El Paso to catch a connecting train.

[Anonymous]

chicago-quad cities via the ex-RI

[CBQ_Guy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by farmer03

chicago-quad cities via the ex-RI

I'll second that!

It would only be a couple blocks from my house!!