Where would you want Amtrak to go?

[Wdlgln005]

My first two trains back would be the Pioneer & Desert Wind.
A daytime Chicago- Quad Cities- Des Moines- Omaha Rocket.
The Hummingbird would fly Cincinnatti- Louisville-Nashville-Mobile-New Orleans.
The Cardinal would have a St Louis. & Kansas City connection
The Georgian would fly Chicago-Louisville-Nashville-Atlanta & Jacksonville.
a new River Cities would connect New Orleans-Memphis with St Louis & St Paul (Great River Train)
A new true transcon to connect LA-Dallas-Memphis-Nashville-Knoxville-via Bristol VA to Richmond & Washington.

Amtrak would be required to offer some service to all 48 lower states. New partnership with Via & Mexico would create true NAFTA passenger trains. Homeland Security would find a way to screen passengers as the board the train. There would be no need to bother Via passengers travelling thru Maine.

[krtraveler]

NOTES: This expansion plan assumes that most of the high-speed corridors are already in place. All trains to run daily unless otherwise noted.

This is so lengthy that it’s Part 1

Transcontinental
Crescent Star: Daily NY-Atlanta (Peachtree or Suburban)-Fort Worth; extend to Los Angeles by way of Abilene, train to operate Ft. Worth-LA on days the Sunset Limited doesn’t, so El Paso-LA gets daily serice

National Chief: DC-Tucson/LA via Cincy, STL, KC, Phoenix; trains to split/join at Flagstaff

Desert Wind: Toronto-Chicago-LA via Port Huron, SLC, Las Vegas

International: Toronto-Chicago-SJ via Detroit, Ogden, Reno

NY-Pitt-Chicago-SF/LA; NY-Chi to operate on old Broadway Limited route, Chicago-LA on SW Chief route; trains to split/join at Barstow, Barstow-SF via the Tehachapi Pass and Bakersfield

Midwest-South
Gulfland: Chicago-Mobile; No local passengers Chi-Ind

Twin Star Rocket: St. Paul-Fort Worth-San Antonio

Panama Limited: St. Louis-New Orleans

Aztec Eagle: Chicago-Kansas City-OKC-FW-SA-Laredo-Monterrey

Norfolk-Richmond (Main St.)-Charlottesville-Cincinnati-Chicago

Midwest-Florida
South Wind: Chicago-Cincinnati-Atlanta (Five Points)-JAX-STP/MIA; No local passengers Chi-Ind; trains to split in Jacksonville; St. Pete section to serve Gainesville and skip Tampa, Miami section operates via Daytona Beach and FEC

Southland: Detroit-Cincinnati-Atlanta (Five Points)-JAX-Tampa; No local passengers Detroit-Toledo, Wyandotte (or Dearborn and DTW) stop(s) skipped; Florida service includes Orlando

Palmland: Cleveland-Cincinnati-Atlanta (Five Points)-JAX-St. Pete; No local passengers Cleveland-Cincy, limited stops on 3C corridor; Florida service has train turning towards FL west coast after Waldo to serve Gainesville (also applies to South Wind)

Floridian: Chicago-Nashville-Birmingham-JAX-Tampa/Miami; No local passengers Chi-Ind; Tampa section via Orlando, Miami section via Ocala and Dade City

[Anonymous]

......into the eternal abyss of a distant memory of a fleeting glimpse, a dream within a forgotton dream[zzz].....

BUT........

If one were to rephrase the question into one that references a return of private rail passenger services (heck, I'll take subsidized private passenger services over Amtrak anyday!)......

ditto on the Seattle-Salt Lake (prefer Vancouver - Portland - Salt Lake) and LA - Salt Lake ideas; also a Spokane - Denver service via Missoula, Billings, and Casper, with a separate section through Alliance to Omaha; Calgary - Salt Lake; Denver - Albuquerque - El Paso; and Calgary - Spokane (via the Crow) - Bend (via the Dechutes) - Sacramento (via Bieber).

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

QUOTE: Originally posted by donclark

I would like to have a daily from Dallas to Houston, the two biggest closest cities in America that don't have a direct pasenger rail link. SHAME ON AMTRAK! True Texas rail fans demand the link NOW!

IF THE SECOND LARGEST STATE IN POPULATION CAN BE SO IGNORED BY AMTRAK, one wonders whether Amtrak is worth saving!

Take a look at a current Southwest Airlines timetable to find out why Amtrak no longer provides service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston.

[AntonioFP45]

Medium Distance: Florida to Atlanta: Route with excellent potential.

Long Distance: Restore Florida to Chicago (by way of Atlanta).

[Anonymous]

I would like to have a daily from Dallas to Houston, the two biggest closest cities in America that don't have a direct pasenger rail link. SHAME ON AMTRAK! True Texas rail fans demand the link NOW!

IF THE SECOND LARGEST STATE IN POPULATION CAN BE SO IGNORED BY AMTRAK, one wonders whether Amtrak is worth saving!

[Anonymous]

Asheville, NC I understand that this is the most requested off system location that Amtrak reservation agents are asked for.

[conrailman]

Is BNSF still thinking to Sale the Raton Pass and moving Amtrak train 3&4 to the Southern Route Main Line?

[oltmannd]

QUOTE: Originally posted by smalling_60626

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.

I like this one. It fits in well with the I-81 corridor study now under way. If it pans out, there will be Fed and State money to improve the route and you might even be able to make it a viable passenger route again.

[Anonymous]

Extend the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City through Wichita, Kansas to meet the Southwest Chiefs at Newton, Kansas. Closing this 157-mile gap would give those of us in the "real" midwest great connections for business travel, especially in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. No extra equipment would be needed, as the train could head north after its 5:30 P.M. Oklahoma City arrival, have plenty of time to meet the Chiefs, then return to OKC for the 8:30 A.M. trip to Ft. Worth. A round-trip plane ticket to Dallas from Wichita is $574.00...for a turboprop! Fare on an extended "Flyer" should be in the range of $100.00 Now if we could get a link to Denver...?

[oltmannd]

Personally, I'd just like a daylight Atlanta to the northeast train. That is something I would use a couple of times a year.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jhhtrainsplanes

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.

I second the above quote. [:D] [:D] [:D]

[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!!

[Anonymous]

chicago-quad cities via the ex-RI

[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]

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.

[pat390]

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

[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.

[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?

[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.

[chad thomas]

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

[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

[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...

[oltmannd]

I'd start here:

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

and then play connect the dots

[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!

[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.

[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

[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.

[Hugh Jampton]

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

[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..