more sports team charters

During last night's Nationals-Phillies baseball game, the TV announcers mentioned that the Nats would be riding an Amtrak charter between Washington and New York this evening, following this afternoon's game. Following their upcoming series with the Mets in Queens, they will take another charter New York-Philadelphia for a series with the Phillies, and after that series go home to Washington on a third one. The announcers mentioned how comfortable train travel was and how most of the players enjoyed it as an alternative to their regular charter flights.

The Red Sox traveled from Baltimore to Philadelphia last week on Amtrak.,

Im guessing they won't be sending the train to Willets Point LIRR station, but instead will be busing them to Manhattan? I know the Nets sometimes take the train into Penn (I've picked them up there twice to drive them back to the training facility in Brooklyn) but I don't know if it was a private charter or not.

If the next order of dual mode locomotives is in fact a triple agency purchase (Amtrak, MNCR, LIRR) what would it take to run a Mets train out to Willets Point? Would the Amtrak cab have the right signal equipment to make the run? Would a LIRR crew just ride along in the cab? Would the Amtrak crew need to be qualified?

Technical and logistical questions aside, sports teams arriving in a city on on a road trip normally head from their intercity transportation (plane or train) to a hotel, not directly to the ballpark/stadium/arena. Thus unless a team was staying at a hotel in the immediate vicinity of Citi Field, there would be no reason to want to run an Amtrak charter out to Queens on the Long Island RR. The Nats are probably staying at a fancy hotel in Manhattan. And of course for the fans there's plenty of LIRR regular service between Penn Station and the ballpark in addition to the #7 subway.

Probably no need for Willets Point (though several unused World's Fair tracks at the station).

Visiting teams would certainly not make the ballpark their first or last stop of the trip but the home team might. How do the Mets get to Penn Station at the beginning of the trip? Do they all arrive on their own and gather together in a lounge somewhere or do they first meet at Citi Field and have a charter bus bring them in to Manhattan? If the latter then it would make sense as well as a good press opportunity for both the team and Amtrak to have the train meet them in Queens in the open air rather than in the bowels of Penn Station. The days of lowering windows and waving at the fans or hanging out the vestibule door as the train pulls away may be over but there are still opportunities to make the most of a situation with a gauntlet of fans in the parking lot or even on the platforms.

andegold wrote: How do the Mets get to Penn Station at the beginning of the trip? Do they all arrive on their own and gather together in a lounge somewhere or do they first meet at Citi Field and have a charter bus bring them in to Manhattan?

The usual practice is for teams embarking on a road trip to meet at their venue and then take charter buses to the airport, or in this case the train station. With the exception of special events like Super Bowl or World Series sendoffs, this is normally a low key thing.

TomNelligan wrote:

andegold wrote: How do the Mets get to Penn Station at the beginning of the trip? Do they all arrive on their own and gather together in a lounge somewhere or do they first meet at Citi Field and have a charter bus bring them in to Manhattan?

The usual practice is for teams embarking on a road trip to meet at their venue and then take charter buses to the airport, or in this case the train station. With the exception of special events like Super Bowl or World Series sendoffs, this is normally a low key thing.

That's kind of what I thought and why I think there would be a great opportunity to move the pickup out to the stadium. I think you could probably even get fans out on the platforms at Woodside to cheer the team on as they pass through.

You might get some fans to see off the team on their way to the World Series, but I doubt if anyone would show for a regular season road trip. So, yeah, maybe two or three times if a team makes it to the World Series. I don't see people lining the tracks or cramming onto the platforms at stations along the line. Or the team could just get on a bus and ride to Penn Station, just like they get on a bus and ride to the airport.

I recall a Red Sox/Nationals series back in... 2008 or so. (might have been 2009).

Set a then record attendance at Nationals stadium 2 nights in a row, with all the Sox fans coming into town.

While the players want to travel in peace, I wonder if a charter where 2-3 cars were reserved just for fans and set out in a team theme might work.

The Mets charter Academy.

If Amtrak is denying or cancelling all private varnish excursions, and all scenic excursions, then why are they still "chartering" for Sports teams!!!

CarterB wrote:If Amtrak is denying or cancelling all private varnish excursions, and all scenic excursions, then why are they still "chartering" for Sports teams!!!

Presumably because their accountants figure they make a profit on them. Note also that these charters appear to be limited to the Northeast Corridor, where crews and equipment are readily available.

TomNelligan wrote:

CarterB wrote:If Amtrak is denying or cancelling all private varnish excursions, and all scenic excursions, then why are they still "chartering" for Sports teams!!!

Presumably because their accountants figure they make a profit on them. Note also that these charters appear to be limited to the Northeast Corridor, where crews and equipment are readily available.

I don't know if sports teams elsewhere would want to travel on train. Its just too slow.