Overnight train from Boston Washington

Any idea why the southbound run (#65) skips Bridgeport and New Rochelle and just stops at New Haven & Stamford??

Taking out the northbound run (66) which can run as scheduled, because I can take the 9:05 train (#198) to NYP and transfer to Grand Central for Metro North service I can't do the same thing with the south bound late train. The last train that stops in Bridgeport leaves Boston at 6:45 (6:50 at Back Bay) which is barely enough time to put in a full work day, let alone a work day with dinner. Compounding matters is via the late departure from Boston it arrives in New Haven after the last Metro North train leaves for the day, so if you have to go to Boston and will be there after 6:30 you either have to put up with the crappy drive or take 65 down to Stamford and then backtrack 40 minutes on an Eastbound Metro North. Since you probably can't start 65 in Boston at 8:30 as it'll leave New York at 2 AM and arrive in Washington way to early, have their been discussions at adding Bridgeport & New Rochelle on 65 or possibly extending 179 (the 6:45) to Philadelphia or Washington like the weekend edition does, and possibly adding an extra run from Boston to NYP (where 179 ends Monday to Friday's) at 8:00 PM or so, so people in New Rochelle & Bridgeport that have to do business in Boston can take the train, and won't be running out of the conference at 6:30 to get the last train back home??

7express wrote:Any idea why the southbound run (#65) skips Bridgeport and New Rochelle and just stops at New Haven & Stamford??

A reasonable guess would be that Amtrak's marketing people don't believe that there would be enough post-midnight business at either of those stations to justify stopping. I'm not sure I'd want to be walking around the Bridgeport station parking garage at 1 AM myself.

7express wrote: Since you probably can't start 65 in Boston at 8:30 as it'll leave New York at 2 AM and arrive in Washington way to early, have their been discussions at adding Bridgeport & New Rochelle on 65 or possibly extending 179 (the 6:45) to Philadelphia or Washington like the weekend edition does, and possibly adding an extra run from Boston to NYP (where 179 ends Monday to Friday's) at 8:00 PM or so, so people in New Rochelle & Bridgeport that have to do business in Boston can take the train, and won't be running out of the conference at 6:30 to get the last train back home??

Nope. I'm pretty sure no one is discussing anything you listed above. BRP is pain to access particularly if Metro-North is doing late night track work. NRO is accessible but how many people would board in the wee hours of the night?

Stamford is one of the few cities in Connecticut that is really in a growth pattern. Bridgeport is not much more than a sewer at this stage and I agree I would not want to be around that place late at night. The traffic that they would attract in Bridgeport would probably be problem traffic as well. Drug dealers, criminals and other low lifes. By not stopping there they also protect the through passengers on these trains as well. Metro-North does not have direct connections with these trains at Bridgeport but they can be used at least EB to connect at New Haven. I would predict that before too many more years Stamford will become the largest city in Connecticut in population. It is already the largest in area as I type this.
Noel Weaver

ThirdRail7 wrote:

7express wrote: Since you probably can't start 65 in Boston at 8:30 as it'll leave New York at 2 AM and arrive in Washington way to early, have their been discussions at adding Bridgeport & New Rochelle on 65 or possibly extending 179 (the 6:45) to Philadelphia or Washington like the weekend edition does, and possibly adding an extra run from Boston to NYP (where 179 ends Monday to Friday's) at 8:00 PM or so, so people in New Rochelle & Bridgeport that have to do business in Boston can take the train, and won't be running out of the conference at 6:30 to get the last train back home??

Nope. I'm pretty sure no one is discussing anything you listed above. BRP is pain to access particularly if Metro-North is doing late night track work. NRO is accessible but how many people would board in the wee hours of the night?

Well, to answer your question, perhaps a stop should be scheduled when a new timetable appears so as to be able to evaluate the situation. Ya never know unless ya try!

The question was more for the OP as I'm willing to bet the marketing department already has an idea regarding potential riders.

This is likely why the train does not make those particular stops...and others.

I disagree. I dont work for Amtrak, and never have, but I do have experience with plenty of large organizations that sometimes dont do things because...well because.

That is, maybe 27 years ago they did an analysis that showed there was no demand. Great! Problem is, if theyre still referring to that analysis today, thats a problem.

And many times thats exactly what happens - even with your language. "If there was demand, we'd already be doing it" - never questioning when or why the original decision was made.

Sometimes it takes a leader to say "we need to take a new look" but that leader is never going to even think about the problem unless someone who is directly hurt from the problem brings it up.

Should be able to make an educated guess based on comparing Bridgeport & Stamford ridership on the earlier trains and projecting the same percentage on this later train. Also can analyze MNCR ridership.

What if Metro North wanted to be able to do maintenance of either Tracks 2 and 4 through New Rochelle and/or Bridgeport? At that time of night, they could run the entire RR on 1 & 3.

Stamford has platforms for all main tracks.

Perhaps the union doesn't want their membership being stabbed, robbed, shot, murdered, or otherwise violated? Not only would I not want to STOP in Bridgeport, I wouldn't want to do anything less than medium speed.

enough of Bridgeport - what of a NRO stop?

New Rochelle would not be a place where I would have to wait to board a train in the middle of the night either although it is not as bad as Bridgeport. Both places there is no place to wait inside as the stations are locked at night. I can't really imagine that either station would be worth stopping in the middle of the night.
Noel Weaver

I'd be getting off a NRO after a full day in Boston. so it would be more convenient than Peter Pan Bus or flights back to HPN or LGA or getting off at NYP and backtracking to Westchester
so maybe just make Bridgeport and NRO a discharge only flag stop.

jamesinclair wrote:

ThirdRail7 wrote:
The question was more for the OP as I'm willing to bet the marketing department already has an idea regarding potential riders.

This is likely why the train does not make those particular stops...and others.

I disagree. I dont work for Amtrak, and never have, but I do have experience with plenty of large organizations that sometimes dont do things because...well because.

That is, maybe 27 years ago they did an analysis that showed there was no demand. Great! Problem is, if theyre still referring to that analysis today, thats a problem.

And many times thats exactly what happens - even with your language. "If there was demand, we'd already be doing it" - never questioning when or why the original decision was made.

Sometimes it takes a leader to say "we need to take a new look" but that leader is never going to even think about the problem unless someone who is directly hurt from the problem brings it up.

ajp wrote:I'd be getting off a NRO after a full day in Boston. so it would be more convenient than Peter Pan Bus or flights back to HPN or LGA or getting off at NYP and backtracking to Westchester
so maybe just make Bridgeport and NRO a discharge only flag stop.

Agreed. Some operations can fall into the "we've always done it this way, why change it now?" trap. Amtrak is no exception. However, I would note that as I previously mentioned, the current group constantly explore different options. Additionally, the argument must me made that the stop will be worthwhile. Sure, there are probably a few people that would get off at each stop. But will it be worth the potential fight with Metro-North to route a train there in the middle of the night? Will there be boarding passengers to fill the vacant seat or is it better to sell the same seat to a through passenger (BOS-NYP as an example)?

I'm willing to bet despite Mr Sinclair's thoughts that marketing has an idea and that is why the stops aren't made. Remember, 66/67 run with short consists which required reservations. I'm willing to bet that Aberdeen, Maryland would see some action on these train if they bothered to make the stops. I could probably see Princeton Junction adding a few dollars to the bottom line. However, trains do have a limit on capacity and will any additional stops hurt through ridership and will they cumulatively yield more revenue?

These are thing to consider.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:What if Metro North wanted to be able to do maintenance of either Tracks 2 and 4 through New Rochelle and/or Bridgeport? At that time of night, they could run the entire RR on 1 & 3.

Stamford has platforms for all main tracks.

Actually, 1 track between CP2234 and CP 235 (Stamford) does not have access to a platform.