Amtrak combining the Silver Star and Capitol Limited (a new Floridian?)

charlesriverbranch wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 11:28 am There's no way to get from New Jersey to New England other than through those tunnels, unless by boat.

Never say "No way" to nerds . "No rational way," maybe, but Amtrak appears ready to let me book a Pennsylvanian / Cap Ltd / Lake Shore combo from Newark to Boston via Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

rohr turbo wrote: ↑Tue Jun 04, 2024 12:45 pm

charlesriverbranch wrote:There's no way to get from New Jersey to New England other than through those tunnels, unless by boat.

Theoretically, I think a northbound train into Penn could back out through Empire Connection to Spyten Duyvil, then proceed forward through Mott and up the Shore line to all New England points.

Yes probably impractical due to need for a tow locomotive (diesel or third rail), but far more practical than a boat.

I think the LSL did a strange move via New Rochelle (probably requiring a backup?) at one point when Empire was down and GCT was impractical.

Hold on here... I wrote about this in an upcoming novel. Let me see, that should be book 2 of Nomadic Railways...

1. Reverse on the Empire Line up to CP 12.
2. Switch tracks to Spuyten Duyvil/CP 11 to line up with the wye...
3. Take the wye at CP 9 to head north.
4. Switch tracks along the way to get to New Rochelle.

Although in the novel, I have a replica J3-A Dreyfus Hudson (no, not running steam or diesel, it's self-contained electric, thus replica) hauling a specialty consist up to CP-12, take the wye, and then haul it down to track 42. Next to it, track 41, would be a 20th Century Limited recreation that matches said Hudson... which despite being TOMX 88, is named The Commodore Vanderbilt.

Now, if you want to really avoid NYC all together, you take ether the Beacon Line or LSL's main route to Albany, haul down CSX's River Subdivision, travel down Conrail's Northern branch, get on the Passaic & Harminus line down to near Newark Liberty Airport, and hop on the NEC there.

Will Amtrak ad any
extra seats to the connecting trains from New York?

TRAINS weighs in:

Fairly solid analysis.

Amtrak may be planning to combine Capitol Limited and Silver Star: Analysis


WASHINGTON — Circumstantial evidence gleaned from Amtrak’s booking site portends mid-November changes to the operation of the Chicago-Washington, D.C. Capitol Limited and the New York-Miami Silver Star. A Trains News Wire review of ticketing availabilities on the two trains indicates tentative plans to combine their operation as a single-level Chicago-Miami train.

Doing so would allow Amtrak to redeploy the Capitol’s three Superliner equipment sets — each now running with two coaches, two sleeping cars, and one diner-lounge, plus any standby Superliners stationed at Washington solely as Capitol backups — to other long-distance departures. The train’s consist currently makes a same-day turn at Chicago, so a fifth set of Viewliners and Amfleet II cars would be required, but the 24-hour layover Superliners sit idle in D.C. would be eliminated.
...
Nevertheless, beginning Saturday, Nov. 9, from Miami, the northbound Silver Star is showing “sold out” for anyone attempting to book coach or sleeping car space to New York, but inventory is available as far as Washington. Starting the next day, Nov. 10, and every day thereafter, family rooms on the Capitol are “sold out.” Only Superliners have that accommodation, so this would be the first day of the northbound-to-westbound run-through with Viewliners and Amfleet II equipment.
...

Tampa and Columbia (Star exclusive cities) would lose service to the Northeast and have Midwest service only.
I would believe a connection to Regionals in through ticketing would be offered.

The guaranteed Southbound connection requires a 2 hour layover in Washington.

JimBoylan wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2024 6:34 pm The guaranteed Southbound connection requires a 2 hour layover in Washington.

Southbound from NYP/BOS to connect to the new Cap Star? Under current schedule, there's enough dwell (60-90 min) for some connections to hit. I pulled the info out here: post1644570.html#p1644570

Now if you want to catch that Cap Star, you'll want NEC 185 which will hit 90 min before the Cap Star could depart. 95 gets close (30 min) but with the delays lately... you'll want more time.

Carolinan to Raleigh, transfer to Star there.

David Benton wrote: ↑Fri Jul 12, 2024 10:41 pm Carolinan to Raleigh, transfer to Star there.

Honestly this would be a great place for this transfer Southbound. A very pleasant station, they will hold your luggage, and there are dozens of decent restaurants in easy walking distance. Far better amenities than RSM and less of a cattle call than WAS. I would also hope that Carolinian OTP will improve dramatically when the S-Line is usable.

Northbound would probably not work with current schedules and Star unreliability. Feels like the northbound Carolinian runs in the Star’s marker lights most days.

For years, 95/195 was shown as the Star's southbound connection and 94/194 northbound. 66/67 might provide
an added margin.

I just rode the Silver Meteor from Alexandria to Savannah. At least two of the sleeper passengers who boarded in Washington passengers were on Meteor because the Capitol Limited was so late they missed their connection to the Star.

Unconfirmed rumors from elsewhere have said the two lines will be replaced by the Floridian, trains 40/41, with the same schedule CHI-WAS as the Cap Limited, with adjusted schedules WAS down to Tampa and Miami, starting in November.

I checked... no adjustments on the Silver Star in December, so maybe a phased approach?

What I have read elsewhere is that come this winter (possibly November) the Sunset Limited will become a daily train. Amtrak will be transferring the Superliner trainsets from the Capitol Limited to the Sunset Limited, plus additional Superliners from Indianapolis repair yard. Therefore, the Capitol Limited trainsets at that time will be switching to Viewliners and Amfleet 2 cars. At that time, switching cars in DC from one Silver train to the Capitol Limited, and vice versa, will be possible. I suspect one Viewliner sleeper and one Amfleet 2 coach will be switched, similar to what is done with the Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited in San Antonio today.
As the Silver trains head north towards New York City from DC, more sleeper passengers get off than get on, so there are plenty of empty sleeper rooms and roomettes by the time both Silver trains reach New York City. If those now empty sleeper rooms and roomettes are now full heading towards Chicago, Amtrak wins. Of course, one sleeper and one coach is not much a loss of capacity compared to the total capacity of the Silver trains. Only Amtrak knows their passenger's booking trends officially, they own their booking servers. Somehow I believe this will be an improvement in both user friendless and rolling stock usage. Good for passengers seeking a one seat or bed ride to Florida from points west of DC and Amtrak's bottom line.
I believe these interlining cars will be numbered 429 and 430 much like 421 and 422, the cars being numbered with the parent train being extended. So I believe these cars and service will be still called the Capitol Limited.

Didn't UP want big bucks, like billions, to run a daily Sunset?

Would love to see a daily NO-HOU or TUS-Maricopa-LA train if they do have spare cars.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Thu Aug 01, 2024 7:34 pm Unconfirmed rumors from elsewhere have said the two lines will be replaced by the Floridian, trains 40/41, with the same schedule CHI-WAS as the Cap Limited, with adjusted schedules WAS down to Tampa and Miami, starting in November.

I checked... no adjustments on the Silver Star in December, so maybe a phased approach?

Have heard the same. Through route Miami - Chicago for at least 18 months while they do the East River tunnels. During the East River tunnel work Sunnyside Yard moves will be a problem at specific times of the day as they will be setting things up to keep LIRR and through Amtrak NEC trains running to and from the Hell Gate as fluid as possible and I guess for whatever reason the Silver Star’s move from the yard is a particular problem that they can’t reschedule around requiring a truncation to Washington so they thought of this given some of the equipment utilization benefits they’d get doing a run through and sending the Superliners west. From what I’ve heard there will be some other changes besides this particularly with NYP - ALB service but this is the most significant change. Heard something about the Maple Leaf and Adirondack running combined between New York and Albany too.

They are already running a lot of the NYP terminating regionals to WAS double ended push pull with platform turns which will help and heard they may be doing some platform turns and double ended operations with the Empire Corridor too during the work to reduce Sunnyside moves.