New Winter/Spring Timetable online

The new Winter/Spring Timetable has been posted online. http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/462/24/Amtr ... g-2014.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I know the Cascades corridor has some new trains. Any other changes/improvements been made?

Artwork for the cover; stuff getting 'too gritty' for photos?

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Artwork for the cover; stuff getting 'too gritty' for photos?

I noticed that as well. But if you read the caption on the third page you will learn that the artwork was done by an Amtrak employee. A lot of the previous photos were not necessarily "company photos", but rather taken by railfans. You can actually find many of them here: http://www.railpictures.net/album/836/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think that they probably thought it would be a nice way to honor one of their employees by using one of the pictures that he painted. That way the cover also has a connection with the company. Because after all, the core of the company is the people that make it up.

Don't get me wrong though, I do think that it is pretty neat that Amtrak also uses pictures from railfans for their covers as well

Woodcrest295 wrote:The new Winter/Spring Timetable has been posted online. http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/462/24/Amtr ... g-2014.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I know the Cascades corridor has some new trains. Any other changes/improvements been made?

One tiny change may be for Denver Union Station to begin reopening in Feb? Date to be determined.

Woodcrest295 wrote:The new Winter/Spring Timetable has been posted online. http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/462/24/Amtr ... g-2014.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I know the Cascades corridor has some new trains. Any other changes/improvements been made?

The trip times for the 2 Empire services train to Niagara Falls have been trimmed in the new schedule with the biggest change for a daily #284 departing NFL 15 minutes earlier and getting to NYP a hour earlier.

acelaphillies wrote:I think that they probably thought it would be a nice way to honor one of their employees by using one of the pictures that he painted. That way the cover also has a connection with the company. Because after all, the core of the company is the people that make it up.

If Amtrash wanted to "honor its hourly" employees it should pay them a decent wage and contribute to their 401k plan! Management gets 3%- hourly employees 0%. ( If the public knew how many managers, assistant managers, supervisors, assistant supervisors, forgot the one assistant superintendent, that are tied up in the NYP crew base they and I would think many of you would gag like I do every day I walk through there…) Acelaphillies sorry to usurp your comment, but you gave me a good segue and I could not resist it!!!***

Let's be sure to keep this thread about the timetable and not Amtrak's paytables.

acelaphillies wrote:Don't get me wrong though, I do think that it is pretty neat that Amtrak also uses pictures from railfans for their covers as well.

Just FYI, that's nothing new. Amtrak's corporate communication folks have been purchasing photos from railfan photographers for years for use in timetables, brochures, and promotional documents. I used to make some extra cash that way back in the 1980s.

wintower wrote:

acelaphillies wrote:I think that they probably thought it would be a nice way to honor one of their employees by using one of the pictures that he painted. That way the cover also has a connection with the company. Because after all, the core of the company is the people that make it up.

If Amtrash wanted to "honor its hourly" employees it should pay them a decent wage and contribute to their 401k plan! Management gets 3%- hourly employees 0%. ( If the public knew how many managers, assistant managers, supervisors, assistant supervisors, forgot the one assistant superintendent, that are tied up in the NYP crew base they and I would think many of you would gag like I do every day I walk through there…) Acelaphillies sorry to usurp your comment, but you gave me a good segue and I could not resist it!!!***

Don't most amtrak hourly employees have a pension? (making 401k matches pointless?) I would gladly trade my 401k match for a pension.

Looks like the new timetable doesn't have many changes for the NEC, it's a shame that the last departure east of New York up towards Boston has remained #178/#168 Monday-Saturday at 7:45 It would be great if they had a 9:00 departure every night like they have on Sundays.

afiggatt wrote:

Woodcrest295 wrote:The new Winter/Spring Timetable has been posted online. . .
Any other changes/improvements been made?

The trip times for the 2 Empire services train to Niagara Falls
have been trimmed in the new schedule with the biggest change
for a daily #284 departing NFL 15 minutes earlier and getting
to NYP a hour earlier.

Interesting they cut out 45 minutes from this run already.

I was expecting faster schedules once the Stimulus-funded
physical improvements kicked in on the route, but the critical
17-mile-long bottleneck between Albany and Schenectady
hasn't installed a single new tie of that double-tracking
project yet.

So is this time savings all coming from Amtrak taking over
from CSX the dispatching from Schenectady thru Albany
and down the Hudson? Wow.

Woodcrest295 wrote:The new Winter/Spring Timetable has been posted online. http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/462/24/Amtr ... g-2014.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I know the Cascades corridor has some new trains. Any other changes/improvements been made?

There are new slots for the Cascades south of Portland, but the total number of trains has not changed--still 2x/day (plus the Starlight).

Woody wrote:

afiggatt wrote:

Woodcrest295 wrote:The new Winter/Spring Timetable has been posted online. . .
Any other changes/improvements been made?

The trip times for the 2 Empire services train to Niagara Falls
have been trimmed in the new schedule with the biggest change
for a daily #284 departing NFL 15 minutes earlier and getting
to NYP a hour earlier.

Interesting they cut out 45 minutes from this run already.

I was expecting faster schedules once the Stimulus-funded
physical improvements kicked in on the route, but the critical
17-mile-long bottleneck between Albany and Schenectady
hasn't installed a single new tie of that double-tracking
project yet.

So is this time savings all coming from Amtrak taking over
from CSX the dispatching from Schenectady thru Albany
and down the Hudson? Wow.

If you look at the timetable, 2/3rds of the improvement (31min) is between Niagara Falls and Schenectady, actually.

Old timetable: http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/994/865/Sys ... l-2013.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To point out a technicality, it appears Amtrak has yet again changed its shading style. Now, there are only two main shadings:

(Orange) - "Day Trains"
(Purple) - "Overnight Trains"

All of the former "Medium Distance" trains that were shaded in yellow (i.e. Pennsylvanian, Ethan Allen Express, Adirondack, and Palmetto) now show up as "Day Trains" and are shaded orange.

Keystone trains are now also shaded as "Day Trains" just like the Northeast Regionals, and there is no way to distinguish between reserved travel and unreserved travel just from looking at the timetable, there is only a note at the bottom advising of such.

What about ordering the booklet (hard copy) of the new timetable? I ordered a national timetable booklet one time and cannot for the life of me remember what to click on to do same again once I get to Amtrak.com. What do I click on? Help!

motor

motor wrote:What about ordering the booklet (hard copy) of the new timetable? I ordered a national timetable booklet one time and cannot for the life of me remember what to click on to do same again once I get to Amtrak.com. What do I click on? Help!

motor

Many Amtrak stations have them out free for the taking. I'm not sure of the exact procedure for obtaining one if there isn't an Amtrak station near you, however I'm sure an e-mail or phone call to Amtrak will get that sorted out.