Federal, Night Owl, Twilight Shoreliner (Trains 65, 66, 67)

danib62 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 09, 2021 1:22 pm Why wouldn’t you just get off at Baltimore and save yourself some doubling back? Or are the breakfast options at Union Station so much better than the ones in Baltimore?

Johnny Rockets opens in the morning at Union Station, and also has Starbucks (shudder), Au Bon Pain, McDonalds, and Blue Bottle Coffee. Baltimore Penn Station has Dunkin' Donuts and a half-decent cafe that tries to be McDonalds. To get any decent breakfast I'd have to ride 10 minutes on a bus to Charles Center and hit up a hole-in-the-wall place... and that may not be around now.

9:30p to 7a is 9h30m.

Eh, I'm salaried. I'll take a half-day in that case.

What is interesting is Richmond and NPN shows sleeper as sold out. It would be better if reservations site said sleeper available at WASH to BOS or Sleeper available only to WASH southbound. Oh wait too complicated for Amtrak IT.?

$288 for 18 sq ft and a box lunch. I’m supposed to get excited about that? The price hasn’t changed since 1950, but the quality of the mattress, the sheets, the blankets, the food and beverage sure as **** has... not for the better!

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:32 am $288 for 18 sq ft and a box lunch. I’m supposed to get excited about that? The price hasn’t changed since 1950, but the quality of the mattress, the sheets, the blankets, the food and beverage sure as **** has... not for the better!

Not even a box lunch. That's long enough that you get dinner and breakfast at the endpoints.

Geesh, let me experience how **** it is, please?

Mr. Wolf, are you planning a joyride?

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:29 pm Mr. Wolf, are you planning a joyride?

$288/trip? I can afford that easily enough. Why joyride? Let me get my license and the arm jab first. Besides, the MIT Flea Market/Swapfest won't be going on until after Summer this year.

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 3:32 am $288 for 18 sq ft and a box lunch. I’m supposed to get excited about that? The price hasn’t changed since 1950, but the quality of the mattress, the sheets, the blankets, the food and beverage sure as **** has... not for the better!

I know we all love trains, etc and we want to get excited, but I'll say I think honestly in this case the question isn't if it's worth getting excited about. It's "is it practical and sellable?" I'll get excited about the Zephyr through the Rockies, for this, it's "does it work". Sometimes it doesn't need to be exciting.

Will forty or fifty people a day (enough to fill all rooms and roommettes in one car, with some double occupancy, in each direction) think it sounds exciting, or fun, or better than flying, or cheaper than flying plus hotel, at a fare that more than pays the incremental costs of running a sleeper? That's really all it takes. It doesn't have to be exciting for fans. It doesn't have to have great food, or any food. It doesn't have to capture much of the market at all -- just the equivalent of about four rows of airplane seats in each direction every night.

I think this is great news and I predict it will be very successful. This route has the population density and the concentration of business, gov't, and academia along the route to fill the room(ette)s. Add the hygiene advantages of a private space...

Now will they restore the name 'Night Owl?' I hope so.

It will be interesting to see what--if any--advertising will be done for the service.

rohr turbo wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:21 am I think this is great news and I predict it will be very successful. This route has the population density and the concentration of business, gov't, and academia along the route to fill the room(ette)s. Add the hygiene advantages of a private space...

Now will they restore the name 'Night Owl?' I hope so.

The topic has been discussed previously here and many were on the side of "names are pointless for corridor service trains, people just care about 'is there a train at this time?'"

I disagree, I think certain trains can be better marketed with names and I think Night Owl or Twilight Shoreliner would be good for this train, it's a service that's distinctly different from the normal corridor/Acela trains.

rohr turbo wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 12:21 am I think this is great news and I predict it will be very successful. This route has the population density and the concentration of business, gov't, and academia along the route to fill the room(ette)s. Add the hygiene advantages of a private space...

Now will they restore the name 'Night Owl?' I hope so.

Real-life story: I work for a NY-based firm that happens to have a lot of clients in Boston. Two of the senior partners live in Greenwich, CT and Tenafly, NJ respectively. Both of them far prefer to travel to and from Boston by rail rather than air, because the "last mile(s)" home are a lot easier from Newark Penn or Stamford. Both of them frequently fly back anyway because the last Acela left Boston too early given the meeting schedules, and they had zero desire to sit up in a coach seat. Will they use? Quite probably.

Ridgefielder wrote: ↑Thu Mar 11, 2021 9:24 am Real-life story: I work for a NY-based firm that happens to have a lot of clients in Boston. Two of the senior partners live in Greenwich, CT and Tenafly, NJ respectively. Both of them far prefer to travel to and from Boston by rail rather than air, because the "last mile(s)" home are a lot easier from Newark Penn or Stamford. Both of them frequently fly back anyway because the last Acela left Boston too early given the meeting schedules, and they had zero desire to sit up in a coach seat. Will they use? Quite probably.

Notice they have a pragmatic reason. Notice also their business requirements drive their mode. A decent reason to select rail.

I can see amtrak including a food box with a bottle of water and a cheese and cracker plate, just so they can bill $50 from the cost of the roomette to the P&L of the cafe car, helping their food and beverage breakeven mandate.

I'm going to give it a try. I booked the 1pm Acela from DC to Boston and a roomette on the "Night Owl" back the same day(Tuesday April 13). I'm giving it a week to work out the bugs. Hoping for a good ride.