The End of Clockers is Near

Robert Paniagua wrote:Same here, I'm glad Amtrak is getting rid of those darn Clockers, since they have been nothing more than commuter trains, and have no food service for that NEC portion. I mean, those commuters ought to be riding SEPTA or NJT, the offer just about the same services, except make a little connection at Trenton. Also, the elimination of Clockers should help free up some coaches needed elsewhere in the NEC.

The connection in Trenton is irritating, and the trip is much faster on a Clocker than an NJT train. Having taken both, I know that the SEPTA portion is more than twice as long on a non-clocker.

NJT paid Amtrak very handsomely for the allowance of NJT passes on board those trains - if anything, the discontinuance of the clockers will free up money at NJT, and i bet that the Clockers were a nice little cash cow for Amtrak........sure, it cost money to run the train, but compared to the amount of NJT riders, and how much NJT paid Amtrak for each of those riders, im sure MORE than made up for the running of the train.

I also think Amtrak is losing out on money by transferring the Clockers to NJT. NJT already announced it would be cheaper for them to operate the service than pay Amtrak. NJT's main hold out - according to my sources - was lack of equipment. They were waiting for the bi-levels. But now that theory is out the window with NJT taking over the Clockers.

Amtrak also was not too bright on just parking the Clockers in Sunnyside all day - so they just made a morning and evening run. One would think they could have rotated equipment better - would have worked with the Keystones. Just cut an inbound Clocker trainset in half and you had a Keystone train - or thereabouts and vice versa for inbound Keystone trains - put two together. All is in the past - or will be shortly!

Jtgshu wrote:NJT paid Amtrak very handsomely for the allowance of NJT passes on board those trains - if anything, the discontinuance of the clockers will free up money at NJT, and i bet that the Clockers were a nice little cash cow for Amtrak........sure, it cost money to run the train, but compared to the amount of NJT riders, and how much NJT paid Amtrak for each of those riders, im sure MORE than made up for the running of the train.

I guess the fundamental question to ask is, what earns the railroad more -- running that equipment in locker service, being compensated at the NJT rate, or freeing it up for more regional service. If Amtrak estimates that the additional regional services that could be operated with that equipment would bring in greater revenue, then this is the way to go. Granted, I don't have math to back this up, but its just a theory. I do know that the regionals seem to get pretty healthy crowds most of the time, and at least on the routes I travel most (BOS-BWI or PHL) even the regionals are usually undercut by as much as 25% by some of the airlines on the same routes. it certainly seems possible to me that usin the equipment to operate regional service could often bring in plenty of revenue as well.

I hope Amtrak re-allocates this equipment - but only time will tell. Amtrak has done poorly so far, on my score card, on matching supply and demand with patrons.

jp1822 wrote:I hope Amtrak re-allocates this equipment - but only time will tell. Amtrak has done poorly so far, on my score card, on matching supply and demand with patrons.

I have a suggestion for some of the Cars go to some LD Trains for Short Haul Riders.

Now that transit is taking over the clockers, Amtrak could free up extra cars for secondary corridors like the Keystone and Springfield-NHV shuttles.

Sic Transit Gloria--

The very first Amtrak train to be dispatched on A-Day was #235, a NY to Phila Clocker which departed Penn at 1205AM.

I have a feeling the "event' was a non-event as the train was indistinguishable from that which departed the morning before.

Todays the last day.

I'm gonna miss the sight of these trains. They were cool looking. The ALP46 hauling 11 or so cars at excess speeds down the corridor.

Last run of the Clocker trains will be tonight, 10/28. It will also mark the end of the "200 Club," the club that had its own private Amfleet car on the Clocker trains. This leaves a club in Chicago and the club on the North Jersey Coast Line as the remaining private "clubs" on commuter trains.

This is something that makes me mad as a employee. Amtrak is giving so many things away and it's going to cost them. In the pass so many people talk so good about the company and I dont think the company is listening. They are closing down Philly race street yard, BIG MISTAKE. That was like the half point between NYP and WAS. If a train breaks down who going to recuse it? Where is the recuse crew coming from and if they do come how long is it going to take? This is something they have to think about.

Burke, as a side note, related to Race St. yard closing, a taste of thing to come happened a few weekends ago - an Amtrak train broke down at Holmsburg Jct I believe it was, and there was no rescue crew around for hours. CTEC7 asked an NJT crew if they were qualified down there and if they would "do a favor" - Ran by management, it was approved, and the NJT crew deadheaded out of Morrisville Yard, down to Holmsburg (sp) and transfered all their passengers to the NJT MU's and made those stops all the way to NY. It was a miserable night, rainy, windy, and im sure the people weren't thrilled - but at least they were moving........

But what would happen if the NJT crew wasn't around, or weren't qualified - how long wouldl that train with their passengers have sat there? Probably hours.

Mr. Burkeman,
I agree with you there is no excuse to close Penn Yard but it still would have Power for the Keystone, The Pennsylvanian and MOW Trains.

I don't know what the issue with Race St is, but I don't think that they are just going to pave it over. You need it to stage diesels there for PRR Main services and often times when electrics run short they move to Power Change to Philly. From what I heard it ws more like they were eliminating the maintainence duties of the yard.

Re: clockers, its a shame they are going, but at this point in time the traffic just dosen't exist to justify them as currently operated. I once rode the early clocker and there were about 40 people riding b/t Philly and TRE. The mid-morning clocker has 170 following 10 min behind it, which is MUCH more popular due to its faster timing and cafe.

I would not be surprised if there was a move by NJT and PennDoT to extend NJT service to Morrisville and maybe even to PHL like the clockers work today. The reason behind this is that PA based NYc commuters all drive over to NJ and clog the parking lots at TRE and Hamilton. Everybody can win, especially if PennDot kicks in some bucks.

Not happy that the Clockers are history. Amtrak could have cycled this equipment better - rather than having it just sit in Sunnyside Yard waiting for its return to Philadelphia in the evening rush hour.