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  • Silver Star Discussion

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1125559  by gokeefe
 
David Benton wrote:Curious as to wether there were route guides,and or menus in the seat pockets . How was the information / annoncements ?. Pretending you wernt rail savy , do you think it was suffucent ? .
Speaking only for the Silver Star the information and announcements were just fine. In fact that's how I knew when we were coming into Selma, NC. At times the Public Address system did seem to have problems on both the Northeast Regional and the Silver Star with the Star being the worse of the two.

Route guides (and possibly menus) were in the Amtrak "Arrive" publications that were available throughout each car, however taking it from the 'not rail savvy' point of view I might not have even known they were there.

All that being said the immediate fail safe were the Car Attendants who were more than available at pretty much all times and who were also more than happy to answer questions while in the process of handing out blankets & pillows or simply in the course of their regular duties. One of the attendants had even managed to acquire a "helper" who was very diligent in handing out pillows and followed her from car to car. It was one of those gently humane moments that made you realize how much had been lost since "it" happened in 2001. Between the recommended full time seat belt usage and other security measures such an occurrence would be almost unthinkable these days on an airliner. This was also yet another moment when you could sense the difference between the Long Distance trains, which started to feel like family after a while, and the Northeast Regionals which were a little more like a shuttle flight between KLGA and KDCA in Business Class.
 #1125820  by mr. mick
 
Is it standard practice for the car attendants to provide blankets and pillows on Long Distance trains? Speaking of which, how does one know if a train is a long distance train anyway? By definition: length? time/distance between start and stop? the train has a name? Only runs once a week/day? Has sleeping cars?
 #1125838  by lirr42
 
Long distances trains run well...long distances. They may or may not have sleeping cars, dining cars, etc. (all trains have names).

The best rule of thumb I've used is to look at the train in the Amtrak timetables. If the train times are shaded in purple then it is a long-distance train, if it's shaded in yellow/orange then it's a corridor train, tealish the it's an Acela Express, red then it's an unreserved corridor train (darker red are reserved Keystone trains)
 #1125845  by lirr42
 
Here's a quick list I made of all the routes and what they're calssified as:

Long Distance Routes (shaded purple)
Adirondack
Auto Train
California Zephyr
Capitol Limited
Cardinal
Carolinian
City of New Orleans
Coast Starlight
Crescent
Empire Builder
Ethan Allen Express
Hoosier State
Lake Shore Limited
Maple Leaf
Palmetto
Pennsylvanian
Silver Meteor
Silver Star
Southwest Cheif
Sunset Limited
Texas Eagle
Vermonter


Reserved Corridor Service Routes (shaded yellow)
Amtrak Cascades
Blue Water
Carl Sandburg
Downeaster
Empire Service
Heartland Flyer
Illini
Illinois Zephyr
Lincoln Service
Missouri River Runner
Northeast Regional
Pere Marquette
Piedmont
Saluki
San Joaquins
Shuttle
Wolverine
Acela Express
(shaded teal)

Unreserved Corridor Service Routes (shaded red)
Capitol Corridor
Hiawatha Service
Keystone Service
(reserved NYP-PHL; unreserved PHL-HAR)
Pacific Surfliner (this one is oddly shaded yellow in timetables)
 #1125856  by gokeefe
 
mr. mick wrote:Is it standard practice for the car attendants to provide blankets and pillows on Long Distance trains?
Yes.
mr. mick wrote:Speaking of which, how does one know if a train is a long distance train anyway? By definition: length? time/distance between start and stop? the train has a name? Only runs once a week/day? Has sleeping cars?
It is designated by Amtrak as such. Ultimately the distinction is meaningless for the passenger as the classes of service are generally uniform and as long as their train gets them where they want to go at whatever level of service they paid for then everything should be "hunky-dory".

On the other hand....there are some distinctions to keep in mind.

For example: if I had to choose between the Carolinian and the Silver Star I would pick the Silver Star any day of the week for the purposes of comfort. Why? Because the Carolinian is basically operated as a corridor train, paid for the State of North Carolina using Amfleet I (high density seating) cars and running only with a cafe car for meals. The Silver Star of course is a federally supported train running with the previously discussed cafe and dining car which almost always gives coach passengers the option of getting a nice fresh cooked meal as opposed to something out of the microwave/fridge in the cafe. It also runs using Amfleet II cars (low density seating) which are perhaps mildly more comfortable. Having Car Attendants doesn't hurt either (which I don't believe are present on the Carolinian. So in short for the purpose of traveling to RGH from points north the Silver Star is the better option of the two (in terms of comfort).

In administrative terms, very plainly, the Long Distance trains are all federally supported trains run without state appropriated support funds. They are sometimes described as being part of the "Basic Network". States can then add on to this network should they choose to do so, which lately many have been doing in every greater numbers but administration of the "Basic Network" is outside their purview. The Northeast Corridor is also operated in large part as a "Basic" service with full federal ownership and operation of most of the trains on the corridor (including specifically the Acela).

Some other answers:

1. Named trains: Named trains are not necessarily Long Distance trains. The Downeaster of course most certainly isn't a Long Distance train, nor is it part of the "Basic Network". A better example would be the Pennsylvanian (or yet again the Carolinian) which might look like a Long Distance service based on points of origin and perhaps even trainsets, but once again both of these trains are state supported (one by PennDOT the other by NCDOT).

2. Sleeper Cars: This is actually a pretty good approach as all trains with sleeper cars are in fact Long Distance services and presently there are no state supported routes running sleeper car service (I happen to think this could change and that Maine would be a good place for it - service POR - NYP, but that's just an idea).

3. Schedule: Trains that only run once a day are one way of looking at things and in general the "Basic Network" is designed to do exactly that, which is often referred to as "once a day, each way". But again, the Pennsylvanian and the Carolinian are outliers here (and possibly other state supported trains as well). A good rule of thumb might be "once a day, each way, (or less!)" which would apply to the Cardinal and Sunset Limited both of which are currently running only three times a week.

Regardless there's no real hard and fast "rule" per se other than "as designated".
 #1125863  by lirr42
 
There are further classifications for Long Distance trains. There are "day" LD trains and "overnight" LD trains.

The overnight LD trains often have diners, sleepers, Amfleet II's (low capacity seats) on the east coast, and run overnight.
The day LD trains often do NOT have diners, do NOT have sleepers, run with Amfleet I's (high capactiy seats) on the east cost, and typically complete their runs in the day. They often also have state support (i.e. the Pennsylvanian and the Carolinian Mr. O'Keefe mentioned; the Eathan Allen Express and Vermonter are also examples of these "day" LD trains with state support (VT for both)

Long Distance Routes (shaded purple)
Adirondack (day train)
Auto Train (overnight train)
California Zephyr (overnight train)
Capitol Limited (overnight train)
Cardinal (overnight train)
Carolinian (day train)
City of New Orleans (overnight train)
Coast Starlight (overnight train)
Crescent (overnight train)
Empire Builder (overnight train)
Ethan Allen Express (day train)
Hoosier State (day train)
Lake Shore Limited (overnight train)
Maple Leaf (day train)
Palmetto (day train)
Pennsylvanian (day train)
Silver Meteor (overnight train)
Silver Star (overnight train)
Southwest Cheif (overnight train)
Sunset Limited (overnight train)
Texas Eagle (overnight train)
Vermonter (day train)
 #1125930  by gokeefe
 
lirr42 wrote:There are further classifications for Long Distance trains. There are "day" LD trains and "overnight" LD trains.

The overnight LD trains often have diners, sleepers, Amfleet II's (low capacity seats) on the east coast, and run overnight.
The day LD trains often do NOT have diners, do NOT have sleepers, run with Amfleet I's (high capactiy seats) on the east cost, and typically complete their runs in the day. They often also have state support (i.e. the Pennsylvanian and the Carolinian Mr. O'Keefe mentioned; the Eathan Allen Express and Vermonter are also examples of these "day" LD trains with state support (VT for both)

Long Distance Routes (shaded purple)
Adirondack (day train)
Auto Train (overnight train)
California Zephyr (overnight train)
Capitol Limited (overnight train)
Cardinal (overnight train)
Carolinian (day train)
City of New Orleans (overnight train)
Coast Starlight (overnight train)
Crescent (overnight train)
Empire Builder (overnight train)
Ethan Allen Express (day train)
Hoosier State (day train)
Lake Shore Limited (overnight train)
Maple Leaf (day train)
Palmetto (day train)
Pennsylvanian (day train)
Silver Meteor (overnight train)
Silver Star (overnight train)
Southwest Cheif (overnight train)
Sunset Limited (overnight train)
Texas Eagle (overnight train)
Vermonter (day train)
With the exception of the Maple Leaf and the Palmetto all of the the day trains mentioned are state supported. I believe the Maple Leaf may be subject to PRIIA provisions and the U.S. portion of the route will be funded by the State of New York in the near future. As discussed of course the Hoosier State is going to be cut.
 #1126002  by afiggatt
 
lirr42 wrote:There are further classifications for Long Distance trains. There are "day" LD trains and "overnight" LD trains.
I'm sorry, but your list is simply incorrect. The breakdown of the train services into NEC, short distance and (all to be) state supported corridors, and the 15 LD trains is defined in each Amtrak Monthly Report.

The 15 LD trains are those with routes of over 750 miles and thus are eligible to be supported with the federal operating grant. The only day time LD train is the Palmetto. The NEC services - the Acelas and NE Regionals - are also covered by the federal operating grant. (But they are both turning an operating profit). All of the other trains are in the short distance and state supported category and will require in FY14 state subsidy funding to keep operating. The only exception I think in the short distance group are the Springfield shuttles which I believe are covered under NEC support. To my understanding, NY state will have to provide a subsidy for the Maple Leaf, but as the 3 daily trains trains to Niagara Falls come remarkably close to breaking even (see September 2012 monthly report FY12 route performance table), they won't cost NY much to support.
 #1126011  by lirr42
 
Then they're "state supported trains that complete their run in a day"............

Mr. Mick wanted to know how to identify Long Distance vs. Non-Long Distance trains and we've more or less sorted all them out. We can sit here and debate what to call them, Amtrak's methodology of classifying them, who pays for them, or what their future holds until the cows come home and it makes no further contributions (and is likely off-topic; but that isn't for me to decide).
 #1259405  by gokeefe
 
The Orlando Sentinel published an article today of the generic "everyone likes train travel" variety featuring Amtrak's Silver Star.
Amtrak train 91 is late. The southbound Silver Star, headed to Tampa and Miami, is an hour overdue at the Orlando station on Sunday morning. Train people don't care. They belong to another time, another era, another mind-set. Speed is secondary to the experience. The destination isn't as important as the journey. The mother and daughter visiting relatives in Tampa, the travel companions from Oklahoma headed to Fort Lauderdale, the Orlando family on a day trip to Tampa's aquarium, are not in a hurry. "If you're in a hurry, it's not the way to go," says Linda Swindler, 61, a retired postal worker from Oklahoma on her way to Fort Lauderdale. "But it's a relaxing way to go. To me it's stress-free. I'm more into the experience of travel than I am into the speed of it." These are not the SunRail commuters who, soon enough, will pass through the Orlando station on their way to work or back home.
Although articles such as these are generally a disservice to Amtrak's very fast, and very efficient higher/high speed services offerred on the Northeast Corridor they acurately reflect the quality and style of service delivered in the local community. For the moment the stasis of passenger rail "post '71" continues to prevail in North Florida but hopefully not for much longer.
 #1261344  by hi55us
 
It's really something all of the commuter rail stations they have set up in Central Florida for the Sun Rail service. It certainly will change public perception of passenger railroads and possibly boost ridership on the Amtrak services in the state.
 #1261398  by faxman
 
i was on the Siver Star to orlando was month. On was down we were up to 1 hour at time but because of all "padding" we may into Orlando on time. I had a very "green" car attendand but he was great. The food in the dinner was only fair but hot.
 #1529389  by gokeefe
 
I have found indications that Henderson, NC was added as a stop on the Silver Star sometime after A-Day and then subsequently discontinued when the train was rerouted off the S-Line. Does anyone have a link to a photo of the Henderson, NC Amtrak station?
 #1529398  by Roadgeek Adam
 
gokeefe wrote: Thu Dec 26, 2019 8:16 pm I have found indications that Henderson, NC was added as a stop on the Silver Star sometime after A-Day and then subsequently discontinued when the train was rerouted off the S-Line. Does anyone have a link to a photo of the Henderson, NC Amtrak station?
Amtrak timetables back up other sources that Henderson NC and Denmark SC were added together in the October 29, 1978 timetables. The Amtrak NEWS Newsletter notes that the plan was to be open for 12 months then re-evaluate. Obviously that re-evaluation turned into its surviving until 1986.
 #1529432  by exvalley
 
gokeefe wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2012 12:32 pm For example: if I had to choose between the Carolinian and the Silver Star I would pick the Silver Star any day of the week for the purposes of comfort. Why? ... The Silver Star of course is a federally supported train running with the previously discussed cafe and dining car which almost always gives coach passengers the option of getting a nice fresh cooked meal as opposed to something out of the microwave/fridge in the cafe.
That would have been good advice until 2016 when the dining car was removed from the Silver Star. That said, there is supposedly a plan to introduce Flexible Dining on the Silver Star some time in 2020.