Hampton Roads/Norfolk/Newport News NE Regional Service

[RMadisonWI]

Amtrak's overnight Regional train (66/67), formerly the "Federal," formerly the "Twilight Shoreliner," formerly the "Night Owl," will be reextended to Newport News, effective July 2. This will replace trains 75/76/77.

Train 66 will operate on the schedule of current train 76 from NPN-WAS, and then continue on its current schedule. Train 67 will arrive in WAS as it currently does, and then continue to NPN on the schedule of trains 75/77 (depending on the day).

Despte the slight differences in the schedule of trains 75/77, the extended Regional train 67 will not get a different train number (train 77 currently operates Monday-Friday, on a schedule 5 minutes longer than that of Saturday/Sunday train 75).

[Gilbert B Norman]

A likely reason for 'breaking" the train at Wash is because a Sleeper "stuck" in Newport News would not be of much help as a protect car for the Cardinal.

Problem solved: Cardinal now operates to New York, 66-67 has lost its Sleeper.

[RMadisonWI]

A likely reason for 'breaking" the train at Wash is because a Sleeper "stuck" in Newport News would not be of much help as a protect car for the Cardinal.

Problem solved: Cardinal now operates to New York, 66-67 has lost its Sleeper.

It's now, of course, a moot point, but someone had pointed out that a daily Chicago to Washington (via Cardinal route) to Boston (on overnight WAS-BOS schedule) train would require four trainsets.

At the time, the Federal (or maybe it was still the Shoreliner) had a sleeper. Since the Cardinal and Federal each had two trainsets (and thus two sleepers), Amtrak could have run a daily train along the Cardinal's route by either having it run through with the Federal, or at least have the sleeper run through (maybe the diner/lounge/coaches would still be dedicated to their respective routes).

Again, since Amtrak doesn't have the Viewliners to run the overnight train with a sleeper, this is now a moot point.

Others had suggested running a Silver Service train through to Boston on an overnight schedule, but currently the train with the schedule that would come closest to "overnight" on the NEC is the sleeperless Palmetto.

[7 Train]

If there is a through Chicago-Boston train via Washington, what will happen to the Lake Shore Limited's Boston branch?

[David Benton]

The boston albany route would be alot quicker , so would remain .

[RMadisonWI]

If there is a through Chicago-Boston train via Washington, what will happen to the Lake Shore Limited's Boston branch?

The train was never a proposal (to my knowledge) made by anyone within Amtrak, but rather was just an advocate brainstorming on how to improve equipment utilization.

Besides, one can't compare CHI-WAS-BOS with CHI-ALB-BOS. You can already travel CHI-WAS-BOS, you just have to transfer in Washington.

Endpoints aren't the only cities that matter. If they were, then the Three Rivers wouldn't exist because you already have the Lake Shore Limited. The Texas Eagle wouldn't have through cars to LA because there's already the Southwest Chief (and the Desert Wind wouldn't have had to run either). The Palmetto wouldn't have to run, because there are already two other (well, one until July 6 or so) NY-Miami trains, etc.

If Amtrak could get two more Viewliners in service, and decided to reequip the overnight Regional with a sleeper, and then decided to run them through with the Cardinal to offer daily service along the Cardinal's route (a lot of ifs, for sure), this would have no effect whatsoever on the operation of the Lake Shore Limited.

[Noel Weaver]

Under ideal conditions, running a sleeper line-up Federal/Cardinal would
be a decent idea. Unfortunately, Amtrak does not operate under ideal
conditions and I suspect there would be a number of times when the late
arriving Cardinal would not allow for servicing and cleaning of the car
prior to departure for Boston on the Federal.
I do not think it would be good idea to mix equipment on any kind of a
regular basis between long haul and corridor trains, different types of
operations and different nature of the cars.
One factor contributing to the shortage of cars is the terrible hosing that
Amtrak is getting from most of the freight railroads. This is hurting
Amtrak in more ways than one.
Noel Weaver

[LI Loco]

One problem with combined Federal/Cardinal: 2 - 3 am arrivals and departures in NYP. Definitely uncool.

The Cardinal's predecessor, the James Whitcomb Riley, briefly operated as a through train between Chicago and Boston. But in those days it was an overnight train between Cincinnati and Virginia.

[mattfels]

Let me get this straight: Every train that stops at New York must stop at New Yorker-friendly times? Or else it's "uncool"? Well, there's a reason not to do it. Let's see, what would a railfan do? Why, AXE THEM BOTH!

[LI Loco]

No not every train, Mr. Fels.

The Federal and its precessors have long come through the Big Apple in the middle of the night. But there have been dozens of other train running between New York, Boston and Washington at more convenient hours so it's no big deal. If there's demand for an overnight Boston-Washington train, I'm cool with that.

But for the folks in Cincinnati, Huntington et. al. who have only one train to the east - only three times a week - having it stop in the nation's biggest city, the one that accounts for more than 20% of the entire railroad's passenger boardings, in the middle of the night sucks.

[RMadisonWI]

No not every train, Mr. Fels.

The Federal and its precessors have long come through the Big Apple in the middle of the night. But there have been dozens of other train running between New York, Boston and Washington at more convenient hours so it's no big deal. If there's demand for an overnight Boston-Washington train, I'm cool with that.

But for the folks in Cincinnati, Huntington et. al. who have only one train to the east - only three times a week - having it stop in the nation's biggest city, the one that accounts for more than 20% of the entire railroad's passenger boardings, in the middle of the night sucks.

Since we're speaking hypothetically here:

Yes, it might suck for the folks in Cincinnati to have a train that runs three times a week, but if the tradeoff (again, hypothetically) for bad calling times in New York happened to be daily service across the whole route, it would probably be worth it.

[David Benton]

currently the eastbound cardinal leaves Washington 7.30 pm , arrives New York 11.30 pm . could have an hours layover in NY , leave 12.30 am , arrive Boston say 6.30 am ( can stay in berth till 8 am) . That gives sleeper service, - cardinal route , - washington and New york to Boston .
East bound , the cardinal leaves New York 9.25 am , arrive Washington 12.45pm , too late for a sleeper service from Boston . so i would run the sleeper on the Federal schedule , and add it to the cardinal at Washington . yes no sleeper from New York , but then there aint one now either . perhaps offer first class passengers Acela to Washington .

[Gilbert B Norman]

At his 1144PM posting last evening, Mr. Madison noted that if only two Viewliners could be found....

Nothing has come to my attention to suggest the two lost at Hinesville during May 03 have been returned to service. From photos I have seen of the incident, it would appear that these cars could be returned to service, but I will gladly defer on that point to more authorative information.

Nevertheless, if those two Viewliners could be returned to service, I don't think they would exactly be in the same surplus status as the stored P-40 locomotives appear to be.

[RMadisonWI]

yes no sleeper from New York , but then there aint one now either ..

If you're talking about the Cardinal, there is.

[jp1822]

Well this same trainset extension to Newport News seems reasonable, now that overnight sleeping service between Boston and DC is off the books. Whether the Viewliner will ever return remains to be seen. Doubt they will speed the process along to get the train in and out of DC as soon as possible. Are the departure/arrival times south of DC going to remain the same. From what I gathered above - seems so.