Philly Amtrak Fan
Engineer
Back when Amtrak was doing the Capitol Limit PIP in 2010, they proposed connecting the Pennsylvanian and the Capitol Limited at Pittsburgh. This would allow passengers in Philly and eastern PA (ex. Harrisburg) a direct connection to Chicago. It's 2015 and it still doesn't exist. I came back from Chicago on the CL, transferring in DC. Normally the CL gets into WAS at 1:05pm. I was scheduled for the 4:02pm NER to Philly. If the CL was on time, I probably could get on the 2:02pm NER. But the CL was FOUR hours late and I had to wait for the 6:05pm. I heard the passengers also missed the Pennsylvanian connection at PGH and they had to bus to HAR and assumedly get on a KS train there. So I can speak from experience this is definitely needed.
The proposal is for the Capitol and Pennsylvanian to either join in PGH going to CHI or split in PGH heading from CHI. The problem with this would be if the CL is late coming into PGH (like it was when I was on it), then the Pennsylvanian would be delayed which is not the case now. Also, both trains have to arrive in PGH before they continue to CHI. Hopefully they would cut the nearly four hour layover in PGH but at least you don't have to change trains or move baggage. I believe they did this once before.
This would be the cheapest and easiest way to make the PHL-CHI connection. Here are the "better" options:
1) Expand the Pennsylvanian to Chicago, running a schedule similar to the CL or LSL. They can use the old Broadway Limited or Three Rivers schedule.
(January 2000 Three Rivers schedule via timetables.org):
West: NYP 12:45pm, PHL 3:00pm, HAR 5:25pm, PGH 10:55/11:25pm, CHI 8:25am
East: CHI 9:20pm, PGH 8:23/8:38am, HAR 2:16pm, PHL 4:52pm, NYP 7:25pm
This schedule went through Youngstown and Akron instead of Cleveland and Toledo.
The Jan. 2000 schedule did have the Pennsylvanian on a different schedule but it was an all day schedule which was lousy for PHL-CHI travel. They proposed the Skyline Connection (terminating in Philly) that would've been:
West: PHL 1:05am. HAR 3:05/3:35am, PGH 8:53/9:08am, CLE 12:38pm, TOL 2:41pm, CHI 6:47pm
East: CHI 1:30pm, TOL 7:02pm, CLE 9:15pm, PGH 12:43/12:58am, HAR 6:17/6:50am, PHL 9:08am
The East schedule was better for PHL/CHI travel than the Three Rivers but the West schedule would require a 1:05am departure from Philly and a 3:35am departure from Harrisburg. This schedule was more for a daytime CHI-TOL-CLE-PGH schedule rather than the CL which runs in the middle of the night. The Skyline schedule isn't practical as the only PGH/PHL route but could work as a second route if the budget allows.
The advantage would be that the layover in PGH is minimal and it doesn't depend on the CL. If this route is restored, it would go through Akron and Youngstown and would reintroduce service to both stops. Other than the increased cost, the other negatives would be significantly different schedules between PGH and PHL/NYP than what they have now and there is a better chance of a delay.
2) Have separate Pennsylvanian and Three Rivers/Broadway Limited schedules with the Pennsylvanian running an opposite schedule of the TR/BL
If you use the Jan. 2000 TR schedule, I would have the Pennsylvanian leave PGH westbound around 1pm arriving in PHL around 9pm and leave PHL around 9am arriving in PGH around 5pm. I would actually love to see overnight service where you could get on the train late from PHL at night and arrive in PGH the next morning and vice versa but I doubt that has any chance of ever happening even for a second daily between PGH/PIT.
This would be the dream scenario where there would be two trains daily from (NYP)PHL-PGH and one would not depend on the train from Chicago. They have done this in the past. Of course, this would cost the most of any of the scenarios. I would gladly cut other service from CHI to the East Coast to make it happen but I'd imagine Amtrak and customers of that route would object.
Proposal #2 is probably a pipe dream although it has been done. Proposal #1 would be great for PHL/CHI travel but it could hurt PHL/PGH travel which might be more important. The PIP plan would still be WAY better than what we have now but you'd still have possible delays from the Capitol and Pennsylvanian joining.
How likely do you see the PIP plan occurring in the next year or two? Does anyone have any updates or inside information?
I think it's a joke that you can't go from PHL to CHI direct (Cardinal doesn't count). They are the third and fourth busiest Amtrak stations in 2013. You can probably travel direct from CHI to over 200 destinations but PHL isn't one of them?
The proposal is for the Capitol and Pennsylvanian to either join in PGH going to CHI or split in PGH heading from CHI. The problem with this would be if the CL is late coming into PGH (like it was when I was on it), then the Pennsylvanian would be delayed which is not the case now. Also, both trains have to arrive in PGH before they continue to CHI. Hopefully they would cut the nearly four hour layover in PGH but at least you don't have to change trains or move baggage. I believe they did this once before.
This would be the cheapest and easiest way to make the PHL-CHI connection. Here are the "better" options:
1) Expand the Pennsylvanian to Chicago, running a schedule similar to the CL or LSL. They can use the old Broadway Limited or Three Rivers schedule.
(January 2000 Three Rivers schedule via timetables.org):
West: NYP 12:45pm, PHL 3:00pm, HAR 5:25pm, PGH 10:55/11:25pm, CHI 8:25am
East: CHI 9:20pm, PGH 8:23/8:38am, HAR 2:16pm, PHL 4:52pm, NYP 7:25pm
This schedule went through Youngstown and Akron instead of Cleveland and Toledo.
The Jan. 2000 schedule did have the Pennsylvanian on a different schedule but it was an all day schedule which was lousy for PHL-CHI travel. They proposed the Skyline Connection (terminating in Philly) that would've been:
West: PHL 1:05am. HAR 3:05/3:35am, PGH 8:53/9:08am, CLE 12:38pm, TOL 2:41pm, CHI 6:47pm
East: CHI 1:30pm, TOL 7:02pm, CLE 9:15pm, PGH 12:43/12:58am, HAR 6:17/6:50am, PHL 9:08am
The East schedule was better for PHL/CHI travel than the Three Rivers but the West schedule would require a 1:05am departure from Philly and a 3:35am departure from Harrisburg. This schedule was more for a daytime CHI-TOL-CLE-PGH schedule rather than the CL which runs in the middle of the night. The Skyline schedule isn't practical as the only PGH/PHL route but could work as a second route if the budget allows.
The advantage would be that the layover in PGH is minimal and it doesn't depend on the CL. If this route is restored, it would go through Akron and Youngstown and would reintroduce service to both stops. Other than the increased cost, the other negatives would be significantly different schedules between PGH and PHL/NYP than what they have now and there is a better chance of a delay.
2) Have separate Pennsylvanian and Three Rivers/Broadway Limited schedules with the Pennsylvanian running an opposite schedule of the TR/BL
If you use the Jan. 2000 TR schedule, I would have the Pennsylvanian leave PGH westbound around 1pm arriving in PHL around 9pm and leave PHL around 9am arriving in PGH around 5pm. I would actually love to see overnight service where you could get on the train late from PHL at night and arrive in PGH the next morning and vice versa but I doubt that has any chance of ever happening even for a second daily between PGH/PIT.
This would be the dream scenario where there would be two trains daily from (NYP)PHL-PGH and one would not depend on the train from Chicago. They have done this in the past. Of course, this would cost the most of any of the scenarios. I would gladly cut other service from CHI to the East Coast to make it happen but I'd imagine Amtrak and customers of that route would object.
Proposal #2 is probably a pipe dream although it has been done. Proposal #1 would be great for PHL/CHI travel but it could hurt PHL/PGH travel which might be more important. The PIP plan would still be WAY better than what we have now but you'd still have possible delays from the Capitol and Pennsylvanian joining.
How likely do you see the PIP plan occurring in the next year or two? Does anyone have any updates or inside information?
I think it's a joke that you can't go from PHL to CHI direct (Cardinal doesn't count). They are the third and fourth busiest Amtrak stations in 2013. You can probably travel direct from CHI to over 200 destinations but PHL isn't one of them?