# OP ED Anniston Star



## The Davy Crockett (Jan 14, 2013)

Last week the Alabama Legislature's contract-review committee reviewd the contract for a study of restoring pax service between Birmnigham and Montgomery. The Anniston Star published this editorial which is very pro pax rail. Do I think pax rail will be restored between the two cities? Not any time soon, but it is good to see pax rail getting support in a small southern town. (Yeah, I know Anniston has the army depot, which makes it a bit different, but nevertheless...)


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## Bill Haithcoat (Jan 15, 2013)

Amtrak used to run a branch off the Crescent known as the Gulf Breeze. It cut off at Birmingham and went to Montgomery and Mobile. I am sure that is the context in which this is written.

But go back to preAmtak and there were four trains a day each way through Anniston.

They were :

The Southerner, like the train now called the Crescent (name changes a separate story)

The Kansas City Florida Specia,l Kansas City Memphis Birmingham Atlanta Jacksonville,thru pullman to Miami in the winter

The Sunnyland, St Louis Memphis Birmingham Atlanta

a nameless all stop overnight local from Birmingham to Atlanta.

Birmingham to Montgomery was not part of that.

That was the Louisville and Nashville RR, now part of CSX.

That was the Pan American, the Azalean and some nameless trains from Cincinnati Louisville Nashville,Birmingham,Montgomery Mobile ad New Orleans

In addition was the Humming Bird which also had a section out of Chicago and out of StLouis which joined with the section from Cincinnati at Nashville,running a combined train from Nashville and below.

Then there was the South Wind, Chicago Indianapolis,Louisville Nashville,Birmingham Montgomery Jacksonville Miami

There were trains from Atlanta Montgomery Mobile New Orleans without Anniston or Birmingham.


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## George Harris (Jan 15, 2013)

Back when the Crescent went beyond Atlanta only 3 days per week and the B'ham to Mobile portion had become a bus, I rode it from Washington to Mobile with the bus beyond Atlanta. We had a full to the last seat bus to B'ham, but only 6 people or so beyond B'ham to Montgomery and Mobile. Maybe that was 8 to 10 out of B'ham and only 6 beyond Montgomery. Obviously that has been a few years,. I don't think a train out of B'ham to Montgomery would be worthwhile. As a guess the run time would be somewhere around 2h15m to 2 1/2 hours. That would give a run time from Atlanta to Montgomery of around 6 1/2 to 7 hours, which would be twice or more of the driving time.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jan 16, 2013)

George Harris said:


> Back when the Crescent went beyond Atlanta only 3 days per week and the B'ham to Mobile portion had become a bus, I rode it from Washington to Mobile with the bus beyond Atlanta. We had a full to the last seat bus to B'ham, but only 6 people or so beyond B'ham to Montgomery and Mobile. Maybe that was 8 to 10 out of B'ham and only 6 beyond Montgomery. Obviously that has been a few years,. I don't think a train out of B'ham to Montgomery would be worthwhile. As a guess the run time would be somewhere around 2h15m to 2 1/2 hours. That would give a run time from Atlanta to Montgomery of around 6 1/2 to 7 hours, which would be twice or more of the driving time.


If you're really going to get through pax from the East then Amtrak should use the route through Opelika.


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## George Harris (Jan 16, 2013)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> George Harris said:
> 
> 
> > Back when the Crescent went beyond Atlanta only 3 days per week and the B'ham to Mobile portion had become a bus, I rode it from Washington to Mobile with the bus beyond Atlanta. We had a full to the last seat bus to B'ham, but only 6 people or so beyond B'ham to Montgomery and Mobile. Maybe that was 8 to 10 out of B'ham and only 6 beyond Montgomery. Obviously that has been a few years,. I don't think a train out of B'ham to Montgomery would be worthwhile. As a guess the run time would be somewhere around 2h15m to 2 1/2 hours. That would give a run time from Atlanta to Montgomery of around 6 1/2 to 7 hours, which would be twice or more of the driving time.
> ...


About 176 miles. but above 4 hours run time if I remember the 1960's schedule for the Crescent. Maybe a logical southern terminal for a second New York - Washington - Atlanta train that would have an early morning arrival in say about Charlotte NC southbound and in the range of Philadelphia to New York northbound.

By the way, with the current available New York to Washington times, we could have a New York to Atlanta day train without being rediculously early on one end and rediculously late on the other.


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## xyzzy (Jan 16, 2013)

I don't think you will see passenger trains Atlanta-Montgomery over the A&WP/WofA anytime soon. It's not a fluid railroad. Most of the second track on the north end of the railroad was removed after the pre-Amtrak Crescent was discontinued. The passenger main in Montgomery was removed too. There are relatively few sidings, and it's a 50 mph railroad. 175 miles and you'd be stretched to do it in 4 hours.

What would make more sense for Alabamians is a daily train Huntsville-Birmingham-Montgomery-Mobile, with connections to 19 and 20 at B'ham.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Jan 16, 2013)

George Harris said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > George Harris said:
> ...


Yeah, I wanted that too, but apparently 18 hours is too much for a day train. Departure would be at 6:00AM and arrival at 12:00AM.


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