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I've heard arguments that DC power would be a better option for low clearance areas. In theory multi mode equipment isn't new tech - the Vectron platform already supports DC and AC multi mode use - and adding DC power capability would allow interoperability with the South Shore Line/Metra...

I don't think a Business/Cafe is a good addition, but a business/coach might make sense depending on availability and whether the business or coach seats are selling out more often. I think a fifth all-coach car is more likely. The Hiawatha used to run six car consists, I don't think that's...

There aren't tremendously more seats to sell. To beat the 124,000 riders projection for 2024 (20,666 2/3 passengers per month, 340.6 per train) they have to have more passengers than they have seats per trip (selling some seats on separate segments). They are doing that, but to do substantially...

I definitely wouldn't have picked Milwaukee -St Paul to be the segment that sold out. Edited for clarity.

Single level cars can operate from low platforms, it's just not as nice. Most of the platforms served by the new Midwest pool Venture cars are low level platforms, and a lot of the stations in the East with LD service are low level also. NC will be an anomaly in the Southeast for having high...

And with the Auto Train, nothing else has to use those stations. There is a downside in that off-season equipment can't be easily shared with the rest of the national network, but the upside is all the auto train equipment currently in use gets moved into the national network.

From WisARP: July 2024 Borealis Ridership On August 20, 2024, The Wisconsin Department of Transportation released July 2024 Borealis ridership in an email to WisARP. TrainJune Daily average 1333 (Westbd) 11,031 356 1340 (Eastbd) 10,236 330 [Their table says June but these appear to be July...

The VA CSX deal at least for now prohibits overhead electrification within 20' of CSX tracks (I don't recall if that's from centerline, closest rail, or something else). The S-Line rebuild naturally won't have that restriction, and there's mandatory clearances for new infrastructure on the NCRR...

I can imagine a world where a Stadler/RM expedient fleet gets built to equip the Auto Train only - figure two full trainsets plus 12 or so spares? That would free up the Superliners for Chicago based LD service if the custom order goes substantially further south. Not ideal but better than...

Unless there's a major shift in priorities, I don't figure electrification would move faster than that. The current state of VA passenger rail projects is already ambitious. The goal, I think correctly, seems to be coverage and service improvements first. Getting the East-West corridor open...

There have been rumblings that the ACS-64 fleet is not aging like the Toasters or GG-1, and that Amtrak doesn't want to depend on them past the Siemens maintenance contract duration. There's also the aspect - not a primary reason for the decision, but a nice side benefit - that running dual...

It's whatever speed and above you won't encounter wheelslip when using only two powered trucks, but I don't know what the actual number is. And I'm sure it will be calculated on the fly rather than just being one number all the time.

What do you mean, "healthy choices" - pork cracklins as sold on the Piedmont are practically health food already! Vending service and vending capacity are a lot less of an issue on a three hour each way schedule, with three coach cars in a typical consist. As I recall there's two full snack...

Partly it's a chicken and egg thing, but the point is taken. I would think a couple daily Atlanta-Charlotte trips and Atlanta-Birmingham trips would be well used even despite the current inaccessibility of the various cities involved, but to really grow ridership to support hourly or better...

Chicago to DC has a runtime of 17 hours and change presently. The Auto Train has a runtime of 17 hours and change as well. You do likely lose an hour or three because the Auto Train is a mixed freight and not a pure passenger train, but you gain time back from moving east from Chicago and you...

But Amtrak is getting Diesel only Chargers (having one standard platform does make some sense) but they'll be able to accept traction power from behind - an APV passenger car, a battery hybrid, or potentially other sources in future.

No. Chicagoland to Lorton with through service connects the Midwest and lower Northeast/upper Southeast (DC, Baltimore, Richmond, plausibly some folks as far afield as Philly or Raleigh) in one day, and connects Chicagoland to Sanford in two days. If you go direct from Chicagoland to Sanford...

Getting a New Orleans to Miami separate route via Jacksonville is certainly operationally easier than running a true coast to coast train. I actually deleted a couple paragraphs about operationally simpler alternative services that would still fill the Gulf Coast to Silver Service gap. As for...

While hypothetically possible, this is not a practical idea in my opinion. You could theoretically run HEP backward from a DPU (and might more reasonably run HEP forward from a DPU to passenger cars) but frankly why would you want to charge EVs en route? Gas cars aren't fueled up by Amtrak...

Having two daily track slots along with active stations east of New Orleans certainly doesn't hurt the Sunset Limited's chances. I imagine Mobile would support swapping one daily trip from their support to Federal support.