Amtrak serving every state capital

[dwebarts]

As an Annapolitan, I would love this.

As a visitor to Annapolis, I would too. The commuter bus from DC isn't really suited for weekend treks from DC Metro to Annapolis, though it can be done if you can stay until Monday morning.

 

[Joe from PA]

Unfortunately the rail service to Lewes ended a few years ago after DelDOT said the bridge across the canal had sunk into the abutments

True, but that bridge only handled tank car shipments of chemicals twice a month. The track, from the bridge, was only about a half-mile long. Any passenger service ended in the 1930s.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

True, but that bridge only handled tank car shipments of chemicals twice a month. The track, from the bridge, was only about a half-mile long. Any passenger service ended in the 1930s.

Are y’all talking about a swing bridge?

https://lewesjunctionrr.org/

 

[daybeers]

Are y’all talking about a swing bridge?

https://lewesjunctionrr.org/

Yes indeed, that one. Only a few left in the country that are manually operated.

True, but that bridge only handled tank car shipments of chemicals twice a month. The track, from the bridge, was only about a half-mile long. Any passenger service ended in the 1930s.

You're right. Makes perfect sense to discontinue the railroad, but still sad to see that part of Lewes' history gone, as it played a role bringing equipment to Fort Miles. It even transported a few pieces after it was turned into a state park.

 

[rspenmoll]

Has there ever been passenger train service in Olympia, WA proper? The current Centennial Station is Lacey and before that, trains stopped outside the city limits in East Olympia. Likewise, the current station serving Montpellier, VT is in the adjacent town of Berlin. Was there ever a station in Montpellier itself?

 

[danasgoodstuff]

There are some crying out for service though, Des Moines, Iowa for instance has tracks and a station, and is on the way from Omaha to Chicago, but hasn't had service for decades. Sioux Falls would make sense for SD but it's not really on the way to anywhere and its metro is only 1/4 million (not tiny but not enough in itself?). Boise, Idaho absolutely should have service; the metro is 3/4 million now and it's on the way from Denver and Ogden (or Cheyenne) to Portland. I'd say every metro over a half mil with existing infrastructure to at least get started with that connects reasonably to anything else, should have service. Vague enough?

 

[Siegmund]

Has there ever been passenger train service in Olympia, WA proper? The current Centennial Station is Lacey and before that, trains stopped outside the city limits in East Olympia.

Yes, but not mainline service. A Northern Pacific local from Seattle to Hoquiam and Moclips went through Olympia proper until the late 50s. The track running southwest from Olympia to Gates (where it met the Centralia-Hoquiam line) has long since been lifted, but there is still freight trackage entering Olympia from the east, that could theoretically someday be used by the Sounder.

The map situation in Vermont was similar, with Montpelier having rails out of it in 3 directions but none of them main lines; it's not an area I know much about - you can look up the Central Vermont and the Barre and Chelsea in an old Official Guide as well as I can - but I imagine there was once local service.

Edited to add: Barre and Chelsea RR timetable, 1954, showing a daily mixed train.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

There are some crying out for service though, Des Moines, Iowa for instance has tracks and a station, and is on the way from Omaha to Chicago, but hasn't had service for decades. Sioux Falls would make sense for SD but it's not really on the way to anywhere and its metro is only 1/4 million (not tiny but not enough in itself?). Boise, Idaho absolutely should have service; the metro is 3/4 million now and it's on the way from Denver and Ogden (or Cheyenne) to Portland. I'd say every metro over a half mil with existing infrastructure to at least get started with that connects reasonably to anything else, should have service. Vague enough?

Interesting, I hadn't realized that Boise wasn't bigger - plus there are medium sized towns along the route (if not a lot of rural population compared to the east). Des Moines and Omaha should definitely have more access to rail transit. Iowa has a lot of decent sized towns and cities which would probably take to trains like the similarly-sized cities in Illinois.

 

[toddinde]

Not only a "reasonable ambition," but a really smart way to get a bunch of Senators and Congressmen on board. I would have loved to see the enabling legislation require service to every state, though I admit that the service to South Dakota, among a few others, is destined to lose money.

Sometime I need to look at how many congressional districts currently have at least one stop, and how many more could easily be added.

It all looses money. Profit for Amtrak isn’t the point. It’s a public service.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

It all looses money. Profit for Amtrak isn’t the point. It’s a public service.

So then the question becomes is there somewhere in South Dakota there's a large-ish number of people crying out for this public service and can it be provided for a sane amount of $? Still measured in $ and the goal then becomes not losing too much relative to the other services which are and could be provided by Amtrak.

 

[west point]

If the Delaware bridge was only 1/2 mile maybe a siding and pipeline to facility would be better?

 

[WICT106]

Madison, Wisconsin. We have to be willing to go fight for it, though.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Madison, Wisconsin. We have to be willing to go fight for it, though.

If any of these are doable, surely, it's this one.