I'll be taking my first Capitol Limited trip on 4/16, Harper's Ferry to Chicago. I'm guessing there will still be just one coach car given how fast this train has been selling out. With assigned seating presumed for this route (that's what I've always read), does anyone know if the conductors are grouping passengers based on destination in this one car? It would seem to be a bit complex, but it would be nice as a through passenger to be in the back of the car to avoid a ton of foot traffic.
Capitol Limited discussion
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Not a chance...
My son and I have a roundtrip on the Capitol Limited out of Chicago next week (first long distance train for both of us). We're in a sleeper car both ways. Does this train currently have an observation/lounge car? If not, can one sit in the cafe/diner car when not eating to get a break from the sleeper?
The Sightseer Lounge is not part of the consist now. The train has a "Cross Country Cafe" car, also called a "Diner Lounge." One end of the car has tables, the other end has lounge seating. This car serves as both a dining car for flex meals served to sleeping car passengers and as a cafe car for coach passengers.
The last time I rode the Capitol in October 2021, they would close the cafe to coach passengers during the time they were serving flex meal dinners to the sleeper passengers. Many sleeper passengers got room service, with meals delivered by the sleeping car attendant. When they reopened the cafe car for coach passengers, they didn't kick out the sleeper car passengers hanging out in the diner part of the diner-lounge. I spent a lot of the afternoon on the second day of the ride (eastbound) hanging out in the diner-lounge enjoying the scenery, even after they reopened the cafe and started serving coach passengers. This would seem to conform with the stated Amtrak policy of reserving the dining car as a "sleeper lounge." However, this being Amtrak, it is possible that on a different day with a different crew, other rules might apply.
More like "different whims might apply."
While online railfanning tonight and watching #30 (Chicago-DC) pass through Chesterton, IN, I noticed that there was a lounge car in the mix. I'm not used to seeing that on there.
SSL, but no diner. Probably just a sub-in.
SubwayNut
Conductor
An Amtrak route that I pre-COVID I rode quite frequently was CHI-SOB generally home from Chicago. I take the South Shore Line there because it's not worth dealing with the unpredictable schedule of the Westbound Capitol and Lake Shore Limiteds, even with today's busitutions.
Anyway in the past even booking these trains same day was never a problem, at most I would get annoyed that the trip would cost $30 instead of $20 because the train was high bucket booked a couple of hours before departure. This has included trips in peak summer months and during holidays.
On Friday I'm presenting at a one day conference in Chicago traveling on buissiness (will take the South Shore in the night before) and have no idea how late I want to stay at the post-conference happy hour before heading home to South Bend. I finally decided to look at Amtrak and confirm that things would be well booking the Capitol Limited same day, and just noticed that coach for the segment from Chicago to South Bend is sold out for the next week (yes a sleeper is avalible for over $300 for a few days but that is not something my job is willing to pay for). Next time you can book a seat is a week from today on the Capitol Limited! The Lake Shore looks like it doesn't have this problem, with the app saying both 49 and 449 are only 70% full.
My office has moved and I no longer see the tracks out my office window (prepandemic I was able to see the Capitol and Lake Shore going through South Bend), just how many fewer coaches the Capitol Limited running now to have such capacity constraints to be sold out for a week, for this one stop ride that generally has decent ridership from South Bend to points east?
Anyway in the past even booking these trains same day was never a problem, at most I would get annoyed that the trip would cost $30 instead of $20 because the train was high bucket booked a couple of hours before departure. This has included trips in peak summer months and during holidays.
On Friday I'm presenting at a one day conference in Chicago traveling on buissiness (will take the South Shore in the night before) and have no idea how late I want to stay at the post-conference happy hour before heading home to South Bend. I finally decided to look at Amtrak and confirm that things would be well booking the Capitol Limited same day, and just noticed that coach for the segment from Chicago to South Bend is sold out for the next week (yes a sleeper is avalible for over $300 for a few days but that is not something my job is willing to pay for). Next time you can book a seat is a week from today on the Capitol Limited! The Lake Shore looks like it doesn't have this problem, with the app saying both 49 and 449 are only 70% full.
My office has moved and I no longer see the tracks out my office window (prepandemic I was able to see the Capitol and Lake Shore going through South Bend), just how many fewer coaches the Capitol Limited running now to have such capacity constraints to be sold out for a week, for this one stop ride that generally has decent ridership from South Bend to points east?
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The Capitol is running with a short consist - just one coach and sleeper - due to superliner fleet limitations and shortages - out west was prioritized for superliner equipment for the summer. The lake shore is running with 5 coaches and 3 sleepers currently - with a rumored fourth sleeper coming when the meteor loses one next week - so that should be much less of an issue.
Is one coach and one sleeper even worth the effort of running? And here I didnt think it could get any worse the The Eaglette.
With only one Coach you are guaranteed of 100% capacity on every train. Contrast that to the Pennsylvanian and Pacific Surfliner with at least four coaches,but they are subsidized by their respective states.
A shame you are packed in like sardines in Coach on the Capitol Limited. The Coast Starlight only has two Coaches and they too are always full.
A shame you are packed in like sardines in Coach on the Capitol Limited. The Coast Starlight only has two Coaches and they too are always full.
From what I've been seeing, the CL has had the three cars above (coach, cafe, and sleeper) for some time now. I've been seeing on online railcams that sometimes, it will include four cars, but that is a rarity.
I'm hoping they'll add another coach car in the future with the CL being such a frequented route, but with the superliner shortages mentioned above, I know that it'll be a while.
I've learned that when booking summer train trips, always book way in advance whenever possible. I'm sure with this being a work-related trip, there wasn't that much advanced notice. Maybe the South Shore Line would be somewhat of an alternative?
I'm hoping they'll add another coach car in the future with the CL being such a frequented route, but with the superliner shortages mentioned above, I know that it'll be a while.
I've learned that when booking summer train trips, always book way in advance whenever possible. I'm sure with this being a work-related trip, there wasn't that much advanced notice. Maybe the South Shore Line would be somewhat of an alternative?
Septa9739
Lead Service Attendant
Per Trains, apparently it is sold out well into July, except for a rare catch here or there. I’m beginning to think I should contact my local representatives. The Pennsylvanian and the Capitol was the easy way to go Philly to Chicago, but it’s become effectively impossible to utilize, which is inevitably affecting ridership, and therefore the state subsidy on the Pennsylvanian, so not only is it inconvenient but also expensive.
I would imagine the people boarding/detaining it along its route think it’s worth running. And since coach is sold out it’s being used.
Actually I suspect going PHL - NYP - CHI via the NEC and Lake Shore Limited would be just as fast and avoid the late night transfer in Pittsburgh. Although it might be more expensive - I did not look at prices. You would also miss the scenic ride through Horseshoe Curve.
Mystic River Dragon
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I can’t give you any travel advice, but I wish you well at the conference. I’m sure your presentation will go well. In fact, the one piece of advice I can offer is that you give yourself some extra time there after it so that you can chat with all the people coming up to congratulate you and discuss it with you.
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Nothing wrong with doing so but not sure what effect it would have at this point. Amtrak's response to an inquiry from your congressperson would be we have a current limitation in the number of Superliner cars that we can reliably operate in consists which limits our capacity and we are assigning the capacity we do have in the manner that makes the most business sense. I don't think you're going to find many reps that wouldn't simply accept that response and further probe their operations. After all they are lawmakers and likely don't know the ins and outs of Amtrak's operation anyway.
SubwayNut
Conductor
Wow, thanks for the all of the support everyone! I had no idea just how short the Capitol Limited has become just 3 cars (plus a baggage??) and only ONE coach. I can't think of ever taking it pre-pandemic with less than 3 coaches. Although once they stuck everyone going to South Bend in the Sightseer Lounge not because coach was completely full but because they didn't want to deal with assigning seats to the 15 to 20 of us going to South Bend (I wrote to customer relations about this).
I have plenty of options to get home from Chicago on Friday night, without the Capitol Limited, sharing them with all of you so you can see just how much slower (South Bend is in Eastern time so these trips 'look like' an hour longer based on the clock), the South Shore Line is right now with the bussing going on between Gary and Michigan City a good hour compared to Amtrak's schedule. I also just realized that I should also consider the Wolverine at 5:50pm, my partner can easily pick me up in Niles, a 25 minute drive, versus 11 to the Amtrak station and 15 to the Airport:
I have plenty of options to get home from Chicago on Friday night, without the Capitol Limited, sharing them with all of you so you can see just how much slower (South Bend is in Eastern time so these trips 'look like' an hour longer based on the clock), the South Shore Line is right now with the bussing going on between Gary and Michigan City a good hour compared to Amtrak's schedule. I also just realized that I should also consider the Wolverine at 5:50pm, my partner can easily pick me up in Niles, a 25 minute drive, versus 11 to the Amtrak station and 15 to the Airport:
- SSL - Lv. Millennium - 5:28pm CT, Ar. SBN Airport - 9:01pm ET
- Amtrak Wolverine - Lv. Union Station - 5:50pm CT, Ar. Niles - 8:23pm ET (although I feel this train could sell out at 90% full high bucket fare of $52)
- Amtrak Capitol Limited - Lv. Union Station - 6:40pm CT Ar. SOB Amtrak - 9:09pm ET (SOLD OUT)
- Last SSL of the Evening - Lv. Millennium - 7:10pm CT, Ar. SBN Airport - 11:01pm ET
- Amtrak Lake Shore Limited - Lv. Union Station - 9:30pm CT, Ar. SOB Amtrak - 11:59pm.
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You absolutely should contact your elected officials! Early and often, as the saying goes. Sure, there's no guarantee that it will help. But you can be 100% assured that if voters fail to raise these issues nothing will change (or it will get worse, and yes it can get worse).
Substitute
If I'm counting days right, it's the same set with the substitute headed back into Chicago.
Upon reviewing the railcam at Chesterton, IN tonight, I saw that the #30 headed to DC (6/14/23) had the lounge car added to the end and included the cafe car as well.
(Plus, the phase III leading unit)
(Plus, the phase III leading unit)
Was this a deadhead or was it in service? I would think that if it was in service it would be placed directly behind the diner.
trimetbusfan
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