Extending the California Zephyr to LAX?

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

Ultimately, do we need a third CHI-LAX train? If people want a one-seat ride from Chicago to LA, they have a choice of the Sunset/Eagle or the Southwest Chief. But if Amtrak did decide to offer a one seat ride for Zephyr passengers, why not run a through-car from the Zephyr to the Starlight? This would probably involve some rescheduling, but they wouldn’t have to add points to refuel or inspect the train.

The point of extending the CZ to LAX was certainly not a third CHI-LAX train. Read the first page of the thread, there are several other reasons for doing so. Of course if a passenger wanted to go from CHI-LAX they would use the SWC (I personally thing anyone taking the TE/SL instead is crazy as that's almost a full extra day longer than the SWC).

Rescheduling the CS to match up with the CZ is never going to happen as if you want the CS to run overnight between EMY/SJC and LAX you'd have to flip the schedule roughly to what I said so if you have the 14 arrive leave EMY northbound at 8:04am (10 hours later) that means it gets into PDX at 1:32am which Amtrak would never do. To arrive in EMY southbound at 5:10pm (9 hours later than current 11 schedule), it would have to leave PDX at 11:25pm (OK, that might have a chance). If you leave Portland before midnight you leave Seattle before 6am which will never happen either. If the CS is more a Pacific Northwest train than a train for the Bay Area-Los Angeles traffic, then the schedule will be stuck as is. Seattle and Portland will call the shots, not San Fran and Los Angeles.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Im one of those crazy people who ride (and have ridden many times) the Texas,Eagle/Sunset Route by choice.

Nothing wrong with doing dream/fantasy schedules for Amtrak, but as we've said many times, your obsession with the Little Cardinal and Philly train service hurts your crediibility.

 

[cpotisch]

Im one of those crazy people who ride (and have ridden many times) the Texas,Eagle/Sunset Route by choice.

Nothing wrong with doing dream/fantasy schedules for Amtrak, but as we've said many times, your obsession with the Little Cardinal and Philly train service hurts your crediibility.

In fact, I'm riding the Sunset/Eagle from Pomona, CA to Chicago next month. I chose it over the SWC primarily FOR the extra time on the train.

 

[JayPea]

I personally think any busybody who thinks they and they alone should decide for everyone else which trains to ride and how long to ride them is the crazy person.