Fun Facts about Amtrak’s Network

[Woodcut60]

It would be fun to see if Forum members could help me with building a list of fun facts about Amtrak's network. Let me start with the following facts and I hope members can come up with more fun facts, and please feel free to correct me:

Northernmost station: Bellingham, Washington

Southernmost station: Miami, Florida

Westernmost station: Salem, Oregon (?)

Easternmost station: Brunswick, Maine (?)

The highest station: Fraser-Winter Park, Colorado

Highest point in Amtrak network: Moffat Tunnel, Colorado

Lowest point in Amtrak network: ?

The longest tunnel: Cascade Tunnel, Washington

The longest bridge: Norfolk Southern Lake Pontchartrain Bridge, Louisiana

The highest bridge: Pecos River High Bridge, Texas

The longest train: Auto Train

The oldest train with a name that has not changed: Sunset Limited (1894)

Longest stretch of straight railroad, without any curves: Toledo-Bryan, Ohio

The oldest train station in America still in use: Martinsburg, West Virginia

 

[Grandpa D]

Longest distance between station stops?

 

[CCC1007]

Isn't Vancouver BC farther north than Bellingham?

For that matter, isn't Montreal even further north?

 

[TinCan782]

The lowest point would be the Sunset Limited along California's Salton Sea (more than 100 ft below sea level).

 

[Eric S]

Isn't Vancouver BC farther north than Bellingham?

For that matter, isn't Montreal even further north?

Vancouver is farther north than Montreal and is the northernmost Amtrak station

 

[Woodcut60]

I was more thinking of Amtrak stations on American soil. I do not think of Vancouver's Pacific Central Station as a 'real' Amtrak station. I know that Amtrak's Cascades trains go to this station but isn't it a Canadian (VIA Rail) station?

 

[Woodcut60]

@Grandpa D:

I think the answer is Salt Lake City-Elko.

 

[Woodcut60]

@FrensicPic:

Yes, I think you're right, that must be the lowest point in the network.

 

[the_traveler]

Most stations in MN are farther north than MTR.

 

[Triley]

@Grandpa D:

I think the answer is Salt Lake City-Elko.

For the longest stretch with no stop? That'd be Lorton to Sanford, or maybe to Florence if you want to count the service stop.

 

[Eric S]

Most stations in MN are farther north than MTR.

Yep - Montreal is about as far north as Portland, OR.

 

[JayPea]

Eugene, OR is the westernmost Amtrak stop.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Busiest Station-New York, NY

Least Busy Station-Sanderson, TX

 

[jis]

I am curious if the busiest Long Distance station is Chicago, rather than New York.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I am curious if the busiest Long Distance station is Chicago, rather than New York.

Yes, by a long shot.

CHI: 1,056,560

NYP: 389,918

http://www.narprail.org/site/assets/files/1038/ld_2015.pdf

I'm wondering why Sanford is listed but Lorton is not.

 

[Seaboard92]

Wouldn't lorton be equally as busy as Sanford?

 

[KmH]

The Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle goes through Bombay Beach, CA, a small town next to the Salton Sea.

The elevation relative to sea level of Bombay Beach is an average of -223 feet.

Eugene, OR is the westernmost Amtrak stop.

In the US

The Eugene Amtrak station is at -123.092344 longitude.

The Vancouver Amtrak stop - Pacific Central Station - is at -123.097903 longitude, a tiny bit more westerly than Eugene.

 

[fairviewroad]

I was more thinking of Amtrak stations on American soil. I do not think of Vancouver's Pacific Central Station as a 'real' Amtrak station. I know that Amtrak's Cascades trains go to this station but isn't it a Canadian (VIA Rail) station?

FWIW, Amtrak operates far more rail departures out of Pacific Central Station than VIA Rail.

And if your yardstick is station ownership, then many Amtrak stations would be disqualified, including Bellingham WA, which is operated by the Port of Bellingham.

 

[jis]

And if your yardstick is station ownership, then many Amtrak stations would be disqualified, including Bellingham WA, which is operated by the Port of Bellingham.

Amtrak owns no station in New Jersey. Most are owned and operated by NJT. The EWR station is AFAIK owned and operated by PANYNJ/Newark Airport.

 

[zephyr17]

I was more thinking of Amtrak stations on American soil. I do not think of Vancouver's Pacific Central Station as a 'real' Amtrak station. I know that Amtrak's Cascades trains go to this station but isn't it a Canadian (VIA Rail) station?

Amtrak serves Vancouver with 14 trains each week. Via has 6 in the summer, 4 in the off season. Those trains are Amtrak operated (as opposed to the Maple Leaf, which is a Via operated train Niagara Falls, ON to Toronto).

If your criteria is not owned by Amtrak, there are a whole lot of stations that aren't Amtrak owned, including Los Angeles and Seattle. Most of the intermediate stations outside the NEC aren't either. Amtrak actually owns relatively few stations.

A station served by Amtrak trains is an Amtrak station as far as I am concerned. Whether or not it is in Canada is immaterial.

 

[HighBall]

Longest distance between station stops?

Same for 'shortest' distance.

 

[The Journalist]

Longest distance between station stops?

Same for 'shortest' distance.

Boston South Station and Back Bay, I would think. Offshoot: Shortest distance one can actually buy tickets between. Possibly Berkeley and Emeryville?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Longest distance between station stops?

Same for 'shortest' distance.

Boston South Station and Back Bay, I would think. Offshoot: Shortest distance one can actually buy tickets between. Possibly Berkeley and Emeryville?

I think Berkeley and Emeryville may have Wilmington (DE) and Newark (DE) beat.

 

[jis]

Just thought I'd find some real short distances and throw in ones that were mentioned as candidates here just for kicks.

Boston South - Back Bay is 1 mile

Berkeley - Emeryville is 2 miles

Newark - Newark Airport is 3 miles

Oceanside - Carlsbad (Village) is 3 miles

Carlsbad (Village) - Carlsbad (Poinsettia) is 4 miles

Encinata - Solana Beach is 4 miles

Downingtown - Coatsville is 4 miles

Exton - Downingtown is 5 miles

Carlsbad (Poinsettia) - Encinitas i 5 miles

Sorento Valley - San Diego (Old Town) is 5 miles

Wilmington to Newark DE is 12 miles

I am sure there are others. I did not do an exhaustive search. Just those that randomly occurred to me.

 

[pennyk]

Just thought I'd find some real short distances and throw in ones that were mentioned as candidates here just for kicks.

Boston South - Back Bay is 1 mile

Berkeley - Emeryville is 2 miles

Newark - Newark Airport is 3 miles

Oceanside - Carlsbad (Village) is 3 miles

Carlsbad (Village) - Carlsbad (Poinsettia) is 4 miles

Encinata - Solana Beach is 4 miles

Downingtown - Coatsville is 4 miles

Exton - Downingtown is 5 miles

Carlsbad (Poinsettia) - Encinitas i 5 miles

Sorento Valley - San Diego (Old Town) is 5 miles

Wilmington to Newark DE is 12 miles

I am sure there are others. I did not do an exhaustive search. Just those that randomly occurred to me.

Winter Park to Orlando is 5 miles