Hoosier State/Iowa Pacific Transition Thread

[Ryan]

Well yes, I didn't necessarily mean IP had to hire directly, but any non-Amtrak crew would have to be qualified, which would be time consuming (unless they got CSX to do it, which is highly unlikely).

 

[keelhauled]

Supposedly IP equipment will enter service with the Sunday August 2 northbound train, contingent on a CSX switch being replaced. I have no idea what that has to do with anything, but in any case Amtrak's contract expired on the 31st.

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2015/07/iowa-pacific-launches-hoosier-state-on-aug-2

 

[Eric S]

Just to add on, the contract expires today (July 31) and the next day the Hoosier State is scheduled to operate is Sunday (August 2) as the Cardinal operates on Saturday (August 1).

 

[Paulus]

Starts Sunday pending completion of a track to Iowa Pacific maintenance facility

 

[CHamilton]

Amtrak, state agreement on rail service pending

Indiana is likely within hours of completing a deal to continue the Hoosier State passenger rail service with Amtrak and private contractor Iowa Pacific Holdings.
All that stands in the way is completion of a 1,200 foot segment of rail between CSX tracks and Iowa Pacific Holdings’ maintenance facility in Beech Grove, Indiana, Department of Transportation spokesman Will Wingfield said.

“We have separate contracts signed with Amtrak and Iowa Pacific Holdings contingent on completion of that track,” he said.

“We are cautiously optimistic.”

 

[ruck]

Taken this morning north of Lafayette.

 

[Agent]

Found a couple videos of the first run already. No location listed for the first one.

 

[neroden]

Well, that's a few single-level coaches to return to the pool for the NEC...

 

[Bob Dylan]

Nice looking little train! Look forward to a trip report from a rider including how the Cafe is?

Next time I'm in Indy,a very underated City, think I'll give it a try!

 

[Train2104]

This is only an interim step in the transition, right? I heard IP plans on selling its own tickets?

 

[Lonestar648]

I remember riding several times in the sleeper on the Hoosier when it went to Louisville from Chicago. Just a coach and sleeper from Indianapolis south, not even a café car. The SCA had boxed dinners and breakfasts. Travel over the route was very, very slow.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Well, that's a few single-level coaches to return to the pool for the NEC...

You mean the two Horizon coaches used by the Hoosier State? Not much use on the NEC.

 

[CHamilton]

Deal preserves Indy-to-Chicago passenger rail

 

[Railroad Bill]

Nice looking little train! Look forward to a trip report from a rider including how the Cafe is?

Next time I'm in Indy,a very underated City, think I'll give it a try!

Yes, Indianapolis has some interesting things to see with a fine set of art museums, parks and Indy 500 track and museum. But that ride from Indy to Chicago is a long one due to track conditions and freight traffic up north. Still, would like to ride in the new dome car for a nice day trip to CHI and back.

 

[Anderson]

*fumes*
And of course the first run gets shoved together while I'm stuck on a camping trip. Go figure.

Well, looks like I have someplace to be sooner rather than later...

 

[neroden]

Well, that's a few single-level coaches to return to the pool for the NEC...

You mean the two Horizon coaches used by the Hoosier State? Not much use on the NEC.

They'll end up on the NEC, mark my words (bwa ha ha...) though maybe not this year. There are a whole bunch more Horizons coming free in 2017-2018. There's nowhere else to put them, and they're too new for Amtrak to scrap them.

 

[CHamilton]

It's being reported on FB that tonight's southbound Hoosier State (8/3) train 850, the 2nd southbound departure scheduled to use Iowa Pacific equipment, is being bustituted. Apparently Amtrak didn't deadhead the equipment on 51 as planned. The guess is that the Iowa Pacific equipment will run to CHI as 851 tomorrow morning, then back on Wednesday evening, then make the round-trips Friday and Sunday. They'll just need the deadhead lift from Amtrak northward once a week on Monday morning to make it work.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Well, that's a few single-level coaches to return to the pool for the NEC...

You mean the two Horizon coaches used by the Hoosier State? Not much use on the NEC.

... a whole bunch more Horizons coming free in 2017-2018. There's nowhere else to put them, and they're too new for Amtrak to scrap them.

I expect to see about 10 of them, counting protect cars, used on the Sunset Shuttle San Antonio-Houston-New Orleans, after the Sunset/Eagle goes daily. (That would be a great route for corridor service, using more Horizons. After the South Rises Again or sometime doowahdiddy?)

Wouldn't another batch go on the Heartland Flyer? To liberate a handful of Superliners for better use out West.

Putting rehabbed Horizons on the Crescent might work O.K. That would free up better (or more compatible) equipment to take the Cardinal daily and to restore/extend the Silver Palm/Palmetto. I'd want to keep the Star, Meteor, and Palmetto as similar as possible, to keep things clear for the customers. But the Crescent already has a very different route from the others and a stand-alone identity.

Then there's the NEC. LOL.

But yeah, the Horizons are far too good to be scrapped, especially if Amtrak plans to ask Congress for funding to buy any new cars later in this decade or even in the next.

 

[CHamilton]

From the Amtrak group on Facebook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNiZrARMBIQ&feature=youtu.be

 

[neroden]

I expect to see about 10 of them, counting protect cars, used on the Sunset Shuttle San Antonio-Houston-New Orleans, after the Sunset/Eagle goes daily. (That would be a great route for corridor service, using more Horizons. After the South Rises Again or sometime doowahdiddy?)

Wouldn't another batch go on the Heartland Flyer? To liberate a handful of Superliners for better use out West.

I expect that ADA considerations will keep single-level cars away from the all-low-platform routes which currently use bilevel cars, like the Sunset Shuttle; it would be considered a regression in service. They let California do it but it was a temporary action and they're already getting bilevels to replace them. I expect that Oklahama would consider such a change a downgrade as well, and would refuse to allow it on the Heartland Flyer.

Putting rehabbed Horizons on the Crescent might work O.K. That would free up better (or more compatible) equipment to take the Cardinal daily and to restore/extend the Silver Palm/Palmetto.

You might see them put on the longer-distance trains which run onto the NEC. They'll still be on the NEC. Bwa ha ha...

 

[jis]

I think there will be reluctance to put the Horizons on NEC Regional trains until they get retrofitted with remotely operable doors.

Of course using them on LD and MD trains that travel on the NEC is an entirely different matter, since they often don't open all doors anyway.

 

[CHamilton]

INDOT Signs New Deal with Amtrak, Iowa Pacific to Keep Passenger Rail Running, Offers New Amenities on Board

 

[WoodyinNYC]

I expect to see about 10 of them, counting protect cars, used on the Sunset Shuttle San Antonio-Houston-New Orleans, after the Sunset/Eagle goes daily. (That would be a great route for corridor service, using more Horizons. After the South Rises Again or sometime doowahdiddy?)

Wouldn't another batch go on the Heartland Flyer? To liberate a handful of Superliners for better use out West.

I expect that ADA considerations will keep single-level cars away from the all-low-platform routes which currently use bilevel cars, like the Sunset Shuttle; it would be considered a regression in service. ...

Putting rehabbed Horizons on the Crescent might work O.K. That would free up better (or more compatible) equipment to take the Cardinal daily and to restore/extend the Silver Palm/Palmetto.

You might see them put on the longer-distance trains which run onto the NEC. They'll still be on the NEC. Bwa ha ha...

On the Sunset Shuttle, I'd argue that 7-day service with single-level cars was better than 3-day service. But not my area of interest.

---------------------------------------

Switching the Capitol Ltd and/or the City of New Orleans to single-level cars, to move their equipment while the West waits and waits for an order for new bi-level stuff, is a notion often tossed around here. But your statement re ADA implies that might not be possible due to ADA requirements.

Sorry I got off-topic and can't seem to stop. Apologies to the Hoosier State.

 

[neroden]

Well, there's no ADA *requirements* per se which would prevent running single-levels on the Sunset route.

What there is is a *storm of paperwork* for any station with less-than-level boarding. First you have to prove (a) the freight operator will not allow high-level platforms, then that (b) train-borne lifts are less suitable than station-borne lifts, and you have to get individual approval for each station...

Most of the stations which the Capitol Limited stops at already host single-level trains and will continue to do so (the Lake Shore Limited, or the Pennsylvanian at Philadelphia, or numerous trains at DC); the other six stations, three shared with MARC, aren't that big a deal. So the paperwork is already being done for those stations. For the Sunset or Heartland Flyer, it would probably be enough of a pain to do the paperwork that it would cause years of delay.

 

[MrFSS]

INDOT Signs New Deal with Amtrak, Iowa Pacific to Keep Passenger Rail Running, Offers New Amenities on Board

Bringing this back on topic, I "heard" elsewhere, but saw no proof, that IP has already had a bustitution for some reason. I'll post more if I learn anything about it.