Lake Shore Limited NYP to Chicago

[adamj023]

The main hub of Amtrak to get west seems to be Union Station in Chicago for all of the trains from New York City. Fastest way from Ny Penn Station is the Lake Shore Limited coming in at over 19 hours to get there. A lot of infrastructure work has occurred on the line as well. The new locomotives for long haul should start coming in and hopefully Lake Shore Limited will get those soon.

Amtrak sleepers tend to be selling out and Amtrak cut frequency as well on this line. With Covid as well as TSA security at airports, the train seems to be a lot more favorable now but is actually harder than ever to get availability. Amtrak should order more sleeper cars and run more of them on their existing trains assuming they can get very favorable loan terms.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

The main hub of Amtrak to get west seems to be Union Station in Chicago for all of the trains from New York City. Fastest way from Ny Penn Station is the Lake Shore Limited coming in at over 19 hours to get there. A lot of infrastructure work has occurred on the line as well. The new locomotives for long haul should start coming in and hopefully Lake Shore Limited will get those soon.

Amtrak sleepers tend to be selling out and Amtrak cut frequency as well on this line. With Covid as well as TSA security at airports, the train seems to be a lot more favorable now but is actually harder than ever to get availability. Amtrak should order more sleeper cars and run more of them on their existing trains assuming they can get very favorable loan terms.

They have many sleeping cars that are currently sitting in yards, so the issue isn't that Amtrak has a shortage but instead that they're choosing not to use them at present. There are also additional Viewliner cars currently being delivered, so there should be less of an issue of sleeper shortages on the eastern trains than there was pre-pandemic even if service reverts to normal as is hoped.

 

[PVD]

Unless something changes, even when new LD power arrives, you will still see a DM NYP to Albany.

 

[railiner]

Unless something changes, even when new LD power arrives, you will still see a DM NYP to Albany.

Yeah...the FL-9's lasted long into the F40 era...

 

[PVD]

Nowadays it's the P32AC-DM pool that also pulls Empire Service duty..701-717? Usually 2 P42 come from Boston and stay with the train when the sections are joined and do the trip to Chicago, the P32 stays in Albany.

 

[MARC Rider]

They have many sleeping cars that are currently sitting in yards, so the issue isn't that Amtrak has a shortage but instead that they're choosing not to use them at present.

If that's true, then why don't they add an extra sleeper car (or more) to every train, even if they're running on a reduced schedule? Of course, to do so, the marginal costs of adding another sleeper (the cost of another SCA, wear and tear on the sleeper, who knows, reduced fuel economy because of the extra weight) would have to be less than the additional revenue they get. And for all we know, Amtrak is allowing for more reservations that might rsult in an extra sleeper, but people aren't making those reservations, because fewer people are traveling along the route, or they feel safer driving their car than they do riding the train, even in a sleeper, etc.

 

[neroden]

If that's true, then why don't they add an extra sleeper car (or more) to every train, even if they're running on a reduced schedule?

Because the guy in charge of operations, Stephen Gardner, has a personal hate on for the so-called long-distance trains and is sabotaging them in every way he can think of, while lying to his bosses about it.

Sorry to be so blunt, but that's what all the evidence points to.

 

[RPC]

What neroden said. Rob Johnston over at Trains magazine has documented that the sleepers in the reduced tri-weekly consists are selling out well in advance, but that Amtrak has no interest in adding sleepers. This almost by definition makes it impossible for the long distance trains to meet the criteria Amtrak has set for the resumption of daily service.

 

[Lonestar648]

Amtrak Senior Management is stacking the deck to insure they can finally have justification to discontinue all or most LD trains. They are not trying to increase revenue to offset the expenses, they just want a reason to only run NEC and the State run trains.

 

[neroden]

So support Rail Passengers Association and write your Senators, because they aren't buying this bogusness -- that was made clear in the most recent hearings -- and they are Amtrak's bosses. Our main problem is just getting a bill past McConnell's blockade; if it comes up for a vote it looks like there are enough Senate votes to pass a bill *requiring* daily service. (Such a bill has already passed the House.) Enough pressure on Senators, particularly Republican ones, might push McConnell to do his job.

 

[Asher]

Yeah...the FL-9's lasted long into the F40 era...

Both two smoke diesels. Loved that sound.

 

[Skyline]

If that's true, then why don't they add an extra sleeper car (or more) to every train, even if they're running on a reduced schedule? Of course, to do so, the marginal costs of adding another sleeper (the cost of another SCA, wear and tear on the sleeper, who knows, reduced fuel economy because of the extra weight) would have to be less than the additional revenue they get. And for all we know, Amtrak is allowing for more reservations that might rsult in an extra sleeper, but people aren't making those reservations, because fewer people are traveling along the route, or they feel safer driving their car than they do riding the train, even in a sleeper, etc.

Safety while travelling is one reason for depressed ridership. Sure, it makes sense -- we are safer from Covid in a car, truck, or RV than on public transportation. Even if we pay the high price for a sleeper.

But there is another reason. If we can't socialize on a train -- in a lounge car or dining car -- one of the main reasons for choosing a pax train disappears. It's that socialization that has always kept me coming back.

Let's hope the nation gets a better handle on Covid with a new year and new leadership. If we do, there will be no rationale for short, 3x/weekly trains any longer.

 

[me_little_me]

Because the guy in charge of operations, Stephen Gardner, has a personal hate on for the so-called long-distance trains and is sabotaging them in every way he can think of, while lying to his bosses about it.

Sorry to be so blunt, but that's what all the evidence points to.

Don't sugar coat it! Tell it like it really is!

 

[neroden]

Don't sugar coat it! Tell it like it really is!

That tends to get me moderated. ;-)