The whole using Superliners on the Illini/Saluki is the result of demands by the CN. For years, CN has insisted that Amtrak run longer trains in order to activate crossing gates and signals. Recently, CN has insisted that Amtrak use Superliners. This whole crossing activation is a real crock, since railroads all over the world can safely run short trains through crossings. It all boils down to CN's anti-passenger attitude.
I know both New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Railroad (not, strictly speaking, on the NEC) run 12-car trains sometimes. Some station platforms are too short to serve all of these cars. and passengers have to walk between cars to exit. New York Penn Station platforms are long enough -- I don't know about the other stations Amtrak uses on the NEC. I vaguely remember announcements that passengers could exit from only certain cars at Aberdeen MD, on a normal Northeast Regional train.
Yeah I guess at short platforms either the train would have to stop twice or passengers would have to get in a specific set before hand.
When VIA Rail tried to run a 2-car RDC train on the main line between Saskatoon and Edmonton, as planned by the Transport Ministry under Jean-Luc Pepin, the CN insisted on a 3-car train to activate signals and crossing circuits. VIA added a beat-up RDC-4 to comply. This issue has been going on for a while.
Indeed. Or simply have double unit trains not stop at the few stations with short platforms. Not everything stops everywhere.
I could see them doing this on a Boston to/from Washington run, having a double set between Washington and New York, and only running 1 set to Boston.
I am not sure that Amtrak will do any split join. That may be a bridge too far. Outfits that do split/joins generally also use Scharfenberg or equivalent remotely operated couplers that also carry brake and train lines. None of Amtrak's order include that. The end couplers are all Type H tightlock couplers and require separate handling of brake and train lines.
As does the UK, Germany, France and others. As @jis points out, the technology to do this quickly exists and it's unfortunate that neither NA passenger service has chosen this option.
Indeed. Or simply have double unit trains not stop at the few stations with short platforms. Not everything stops everywhere.
The best solution is to run additional frequencies though.
Often two unit trains are run in places where somewhere enroute the train splits and either the two units go to two different destinations, or one unit carries on while the other unit short turns. And that is where assigned seating or at least assigned car comes into play. Amtrak already does the assigned car/section on trains like the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle and the Lake Shore Lmited, so even for them this is not rocket science.
Really, the US is not a pioneer anymore on how to run passenger service. They just have to learn from those that have been there and done that.
There's a wide range of services and split points that could potentially work like New Haven, Philly, and DC/Richmond.
That's a shame more fleet flexibility would generally be a better thing.
Correct, and also some Toronto to Ottawa/Montreal "J trains*" (as they are called), separated at Brockville station. Unfortunately both these and the Northern Quebec trains are conventionally connected and the process to disconnect is also "conventional" and not quick.
The order to run on CN at least 32 axles (IIRC) started with the April 27, 2004 crash of Amtrak 364 and a vehicle in Charlotte, MI, killing 2. The gates hadn't fully lowered by the time the train entered the crossing. On May 24 at the same crossing, the protection didn't activate until a train was in the crossing. In June that year an Amtrak engineer reported gates lowering only 14 seconds before his train entered a crossing between Flint and Durand. Minimum time for complete lowering is 20 seconds.
I think it was the first morning departure out of Quincy, but I didn’t take the screenshot so I can’t be sure. I’d suggest you check out the railcam in Quincy to monitor it. A business class car was also on one of the other Quincy trains yesterday, I forget which one
Sure looks like it. The grab-handle placement on the inside of the seats is the clue.
