Roomettes Now Available for Sale On the NEC

[Thirdrail7]

If you tune into the website, you'll see that the westbound/southbound Cardinal, Silver Star, Crescent and Silver Meteor opened their roomette space for NEC only reservations.

I was playing around with the prices and at one point, a trip in a sleeper was $175 NYP-WAS while a business class seat on the adjacent regional is $188. Coach on the same regional is $125 (value.) Meanwhile, the surrounding Acela coach seats are $204 while first class will set you back $350.

This is something Anderson and I discussed in the past. You can show growth but undercutting your regionals. We observed that it was actually cheaper to ride the Silver Star to Richmond, VA in a sleeper than it was to ride train 95 in business class.

At any rate, if it helps the network, why not? I still hope they will not sell the NEC until after certain period of time....say 3 months out or so.

 

[ehbowen]

If they really wanted to provide a service, they'd put a Viewliner sleeper on 66/67.

 

[Acela150]

If they really wanted to provide a service, they'd put a Viewliner sleeper on 66/67.

Is it bad that when I read the thread title that was my hope?

 

[PVD]

Sleeper on the overnight would be nice. Not sure if the Bag/Dorm rooms could be sellable, and if they would be enough, or would a whole sleeper be more appropriate. I seem to remember a slumbercoach trip to Boston in the 96-97 range. Had an Empire State Games practice in Long Neach, went to NYP with another coach, got off at BBY and walked over to the Sheraton Boston...Snred through a few of the morning speakers, couldn't fall
asleep on the trip.

 

[ehbowen]

I think that just a bag-dorm would draw criticism on account of ADA (no H-room). But if they aren't USING the bag-dorms, and I don't know where they are if they are, I'm sure they could sell one out every trip. Because of 66/67's unique schedule I don't think that they would need any rooms for crew space; the crew is being paid to stay up all night.

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

Well this is a surprise. I’m almost tempted to upgrade to sleeper for my trip to Baltimore just for the heck of it.

 

[PVD]

I totally forgot about the lack of ADA space. Excellent catch.

 

[user 14106]

If they really wanted to provide a service, they'd put a Viewliner sleeper on 66/67.

From the 5 year plan documents this seems to be the plan when more of the viewliner sleepers arrive. Seems conceivable that a viewliner diner could also join any sleepers should this happen.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

From the 5 year plan documents this seems to be the plan when more of the viewliner sleepers arrive. Seems conceivable that a viewliner diner could also join any sleepers should this happen.

Why would that train need a diner? The NEC section doesn't coincide well with meal times and the VA section operates similar to the other Regionals with heavy turnover in DC. If Amtrak were interested in expanding diner service (I doubt they are), the better candidate would be a long day trip such as the Palmetto.

 

[jloewen]

Why would that train need a diner? The NEC section doesn't coincide well with meal times and the VA section operates similar to the other Regionals with heavy turnover in DC. If Amtrak were interested in expanding diner service (I doubt they are), the better candidate would be a long day trip such as the Palmetto.

I took 65-66 from WAS to BOS maybe 10 years ago when it still had one sleeper car. Its residents were able to eat whatever they wanted from the cafe car, except alcohol, as part of their sleeper tickets. However, when my wife and I went to take our return trip, we were downgraded to business class "because the sleeper was broken." They also refunded our sleeper fare (back to coach). But we had to sit up all night. I believe that's when they dropped the sleeper, rather than fix the car. Sigh. I would still take it to BOS from DC if it existed.

 

[me_little_me]

No problem adding sleepers. They can just use the new diners as sleepers with a slight modification. They don't need them as diners any more!

 

[ehbowen]

No problem adding sleepers. They can just use the new diners as sleepers with a slight modification. They don't need them as diners any more!

We need a "pounding head on desk" smiley....