Route Timetable PDFs returning? (2021-2022)

[jcoons]

WHOOPS! You found the OurBus bus. That's not the one I'm talking about; that one was introduced in the last couple of years, partly in response to frustration with Trailways. OurBus has a published timetable, by the way.

I was talking about the unfindable, "vapour bus" Trailways Bus which runs from Ithaca to Syracuse via Cortland (with no change of bus). Which was around long before OurBus was formed as a company -- but for the last decade or so, has had no published timetable. You didn't find it, which proves my point. It's unfindable even with that search engine. (And it starts south of Ithaca, according to rumor. Where does it start from? Who knows?)

Thanks for proving my point. Apologies will be accepted.

You are clearly referring to the 9:45PM Trailways northbound and it's corollary southbound of which there are several operated by Trailways partners. So, yes, it's very findable.

 

[neroden]

You are clearly referring to the 9:45PM Trailways northbound and it's corollary southbound of which there are several operated by Trailways partners. So, yes, it's very findable.

Nope. Try again! It ran during the daytime.

It looks like the "ghost bus" has actually been suspended, perhaps due to Covid -- without notice!

 

[neroden]

I checked my handy August 1974 55mph Official Bus Guide and it shows Greyhound 3x daily between Ithaca and Syracuse. Two trips from Corning through Elmira and one trip from Elmira. In December 1987 the same GL service was in place PLUS a Friday Only Syracuse<>Ithaca turn. In November 1997 the route was run by New York Trailways with one round-trip plus that Friday Only turn.

And that's the route, yep, you found it. Using the printed timetable. Was still in place in 2018, but no timetable, so nobody could find it if they didn't have an old timetable.

 

[west point]

How did the Greyhound take over Trailways proceed. Seems like not all companies were absorbed ?

 

[railiner]

How did the Greyhound take over Trailways proceed. Seems like not all companies were absorbed ?

Greyhound bought Continental Trailways in 1987, the largest member of the National Trailways Bus System (an association of independent bus lines formed in 1936 to compete with Greyhound, and briefly Greyhound became a member of that system. Later, they withdrew, but as part of them getting government permission to make that purchase, they had to continue cooperating with the remaining independent Trailways member companies. Some of these companies went into a revenue sharing pool with Greyhound, and ran joint schedules, in some, but not all cases including pooling of their buses for thru services. Some of these independent bus lines later parted ways with Greyhound, some failed and went under, and a few hung on. One of these is 'Trailways of New York', consisting of three companies owned by the same family (Adirondack, Pine Hill, and NY Trailways).

Today, the Trailways association has tried to re-invent themselves into another trade association of independent bus owners (there are several different ones), and recruit many small "mom & pop" charter companies. Trailways as a line run alternative, has mostly become irrelevant, and other entities have entered the fray...

 

[Willbridge]

Greyhound bought Continental Trailways in 1987, the largest member of the National Trailways Bus System (an association of independent bus lines formed in 1936 to compete with Greyhound, and briefly Greyhound became a member of that system. Later, they withdrew, but as part of them getting government permission to make that purchase, they had to continue cooperating with the remaining independent Trailways member companies. Some of these companies went into a revenue sharing pool with Greyhound, and ran joint schedules, in some, but not all cases including pooling of their buses for thru services. Some of these independent bus lines later parted ways with Greyhound, some failed and went under, and a few hung on. One of these is 'Trailways of New York', consisting of three companies owned by the same family (Adirondack, Pine Hill, and NY Trailways).

Today, the Trailways association has tried to re-invent themselves into another trade association of independent bus owners (there are several different ones), and recruit many small "mom & pop" charter companies. Trailways as a line run alternative, has mostly become irrelevant, and other entities have entered the fray...

A great summary of a sad ending. The only thing I would add is that Greyhound sometimes played philanthropist and turned routes over to independent operators. This was tricky in the regulated days but from what I saw, regulators would go along with it if the service level was maintained. It was easier to do under deregulation but less of a sure thing for the newcomer. One way or another, in the Ithaca case that seems to have happened.

 

[Old MM]

Has there been any news of the timetables return? It is really frustrating being limited to the point to point option on the app. I don't think it's asking too much to see the complete route of a given train, with every station stop and times.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Has there been any news of the timetables return? It is really frustrating being limited to the point to point option on the app. I don't think it's asking too much to see the complete route of a given train, with every station stop and times.

If you type in the end points, you'll see all the stops and their times. Though you may have to click on the xx+ to see "more".

 

[neroden]

If you type in the end points, you'll see all the stops and their times. Though you may have to click on the xx+ to see "more".

Of course, this requires that you know the endpoints for every route in advance. (This is why it's impossible to find some of the Trailways and Greyhound routes.)

 

[denmarks]

I know that printed timetables are long gone but do complete timetables appear somewhere on the Amtrak Site? I only see schedules by train and date.

 

[zephyr17]

I know that printed timetables are long gone but do complete timetables appear somewhere on the Amtrak Site? I only see schedules by train and date.

That's it.

 

[neroden]

Rail Passengers Association continues to work to convince Amtrak to bring back the PDF timetables, because people need them. Right now, however, Amtrak is not producing them.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Rail Passengers Association continues to work to convince Amtrak to bring back the PDF timetables, because people need them. Right now, however, Amtrak is not producing them.

Are they making any headway at all, or simply running into a brick wall?

 

[neroden]

Are they making any headway at all, or simply running into a brick wall?

There are now definitely members of management within Amtrak advocating for the return of complete timetables. They may be making progress at convincing others. I cannot say more, but it doesn't look like a brick wall.

 

[zephyr17]

Brick wall or brick heads?

 

[niemi24s]

While not on the official Amtrak website, this will get you to the last known pdfs of the timetables: Amtrak Routes & Stations

These may or may not be the current timetables, however.

 

[acelafan]

To the best of my ability, I have compiled a list of Amtrak timetables and have included those timetables produced by outside entities (like state partners):

https://juckins.net/amtrak_timetables/archive/home.php

 

[NS VIA Fan]

What a resource! Thanks for that

 

[BlackDiamond]

Why did Amtrak remove the printable schedules from the website? For my recent trip I was lucky I had downloaded the PDFs when they were still available. The alternative of just showing departure and arrival times for your trip is unsatisfactory and makes planning stopover etc that much harder. It also misses the info of what stops handle checked baggage, Thruway connections, etc.

 

[denmarks]

You can get a schedule with each station stop for a route here:
schedules > enter from/to/date > find schedules > select the train> your route appears
They are in segments so you have to click "see next x stations". You can only print a segment at a time.

 

[joelkfla]

Why did Amtrak remove the printable schedules from the website? For my recent trip I was lucky I had downloaded the PDFs when they were still available. The alternative of just showing departure and arrival times for your trip is unsatisfactory and makes planning stopover etc that much harder. It also misses the info of what stops handle checked baggage, Thruway connections, etc.

If you hadn't downloaded it, the last published versions are available on several fan websites.

Here's one: Amtrak Timetable Archives - Home

 

[neroden]

Why did Amtrak remove the printable schedules from the website?

Because Amtrak management is a disorganized, incompetent mess right now. The person (yes, ONE PERSON) who prepared the timetables retired and they didn't preemptively hire someone else to replace her, because bad management. I can't put it any more plainly.

 

[John from RI]

Thanks to those who are working on getting Amtrak to re-issue time tables.
Even in the worst days of the New Haven Railroad there was always a printed timetable at the station. Always. That worked best for me. That they don't even have a timetable on their website is incredible.
However, I'm not going to get on the blame management train. In recent years there has been so much hostility in Congress that I think we are lucky to even have trains.

 

[Bonser]

Thanks to those who are working on getting Amtrak to re-issue time tables.
Even in the worst days of the New Haven Railroad there was always a printed timetable at the station. Always. That worked best for me. That they don't even have a timetable on their website is incredible.
However, I'm not going to get on the blame management train. In recent years there has been so much hostility in Congress that I think we are lucky to even have trains.

I beg to differ. I don't think Congress is to blame for the lack of a PDF schedule. That falls on Amtrak management.

 

[alpha3]

I guess the infamous (miserable) Amtrak IT team has struck yet again, or maybe it's been gone a long time and didn't notice -? But, at any rate, I was looking online for the old familiar top-to-bottom PDF of the California Zephyr. I'm thinking of taking it again soon, but the PDF is gone - at least, I can't find it. Before, you could click on 'destinations' or 'routes' and then then train name comes up, and clicking on the train name, one of the selections was the schedule, PDF, reading top to bottom for one direction, bottom to top for the reverse direction. I can only find one (sort of) schedule if you go to book, then it is only a bare-bones thing for the direction you have chosen. And even then, you have to keep clicking over and over to 'see more.' VERY annoying, and NOT what I want. If I search the internet, it does come up with the Zephyr's PDF for 2020. But that shows 3 days a week service, which has since changed and I'm sure the times are different. Anyone find a way to see the PDF for 2021? Or is Amtrak IT just enjoying making everything impossible?