Sunset Limited (East)

[Caesar La Rock]

Well here is some news as I stated I would bring if there was any word.

http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/Commissioners-Push-to-Bring-Amtrak-Back-204403471.html

 

[henryj]

Since the schedule change for the current Sunset route, the agreement with UP to make no more changes for two years, and the scattering of the surplus equipment I just don't see how this is going to come about now. What I see is a struggle just to keep what is left going.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

A) Two years will be real fast. Amost there now.

B) Amtrak never was able to save a train set with the new timetable.

So the equipment still around. Also more equipment is coming off the dead line, none of the trains have got longer. (Fact check needed).

Sure there issues, but there more excuse.

 

[haolerider]

A) Two years will be real fast. Amost there now.B) Amtrak never was able to save a train set with the new timetable.

So the equipment still around. Also more equipment is coming off the dead line, none of the trains have got longer. (Fact check needed).

Sure there issues, but there more excuse.

This issue will never go away! The route was not profitable, times into and out of the gambling centers were not customer friendly and the track speed in certain areas was too slow. While cities may say they want a train, with the new approach to dealing with states, the old "show me the money" approach will prevail. In my opinion, this route is dead!

 

[John Bobinyec]

A) Two years will be real fast. Amost there now.B) Amtrak never was able to save a train set with the new timetable.

So the equipment still around. Also more equipment is coming off the dead line, none of the trains have got longer. (Fact check needed).

Sure there issues, but there more excuse.

This issue will never go away! The route was not profitable, times into and out of the gambling centers were not customer friendly and the track speed in certain areas was too slow. While cities may say they want a train, with the new approach to dealing with states, the old "show me the money" approach will prevail. In my opinion, this route is dead!

Interesting. Can Amtrak do that with ALL the long distance trains, except the Auto Train? For example, why would Amtrak want to be solely responsible for the Silver Star between Miami and New York? They could decide to cut it back to Jacksonville, unless Florida pays for the Jacksonville - Miami section. Having accomplished that, they could cut the train back to Savannah, and then Raleigh, and then Richmond ... What's to stop them from forcing the states to pay for each relevant section?

jb

After reading some of the other threads, what I mentioned would be better discussed here: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?/topic/54956-ny-times-article-on-priia-sec-209-subsidies/

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I think Amtrak still requires some sort of seriously disruptive event to permanently adjust service on LD routes. That being said I have little doubt that over time Amtrak will probably take additional opportunities to adjust or reroute more LD services as hurricanes or floods or tornadoes or fires or whatever provide new excuses for curtailing service. The Sunset East may have been among the first but it probably won't be the last.

 

[Brystar41]

I hope that the Sunset Limited gets extended again but once they do start extension maybe extending it to Jacksonville is the best shot then sending it back to Orlando, since there seems to be a battle of this.

Or maybe introduce a Daily Service and give it a unique name to the panhandle of what they like, Gulf west? Sunset Gulf? that will go to New Orleans to Jacksonvile, and another service the "Peachtree" can go from Jacksonville, FL to Atlanta, GA. Also please expand the Silver Palm to Tampa restoring the route thru Gainsville, FL.

I say Jacksonville is because the Sunset Limited will have less problems on disrupting service there and also provide connections to the Sliver Service trains and the FEC passenger Rail service to Miami, Tampa and such.

 

[Anderson]

Well, Orlando is likely simply because of the Auto Train maintenance facilities. But you raise a good point, modeling-wise: If you have significant FEC service into JAX (either by Amtrak or by the FEC themselves), you're going to probably draw a lot more O/D for the Sunset there than in the past (not to mention that the service then, in a sense, becomes a feeder for the FEC's service even if they're expressly not planning on anything like that). How that actually plays out is going to depend a lot on both service timing and OTP, since IIRC the Sunset East tends to have trouble getting good times for both NOL and ORL if you use a day train. Still, a high-frequency FEC service and presumably-not-insane times for the Sunset East at JAX would make for a solid, sellable combination. The biggest jam is likely to be the lack of good times both ways for Tallahassee and Pensacola...but that really can't be resolved easily with a single daily train, sad to say.

The problem with S-line service (i.e. Gainesville) is that CSX is likely to put up a fight there, since they've been shifting freight to the S-line to clear the A-line (i.e. Deland) for SunRail traffic.

 

[NE933]

Proper signalling. There's more bs in that term than a freshly manured corn field. Too bad it can't be used as an alternative enrgy source.

 

[NE933]

Is that detailed enough for you? If not, please remember that these reports are requested by Congress, so they have to be dumbed down to their level. In fact you could make the argument that "teenagers who know nothing of railroads" begins to describe much of the intended audience in Congress as well.

Corection duly noted. Now that you have put up the quote, I remember reading it in the report. (What can I say? My memory is not so great any more.)

The 7 miles at 20 mph I do not understand. Otherwise, the speed limits seem appropriate to the conditions. The Mobile - Flomaton - Pensacola dogleg is not going to go away. There is simply not enough east-west traffic to justify building a direct line. Historically the railroads into Mobile and into Pensacola were built to connect the hinterland with a port, so there was no push for a line between these points during the late 1800's early 1900's railroad building era.

Yes, but even if someone built a straight beeline to avoid the dogleg, there will be someone else who'd rather go the old, long way.

 

[Ocala Mike]

The problem with S-line service (i.e. Gainesville) is that CSX is likely to put up a fight there, since they've been shifting freight to the S-line to clear the A-line (i.e. Deland) for SunRail traffic.

Right; that ship has sailed as part of the agreement with CSX over SunRail. The S-line is now freight only, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Ocala and Waldo (Gainesville) are off the passenger rail radar.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

The problem with S-line service (i.e. Gainesville) is that CSX is likely to put up a fight there, since they've been shifting freight to the S-line to clear the A-line (i.e. Deland) for SunRail traffic.

Right; that ship has sailed as part of the agreement with CSX over SunRail. The S-line is now freight only, and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Ocala and Waldo (Gainesville) are off the passenger rail radar.

Pretty much.

 

[George Harris]

Or maybe introduce a Daily Service and give it a unique name to the panhandle of what they like, Gulf west? Sunset Gulf? that will go to New Orleans to Jacksonvile, and another service the "Peachtree" can go from Jacksonville, FL to Atlanta, GA.

How about that long standing Louisville and Nashville name for the service: Gulf Wind. A really nice train with a round end observation until relatively late in the passenger game. It outlasted some trains that served larger cities.