When is Sleeping Car returning to WAS-BOS overnight train?

[Tlcooper44]

Well, if there are not a few people in the most rail savvy part of the country willing to ride a Sleeper overnight, I'd say we are in real trouble. OTOH I would not go so far as to reach the conclusion based on that that the country is becoming significantly more rail savvy overall, enough to start riding Sleepers for local business needs in large numbers either. The overall country is a really big and diverse place.

I did not suggest that the country as a whole is become significantly more rail savvy, but rather the belief that trains are an antiquated and useless form of travel is no longer ubiquitous. Many that I talk to in the northeast (especially in my generation) see the appeal. That was not necessarily there 20 years ago.

It seems some have finally awoken to the reality that the world takes advantage of great rail, and we are a very lonely country that does not.

 

[Tlcooper44]

Wait a second. Are the sleeper cars actually dirty, as in the kind of grime that transfers from the surface to your person ,or is it just that they are a bit old and faded?

Fir all the times I've traveled in V-1 sleepers, I've never had a problem with their being scuzzy or grimy or whatever, even if the upholstery is faded or minor things don't work.

Unfortunately, yes. Sometimes they are actually dirty.

 

[MARC Rider]

While we can complain about these things all we want (and I’ve done just that), the Night Owl is perhaps the single sleeper train in this country that makes actual sense across the board. It’s a perfect schedule, it’s decently priced (most of the time), and has an undeniably real market outside tourism.

I've ridden sleepers on the Silvers for business travel (mostly BAL/WAS to Savannah, but also to Tampa.) I've also used the Capitol Limited for business travel, and also the Crescent (though the new schedule messes up its value for trips to/from Greenville SC.)

 

[Danib62]

Wait a second. Are the sleeper cars actually dirty, as in the kind of grime that transfers from the surface to your person ,or is it just that they are a bit old and faded?

Fir all the times I've traveled in V-1 sleepers, I've never had a problem with their being scuzzy or grimy or whatever, even if the upholstery is faded or minor things don't work.

Yes they are actually dirty. Any nook and cranny that isn't easy to reach is covered in grime and dust. The carpets and drapes aren't just worn, they are filthy. The hinge on the little door in the bathroom/shower for the toilet paper compartment in my bedroom was completely rusted. The car safety information card was literally stuck to the fold out table.

 

[Exvalley]

Fortune 500 people tend to not influence data that much.

Perhaps I shouldn't have used that narrow of a term. When I take the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago to attend a conference each year, most people I speak with have never once considered taking the train. And a large number of these people work for businesses that are much smaller than a Fortune 500 company. Many of them are intrigued by the idea of taking the train, but that doesn't mean they would actually try it. The conference is almost always at the Ritz Carlton, and there are not many business people out there that are willing to trade a night at the Ritz for a night in an Amtrak sleeper.

 

[Tlcooper44]

Yes they are actually dirty. Any nook and cranny that isn't easy to reach is covered in grime and dust. The carpets and drapes aren't just worn, they are filthy. The hinge on the little door in the bathroom/shower for the toilet paper compartment in my bedroom was completely rusted. The car safety information card was literally stuck to the fold out table.

Thankfully, in the 4 times I’ve taken the Owl since April 5, this experience happened only once (maybe we even had the same room). That said, that’s one time too many.

 

[Danib62]

I wonder if roomettes are generally cleaner than bedrooms, they seem to have fewer nooks and crannies where gunk can collect. my only other experience in Amtrak sleeping accommodations was in a Superliner roomette on the CL in the summer of 2019 and it was night and day in terms of cleanliness.

 

[Danib62]

Was not expecting this: Amtrak gave me a $100 travel voucher following my complaints about my experience on 67! I limited my complaints to the cold shower in the bedroom and being woken up by the PA multiple times at NYP.

 

[OBS]

Was not expecting this: Amtrak gave me a $100 travel voucher following my complaints about my experience on 67! I limited my complaints to the cold shower in the bedroom and being woken up by the PA multiple times at NYP.

That's great, and a reasonably quick response as well!

 

[zephyr17]

I wonder if roomettes are generally cleaner than bedrooms, they seem to have fewer nooks and crannies where gunk can collect. my only other experience in Amtrak sleeping accommodations was in a Superliner roomette on the CL in the summer of 2019 and it was night and day in terms of cleanliness.

Just don't look under a roomette seat...you really don't want to know.

 

[neroden]

I did not suggest that the country as a whole is become significantly more rail savvy, but rather the belief that trains are an antiquated and useless form of travel is no longer ubiquitous. Many that I talk to in the northeast (especially in my generation) see
the appeal. That was not necessarily there 20 years ago.

It's documented that starting in about 1990 in the US (and all of the Americas, actually) there has been a massive uptrend in demand for rail travel, both in terms of ridership, in terms of prices the riders will pay, in terms of political activism, everything. Huge, massive, positive trend. The ridership charts just start shooting up from 1990 to 2019, for every system, after being flat or declining in the 1980s.

The change in attitude is undeniable -- people want train service now. Supporters of passenger rail are in a majority in the younger generations. I think this is still taking certain older Amtrak executives by surprise, and it has certainly surprised many older politicians.

It seems some have finally awoken to the reality that the world takes advantage of great rail, and we are a very lonely country that does not.

Partly because our government is dominated by aged men (such as the "Senate" -- you know what Latin root that comes from!), many (though not all) of whom are out of touch with post-1990 trends.

 

[neroden]

I've ridden sleepers on the Silvers for business travel (mostly BAL/WAS to Savannah, but also to Tampa.) I've also used the Capitol Limited for business travel, and also the Crescent (though the new schedule messes up its value for trips to/from Greenville SC.)

I don't have business travel myself, but I've read multiple reports of people using the LSL Buffalo-Chicago for business travel. (The schedule is right.)

 

[Willbridge]

It's documented that starting in about 1990 in the US (and all of the Americas, actually) there has been a massive uptrend in demand for rail travel, both in terms of ridership, in terms of prices the riders will pay, in terms of political activism, everything. Huge, massive, positive trend. The ridership charts just start shooting up from 1990 to 2019, for every system, after being flat or declining in the 1980s.

The change in attitude is undeniable -- people want train service now. Supporters of passenger rail are in a majority in the younger generations. I think this is still taking certain older Amtrak executives by surprise, and it has certainly surprised many older politicians.


Partly because our government is dominated by aged men (such as the "Senate" -- you know what Latin root that comes from!), many (though not all) of whom are out of touch with post-1990 trends.

This phenomenon is happening in the inner ring (or "doughnut ring") suburbs where leadership comes from the group that last rode public transit when they were in college. The actual needs of the marketplace come from different demographic groups.

 

[Danib62]

Now that omicron has died down is there any word on when the heck 65/66/67 will be restored?

 

[Tlcooper44]

Now that omicron has died down is there any word on when the heck 65/66/67 will be restored?

Last I checked is still March 27th IIRC

 

[Danib62]

That seems excessive, I wonder if something else is going on.

 

[Amtrak709]

This may have been addressed previously in this discussion and, if so, I apologize. I believe I noticed that the sleeper on 65/66/67 operates in the trainset BOS-NPN-BOS (like the Twilight Shoreliner) but is only available for occupancy WAS-BOS-WAS. Curious if this is a staffing issue or maintenance issue or demand issue; or maybe just an unknown. I have fond memories in the early 2000's of occupying the sleeper BOS-ASD and WBG. Just curious.

 

[Danib62]

It's a funding issue since WAS-NPN is considered a state-sponsored route.

 

[OBS]

That seems excessive, I wonder if something else is going on.

I'm sure the lack of staffing is factored in as well. They would much rather use the staff to operate more Acela's than this train due to higher revenue and lower cost.

 

[Amtrak709]

Another useless curiosity: after all passengers have detrained in WAS on 65/66/67, do they service the sleeper on the way to NPN?; while in NPN waiting for the trainset to turnaround on return trip to WAS?? or other???

 

[MARC Rider]

It's a funding issue since WAS-NPN is considered a state-sponsored route.

They were running sleepers to Newport News from the 1990s when the train was called the Twilight Shoreliner and extended to Newport News. Was there any problem with state funding back then?

 

[PVD]

Did the current rule exist then? If it didn't, Twilight Shoreliner is no longer relevant in this situation.

 

[Rasputin]

Another useless curiosity: after all passengers have detrained in WAS on 65/66/67, do they service the sleeper on the way to NPN?; while in NPN waiting for the trainset to turnaround on return trip to WAS?? or other???

Hardly a useless question. Based on the trip reports I have seen the sleeper seems to be serviced in DC upon arrival from Newport News but hopefully those who have ridden this sleeper can confirm or correct that.

 

[TheCrescent]

This is another situation in which logic is thrown in the trash can due to some law.

Amtrak has a sleeping car that runs empty between Washington and Newport News.

Just sell the rooms for a discount, without amenities and without an agent. Every cent in ticket sales is black ink in Amtrak’s bottom line.

 

[jis]

They were running sleepers to Newport News from the 1990s when the train was called the Twilight Shoreliner and extended to Newport News. Was there any problem with state funding back then?

It was not a state supported service them. AFAIR it was not a 403b service.