archon

When I was on the Pennsylvanian this weekend from PHL-PIT I overheard two employees talking about how a new bid sheet had a 2nd Pennsylvanian run on it. Can anyone verify this? It would make sense since the new Keystone service.

I would love another Pennsylvanian run between PHL and PIT. I have family in the area and hate flying it and also hate the drive (nothing is more boring then 5 hours on the PA Turnpike).

Amtrak207

If this is true, this would be a most welcome addition. I will be taking the WB Pennsylvanian on Dec 10th, and will see if I can dig anything up.
I know ridership is strong, and it was nice having more than 1 train when the Three Rivers still ran this route (and Broadway Limited for those that can remember

Once again Archon, I agree, I too would love another Pennsylvanian run to PGH.

-Tom

ojodeazul

I too would love to see this route have more trains. All of my college friends live in PIT and though now that planes are cheaper again it is not such an issue, but it would be great to have another train to take if I wanted to make a trip out there.

archon

I've flown many times between PIT and PHL and find the train a much better deal. With check in time, waiting in line, constant PHL delays, and then the added time to get into the city while dealing with Parkway traffic; I would much rather be sitting on a train for 6 hours.

The train rolls right into downtown and is generally cheaper. I can do roundtrip on the train for about $100 (with a discount code of course) and flights (at their cheapest) tend to be about $120 plus a cab into the city is $30 or $40.

On another note, does anyone out there no why the Pennsylvanian doesn't roll into State College (home of Penn State) or nearby Bellefonte? The tracks are there to do it, Bellefonte use to be a huge train hub in the 1900's. They are in decent condition also (I use to walk them when I was in college at PSU). It would seem to me to be a "no brainer" to spend a few million to update the infrastructure and route the train through State College as there are about 60,000 transient students there. The move would probably pay for itself.

Amtrak207

Probably freight congestion on Norfolk Southern Railway or the shortline RR out there, another is ridership studies (may take years), available trainsets, servicing, etc. Amtrak does very well with its' cross-PA services, It would be nice Archon, but doubtful.

If there is a new train in the planning stages, maybe it will take the schedule of the (then-proposed) Amtrak Skyline Connection train, which left PHL late in the evening and made an overnight run to PGH, arriving PGH in the A.M. I am sure talks with Norfolk Southern RR will take a while, as this is their main line with heavy freight traffic density from NJ to PA and the west. Fitting another Amtrak train in may take a while.

I will not speculate too much since this train isn't confirmed yet, but we shall see.

AlanB

While nothing is ever impossible, I've heard nothing about a second fequency to PIT. And I would expect that we would have heard something, since the only way that I'd expect you'll see another frequency is if Harrisburg is paying for it. Amtrak certainly isn't going to add the train, and in fact they can't add the train unless someone else is paying.

So if Harrisburg was paying, you'd figure that they'd be tooting their own horn as it were, with elections tomorrow.

archon

Amtrak certainly isn't going to add the train, and in fact they can't add the train unless someone else is paying.

Amtrak isn't allowed to do something that might make money? Is this a law or just because Amtrak is broke? I'm not someone who thinks that we can have passenger rail in this country without the government subsidizing it somehow, but why in the world would you stop anyone from making a move that could improve service and possibly make money?

I would be more then happy to see the PA legislators transfer some money from road construction to provide better train service. It would be more help to the PA economy then paying the same contractor every 3 years to repave the road he screwed up before.

AlanB

Back in I believe July of 2003, right after former Amtrak President David Gunn took over, Amtrak was out of money. The Federal DOT loaned Amtrak $100 Million to keep things running. One of the conditions of the loan was that Amtrak could not start any new services, unless someone else would guarantee to cover any potential lossses.

A year later at the urging of the Bush administration, Congress inserted a provision into Amtrak's annual budget that kept that condition in effect for as long as the Fed continues to provide Amtrak any funding, or until Congress removes said provision.

If Amtrak can prove that starting a new service would actually make money, then they actually could start a new train running. However, the simple reality is that running trains will never make money. At best Amtrak could hope to cover it's operating expenses with proper management and proper capital funding, but Amtrak will never be able to cover it's capital needs from the fare box. And it will never, ever make money.

fairviewroad

If you think 5 hours on the PA Turnpike is boring, you should try the Ohio Turnpike. At least in PA you get tunnels, mountains, and curves. In Ohio, you get...uh...the bridge over the Cuyahoga River?

And to another comment...I do remember the Broadway Limited. I took my first train ride (aside from local runs into Philly) on the Broadway. Great dining car service with nice views of the PA mountains. A nice memory. Too bad it went the route of so many classic trains.

archon

I know there is plenty of blame to go around concerning Amtrak, but I wish someone, Republican or Democrat, would do something to fix the system. If we spent one percent of highway funding a year on rail infrastructure, we could get a ton of cars and tractor trailors off the road and it would pay for itself.

I just don't understand why politicians don't seem to want to touch Amtrak. It only becomes an issue when its subsidy comes up every year. Then someone tries to zero out their subsidy, to which a bunch of politicians parade around about how they will save Amtrak. Inevitably, Amtrak gets partially funded, some politicians get brownie points, and the problem doesn't get solved. Either fully fund it or get rid of it.

Reindeerflame

PA needs to take out its checkbook. Multiple frequencies on corridors like this work much better than single frequencies.

sechs

Reindeerflame is right. If you run it, they will ride.

GoAmtrak

It was June of 2002.

As usual, Alan, the balance of your comments are spot on. ^