RatherBeOnATrain

FYI, in case anyone is planning travel on one of Amtrak's long distance trains, here is an August 13, 2020 Trains magazine article:Link to full article, which includes the planned schedule:
Amtrak sets schedules for triweekly long-distance operation - Message to employees says service reductions for 10 trains will be phased in over three-week period beginning Oct. 5

And from a September 27, 2020 article in Railway Age:Link to full article: Fifth in a Series: Advocates Speak Out, But It’s Up to Congress

not appropriate to discuss outside of OMNI/PR

AndyPatterson

Thanks -- how does "cutting service increase costs by a greater amount than it saves" in layperson's terms? Does it have to do with labor, and the inability to rotate crew between daily rest stops and their next train?

Daze

Some examples of why reducing service by 57% does not result in a 57% reduction in costs: Stations must still be maintained, even if not used. Equipment must still be maintained, if management's plans to restore daily service in the future are true. Crew costs are a big factor: With daily operation, conductors and engineers can go in one direction one day, and return after a reasonable layover. Now, they may have to stay for several days or be "deadheaded" home. Either one increases costs significantly. On board staff may have the same problems at the end points of the long haul routes. Yards and shops remain in operation yet there are fewer trains to provide revenue to support them.
The big one is not one of costs--will operating 43% of the trains be able to retain more than 43%, or 57% of the business? Will passengers be willing to jump through the hoop of only being able to go on three days of the week. Some will, IHMO many will say the heck with it. Daze

Longboater

In the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan President Biden plans to sign on Friday, $1.7 billion is appropriated for Amtrak. The House version appropriated $1.5 billion, but the Senate kicked in an extra $200 million. Who knows where that will end up going, I say in that in a non-partisan manner. Anyway, the extra money guarantees the return of daily overnight long distance trains, including the Palmetto. I can't find anything regarding the return of the Vermonter past Moynihan train hall as the train has essentially been just another WAS-NYP for the past many months. Interesting how the Superliner rolling stock will be first in returning to long distance travel while Viewliner and the Palmetto are last.

On a side note, as Senator Manchin would very much like the Cardinal to become a daily train, this issue is NOT funding but track capacity along a short-line railroad between Orange, VA and Clifton Forge, VA. After traveling on the Cardinal on a roundtrip between Alexandria and Charlottesville a few weekends ago, I understand how track capacity is an issue as it is almost entirely single track. So unless the Commonwealth of Virginia wants to purchase the Buckingham Branch Railroad or at least appropriate funds/extend a tax rebate to add another track along much of this span of trackage, you can forget the Cardinal from ever becoming daily. However, there was a project that was completed in 2017 that increased the speed between Orange and Gordonsville from 30 mph to a respectable 60 mph. (Just a quick note, the train slows to a near crawl while going through the middle of Gordonsville, its quite a nice view of the sleepy town in the heart of the Virginia Piedmont.) So, there's hope that additional trackage can eventually be added to enable daily Cardinal service.

Ok, that went way off the topic from the return of daily overnight long distance trains from the end of May into early June.

pa3lsvt

Are those daily schedules available anywhere yet? Looking to take the CA Zephyr as part of an overall "see the country from a train" San Diego - Philly train trip in late summer, and going back to daily service completely changes my stopover strategy. In a good way.

Longboater

Yes, they are available for booking.

saxman66

So maybe this should be a separate thread, but all the long distance trains that were cut back will be going back to daily beginning May 24 with some trains returning to daily June 7.

AndyPatterson

https://www.seattlepi.com/local/tran...e-16117945.php

More info on this. Interestingly, the Cascades route will only be SEA-Eugene; evidently the continued closure of the Canadian border means that there is not enough USA-origin traffic to justify service to Everett and Bellingham.

zephyr17

In 2018 Vancouver, BC had the third highest traffic of all Cascades station behind only Seattle and Portland, with approximately 164,000 boardings/deboadings. Bellingham was 50,000.

Daze

Many of the long distance trains will still have a downloadable schedule show up on the website. The schedule times of all these trains will NOT change, only that they will operate every day instead of three days a week.

Daze

There are two rush hour Sounder commuter trains operating between Seattle and Everett. Also two Amtrak Thruway busses between Seattle and Everett (you must be connecting from an Amtrak train to ride these) and one of the busses goes on to Bellingham. You can also purchase a ticket on the Empire Builder from Seattle to Everett. Who knew?

Longboater

Related to the return of daily long distance trains, I was told by a FC attendant on the Acela that flexible dinning will be removed from the longer long distance trains, i.e. California Zephyr, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, etc. starting May 1, with more changes coming in the Summer and Fall.

AndyPatterson

Several years ago, I remember comparing the train schedule with the bus schedule for Seattle to Bellingham, and being surprised that taking the bus was actually faster than the train! Must have been due to curves on the coastal train route?

zephyr17

The rail line follows the shoreline between a bit north of Mt. Vernon to Bellingham. It is very curvy, and generally has speed restrictions around 35 mph. It is also very scenic.

Interstate 5 is inland and goes along Lake Samish. It has speed limits of 60 and 70 mph (which equates to much traffic actually moving at 70 and 75). I 5 is relatively scenic through there, but not so much as the train, or Chuckanut Drive, which runs up on the cliffs next to the railroad.