Passenger Trains > New Timetables

When do they come in??? Just went down to the station and they still don't have them in yet. I've heard that they're out but do they ship them out in alphabetical order? As in staffed stations with the letter A get them before everyone else? I'm getting a little worried because the new timetable becomes in effect on Monday!

San Francisco Ferry Building had them Thursday 4/20. Distribution is usually random, and some stations don't open the box to see what's in it until someone asks.

The guys down at our station are kind of mad and kept saying that they should have had them weeks ago. I think they're upset because we're one of the last stations to get them.

Any changes to the Sunset Limited schedule?????

SP7615

To my knowledge, this is the most painless way to obtain one:

Amtrak.com

SP7615 Wrote:
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> Any changes to the Sunset Limited schedule?????
>
> SP7615

Same days and times from LA to San Antonio. The new sched shows service on to New Orleans where the old sched stopped at San Antonio.

EB Depart SA at 1:00AM TuFrSu Arr NO 4:00PM TuFrSu
WB Depart NO at 11:55AM MoWeFr Arr SA 3:00AM TuThSa

jb

SunsetLtd Wrote:
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> When do they come in??? Just went down to the
> station and they still don't have them in yet.
> I've heard that they're out but do they ship them
> out in alphabetical order? As in staffed stations
> with the letter A get them before everyone else?
> I'm getting a little worried because the new
> timetable becomes in effect on Monday!

Philadelphia had them two weeks ago.

Ive heard that as part of the Amtrak money cuts the new timetables have only one page which reads,"When we get there".

Just put the city pair you're interested in into an amtrak.com reservation on a date after the new schedule goes into effect. The new times have been programmed there for weeks.

The new .pdf schedules (printed in blue) have also now been switched on the web site to those effective 24 April 2006.

You remind me of myself when I was in my teens. Only then, I was looking for Southern Pacific timetables, and they were never in a hurry to get them out. Sometimes the new schedules would be in effect for two or three weeks before they ever got the timetables out.

calhog Wrote:
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> You remind me of myself when I was in my teens.
> Only then, I was looking for Southern Pacific
> timetables, and they were never in a hurry to get
> them out. Sometimes the new schedules would be in
> effect for two or three weeks before they ever got
> the timetables out.


I liked it when Amtrak did them early!

I just read the Coast Starlight timetable. I don't know when Amtrak is going to see the light and make a more realistic Coast Starlight schedule.

BTW, train #11 is (once again) 7 hours and 40 minutes late out of Salinas, tonight.

You told me the Amtrak website technique a few years back and it is the only way to go. Granted ,there might be an address label on the front cover, but a little heat from the hair dryer and it peals right off. Thanks again GB. Jim

Time for the Coast Starlight to be split into two trains I am afraid. Overnight section would probably work best between Bay Area (leaving around 6:00 p.m. or so) and Pacific Northwest - so at least passengers have a chance to see the CA coastal scenery in daylight. The overnight section should be timed to allow:

a) Connection with the westbound CA Zephyr
b) Restored connection at Portland to the Empire Builder
c) Connection from San Diego/LA via Bakersfield/Sacramento.

Pacific Parlor Cars should still be retained for the overnight train (for sleeping car passengers) and day train along the coast south of Bay area - at a premium fare for the day train perhaps part of a business class fare offering.

Would probably lead to sleepers being freed up (one less overnight train). Re-allocate the sleepers to other long distance trains. Would also free up the Coast Starlight train set that is held captive in LA "on standby when train #11 arrives." Would this finally free up enough Superliners to convert the Cardinal back to a Superliner train set - YES! Tack on Amfleets to Cardinal at Washington DC next to the Trans Dorm/Sleeper to preserve the NYC through connection. Give the sleeper passengers a business class Amfleet prior to connection with Superliner trainset in Washington DC.

jp1822 Wrote:
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> Time for the Coast Starlight to be split into two
> trains I am afraid. Overnight section would
> probably work best between Bay Area (leaving
> around 6:00 p.m. or so) and Pacific Northwest - so
> at least passengers have a chance to see the CA
> coastal scenery in daylight. The overnight section
> should be timed to allow:
>
> a) Connection with the westbound CA Zephyr
> b) Restored connection at Portland to the Empire
> Builder
> c) Connection from San Diego/LA via
> Bakersfield/Sacramento.
>
> Pacific Parlor Cars should still be retained for
> the overnight train (for sleeping car passengers)
> and day train along the coast south of Bay area -
> at a premium fare for the day train perhaps part
> of a business class fare offering.
>
> Would probably lead to sleepers being freed up
> (one less overnight train). Re-allocate the
> sleepers to other long distance trains. Would also
> free up the Coast Starlight train set that is held
> captive in LA "on standby when train #11 arrives."
> Would this finally free up enough Superliners to
> convert the Cardinal back to a Superliner train
> set - YES! Tack on Amfleets to Cardinal at
> Washington DC next to the Trans Dorm/Sleeper to
> preserve the NYC through connection. Give the
> sleeper passengers a business class Amfleet prior
> to connection with Superliner trainset in
> Washington DC.


Agree.