Passenger Trains > October schedules for Lake Shore Limited - Toledo - Chicago

I have read with much interest  items about the possible re-routing of the Lakeshore Limited for a month during October.  I checked the schedule and reservation site on Amtrak's website this morning.  The Lakeshore Limited and the Capital Limited are listed, as they always are.  In addition, the Trinity thruway bus connection is there, showing that as an option to get to Chicago via Dearborn and the Wolverine.   There is also an afternoon thruway bus schedule, which has never been listed before.  Perhaps this is a Greyhound bus, for they run into the Toledo Amtrak station now.  Has anyone else noted these two new options on the Amtrak site? 

Nothing official has been heard about it so far AFAIK.

I have a ticket on an LSL from New York to Chicago in mid-October. I would expect to receive an email if there is any schedule change. Nothing yet.

Amtrak will never be known for it great communication. 

If Amtrak wanted to move this train to the Michigan line, they would have to spend serious dollars between Toledo and YD (south Detroit) and then the four miles over to Townline.  Yes, it is okay for an occasional detour move, but daily service at 10 mph between Townline and YD is unacceptable.

I smell a flustercuck coming in October. There is no way to get between Toledo and Chicago via Michigan in 4 hours don't matter what you do to the track.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/16 11:54 by joemvcnj.

What would the reason be for rerouting the train or trains?  All the track work between Porter and CUS has been going on the past two years, plus the work between Elkhart and Goshen - but they manage to run the train...just railfan rumors.

The rumor I heard is Mich-DOT wanted to test the rerouting a LD train. Also some advocates at AAO have a fetish about extending the Pennsylvanian to Chicago via Michigan or rerouting the Capitol Ltd via Michigan. Maybe they got through to someone influential.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I smell a flustercuck coming in October. There is
> no way to get between Toledo and Chicago via
> Michigan in 4 hours don't matter what you do to
> the track.

I have seen a proposed schedule from what appears to be reliable internal source, and it proposes 3 additional hours from mthe current schedule for traveling over the route via Dearborn, which appears quite plausible. I don;t know where you came up withthe four hours from.

The problem though is, that would mean rescheduling at least the eastbound to an earlier departure to get to the east coast before the dead of the night, and that would mean rescheduling the west bound earlier in order to be able to turn the consist reliably in Chicago. All in all massive rescheduling, not only of the LSL, but also shuffling of some EmpireService schedules, and a huge negotiation with CSX.. So I am still waiting to see if they work the basic logisitical problems out.

< . I don't know where you came up with the four hours from. >

You misunderstood. I was referring to the current running time between Toledo and Chicago is 4 hours. There is no way you can get through Michigan and make it in 4 hours as well.

Jishnu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I smell a flustercuck coming in October. There
> is
> > no way to get between Toledo and Chicago via
> > Michigan in 4 hours don't matter what you do to
> > the track.
>
> I have seen a proposed schedule from what appears
> to be reliable internal source, and it proposes 3
> additional hours from mthe current schedule for
> traveling over the route via Dearborn, which
> appears quite plausible. I don;t know where you
> came up withthe four hours from.
>
> The problem though is, that would mean
> rescheduling at least the eastbound to an earlier
> departure to get to the east coast before the dead
> of the night, and that would mean rescheduling the
> west bound earlier in order to be able to turn the
> consist reliably in Chicago. All in all massive
> rescheduling, not only of the LSL, but also
> shuffling of some EmpireService schedules, and a
> huge negotiation with CSX.. So I am still waiting
> to see if they work the basic logisitical problems
> out.
​Let's try this next spring.  Do we really think the kinks are going to be worked out in time so as to be able to advertize and/or publish a schedule, and allow booking?

Assuming three extra hours the minimal change way of doing it would be to move the Chicago arrival to 12:45pm and the Chicago departure to 6:30pm and then throw the challenge to 14th St to turn the consist 5:45 or less depending on when it actually arrives from the east. :)

The Misconnect Hotel and Grill will be doing a lot of business in October. Hope Amtrak hits Michigan-DOT for the expenses of that too.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The rumor I heard is Mich-DOT wanted to test the
> rerouting a LD train. Also some advocates at AAO
> have a fetish about extending the Pennsylvanian to
> Chicago via Michigan or rerouting the Capitol Ltd
> via Michigan. Maybe they got through to someone
> influential.

Actually the Pennsylvanian could make some sense as both Michigan and PA could sponsor the train. Not sure what Ohio would do.

But don't take the fastest train on schedule right now from Midwest to East Coast (e.g. the Capitol Limited) and add time to it by routing it through Michigan.

Schedule a Wolverine train that runs from Chicago to Dearborn and then run it down to Toledo where one can transfer from one train to the other via a walk across the platform.

Pennsylvanian extended to Chicago via Michigan on the current schedule means around 1am at Toledo WB, 2am EB, Chicago arrive 8am CT, depart 6pm CT. 
Ohio won't pay for anything, never has, never will. I don't see Michigan subsidizing a middle of the night train. Pennsylvania won't subsidize anything west of PGH.