Passenger Trains > NARP reports proposed Sunset Limited changes

This comes from NARP Houston:

NARP Friends -

Amtrak has just released SUNSET LIMITED plans to

1. Add Just-For-You boxed meal service at your seat priced between dining car
and snack car.

2. Discussion of possible move to THE Sunset Station in San Antonio.

3. Discussion of possible stop in Flatonia (I would suggest we begin planning
a trip there or invite them to join us for a meeting, with hope to continue
dialog. Their earlier request for a stop was met with impossible $ quotation from U.P.)

4. Breakfast-bags-to-go given to Los Angeles departing sleeper passengers.

5. Los Angeles early boarding for all at 8:00pm on Train 2 including café car
access, plus dining car dinner for sleeping car passengers.

6. Adding stop in Benson Arizona next year.

=========================================

They all sound constructive but the last one. Has either NARP or Amtrak read the
Sunset Limited timetable lately?

---

It sounds like they're giving serious thoughts about ways to improve the boarding process in Los Angeles.  I don't know about the breakfast bags to go at 10pm, though.  OJ wouldn't be cold, nor would butter for the (cold) biscuits.

I find it amazing this train carries any passenger traffic with its three day a week schedule. I recently tried to make it work to send the in-laws to Tuscon by this train. Between the train's long schedule and the limited operation Southwest Airlines it became.



 

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It sounds like they're giving serious thoughts
> about ways to improve the boarding process in Los
> Angeles.  I don't know about the breakfast bags
> to go at 10pm, though.  OJ wouldn't be cold, nor
> would butter for the (cold) biscuits.

I read it as breakfast bags for the arriving LA passengers (or the ones departing the train at LA).

< I find it amazing this train carries any passenger traffic with its three day a week schedule. >

It's been that way since 5/1/1971, and maybe before that, and now it functions without Phoenix.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/16 15:02 by joemvcnj.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> < I find it amazing this train carries any
> passenger traffic with its three day a week
> schedule. >
>
> It's been that way since 5/1/1971, and maybe
> before that, and now if functions without Phoenix.

Sunset Limited was covnerted to three times daily by SP way before Amtrak happened.

There wasa brief period that Warrington had the Eagle running to LA solo, meaning a 4th train per week.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There wasa brief period that Warrington had the
> Eagle running to LA solo, meaning a 4th train per
> week.

If Amtrak has a enough equipment. I wouldn't mind the Texas Eagle and the Sunset Limited to run
as separate train Services.It would give the route between LA and San Antonio a chance to grow
more ridership.

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Right step in right direction

Posted from iPhone

> Sunset Limited was covnerted to three times daily
> by SP way before Amtrak happened.

Yep, and they did that because they were trying to kill the train. The population of Arizona has tripled since 1971, so maybe triple the service is justified.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

chendermi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It sounds like they're giving serious thoughts
> > about ways to improve the boarding process in
> Los
> > Angeles.  I don't know about the breakfast
> bags
> > to go at 10pm, though.  OJ wouldn't be cold,
> nor
> > would butter for the (cold) biscuits.
>
> I read it as breakfast bags for the arriving LA
> passengers (or the ones departing the train at
> LA).

That makes more sense.  As would allowing passengers to remain aboard until 8am, etc

Moving to Sunset Station isn't really a move, just a use of the old station building rather than the building being used now, which is also a crew office.  The trains would be in the same place.

These are all good changes.

The Sunset Station, just a few steps from the current station is a night club. I'm not sure how that would work. There was also talk of moving trains to the former I&GN station.  I think your e-ticket would come with a 9mm Glock.  It's a bad neighborhood.  I know, I live in SATX.

They should run it daily to Los Angeles to Tucson.  It would be a slam dunk!

Adding a stop in Benson, AZ would appear to be within Amtrak's capabilities, especially since the Sunset already stops there.

Posted from iPhone

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Adding a stop in Benson, AZ would appear to be
> within Amtrak's capabilities, especially since the
> Sunset already stops there.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Probably need a study to determine if they can do something they're already doing.  I wonder if Union Pacific would demand more money to accommodate what they're already doing?  (No harm in asking...)

webmaster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Sunset Limited was covnerted to three times
> daily
> > by SP way before Amtrak happened.
>
> Yep, and they did that because they were trying to
> kill the train. The population of Arizona has
> tripled since 1971, so maybe triple the service is
> justified.


Try convincing UP since they have all these demands just to get 1 and 2 back to running daily!

The last time I rode the Sunset a few years ago, Benson, Lords burg and Deming were flag stops.  No one boarded and no one got off at any of them that day.  We slowed for a good look, but didn't stop.  Maybe the plan is to make Benson a full stop. 
 

I want to read about a daily train with 3 slprs & 4 coaches.  Back on the old schedule of departing NOL at  1 p.m. arriving LAX about 7:30 a.m.;     Lv LAX about 10 p.m.  and arrive NOL about 6:30 p.m.   With the massive improvements made by UP to this route, such a schedule is easily achievable.  It certainly was for 25 years. 

All these other proposals are merely window dressing.  I hope Wick Moorman sits down with UP and does not blink.  UP's extortion of Amtrak to operate a daily train should be termed exactly what it is.

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I want to read about a daily train with 3 slprs &
> 4 coaches.  Back on the old schedule of departing
> NOL at  1 p.m. arriving LAX about 7:30
> a.m.;     Lv LAX about 10 p.m.  and arrive
> NOL about 6:30 p.m.   With the massive
> improvements made by UP to this route, such a
> schedule is easily achievable.  It certainly was
> for 25 years. 
>
> All these other proposals are merely window
> dressing.  I hope Wick Moorman sits down with UP
> and does not blink.  UP's extortion of Amtrak to
> operate a daily train should be termed exactly
> what it is.

+1

​I don't live along this route, so chances are a 3 day a week schedule would never fit into any travel plans I may put together unless my ONLY goal was to ride the Sunset Limited.