Passenger Trains > New York City to Chicago Service

Amtrak announced because of track/bridge maintenance in June the NY section of the Lake Shore Limited will only operate from Albany

The said it's the first time since 4-1-71 that Amtrak did not have direct service from NYC to CHI

Question to all on Trainorders

Before Amtrak what date was the first NYC to Chicago train? I assume this June will be the first time since that date in which there was no NYC to CHI service

And, of course, they pick JUNE.

This is so sad.

MLB

Cardinal will be operating New York - Chicago.
Nick

Posted from iPhone

You are right
I wonder why the press release said what it said?
Perhaps daily service is what should have been said?

The Cardinal is only operating Wash DC to Chicago now. Must change Trains from New York.

And this summer the Lake Shore will be running Chicago-Boston.

NY passengers change to/from a no food, coach-only junker at Rensellaer.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/18 08:03 by GenePoon.

So when was the last time there was not direct service from NY to CHI?
Early 1900's?

Daily except Friday, do a multi-city option and reserve the Ethan Allen, which has snack car and likely leave GCT an hour earlier. Then you have 2 hours in in Albany-Ren to get better and cheaper food and drink in or around the station (i.e Deli on Broadway, 904 Broadway), and give Andersen the proverbial finger.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/18 08:14 by joemvcnj.

Lake Shore Limited 1896

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Daily except Friday, do a multi-city option and
> reserve the Ethan Allen, which has snack car and
> likely leave GCT an hour earlier. Then you have 2
> hours in in Albany-Ren to get better and cheaper
> food and drink in or around the station (i.e Deli
> on Broadway, 904 Broadway), and give Andersen the
> proverbial finger.

That's an excellent suggestion, thanks for sharing it.

Posted from Android

amtrakbill Wrote:
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>
> The said it's the first time since 4-1-71 that
> Amtrak did not have direct service from NYC to
> CHI

This is true, that it's the first time since May 1, 1971 (not April 1), that there hasn't been a through New York-Chicago train. The Broadway ran from Day 1. The Cardinal is being cut back to a Washington-Chicago train in the first week of May.

There was no through service on the Lake Shore route on Amtrak Day, May 1, 1971. Here's the eastern half of the route map from the May 1, 1971, timetable. http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19710501&item=0017

It was back on July 12, 1971, with state funding, as I remember people saying. But it wasn't in the original July 12, 1971, timetable. It was added in a reprint of the timetable. No name, just a train number. http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19710712r&item=0018

By Nov. 14, 1971, it had a name: Lake Shore. http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19711114&item=0061

By Jan. 16, 1972, state funding didn't materialize, and the train was discontinued again, with its place on the timetable page replaced with a photo of an Amtrak Passenger Service Rep. http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19720116&item=0061

Finally, on Nov. 30, 1975, the train was back, numbered 48/49 and named Lake Shore Limited. http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19751130&item=0037 The timetable cover was one of my favorites, with a history of passenger-rail equipment, including the brand new Amfleet Club/Cafe with names. http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19751130&item=0001 And Amfleet was on its way, as seen in this ad. Note the amenities listed. These were rare or non-existent on US passenger cars. Carpet in coaches. Individual overhead reading lights. http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19751130&item=0030



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/18 12:35 by knotch8.

There's also no direct train from New York to Los Angeles, the nation's largest and second-largest cities. A change of trains is required: is that such a big deal?

reindeerflame Wrote:
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> There's also no direct train from New York to Los
> Angeles, the nation's largest and second-largest
> cities. A change of trains is required: is that
> such a big deal?


Yeah, especially when you consider the absurdly long layovers at Chicago!

reindeerflame Wrote:
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> There's also no direct train from New York to Los
> Angeles, the nation's largest and second-largest
> cities. A change of trains is required: is that
> such a big deal?


The difference is that there has -never- been a direct train from New York to LA.

Regardless of whether changing trains at Albany is a significant inconvenience -- it has happened in the past when the eastbound Lake Shore was really late or Superliner equipment was substituted on it -- this is a historic situation.

Is my memory playing tricks on me or did NS suspend Amtrak service between
New York and Chicago a few years ago during an epic meltdown? A remember thinking at
that time that NS managed to do something not done in over l00 years.

And didn't that NS CEO later become the President of Amtrak?

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is my memory playing tricks on me or did NS
> suspend Amtrak service between
> New York and Chicago a few years ago during an
> epic meltdown? A remember thinking at
> that time that NS managed to do something not done
> in over l00 years.
>
> And didn't that NS CEO later become the President
> of Amtrak?

Yes and Yes.

I was bustituted from Chicago to Toledo for the Capitol Limited.

The present troubles west of Atlanta are bad but not as bad as back then.

There was an extended Amtrak service disruption on NS between Cleveland and Chicago because of the "Autorouter" meltdown, but IIRC it was only a week or two -- not three months, and not planned like this.

Planned or not, under Wick's leadership, for the first time in over a hundred
years a passenger could not board a train in Chicago for New York (excluding No. 50)

The world did not end during that escapade so now they feel free to do it whenever it
suits them.

For the Lake Shore and Cardinal, it's only for a few months. But the New York connections for the Cardinal do suck.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> For the Lake Shore and Cardinal, it's only for a
> few months. But the New York connections for the
> Cardinal do suck.

Why do you think the Cardinal will come back to New York? I don't think so. It's to cut costs on crews between Washington and New York for very few passengers.