Passenger Trains > Long distance trains to the rescue on the Corridor

With Acela totally cancelled and Northeast Regional trains slashed to 40% of "normal" schedules,
the long distance trains operating from New York City toward Atlanta/New Orleans, Cincinnati/Chicago
and Florida continue to operate on their normal schedules for now.  Amtrak has opened them for
local travel, taking some of the burden off its New York-Washington corridor trains.

This is a good idea. With all of the Acelas cancelled as well as the Keystones, Pennsylvanians, and many of the Northeast Regional trains, it's good that the long distance trains will be another option.

Lower density seating reduces ods of communtiy spread. 

A large number of the Regionals still running are the Virginia NEC trains.  What are the financial implications for Virginia?

Operation south of Washington is Virginia's decision.  Some cutbacks are inevitable. 

Trains 66 and 67, the onetime Night Owl/Twilight Shoreliner/Federal running Boston-Newport News
already appears to be gone...but over its entire route, not just in Virginia, but an announcement
was made earlier about its partial discontinuance on the Virginia portion.

GenePoon Wrote:
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> Operation south of Washington is Virginia's
> decision.  Some cutbacks are inevitable. 
>
> Trains 66 and 67, the onetime Night Owl/Twilight
> Shoreliner/Federal running Boston-Newport News
> already appears to be gone...but over its entire
> route, not just in Virginia, but an announcement
> was made earlier about its partial discontinuance
> on the Virginia portion.

Another Virginia cutback: since Amtrak is running a modified weekend schedule, the "second" Norfolk frequency is also not operating.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

Those NB LD trains on the corridor are a pain to predict departure/arrival time on NEC.

I don't understand the logic of cancelling the"Pennsylvanians".  Although Keystone trains cover PHI-HAR adequately, HAR-PIT patrons are left out in the cold.  Why? They, and the ones that transfer to/from the Capital are the lifeblood of those trains.
 

Last night I saw two Virginia trains stop at Ashland. Nobody on, just one person off.

Posted from Android

PRR1361 Wrote:
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> I don't understand the logic of cancelling
> the"Pennsylvanians".  Although Keystone trains
> cover PHI-HAR adequately, HAR-PIT patrons are left
> out in the cold.  Why? They, and the ones that
> transfer to/from the Capital are the lifeblood of
> those trains.
>  
==========================================

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania wants to limit travel because there are several active COVID-19
hot spots in Southeastern Pennsylvania (the Philadelphia area).

The Commonwealth pays the bills for the trains and if they don't want them to run, Amtrak has
no option but to comply.  Amtrak gave up that right to operate on its own authority, with the
much-touted PRIIA 2008 which was supposed to be an Amtrak lifeline, putting the financial
burden entirely on the States.

He who pays, decides.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/20 13:51 by GenePoon.

And look at the puny consist that has resulted on the Capitol Ltd. 

And look at the puny consist that has resulted on the Capitol Ltd. It needs the Pennsylvanaian more than the other way around. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> And look at the puny consist that has resulted on
> the Capitol Ltd. It needs the Pennsylvanaian more
> than the other way around. 
=====================================

You'd think maybe Amtrak (Gardner) knew that when saddling the State with the Pennsylvanian!  All part of the strategy to make Other People Pay.

GenePoon Wrote:
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> With Acela totally cancelled and Northeast
> Regional trains slashed to 40% of "normal"
> schedules,
> the long distance trains operating from New York
> City toward Atlanta/New Orleans,
> Cincinnati/Chicago
> and Florida continue to operate on their normal
> schedules for now.  Amtrak has opened them for
> local travel, taking some of the burden off its
> New York-Washington corridor trains.

Opening of the NEC LD's to local travel happened months ago, long before this crisis hit.

> You'd think maybe Amtrak (Gardner) knew that when saddling the State with the Pennsylvanian!  All part of the strategy to make Other People Pay.

That is EXACTLY what Congress wanted to hear at the time.  Remember certain "Honorable" foks like Mr. Mica, and Mr. Inhofe?

Brian

PRR1361 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't understand the logic of cancelling
> the"Pennsylvanians".  Although Keystone trains
> cover PHI-HAR adequately, HAR-PIT patrons are left
> out in the cold.  Why? They, and the ones that
> transfer to/from the Capital are the lifeblood of
> those trains.
>  

Keystones are canceled as well.

Passfanatic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is a good idea.

No it's not.  Say, I am going to Florida.  I find a solitary comfortable seat in my coach and relax as I leave the chaos and virus dangers of my big northeastern city for a peaceful 24 hour trip south.  Instead of feeling good about my social distancing and tranquility on my usually "protected" LD train, I now get a constant turnover of several potentially-infected strangers sitting all around me infringing on my personal safe area.

Now I don't want to go.  

FloridaTrainGuy Wrote:
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> Say, I am going to Florida.
> I now get a constant turnover of several potentially-infected strangers
> sitting all around me infringing on my personal safe area.

Or you get several candidates for you to pass your New York / DC obtained viruses to. Anyone can get this virus. Anyone can be a carrier.

Nothing personal but I worry that I will be one of the non-symptomatic people sharing the virus with others as much as I worry that I will feel the effects.

FloridaTrainGuy
>
> Now I don't want to go.  

Good, you shouldn't be traveling right now anyway.  Hopefully the governor of Florida remembers there are passenger trains that come into this state from NYC, and place the same restrictions on the passengers off of them that he has on flights from NYC.