Passenger Trains > Chargers 304 & 305 on Amtrak 30

Amtrak Capitol Ltd #30 arrives Elkhart close to 90 minutes late in a light snowfall with Chargers 305 & 304 trailing the lone P42 188. Looks cold in Elkhart!

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Just four cars. Is Amtrak's business really off that much although January is typically one of the slowest months for travel. That said, air travel seems to be holding up quite well. 

Train29 Wrote:
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> Just four cars. Is Amtrak's business really off
> that much although January is typically one of the
> slowest months for travel. That said, air travel
> seems to be holding up quite well. 

Actually, Amtrak has run this consist on the Capitol for the past few winter slow periods.  And several airlines, including American and JetBlue have just announced significant scale backs of their schedules due to lower demand.  I would expect the Omicron surge has depressed discretionary travel a bit post-holiday.  Hopefully things will rebound with the predicted peak coming in the next few weeks.  In the mean time, at least the train is running every day....more than our Canadian friends can say about their long distance services.

Dave

A pathetic legacy to the Broadway Ltd. They killed the wrong train in 2005. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> A pathetic legacy to the Broadway Ltd. They
> killed the wrong train in 2005. 

The Three Rivers usually ran about the same capacity as the Capitol Limited does now. 

Why three units to power four cars???

PRR1361 Wrote:
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> Why three units to power four cars???

The two new ones are dead-in-tow. Amtrak set up the earlier ones out East (at Wilmington?) and must be doing the same with there. Or something. The 300/301 have already made two round trips CHI-WAS-(WIL) without having turned a wheel in revenue service.

If anyone think is ridership is off - go to try to book two roomettes or two bedrooms over the course of the next WEEK (at least till Jan 18th) from Chicago to Washington DC. For sleeper class there's one bedroom OR perhaps one family bedroom available ONLY over the next WEEK. There's no two same room types available. Misconnects? Hope they'll likely get routed via the Lake Shore, but that doesn't help for some intermediate stops on the Capitol Limited. 

But yes, as mentioned this is the consist that Amtrak has chosen to operate in what's supposed to be "off peak." Absolutely crazy. At least put a Superliner Trans-Dorm Sleeper on the train and they could sell more roomettes! The adjacent sleeper car attendant would take care of the rooms in the Dorm, but actually Amtrak's been assigning a full separate SCA for the Dorm, so in that case, they'd be better just putting a regular full Superliner sleeper in the consist. In my trip back East last week, onboard crews were plentiful on the Lake Shore, and the LSA in the Viewliner II Diner (operating as a sleeper lounge) said the Cardinal and Capitol were also doing OK. She was more annoyed that Amtrak cutback (not due to COVID) its extra board staffing. Not enough people hired to the extra board and Amtrak doesn't appear to be looking. Not my words, Amtrak's own crew members.  

This train almost has more power on it than passenger cars!

The Three Rivers should never have been cut, hindsight being 20/20. Or, they should have planned then in 2005 to run a stub train to/from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. 

DavidP Wrote:
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> Train29 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Just four cars. Is Amtrak's business really off
> > that much although January is typically one of
> the
> > slowest months for travel. That said, air
> travel
> > seems to be holding up quite well. 
>
> Actually, Amtrak has run this consist on the
> Capitol for the past few winter slow periods.
>  And several airlines, including American and
> JetBlue have just announced significant scale
> backs of their schedules due to lower demand.  I
> would expect the Omicron surge has depressed
> discretionary travel a bit post-holiday.
>  Hopefully things will rebound with the predicted
> peak coming in the next few weeks.  In the mean
> time, at least the train is running every
> day....more than our Canadian friends can say
> about their long distance services.
>
> Dave

People are still travelling. There's different storyline's playing across the country that aren't necessarily discouraging travel as one region may think it would.

On the same token, I think people would be more apt to taking Amtrak if they knew they could get a private room, and if Amtrak could operate faster and with better frequency. It would actually be somewhat of a descent advertising and PR pitch to for Amtrak, but they are not going to take that bait. 

I do agree with you though - at least some trains are running. Amtrak just doesn't get it that they need to operate both long distance trains, the NEC, and corridor trains ALL with equal balance and preference. There was a time when NARP (ARP -whatever) would try to influence change at Amtrak, but they seem a bit lost at present. It's too bad.  

At least for one night sleeper pax get a more restful night.