Passenger Trains > Fastest US scheduled Pax Service?

TimZ mentioned the old Steffee speed survey run in Trains magazine. This survey measured the many trains which had significant point to point speed records. Like the NYC out of Mattoon and Effingham IL, or the CNW in several places.

Which lines in the US have the fastest scheduled point to point service, and what are they? Are there freight runs (UPS 199 trains?) which have higher average speeds?

Let's exclude the Acela and Metroliner and look at regular traffic like the CB&Q racetrack, BNSF in Kansas, NS in southern Illinois, etc.

So, who's the fastest?

I believe the fastest passenger trains outside the NEC are the 110-mph running on Amtrak's Empire Service east of Hoffmans, NY. Some of the track along the Hudson is supposedly cleared for 125 but I don't know if the trains actually go that fast.

How about Pomona to LAX on the Sunset Ltd.

Two and a half hours?

toledopatch Wrote:
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> I believe the fastest passenger trains outside the
> NEC are the 110-mph running on Amtrak's Empire
> Service east of Hoffmans, NY. Some of the track
> along the Hudson is supposedly cleared for 125 but
> I don't know if the trains actually go that fast.
>
>
I think the 125 was for the turbo’s. This is a moot point considering the whole NYS
“high speed” rebuild debacle. I think standard equipment is held at 110. I also remember that the higher speed area was only from near Castleton to Hudson. Maybe some locals can shed some light. Sorry about the delayed post.

Max speed on the Hudson Line is 110 MPH from CP 125 (MP 125) to just south of Albany station (MP 142). A short train with a P32DM can reach 110 for a few minutes; on my headend ride north on the "Adirondack" three years ago, we had seven cars plus two "Acadian Railway" PVs, and maxed out at 93.

There's also a short stretch of 110 west from Schenectady to Hoffmans, and also a bit east of Schenectady but it's got a curve restriction in the middle of it so trains don't actually reach 110.

From "Roy" to just east of Harrisburg Amtrak station the current speed limit is 105, and will be raised to 110 there and at many other locations when the on-going upgrade work is finished (paid for by Amtrak and PA). Supposedly there will be a 90-minute express schedule between Harrisburg and PHL.

That's about it in the U.S. At some point, Washington and Oregon will ask BNSF for higher speeds for the Talgos, but they haven't done it yet.

At one time certain San Diego-LA trains ran non-stop between Oceanside and Fullerton. Since much of this track was for 90 MPH I wonder what the scheduled or actual speed was?

Last winter I rode 3 from NPV to KCY and the segment from Fort Madison to KCY was made in 3:06, including a stop in LaPlata. That is 70 mph average for 217 miles. Also I seperatedly timed the Marceline to Carrollton segment and that was like 29 minutes. In olden times the Texas Chief did that run (start to stop not passing as on my trip 39 miles in 30 minutes, avg. speed 78 mph.

From what I later learned we had all clear signals and there were no slow orders. A perfect run.

Sneebly

Without checking, the fastest start-to-stop schedule outside the NEC might be SFe Garden City to Lamar-- is it still 73-75 minutes for the 99.9 miles?

timz Wrote:
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> Without checking, the fastest start-to-stop
> schedule outside the NEC might be SFe Garden City
> to Lamar-- is it still 73-75 minutes for the 99.9
> miles?


Not after BNSF told Amtrak the speeds were reduced from 90-79 since it's a secondary route, but that Marcline sub on that time frame on No. 3, that's a good run, and the thing is how fast you're outpacing the traffic!

This is from memory, but:CB&Q, on the line up to Twin Cities had the fastest in US, outside NE corridor, at around 85-86 MPH for fairly short runs. UP and AT&SF had impressive long runs of around 80MPH. These also were pre-Bullet timings. CB&Q, as late as the 50's, had the fastest timings on the planet.

"CB&Q, as late as the 50's, had the fastest timings on the planet."

Sort of. Their limit was 90 mph, so they couldn't actually keep that supposed 86 mph schedule from East Dubuque to Prairie du Chien. Probably the fastest realistic US schedule was on the Illinois Central, which had a 100 mph limit. (Couple other RRs had 100 mph, but as it happens they never did beat the IC-- for schedule anyway.)

Thanks, guys.

So, outside the NEC, we have a few patches of 110 mph, a few more of 90 mph, then a whole lot of 79 mph? It's still a very comfortable way to travel.