Superliners on Cardinal route?

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Which should there be on the Cardinal?

  • Superliners with reserved train (NER) with dining car, running CHI-WAS

    Votes: 11 34.4%

  • Viewliners, running like now

    Votes: 21 65.6%
  • Total voters
    32
norfolkwesternhenry

norfolkwesternhenry

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
Jun 6, 2016
Messages
474
Location
Minneapolis, MN
I was wondering if Superliner (or cars of that height) cars could fit on the Cardinal route from CHI-WAS, because I have read that when it only ran from CHI-WAS, it would run with Viewliners or Superliners, depending on availability. Is there anything that would limit Superliner cars on that route that has been installed/demolished->(route that would accommodate Superliners).
 
norfolkwesternhenry said:
I was wondering if Superliner (or cars of that height) cars could fit on the Cardinal route from CHI-WAS, because I have read that when it only ran from CHI-WAS, it would run with Viewliners or Superliners, depending on availability. Is there anything that would limit Superliner cars on that route that has been installed/demolished->(route that would accommodate Superliners).
Click to expand...

I just want to make sure I understand what you're asking.

You're asking if anything precludes operating Superliners on the Cardinal route between CHI-WAS....after posting that you read Superliners operated on the route between CHI-WAS.

I'm going to go ahead and say that the route can handle the superliners. Of course, a search would have revealed these threads which clearly answers your question:

Superliner on 5/9 Cardinal

Cardinal surprise
 
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That would not be possible unless some existing Superliners running on shortlines are released (if and when Nippon Sharyo delivers the promised bilevels) or Superliner III's are introduced (which is unlikely unless funding or other possible issues are resolved), although running Superliners can increase route revenues. For optimal improvements, the Cardinal should also be made daily. There are enough Regionals or Acelas running between DC and NYC every day. Of course, to bring the Superliner'ed Cardinal into the NEC and NY Penn, some major restructuring on the platforms that it currently stops on (NY Penn, Newark Penn, Trenton, Philly 30th Street, Wilmington, and Baltimore) so it becomes low-level platform, and raise the ceiling on some tunnels (including the problematic New York tunnels), in which such chances are slim to none.
 
Amtrak collects way more revenue by running the train all the way to NYP. The train will always be single level now. Now if Amtrak could come up with another dome car, I think this route would be perfect for it. They'd have to take it off in WAS though.
 
norfolkwesternhenry said:
How does it get WAY more revenue, why not run an extension train with a cross platform transfer, not unlike the BOS 448/449 stub, but with a proper dining car for meals
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Most people don't like transfers, and NYP is the single most used station in the network. The Boston train is usually not a stub, but a section similar to 7/27 and 8/28. It is usually combined with the New York section between Chicago and Albany.
 
norfolkwesternhenry said:
How does it get WAY more revenue, why not run an extension train with a cross platform transfer, not unlike the BOS 448/449 stub, but with a proper dining car for meals
Click to expand...
Until the track work, 449/448 were not cross platform transfers. You stayed on the train and your car was hooked up/removed from 49/48.
 
I like saxman's idea of adding a dome car at WAS to the Viewliner. They have to change engines there in both directions anyway, so they could add/remove a dome car at the same time.

norfolkwesternhenry--

I understand your idea of taking the NER to WAS and then getting a Superliner, but to begin and end a trip on one of the Regionals would be a real letdown. I can avoid them going south, but have to take them going north (I'm in NJ). They are crowded, plus you're going through some of the most depressing-looking views you could imagine between New York and Philly, and (except for a few rivers), it doesn't get much better til past Washington. Much nicer to go through all that in a comfortable roomette and eating a meal (even on the Cardinal, in whatever they consider a diner and whatever they consider a meal) than sitting for several hours in what is basically glorified commuter rail.
 
CCC1007 said:
norfolkwesternhenry said:
How does it get WAY more revenue, why not run an extension train with a cross platform transfer, not unlike the BOS 448/449 stub, but with a proper dining car for meals
Click to expand...
Most people don't like transfers, and NYP is the single most used station in the network. The Boston train is usually not a stub, but a section similar to 7/27 and 8/28. It is usually combined with the New York section between Chicago and Albany.
Click to expand...
how long will the stub last?
 
norfolkwesternhenry said:
CCC1007 said:
norfolkwesternhenry said:
How does it get WAY more revenue, why not run an extension train with a cross platform transfer, not unlike the BOS 448/449 stub, but with a proper dining car for meals
Click to expand...
Most people don't like transfers, and NYP is the single most used station in the network. The Boston train is usually not a stub, but a section similar to 7/27 and 8/28. It is usually combined with the New York section between Chicago and Albany.
Click to expand...
how long will the stub last?
Click to expand...
Until the platform upgrades are done in Albany. The track work is done, the switches are reportedly in place and ready, and the platforms are being ?lengthened? right now.
 
Mystic River Dragon said:
I like saxman's idea of adding a dome car at WAS to the Viewliner. They have to change engines there in both directions anyway, so they could add/remove a dome car at the same time.

norfolkwesternhenry--

I understand your idea of taking the NER to WAS and then getting a Superliner, but to begin and end a trip on one of the Regionals would be a real letdown. I can avoid them going south, but have to take them going north (I'm in NJ). They are crowded, plus you're going through some of the most depressing-looking views you could imagine between New York and Philly, and (except for a few rivers), it doesn't get much better til past Washington. Much nicer to go through all that in a comfortable roomette and eating a meal (even on the Cardinal, in whatever they consider a diner and whatever they consider a meal) than sitting for several hours in what is basically glorified commuter rail.
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NO!I mean taking a NER set, adding a dining car, and reserving it ONLY for the Cardinal passengers, business for sleeper, coach for coach
 
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With the Ultradomes, would the single level "panorama" (VIA Rail's name), cars fit into NYP? My problem is that there is no SSL equivalent, so the best place is your room/seat or an Amfleet cafe car. Bring sightseeing lounges to the Cardinal!!
 
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norfolkwesternhenry said:
Mystic River Dragon said:
I like saxman's idea of adding a dome car at WAS to the Viewliner. They have to change engines there in both directions anyway, so they could add/remove a dome car at the same time.

norfolkwesternhenry--

I understand your idea of taking the NER to WAS and then getting a Superliner, but to begin and end a trip on one of the Regionals would be a real letdown. I can avoid them going south, but have to take them going north (I'm in NJ). They are crowded, plus you're going through some of the most depressing-looking views you could imagine between New York and Philly, and (except for a few rivers), it doesn't get much better til past Washington. Much nicer to go through all that in a comfortable roomette and eating a meal (even on the Cardinal, in whatever they consider a diner and whatever they consider a meal) than sitting for several hours in what is basically glorified commuter rail.
Click to expand...
NO!I mean taking a NER set, adding a dining car, and reserving it ONLY for the Cardinal passengers, business for sleeper, coach for coach
Click to expand...
why reserve an entire set just for a relatively small number of passengers?A NER set has a capacity north of 500 passengers, in just coach!
 
Oh, sorry Henry, I misunderstood. But trust me on this--the NER is quite possibly the most miserable of what Amtrak has to offer, and the less time you have to spend on one, the better.
 
CCC1007 said:
Until the platform upgrades are done in Albany. The track work is done, the switches are reportedly in place and ready, and the platforms are being ?lengthened? right now.
Click to expand...
Trackwork is far from done. Currently ALB is operating with only two platform tracks. The middle two platform tracks are torn up and need to be relaid. It looks like that will happen after the seemingly excruciatingly slow process of extending the platforms is completed. I'll see in October when I take the LSL again if any further progress has been made.
 
jis said:
CCC1007 said:
Until the platform upgrades are done in Albany. The track work is done, the switches are reportedly in place and ready, and the platforms are being ?lengthened? right now.
Click to expand...
Trackwork is far from done. Currently ALB is operating with only two platform tracks. The middle two platform tracks are torn up and need to be relaid. It looks like that will happen after the seemingly excruciatingly slow process of extending the platforms is completed. I'll see in October when I take the LSL again if any further progress has been made.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the update, I thought that the Albany station thread stated that it was completed, but I may be mistaken.
 

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