Cardinal Info and questions

[MrFSS]

so we just sit there for 90 minutes?? thats well boring lol do they shorten that if were running late??

No matter what time it arrives (except if after the published departure time) it won't leave until the published departure time. So, if the train is 75 minutes late arriving, you would only be there 15 minutes.

It is very early. The station area where the train stops is enclosed and very dark, so it would be a good time to sleep!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Yeah ive stayed in the crown plaza there on the station so no reason to go up plus its so early i am sure ill be sleeping lol

 

[El Capitan]

There is also the connecting of the 2 Hooisier State cars to the rear.

Nope - no Hoosier State on The Cardinal. Hoosier State runs the days The Cardinal doesn't.

I was recently on the Cardinal, and at Indianapolis two coaches were added because of the many passengers boarding there. On the return trip leaving Chicago, there were two coaches behind the Viewliner sleeper, and I assumed that they were only for passengers disembarking between Chicago and Indianapolis. I believe those coaches were disconnected at Indianapolis. Again, that's my assumption--HEP was turned off, the train pulled ahead a few feet, and the HEP was put back on. Are these two additional coaches between Chicago and Indianapolis typical? I know it's not actually the Hoosier State, but it appears that they cover the additional passengers for that segment.

 

[MrFSS]

There is also the connecting of the 2 Hoosier State cars to the rear.

Nope - no Hoosier State on The Cardinal. Hoosier State runs the days The Cardinal doesn't.

I was recently on the Cardinal, and at Indianapolis two coaches were added because of the many passengers boarding there. On the return trip leaving Chicago, there were two coaches behind the Viewliner sleeper, and I assumed that they were only for passengers disembarking between Chicago and Indianapolis. I believe those coaches were disconnected at Indianapolis. Again, that's my assumption--HEP was turned off, the train pulled ahead a few feet, and the HEP was put back on. Are these two additional coaches between Chicago and Indianapolis typical? I know it's not actually the Hoosier State, but it appears that they cover the additional passengers for that segment.

Do you know for sure if any passengers were actually in those two cars? I rode The Cardinal in Feb from CHI to IND and it had several cars behind the sleeper, but they were just being dead-headed back to Beech Grove. No passengers in them at all.

 

[Rafi]

My understanding is that during peak seasons, extra cars (usually Horizon) are added to the Cardinal between IND and CHI. I suspect they also carry passengers ticketed for trains 850 and 851 (the Hoosier State, even though the train doesn't carry that name on those days).

Rafi

 

[El Capitan]

There is also the connecting of the 2 Hoosier State cars to the rear.

Nope - no Hoosier State on The Cardinal. Hoosier State runs the days The Cardinal doesn't.

I was recently on the Cardinal, and at Indianapolis two coaches were added because of the many passengers boarding there. On the return trip leaving Chicago, there were two coaches behind the Viewliner sleeper, and I assumed that they were only for passengers disembarking between Chicago and Indianapolis. I believe those coaches were disconnected at Indianapolis. Again, that's my assumption--HEP was turned off, the train pulled ahead a few feet, and the HEP was put back on. Are these two additional coaches between Chicago and Indianapolis typical? I know it's not actually the Hoosier State, but it appears that they cover the additional passengers for that segment.

Do you know for sure if any passengers were actually in those two cars? I rode The Cardinal in Feb from CHI to IND and it had several cars behind the sleeper, but they were just being dead-headed back to Beech Grove. No passengers in them at all.

There definitely were passengers on the cars leaving from Chicago. Westbound, we were told at Indianapolis that there were "a hundred" people getting on the train from Indy to Chicago.