That aside, the Capitol isn't that big of a success. It does sell more sleepers than the the LSL does, yet the LSL brings in far more revenue for its sleepers than does the Capitol. And then overall coach & sleepers combined, the LSL carried 364,460 while the Capitol carried 218,956 and generated $9 Million more in revenue.
The revenue numbers for FY10 don't show that the LSL brings in far more revenue than the CL for sleepers. The LSL makes more total revenue, but it hits more cities during reasonable hours and probably has a sizable number of riders taking it between Buffalo - Albany stops to NYC and to Springfield, Worcester & Boston. The PRIIA report on the Capitol Limited notes that it has a very high percentage of overall endpoint ridership with 39% going CHI-WAS, and 14% CHI-PIT. If the CL could run between Cleveland, Pittsburgh and DC at hours that don't include 1:45 AM, 2:50 AM, 5:05 AM, it might attract more ridership in coach between those cities.
The numbers in the September, 2010 Monthly report for all of FY10 for the LSL and CL:
FY10 Total Ticket Revenue:
LSL $27,978,505
CL $18,578,926 (Yep, over $9 million less than the LSL)
But for the sleeper class only?
LSL $8,707,486 (35,782 ridership)
CL $8,510,795 (46,489 ridership) - pretty much a tie in revenue, but more sleeper passengers.
Crazy thought that is getting off topic on the Pennsylvanian - although this thread is already doing that to some extent. Since Pittsburgh and Cleveland get such poor hours from the overnight LD trains, would it make sense for Amtrak to consider a Detroit - Toledo - Cleveland - Pittsburgh - DC daytime train? Or just a Cleveland - Pittsburgh - DC (or to PHL - NYC) daytime train? Obviously no equipment for it, not far enough to qualify as a LD train so state subsidies would be required, and dim prospects in getting subsidies from Ohio, but it (like so many other proposed routes) would fill in a gap in the system.