Acela at NE Regional fares...really?

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acelafan

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Not sure if it's okay to post something I saw from TO?

Oct 17 - Nov 1, 2015:

Northeast Regional Trains 152(17), 152(24), 152(31), 154(18), 154(25) and 154(1) will
operate with Acela High Speed equipment. Regional fares will apply. Schedule
times will not change.

Train 152 will not stop at Newark DE on those dates; Train 154 will not stop at Aberdeen MD
on those dates.


I didn't see anything on Amtrak.com or AU about it, so was trying to get confirmation.
 
This has been done many times in the past when equipment availability became an issue for whatever reason. Nothing unusual here.
I assume BC passengers get to sit in the FC car and the cafe serves the standard Acela menu (everyone paying of course)?
 
You just get longer station stops by a minute or two. Afterall it is mostly priority and tilt that gets the Acelas the time advantage. The difference in speed between 125mph and 135mph for 40 odd miles is not that much time difference south of New York. They just run at whatever speed theya re allowed to run and show up a bit early.
 
This has been done many times in the past when equipment availability became an issue for whatever reason. Nothing unusual here.
I assume BC passengers get to sit in the FC car and the cafe serves the standard Acela menu (everyone paying of course)?
I am also curious about BC/FC when a replacement Acela is being used. Anyone have experience with that?
 
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If I lived on the east coast I'd try to snag a joyride on one of those trains to get the Acela experience without Acela fares.

I wonder if they will hit 150 mph where allowed while running as "Regionals" or just take it easy and cruise at 125-135?
 
If I lived on the east coast I'd try to snag a joyride on one of those trains to get the Acela experience without Acela fares.

I wonder if they will hit 150 mph where allowed while running as "Regionals" or just take it easy and cruise at 125-135?
They only run at 150 at a few sections in Mass/Rhode Island. But I get your point.

To all the other questions, I have no idea.
 
If I lived on the east coast I'd try to snag a joyride on one of those trains to get the Acela experience without Acela fares.

I wonder if they will hit 150 mph where allowed while running as "Regionals" or just take it easy and cruise at 125-135?
They will run at the Acela speeds. They won't run at 150 mph since that is only allowed in a couple of stretches between New Haven and Boston and those particular trains 152 and 154 don't run to Boston.
 
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Before it is all over, you may see another trip using as Acela set. The reason has been discussed but is now highlighted in this post from the Vermonter derailment 2015-10-05

The Chargers as currently designed are not an option. Their fuel capacity is not suitable for long distance service.
The Siemens contract includes an option for up to 150 locomotives in "long distance" configuration with a 2,200 gallon fuel capacity. That was in the RFP right from the start for the Next Gen diesel bid. The quotation marks around "long distance" are mine, because I expect the Chargers with extra fuel capacity might also be used for the medium/longer range state support corridor services.
As I indicated, as CURRENTLY designed, they are not suitable. When you see the specifications of not just the fuel capacity but the projected fuel economy Affigatt, let me know.

There is indeed a shortage of Amfeet Is.
They keep managing to come up with extras when they need them, even for buffering non-revenue moves, and they're able to assemble a bunch for specials. Maybe they need to convert a few more cafes to coaches. But it's not like:
-- the Amfleet IIs, where they're sufficiently short of them that they intermittently substitute Amfleet Is...
-- the Metroliner cab cars...
-- the Viewliner sleepers, where money is being left on the table...
-- the Heritage baggage cars, where Amfleet I cafes were being used as substitutes...
-- the Heritage dining cars...

Several Amfleet Is will be released from California & Midwest service in a couple of years, relieving any pressure on them.

The word from a poster at Trainorders is that the P42 (#102) is a total loss and may be scrapped on-site.
That's very unfortunate.
Actually Neroden, what you're seeing buffering the non revenues is projected in the fleet numbers. Some are non revenue cafes. What you're missing is when there is a push needed, there aren't always AM1s available. This results in leaving money on the table. Sure, a lot of specials are running but it would be nice if you could run the specials AND add the additional cars that are needed to the existing trains. Lost in all of the conversation about the Autumn Express is the fact that there is dependence of a low shop count....for the Acela sets for that weekend, because to compensate for a lack of Amfleets, a few NYP-WAS are going to use Acela sets.This is in addition to trains that typically operate with 8 cars operating with 7, 9 car trains operating with 8 etc.

One of the big reasons for combining 89/181 and 198/90 is to save a few cars and disperse them. 188's set is still completely out if service and don't expect to see three out the five cars from the Vermonter for quite some time. You may not see two of them ever again and two of them were the newly modified bike rack Amfleets.

When equipment is subbed, they will generally operate at the maximum authorized speed for the equipment...not the timetable. it is easier to operate around equipment sitting in a station than having it mope along the main....usually :ph34r:
 
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Train 159 on the Saturdays listed above and 123 on the Sundays listed above will also use Acela equipment.
 
While I should point out that it's actually kind of cool you can get the Acela at the Regional price, ultimately it should be very troubling; it shows how badly they really need equipment. Acela makes money because, despite being more expensive to operate, it charges more. If you start charging the lower prices, your costs don't change.

Amtrak really needs more equipment. I'd say 100 new single-level cars a year for the next 6-7 years is a good start...
 
Here in Illinois, when the corridor services run out of equipment, they replace single-level BC cars and cafe car with Superliner Coaches :angry:
 
Here in Illinois, when the corridor services run out of equipment, they replace single-level BC cars and cafe car with Superliner Coaches :angry:
Don't see what's to complain about a corridor ride in a Superliner long distance coach. To be fair, it is the one type of railcar Amtrak actually has enough of.
 
You will probably see a few regional trains that operate exclusively between WAS-NYP operating with Acela equipment throughout the holiday season.
 
If only -regional- prices were much of a bargain this time a year. $188 and up are like acela rates already!
 
That doesn't surprise me...the Acela timetable is rather thin on some days.  I suspect the main difference, given some prices (higher-bucket Regional can be as bad as at least first-bucket Acela, if not second-bucket), is marketing and juggling slots.
 
You will probably see a few regional trains that operate exclusively between WAS-NYP operating with Acela equipment throughout the holiday season.
Will they be traveling at Acela speeds? Acela reaches 135 mph south of NYP a couple times, right?
 
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Since they are Class A equipment (if tilt is enabled) no reason they would not operate at speeds permitted for Class A I would think.

BTW I am talking of ACSES Train Class in their 5 Class system, not passenger ticket class.
 
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Last week I noticed that Business class fares WAS-BAL on Regional 186 were higher than Biz class on Acela 2126, which leaves 10 minutes earlier (and arrives in Baltimore 20 minutes earlier).  The coach fare was equivalent to low-bucket business class.  Today, for some reason, 186 isn't even showing up on the app, and the Acela Value fare appears to be a mid-bucket NE regional fare.  I hope they're not planning to cancel 186, (7:10 PM departure from WAS) as it's very convenient for me, and I really don't want to have to get home later than I already do on the days that I stay late.
 
 I hope they're not planning to cancel 186, (7:10 PM departure from WAS) as it's very convenient for me, and I really don't want to have to get home later than I already do on the days that I stay late.
Well, if your plan is to ride this Mon,Tue or Wed......well:

Hopes.gif

But, if you're riding it on 12/26, you may be in for a slightly faster ride, with more tilt.
 
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Since lots of people seem to be willing to pay them, and the ACELA has a pretty good percentage of the market it is hard to make a case that the fares are too high. High, yes, too high, maybe not. The NER trains are an excellent alternative for those who wish to spend less.
 
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