Tacoma bypass begins 12-18-2017

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
And it won't be long after that until Amtrak enthusiasts start to post rumors about an upcoming Cascades or Coast Starlight train detouring over the old, water-level segment. :p
 
Just looked at the schedule PDF and one thing that stood out to me is they renumbered the Vancouver trains (at least, I have those train numbers memorized, the rest of the Cascades schedule not so much), which have always held their current numbers since each of them started service. The SEA-VAC morning up, evening back 510/517 will become 516/519. The PDX-VAC afternoon/evening up, morning back 516/513 will become 518/517. The 510 number isn't used, and 513 becomes an early afternoon PDX-EUG train.
 
We will be on the Coast Starlight going through the new bypass shortly after the 18th and have received a new ticket and an apologetic recorded telephone call about the change in our itinerary except it is unclear what they are apologetic about. It seems to be about the change in ticket, not about missing one of the truly nice sections of the trip along the coast, or maybe because we are now scheduled to arrive in Seattle 21 minutes earlier.
 
We will be on the Coast Starlight going through the new bypass shortly after the 18th and have received a new ticket and an apologetic recorded telephone call about the change in our itinerary except it is unclear what they are apologetic about. It seems to be about the change in ticket, not about missing one of the truly nice sections of the trip along the coast, or maybe because we are now scheduled to arrive in Seattle 21 minutes earlier.
That's funny.

However, from the context you have provided, it appears you are going northbound, so you wouldn't see the coast anyhow (well after dark by then), unless you are traveling round-trip.
 
Boston-Salem [MA] is on the MBTA Newburyport/Rockport Line.
default_smile.png


Boston-Salem[NH] used to exist with a change in Lawrence, MA.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The new Amtrak website shows the routing of Cascades trains on the timetable page as follows:

"Boston - Vancouver, BC - Seattle - Tacoma - Portland - Salem - Eugene"

https://www.amtrak.com/timetables.html

The new schedules have not yet been posted on this page.
Boston, eh?
That's because when I make my transfer from Boston to Seattle I'm going to work a special train from Boston, MA to Vancouver, then down the coast.
default_wink.png

Sent from my SM-G955U using Amtrak Forum mobile app
 
The new schedules are finally posted on Amtrak's schedule page (this may have happened a few weeks ago). I don't understand the numbering of the Vancouver, BC trains--they seem to be in the same series as the Eugene trains, but they are out-of-sequence.

Here's some pictures I took on my way back from the Gathering:

IMG_6963.jpg

IMG_6966.jpg

IMG_6968.jpg

IMG_6969.jpg

IMG_6970.jpg
 
Nice pics and leave it to Amtrak and the WDOT( and also the Class I's to be fair) to make a complicated system even more so by not using common sense when making changes.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Some of the numbers do seem to represent "cross-platform transfers" in PDX for passengers to/from EUG on certain days; e.g. 501->511, 503->513, 512->502, 514->504. This is a return to PDX connections that we haven't seen in several years.
 
The scheduled cross platform connections allows OR and WA to route train sets as needed. We have done one of the connections only to find we boarded same train set,
 
But the new schedules do not include new mileage! Both the old and the new timetables show 39 miles from Seattle to Tacoma or Tacoma Dome and 75 miles to Olympia-Lacey. I have noted that the Northeast Corridor timetables do not show mileage at all--I hope the mileage is fixed and not eliminated.
 
But the new schedules do not include new mileage! Both the old and the new timetables show 39 miles from Seattle to Tacoma or Tacoma Dome and 75 miles to Olympia-Lacey. I have noted that the Northeast Corridor timetables do not show mileage at all--I hope the mileage is fixed and not eliminated.
I believe the NEC timetables don't show mileage in order to save space. You can, however, find the mileage on the System Timetable.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top