Empire Service to GCT Summer 2017

Advertise with us
shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
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.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan

50+ Year Amtrak Rider
AU Supporting Member
Joined
May 31, 2009
Messages
26,377
Location
Austin Texas
According to a post on trainorders Amtrak is considering shifting the Empire Service Trains and possibly the Lake Shore Ltd. to Grand Central Terminal during the Track work and disruptions during the work at NYP this Summer.

Supposedly employees have been notified they can bid on these trains if desired.

Sounds good to me!
 
If going only to NYC, that's fine, but not if connecting to another Amtrak train! Prior to the Westside Connection being built in the 90's, all trains from upstate only went to GCT and you needed to transfer to NYP. Believe me, that was not fun to do with luggage! :eek: (And even without luggage.)

I admit that GCT looks MUCH better than NYP! :)
 
I think it would be very cool to depart from Grand Central on the Lake Shore Limited heading for Chicago. Just to hear that train announced in that cavernous space would be like old time, classy passenger railroading.

Today's Penn Station is a lot of things. Classy is not one of them.
 
PRR 60 said:
I think it would be very cool to depart from Grand Central on the Lake Shore Limited heading for Chicago. Just to hear that train announced in that cavernous space would be like old time, classy passenger railroading.

Today's Penn Station is a lot of things. Classy is not one of them.
Click to expand...
Yes, if this change happens I may need to do a LSL run just for that experience...

Ainamkartma
 
How would transfers be handled? Between the stations will Amtrak have a temporary shuttle for arriving and departing passengers like someone on the Keystone taking the LSL to ROC.
 
Before the move to Penn Station, Amtrak ran a dedicated shuttle bus to Grand Central for transferring passengers, so I assume they could do this again.
 
brianpmcdonnell17 said:
They could also treat it like Boston where a self-transfer is required. Most people either use the subway or a taxi.
Click to expand...
Big difference. I believe the only transfer in Boston is to/from the Downeaster. That doesn't affect many people. On the other hand, NYP is the busiest train station in the country and I'm guessing a lot of ppl transfer there and would be horribly inconvenienced. Anyone from upstate NY wanting to go anywhere south of Penn Station (or the other way around) will be affected. Also as said before anyone from Keystones (or NJT) to the LSL or upstate NY will have problems. Amtrak better take care of them.
 
As someone who uses Amtrak between Albany to NYC, this would be quite convenient if they do it over the summer. I could get from Yankee Stadium to the GCT without changing subway trains. Outside chance I could see the whole game and still catch the 245.

Ah, the olden days. In the 1980s you could take the LSL out of Grand Central with an unreserved ticket as long as you got off at Albany or before. It was the only way I could afford a long-distance train back then.
 
LIRR connections to upstate NY will be very difficult. No connecting bus etc. That was one benefit touted for the ESA project. If ESA had been completed on schedule ----------
 
glensfallsse said:
As someone who uses Amtrak between Albany to NYC, this would be quite convenient if they do it over the summer. I could get from Yankee Stadium to the GCT without changing subway trains. Outside chance I could see the whole game and still catch the 245.

Ah, the olden days. In the 1980s you could take the LSL out of Grand Central with an unreserved ticket as long as you got off at Albany or before. It was the only way I could afford a long-distance train back then.
Click to expand...
I was going to suggest taking Metro-North from Yankee Stadium to either Yonkers or Croton-Harmon to connect to 245 but it looks like the timing is terrible. 245 does not stop at Yonkers and is scheduled to depart at Croton-Harmon 2 minutes before a northbound Metro-North arrives, at a time when Metro-North only runs hourly. A small adjustment in the schedule could really help a lot of people on game nights.
 
MikefromCrete said:
Before the move to Penn Station, Amtrak ran a dedicated shuttle bus to Grand Central for transferring passengers, so I assume they could do this again.
Click to expand...
They could, except they could no longer "drive in" to the covered former taxi roadway at NYP, which was very convenient, and out of the elements...
 
One rumor circulating is that it would be the last three trains in and the last three train out that would use GCT. I can't see how that would work well, though. That would require a good bit of deadhead moves between Penn and GCT. It's doable by running all the way to New Rochelle, then reversing to take the Hell Gate Line to Sunnyside Yard. I don't think there's an entry track to the yard off the Hell Gate Line, either. Another reverse move to back into the yard at Q tower. Clumsy and time-consuming.
 
Bob Dylan said:
According to a post on trainorders Amtrak is considering shifting the Empire Service Trains and possibly the Lake Shore Ltd. to Grand Central Terminal during the Track work and disruptions during the work at NYP this Summer.

Supposedly employees have been notified they can bid on these trains if desired.

Sounds good to me!
Click to expand...

For the record, no one has suggested shifting the Lake Shore to GCT for the duration of the disruptions. That's just a run away rumor that took off since there is a chance that the Empire Connection may be completely blocked for 55 hours on two occasions. During those times, it was floated as a last ditch possibility if Metro-North won't be able to bring the train "around the horn(via NRO). However, that will occur if Albany can't handle turning it at their facility(which is undergoing track work.)

Palmetto said:
One rumor circulating is that it would be the last three trains in and the last three train out that would use GCT. I can't see how that would work well, though. That would require a good bit of deadhead moves between Penn and GCT. It's doable by running all the way to New Rochelle, then reversing to take the Hell Gate Line to Sunnyside Yard. I don't think there's an entry track to the yard off the Hell Gate Line, either. Another reverse move to back into the yard at Q tower. Clumsy and time-consuming.
Click to expand...
It is not likely the last three in or out would use GCT. Two of the three are long distance trains that run off peak. They also turn for early morning departures which again, means they aren't in the thick of it. What you are "probably" going to see are manipulations so trains that run exclusively between ALB-NYP-ALB will go to GCT (with the possible Friday exception of Ethan Allen) so they don't dwell or tie up the tracks to SSYD. That includes trains like 233,235,230,236 (etc.)
 
Palmetto said:
One rumor circulating is that it would be the last three trains in and the last three train out that would use GCT. I can't see how that would work well, though. That would require a good bit of deadhead moves between Penn and GCT. It's doable by running all the way to New Rochelle, then reversing to take the Hell Gate Line to Sunnyside Yard. I don't think there's an entry track to the yard off the Hell Gate Line, either. Another reverse move to back into the yard at Q tower. Clumsy and time-consuming.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't it be a lot shorter to deadhead from GCT to Penn Station via Spuyten Duyvil? :)
 
railiner said:
Palmetto said:
One rumor circulating is that it would be the last three trains in and the last three train out that would use GCT. I can't see how that would work well, though. That would require a good bit of deadhead moves between Penn and GCT. It's doable by running all the way to New Rochelle, then reversing to take the Hell Gate Line to Sunnyside Yard. I don't think there's an entry track to the yard off the Hell Gate Line, either. Another reverse move to back into the yard at Q tower. Clumsy and time-consuming.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't it be a lot shorter to deadhead from GCT to Penn Station via Spuyten Duyvil? :)
Click to expand...
If the original reason for going to GCT is that the tracks into Penn Station from the Empire Connection are blocked, how would going through Sputen Duyvil work out? :p
 
Shawn Ryu said:
Lonestar648 said:
How would transfers be handled? Between the stations will Amtrak have a temporary shuttle for arriving and departing passengers like someone on the Keystone taking the LSL to ROC.
Click to expand...
Shuttle bus. Shouldn't take too long to get to Penn.
Click to expand...
Since the LSL is not going to GCT, all this is just idle chatter.
 
But Albany-Penn trains could. There's no cafe to worry about, and I'm sure the toilets could stand up to use on an ALB-NYP roundtrip. Speculation all around at this point; pure speculation.
 
jis said:
railiner said:
Palmetto said:
One rumor circulating is that it would be the last three trains in and the last three train out that would use GCT. I can't see how that would work well, though. That would require a good bit of deadhead moves between Penn and GCT. It's doable by running all the way to New Rochelle, then reversing to take the Hell Gate Line to Sunnyside Yard. I don't think there's an entry track to the yard off the Hell Gate Line, either. Another reverse move to back into the yard at Q tower. Clumsy and time-consuming.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't it be a lot shorter to deadhead from GCT to Penn Station via Spuyten Duyvil? :)
Click to expand...
If the original reason for going to GCT is that the tracks into Penn Station from the Empire Connection are blocked, how would going through Sputen Duyvil work out? :p
Click to expand...
Good point.....

I wasn't thinking about that... just wanted to mention the shorter alternative route, normally possible.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top