PaulM
Engineer
Amtrak seems to have been stymied when it comes to additional routes, trains, and rolling stock, but nevertheless has recently introduced a number of tradition breaking, customer friendly services: baggage service at GBB, MTP, FMD, and NEW (even when an agent is not on duty at the last three), business class entry to metro lounges, a lounge in LA, the train tracking web page, and telephone (and soon email) redemption of eVouchers.
But what could be the most astounding break from tradition is roll-on, roll-off bicycle service on a LD train, namely the Capitol Limited. A quote from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
I recently organized a bike ride from PIT to CUM with 6 people to celebrate the completion of the trail and the CL's return to a more civilized 5:05AM arrival in PIT. My wife and I, having folding bikes, were able to board #29 in CUM for the return trip to CHI while the rest had to engage a van to shuttle them back to PIT. We enjoyed a steak dinner in the dining car and a night cap in the lounge while the rest were enduring the PA Turnpike and spending hours at the PIT station. We were sleeping soundly when when the rest boarded at midnight.
But what could be the most astounding break from tradition is roll-on, roll-off bicycle service on a LD train, namely the Capitol Limited. A quote from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
andAmtrak today allowed 20 bicyclists to roll their two-wheelers onto the Capitol Limited train from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., in what enthusiasts hope will be a step toward full implementation of roll-on service.
That part about retrofitting baggage cars caught my eye. Is this a hint of bad news? In all earlier responses to the Allegheny Trail Alliance's pleading, Amtrak said they would see what they could do when the new Viewliner II baggage cars arrived. In any event, the Trail Alliance, a volunteer group which succeeded in completing the trail between PIT and CUM against great odds, including rehabbing the 3500' long Big Savage Tunnel near the eastern continental divide, could probably finance bike racks and install them themselves over a week end.Amtrak spokesman Craig Schulz could not offer a timetable for making the roll-on service permanent. He said the railroad will seek feedback from participants in the experiment and from train personnel, then try to identify a funding source to retrofit baggage cars with racks.
I recently organized a bike ride from PIT to CUM with 6 people to celebrate the completion of the trail and the CL's return to a more civilized 5:05AM arrival in PIT. My wife and I, having folding bikes, were able to board #29 in CUM for the return trip to CHI while the rest had to engage a van to shuttle them back to PIT. We enjoyed a steak dinner in the dining car and a night cap in the lounge while the rest were enduring the PA Turnpike and spending hours at the PIT station. We were sleeping soundly when when the rest boarded at midnight.