Cafe Cars on Keystone Service???

[jis]

I also think that if PA subsidizes a cafe car, New Jersey should subsidize the cafe car on this train as well.

Surely you jest. No train needs cafe service for a 55 min run. That is how long a typical Amtrak train spends in NJ. NJ used to subsidize a class of trains called Clockers between NYP and PHL, which they finally took over completely and truncated to Trenton since PA was not interested in funding their continuation to Philly. That is where things stand at present. Meanwhile Amtrak extends a number of Keystones to New York which make exactly two stops in NJ in general. There are a few exceptions which stop at a few more places.

 

[Anderson]

Also, keep in mind PA only subsidizes between Harrisburg and Philly. I believe it is Amtrak's decision to run to NYP. So PA is thinking the total subsidized trip is 1:45.

I think it's more complicated than that...I suspect there's language in the Keystone operating agreement concering through operation, since PA would likely lose a non-trivial amount of business were the trains truncated at Philly.

As to the topic of the thread...there might be a case for a beverage cart or an "Amcafe" setup (i.e. a snack bar and a bunch of coach seats), but even this seems questionable to me.

 

[jis]

Specially with the food service to coach conversion program near its end, there really aren't enough food service cars to go around anymore to cover those consists.

 

[Oreius]

So, that explains why it costs only half as much to go from Point A on the Keystone Corridor to Philadelphia! PennDot only supports the Harrisburg to Philly section, whereas Amtrak takes care of the Philly to New York portion? It costs over $50 to go from E-Town to NYP, but only $28 to go to PHL (that is of course, on the Value bracket).

 

[jis]

Don't know exactly what the arrangement is between PA and Amtrak regarding setting policies for the Keystones that tun through to New York, both in matters of service and station stops and also on matters related to fares. The Keystones always seem to have lower fares than the Regionals between New York and Philly and intermediate points.

 

[Barciur]

So, that explains why it costs only half as much to go from Point A on the Keystone Corridor to Philadelphia! PennDot only supports the Harrisburg to Philly section, whereas Amtrak takes care of the Philly to New York portion? It costs over $50 to go from E-Town to NYP, but only $28 to go to PHL (that is of course, on the Value bracket).

It's also 88 miles from E-town to Philly and 179 miles from E-town to New York.. So that seems rather fair.