Discontinued Amtrak Route You Want Revived.

[jis]

Whatever might be brought back today would be extremely easy to retire again during the next budget fight negotiation. If I'm going to wish for something it would be continued funding of what remains today. Still kind of iffy but at least it's based on something that's realistically achievable.

Not necessarily. Now you can actually get rid of Byrd Crap.

Since we all choose to ignore your crazy idea about that, rest assured it won't happen

 

[Seaboard92]

After the Conrail split the ex PRR west of Creatline is controlled by CSX who then leased it to a shortline. But I hear NS has trackage rights and has pumped money into it as a relief valve for their ex NYC main. So it might be coming up in the world.

 

[WoodyinNYC]

Whatever might be brought back today would be extremely easy to retire again during the next budget fight negotiation. If I'm going to wish for something it would be continued funding of what remains today.

Not necessarily. Now you can actually get rid of Byrd Crap.

Give it a break. Cannibalism is not helpful.

 

[railiner]

Of all those routes, I like the idea of restoring the Floridian the most....it just seems to "fill in" a major populated part of the country that is currently lacking Amtrak service the most...

 

[alang]

I am going to have some fun with this. Perhaps a route from Los Angeles to Denver via Las Vegas (The Gambler) could be the most profitable. Selfishly, I would like a route from Omaha to Kansas City (The T Bone.) Just dreaming about a route to Key West (the Flagler.) Honestly, I would be happy with with the addition of any route in addition to what we already have.

 

[SarahZ]

The Niagara Rainbow and the International Limited!

 

[CCC1007]

The North Coast Hiawatha so long as the Empire Builder remains intact. I would suggest to the state governments along the route to purchase the necessary equipment to operate the route independent of the other routes and require Amtrak to use the state supplied equipment whenever possible.

 

[jis]

I am going to have some fun with this. Perhaps a route from Los Angeles to Denver via Las Vegas (The Gambler) could be the most profitable. Selfishly, I would like a route from Omaha to Kansas City (The T Bone.) Just dreaming about a route to Key West (the Flagler.) Honestly, I would be happy with with the addition of any route in addition to what we already have.

All that we will get out of the erstwhile Flagler outfit, now known as the Fortress Group and its various subsidiaries including AAF is service between Miami, Orlando, and eventually Jacksonville and possibly even Tampa/St. Pete. Nothing south of Miami unfortunately. Tri Rail might some day go as far south as Homestead. But that would be it. No Key West.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

I am going to have some fun with this. Perhaps a route from Los Angeles to Denver via Las Vegas (The Gambler) could be the most profitable. Selfishly, I would like a route from Omaha to Kansas City (The T Bone.) Just dreaming about a route to Key West (the Flagler.) Honestly, I would be happy with with the addition of any route in addition to what we already have.

All that we will get out of the erstwhile Flagler outfit, now known as the Fortress Group and its various subsidiaries including AAF is service between Miami, Orlando, and eventually Jacksonville and possibly even Tampa/St. Pete. Nothing south of Miami unfortunately. Tri Rail might some day go as far south as Homestead. But that would be it. No Key West.

I wish Amtrak could at least provide a bus connection to Key West. Both trains arrive MIA too late for the last Greyhound of the day.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

The route still exists but any discussion of "discontinued" service should also include Phoenix.

 

[jis]

The route still exists but any discussion of "discontinued" service should also include Phoenix.

Yup. It does need restoration of the connection from Phoenix to the west. Someone has to find the money for it.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

The route still exists but any discussion of "discontinued" service should also include Phoenix.

Yup. It does need restoration of the connection from Phoenix to the west. Someone has to find the money for it.

Once the connection is restored PHX-LAX could support multiple daily corridor trains plus the SL.

 

[west point]

A daily sunset might give supporters enough push to the POLS to support restoring PHX <> Yuma.

 

[norfolkwesternhenry]

The North Coast Hiawatha so long as the Empire Builder remains intact. I would suggest to the state governments along the route to purchase the necessary equipment to operate the route independent of the other routes and require Amtrak to use the state supplied equipment whenever possible.

would the NC Hiawatha run through Bozeman?

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

would the NC Hiawatha run through Bozeman?

Assuming the same route, yes.

This was a 1979 schedule for the NC Hiawatha (and the EB at the time): http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19790729&item=0043..

So assuming the same route, yes.

 

[Palmetto]

I'll weigh in for the Floridian. It serves cities with significant populations.

 

[CCC1007]

would the NC Hiawatha run through Bozeman?

Assuming the same route, yes.

This was a 1979 schedule for the NC Hiawatha (and the EB at the time): http://www.timetables.org/full.php?group=19790729&item=0043..

So assuming the same route, yes.

The only deviation required is skipping butte for Helena, as the homestake pass line is out of service.

 

[jis]

One might want to take the opportunity to also restart service through Stampede Pass. When the NCH was running it ran through Stevens Pass, the route currently followed by the EB, and the EB used to run through Stampede Pass, which currently has no service. The State of Washington at times has made noises of reintroducing through Stampede Pass from Seattle to Spokane.

The journey through Homstake Pass down into Butte was quite spectacular. It can sort of be experienced in spirit by driving down Interstate 90 into Butte these days. I have no idea how it is to cross Mullen Pass, which is the route of the Helena to Missoula MRL line.

 

[Palmetto]

I wonder how the BNSF would feel about running a passenger train again on Stampede Pass. The route has been used lately to run eastbound empty coal and grain trains. A westbound passenger train on it may be like a salmon swimming upstream.

 

[jis]

I wonder how the BNSF would feel about running a passenger train again on Stampede Pass. The route has been used lately to run eastbound empty coal and grain trains. A westbound passenger train on it may be like a salmon swimming upstream.

I am sure they will work on extracting their pound of flesh from WasDOT before allowing any such.

 

[bmjhagen9426]

As for the North Coast Hiawatha, what about rerouting portions of the route to have the NCH run thru SD instead of ND? Those people in northern SD would benefit from this realignment, as well as adding another state to the national network. I picked Pioneer instead of NCH or other ones because picking the Pioneer means adding a state (WY) to the network, as well as bringing service to Idaho population centers (so two birds, one stone with the Pioneer). Of course other routes should be reinstated (such as the National Limited, the Lone Star, the Floridian, the Sunset Limited east of NOLA and the Arizona realignment, the Desert Wind, and the North Coast Hiawatha), but the Pioneer wins due to the possibility of adding a state to the network.

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

If you want to count states, I wouldn't consider Kentucky part of the Amtrak network. Two very tiny markets, both over 3 hrs away from Louisville. Lexington is over 2 hrs away from S. Portsmouth.

 

[norfolkwesternhenry]

If you want to count states, I wouldn't consider Kentucky part of the Amtrak network. Two very tiny markets, both over 3 hrs away from Louisville. Lexington is over 2 hrs away from S. Portsmouth.

Idaho currently has ONE stop in the middle of the night, so I wouldn't count Idaho either

 

[bmjhagen9426]

If you want to count states, I wouldn't consider Kentucky part of the Amtrak network. Two very tiny markets, both over 3 hrs away from Louisville. Lexington is over 2 hrs away from S. Portsmouth.

Idaho currently has ONE stop in the middle of the night, so I wouldn't count Idaho either

That is why I prefer to have the Pioneer restored. Not only it adds more Idaho stops, but it is a good thing for Eastern Oregonians as well (as they did not see a train service since 1997). Kentucky and New Hampshire have four stops each, and Tennessee and Delaware have two each (as of April 6, 2015).

 

[Philly Amtrak Fan]

I'd favor the Pioneer over the North Coast Hiawatha because you can run it as through cars with the CZ and split at either Denver or SLC and it gives a one seat ride from Denver to the Pacific Northwest. If you can have a way for the NCH and EB to run together for some miles I might change my mind. But I think running another 2000 mile train from CHI to SEA/PDX is a complete waste of money which can be better spent elsewhere.

As for states, I'll bet most of Kentucky (based on population) would trade in their four irrelevant stops for one in Louisville. Someone said to me the LSL stops in Erie. Erie is as far away from Philly as possible in the state (6 hrs, over 400 miles). Richmond, VA is closer. Boston is closer. And PA is probably in the bottom half of states in terms of area. Imagine a big western state. You just clip one of the corners of the state and you could be even farther away from the other corner. So the goal should not be to serve as many states as possible but to serve as many people as possible.