Service suspended to PGH Sept. 24-26 for G-20 Summit

[Jersey Jeff]

According to this article in today's Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Amtrak has suspended all train service for Pittsburgh beginning Sept. 24 until the evening of Sept. 26, spokeswoman Tracy Connell said Wednesday."If you try to book a train to or from Pittsburgh, it will show up as unavailable on our Web site," Connell said.

Passengers coming through the city will be able to disembark to get on a connecting train but "will not be allowed to leave the platform," Connell said. "Security personnel will be there to make sure no one leaves that building, because it's in a secure perimeter for the G-20."

I tried booking a train on the Pennsylvanian from NYP to PGH, and the train showed up as unavailable on Amtrak's web site. However, I think train #43 will still be running because I was able to book it to Greensburgh, which is the stop just east of PGH.

I wanted to see what showed up when I tried to book the Capitol Limited from CHI-NYP and change trains in PGH that weekend.

Train 30 will still let me disembark in PGH, but on Amtrak's Web Page, Pittsburgh station shows up as "Penn Transfer, PA" and it's code is PTT. It is scheduled to depart Pittsburgh at 7:21 a.m., one minute later than normal.

Clicking on "PTT" tells me that the station has no ticket window, no checked baggage service and no Quik-Trak machines. Station hours also are not listed.

 

[Guest]

Sounds sort of like the Republican coronation in NYP in 2004,lots of folks had to get off in Jersey,no checked baggage

to NYP without being on the train with it(sort of like the Canadian trains now) and the forerunner of TSA,thousands

standing around,thousands of NY cops and Army guys hanging out on OT and this was before it even started!

Most NYers I knew tried to avoid NYP that week,even get out of town!Think perhaps Joe Biden will be there and ride

the train to PIT?

 

[NS VIA FAN]

How things have changed! The G-7 Summit (as it was known then) was in Halifax in 1995 and people were actually encouraged to come into downtown and harbour front area that weekend. Besides the leaders, there were lots of other dignitaries and media from around the world and quite a party atmosphere. When the summit ended, the leaders left for the airport in a motorcade. There was plenty of security around but you still had no problem standing along the route. I have great video of Bill Clinton, John Major, Helmut Kohl passing within 30 feet……and then along came 9-11.

 

[John Bredin]

How things have changed! The G-7 Summit (as it was known then) was in Halifax in 1995 and people were actually encouraged to come into downtown and harbour front area that weekend. Besides the leaders, there were lots of other dignitaries and media from around the world and quite a party atmosphere. When the summit ended, the leaders left for the airport in a motorcade. There was plenty of security around but you still had no problem standing along the route. I have great video of Bill Clinton, John Major, Helmut Kohl passing within 30 feet……and then along came 9-11.

Things changed securitywise for G-whateverthenumberis Summits earlier than 9/11/01. There were riots in Seattle in 1999 surrounding or accompanying a meeting of the World Trade Organization and pretty much every such meeting since has been accompanied by such shenanigans to some degree.

 

[MrFSS]

I thought the one they had in Alberta some years ago on the Native American Reservation was the best idea they have ever had. No was allowed within miles of the place which was miles from any place else. They brought them all in by helicopter, even from US airports, and the protesters never were anywhere near the attendees. The Native American Tribe said no to anyone on their land! Maybe next year they could have it in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I thought the one they had in Alberta some years ago on the Native American Reservation was the best idea they have ever had. No was allowed within miles of the place which was miles from any place else. They brought them all in by helicopter, even from US airports, and the protesters never were anywhere near the attendees. The Native American Tribe said no to anyone on their land! Maybe next year they could have it in the middle of the Sahara Desert.

How about West Texas,theres hundreds of miles of nothing but desert,not even any Indians its so desolute!Perfect place for the politicians to

preen and posture and no trains to bother, not even the SL!!!! :lol:

 

[MattW]

Or how about not letting it illegally disrupt a Federal Transportation system and keep it in the UN headquarters or somewhere already secure. This kind of crap is exactly what's wrong with the world, the government(s) think they can just steamroll over whoever they darn well please!

 

[NS VIA FAN]

I thought the one they had in Alberta some years ago on the Native American Reservation was the best idea they have ever had......

Canada does not have “Reservations” The term we used was “Reserve”......but now: “First Nation”.

 

[MrFSS]

I thought the one they had in Alberta some years ago on the Native American Reservation was the best idea they have ever had......

Canada does not have "Reservations" The term we used was "Reserve"......but now: "First Nation".

Thanks - I was just trying to be politically correct!

 

[AlanB]

Or how about not letting it illegally disrupt a Federal Transportation system and keep it in the UN headquarters or somewhere already secure. This kind of crap is exactly what's wrong with the world, the government(s) think they can just steamroll over whoever they darn well please!

Trust me, even when they hold things at UN Headquarters it disrupts everything. For two weeks at least at the start of each year's General Assembly, New Yorkers face closed streets, detoured buses, motorcades that prevent one from going where one needs to go, and so on. One can't even mail a letter or throw away garbage within 10 blocks of the UN.

I'm annoyed enough when it's the President of the US who disrupts where I need to go, but at least he's a citizen of the US. When my rights are trampled by our catering to foreign dignitaries, it really pisses me off. Especially since I'm stuck paying for their security.

 

[sechs]

I'm annoyed enough when it's the President of the US who disrupts where I need to go, but at least he's a citizen of the US. When my rights are trampled by our catering to foreign dignitaries, it really pisses me off. Especially since I'm stuck paying for their security.

Hosting the United Nations pays dividends in the form of foreign money spent here and additional influence. The President of the United States is not influenced by me when he causes my plane to reroute to avoid his airspace.

 

[AlanB]

I'm annoyed enough when it's the President of the US who disrupts where I need to go, but at least he's a citizen of the US. When my rights are trampled by our catering to foreign dignitaries, it really pisses me off. Especially since I'm stuck paying for their security.

Hosting the United Nations pays dividends in the form of foreign money spent here and additional influence.

Oh, I'm well aware of that, one of my clients for years was UNA-USA, so I know quite a bit about the UN. But trust me when I say that the money isn't quite as much as many people assume it is. And the city benefits little from it, since they are all exempt from sales tax. Yes, it still helps to create jobs and does help stimulate the economy. But beyond the influence, I'm not so sure that hosting the UN is necessarily great for the city.

Many also refuse to pay traffic fines and think that diplomatic immunity gives them the right to violate the laws. Some Permanent Missions are very good neighbors, but other's are not.

 

[jis]

I'm annoyed enough when it's the President of the US who disrupts where I need to go, but at least he's a citizen of the US. When my rights are trampled by our catering to foreign dignitaries, it really pisses me off. Especially since I'm stuck paying for their security.

Hosting the United Nations pays dividends in the form of foreign money spent here and additional influence.

Oh, I'm well aware of that, one of my clients for years was UNA-USA, so I know quite a bit about the UN. But trust me when I say that the money isn't quite as much as many people assume it is. And the city benefits little from it, since they are all exempt from sales tax. Yes, it still helps to create jobs and does help stimulate the economy. But beyond the influence, I'm not so sure that hosting the UN is necessarily great for the city.

Many also refuse to pay traffic fines and think that diplomatic immunity gives them the right to violate the laws. Some Permanent Missions are very good neighbors, but other's are not.

Trust me,there are many cities that would be very happy to take the UNHQ off New York and US's hands. But the fly in the ointment is that notwithstanding all the occasional huffing and puffing neither the US nor New York City is exactly ready to hand it over to anyone else yet.

 

[sechs]

But trust me when I say that the money isn't quite as much as many people assume it is. And the city benefits little from it, since they are all exempt from sales tax.

As a tourist visting the UN, was I really exempt from sales tax?
I think I missed out on something.

 

[AlanB]

But trust me when I say that the money isn't quite as much as many people assume it is. And the city benefits little from it, since they are all exempt from sales tax.

As a tourist visting the UN, was I really exempt from sales tax?

I think I missed out on something.

If you brought something while on UN property, then there was no sales tax. That's sovereign territory and not subject to NY or NYC sales taxes.

And as far as the rest of your visit, most people don't come to NYC just to visit the UN. They also don't come to visit just one thing period in NY. Therefore sales tax revenues are never attributed to an attraction, other than those taxes that are collected at said attraction. And we've already established that there are no sales taxes at the UN.

However, I was referring to the diplomats and the Permanent Missions with my original statement.

 

[espeefoamer]

They should hold the summit on the space station. No security or traffic problems,and with all those heads of state in outer space,we'll all be better off!

 

[Neil_M]

I'm annoyed enough when it's the President of the US who disrupts where I need to go, but at least he's a citizen of the US. When my rights are trampled by our catering to foreign dignitaries, it really pisses me off. Especially since I'm stuck paying for their security.

That works both ways though. I was at Heathrow several hours after your last 'president' paid us a visit. You should keep him at home.

Preferably in a room with mattresses on the walls.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'm annoyed enough when it's the President of the US who disrupts where I need to go, but at least he's a citizen of the US. When my rights are trampled by our catering to foreign dignitaries, it really pisses me off. Especially since I'm stuck paying for their security.

That works both ways though. I was at Heathrow several hours after your last 'president' paid us a visit. You should keep him at home.

Preferably in a room with mattresses on the walls.

Well since he came "home" to Texas hes allowed out to make "speeches" to hand picked audiences for big bucks!All our ex-presidents(except for Jimmy Carter )pretty much are the closest thing to royalty that we have,something you are familiar with!(lots of pomp and circumstance @ big public expense)

as someone once said "full of sound and fury signifying nothing!" IMHO GW was the worst prez never elected The only reason I comment is that the last two presidents tried to kill Amtrak(Bill Clinton gets no pass on thie either),at least the new Big Two (Hi Amtrak Joe!)like and are supporting passenger rail!

 

[subianchi]

My son and I will be returning from our vacation out west, traveling thru PGH on Sept 26. Amtrak phoned me on the 14th to tell me that we would have to change trains from the CL to the Pennsylvanian without leaving the platform. Instead of spending the 2 hour interval between trains in the PGH waiting area, we will be able to spend it on the Pennsylvanian. They plan to have the train on the platform when the CL arrives so transferring passengers can go directly from one train to the other. Since me son is handicapped I asked about availability of restrooms and water. The Amtrak person said normal onboard services would be available on the waiting train, although the snackbar would not open until the train's regular departure time. From our point of view this is actually an improvement in service compared to the PGH waiting room. We took the opportunity to upgrade to BC on the Pennsy so we will be closer to the food service. Now if only some smart person at Amtrak decides to put in extra stock and open the snack bar earlier. We'll keep you posted on our experience.