Sunset limited schedule to change in may

[Steve4031]

I took just part of the article describing the changes.

The new departure times (compared below with the current schedule) maintain the through-car coach and sleeper exchange with the Texas Eagle at San Antonio, but shorten the eastbound overnight layover by 7 hours eastbound and 3 hours westbound (the Eagle’s through cars to Los Angeles will leave Chicago on Friday, rather than Thursday). Sunset equipment now can make a same-day turn at Los Angeles and an overnight turn every day at New Orleans. Both locations are equipped to swap cars in and out for preventive maintenance, but at least one transition dorm, full sleeper, lounge, diner, and two  coaches should be freed-up to expand long distance train consists for the busy summer travel season ahead.

 

[dart330]

How about the connection from the Texas Eagle to NOL and back? Are we looking at even longer layovers in the middle of the night?

 

[Bob Dylan]

I took just part of the article describing the changes.

The new departure times (compared below with the current schedule) maintain the through-car coach and sleeper exchange with the Texas Eagle at San Antonio, but shorten the eastbound overnight layover by 7 hours eastbound and 3 hours westbound (the Eagle’s through cars to Los Angeles will leave Chicago on Friday, rather than Thursday). Sunset equipment now can make a same-day turn at Los Angeles and an overnight turn every day at New Orleans. Both locations are equipped to swap cars in and out for preventive maintenance, but at least one transition dorm, full sleeper, lounge, diner, and two coaches should be freed-up to expand long distance train consists for the busy summer travel season ahead.

Steve: Im confused by this :blink: (I'm confused by alot of things!! :lol: )The Current Sunset Schedule has the Eastbound #2 Laying over in SAS Only 2 Hours,while the Westbound #1 Lays over 3-4 Hours (sually Early into SAS)Does thiseffect the Eagle Schedule in any Way other than the Cutout Coach and Sleeper being Dropped in SAS? on Saturday instead of Fridays???? (as you said, #421 Will Run Out of CHI on Friday rather than Thursday!! :help:

 

[afigg]

I expect there will be an Amtrak press release, likely with the revised schedules, which will make this schedule change clearer but it has not yet been posted on the Amtrak website. This may be close to the proposed schedules in the 2010 PIP report for the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle, but that was based on going to daily service for the SL route.

 

[Steve4031]

I don't understand it either. I thought more info would pop up. The eb would leave lax about 10 pm as far as I can tell. The wb is not so clear. To shorten the wait time for 421, IMHO 21/421 would have to leave Chicago later. 1 could not leave much earlier because arrival into ka would be too early.

 

[City of Miami]

WOW! 2:45 am SAS departure for 1/421 :blink: :wacko: Not for me :hi:

 

[afigg]

I don't understand it either. I thought more info would pop up. The eb would leave lax about 10 pm as far as I can tell. The wb is not so clear. To shorten the wait time for 421, IMHO 21/421 would have to leave Chicago later. 1 could not leave much earlier because arrival into ka would be too early.

The 2010 PIP proposal has TE 21 departing CHI at 3:05 PM instead of 1:45 PM CT. If I read the 2010 proposed (daily) schedule correctly, it makes for a very poor north of San Antonio to Houston trip with a long wait in San Antonio. There will be winners and some loser city pairs in this schedule change. As there has to be with a 2 day LD train. Palm Springs to LA becomes in the middle of the night times.

 

[dart330]

They just posted this on Facebook & Twitter

NEW SCHEDULE FOR SUNSET LIMITED BENEFITS PASSENGERS AND IMPROVES FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE; Better connections, increased ridership and revenue, and reduced costs
NEW ORLEANS -- A new schedule for the Amtrak Sunset Limited is planned to take effect on May 7 for the New Orleans-Los Angeles route that will change the days of westbound operations and provide better connections for passengers travelling to and through California. These changes are expected to increase ridership and revenue, and reduce crew layover costs.

"The passenger benefits and financial improvement resulting from changing the Sunset Limited schedule are two-fold: Amtrak is providing better service and acting to improve our bottom line," said President and CEO Joe Boardman. "These are improvements that can be implemented quickly, require no capital investment and will enhance connectivity across our national network."

The westbound Sunset Limited (Train 1) will depart from New Orleans on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays almost three hours earlier each day than the current Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule. While there is no change to the eastbound Sunset Limited (Train 2) days of operations from Los Angeles on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, it will depart seven hours later each day in order to restore connections between the Sunset Limited and the Amtrak Coast Starlight (Trains 11 & 14) and to make possible an attractive next morning arrival to Arizona destinations.

In addition, the change will significantly reduce the layover for through passengers at San Antonio by more than seven hours for eastbound passengers and by more than three hours for westbound passengers when railcars are exchanged between the Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle (Trains 21 & 22).

Better connections between the Sunset Limited, Coast Starlight, Texas Eagle and Amtrak corridor services in California are predicted to increase the ridership and revenue of these trains.

Those passengers who have already purchased tickets for the period affected by the schedule change will be notified and offered rebooking at no charge.

Inaugurated by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1894, the Sunset Limited has been operated by Amtrak since its inception in 1971. Nearly 100,000 passengers rode the Sunset Limited last year, an increase of almost nine percent over the previous fiscal year.

 

[City of Miami]

It doesn't appear to have anything to do with the Eagle between CHI and SAS.

According to Amsnag the new low bucket for a roomette LAX-SAS is $149 but they're few and far between - and only 3 meals instead of 4, dep. LAX 10pm, arr SAS 4:50am or so. It's really not much of an increase.

 

[dart330]

Pulled these times out of the reservations on the website.

1 Sunset Limited

Departs NOL: 9:00 AM

Arrives SAS: 12:05 AM

Departs SAS: 2:45 AM

Arrives LAX: 5:35 AM

2 Sunset Limited

Departs LAX: 10:00 PM

Arrives SAS: 4:50 AM

Departs SAS: 6:25 AM

Arrives NOL: 9:40 PM

So FTW-NOL layover is now 8 hr 30 min, and NOL-FTW layover is 6 hr 55 min, pretty terrible for the middle of the night.

 

[guest]

Pulled these times out of the reservations on the website.

1 Sunset Limited

Departs NOL: 9:00 AM

Arrives SAS: 12:05 AM

Departs SAS: 2:45 AM

Arrives LAX: 5:35 AM

2 Sunset Limited

Departs LAX: 10:00 PM

Arrives SAS: 4:50 AM

Departs SAS: 6:25 AM

Arrives NOL: 9:40 PM

So FTW-NOL layover is now 8 hr 30 min, and NOL-FTW layover is 6 hr 55 min, pretty terrible for the middle of the night.

But given that far more people travel LAX-DFW or LAX-NOL than NOL-FTW, I think this will be a great benefit overall.

 

[Bob Dylan]

:hi: Thanks for Posting the Schedule! As has been said, there will be Winners and Losers with these Changes! Those of us that Live down here in Texas will have to catch the Sunset Ltd. in the wee Hours, but looks like the Plus is that the Connection from the SB Starlight #11 to #2 will once Again be Possible, and the Early Arrival into LAX pretty mcuh Assures the Connection with the NB #14 Starlight! Wonder if the Changed Schedule Leaving CHI Later will result in doing Away with the Thruway Van through the Cornfields from GBB-SPI to connect from the SWC and CZ with the Eagle??? Will be interesting to see where the Freed up Superliner Equipment Actually Ends up,as well as what will happen to the Crews since the Sunset usually has Very Senior Crews??? Id suggest that the PDX-CHI Section of the Builder should get the Long discussed CCC and that the Freed up Sleeper go to the CL since that Train seems to be Selling out @ High Buckets Often! Theres also Seasonal Arguements for the CZ/SWC and EB to get the extra Sleeper!! Wonder if the Extra Sightseer Lounge could run on the Zephyr since it's so Hard to Snag a Seat in the Lounge through the Mountains???

 

[Train2104]

Schedule, from ARROW:

Train #1

0900 New Orleans

1030 Schriever

1156 New Iberia

1224 Lafayette

1355 Lake Charles

1534 Beaumont

1818 AR Houston

1855 DP Houston

0005 AR San Antonio

0245 DP San Antonio

0549 Del Rio

0824 Sanderson

1038 Alpine

1322 AR El Paso

1347 DP El Paso

1518 Deming

1613 Lordsburg

1718 Benson

1845 AR Tucson

1935 DP Tucson

2052 AR Maricopa

2102 DP Maricopa

2349 Yuma

0202 Palm Springs

0354 Ontario

0404 Pomona

0535 Los Angeles

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Pulled these times out of the reservations on the website.

1 Sunset Limited

Departs NOL: 9:00 AM

Arrives SAS: 12:05 AM

Departs SAS: 2:45 AM

Arrives LAX: 5:35 AM

2 Sunset Limited

Departs LAX: 10:00 PM

Arrives SAS: 4:50 AM

Departs SAS: 6:25 AM

Arrives NOL: 9:40 PM

So FTW-NOL layover is now 8 hr 30 min, and NOL-FTW layover is 6 hr 55 min, pretty terrible for the middle of the night.

A 5:35AM arrival into LAX? :blink: Even the 9:40 arrival into NOL isn't great.

 

[Shortline]

Wow. I think this totally screws me. I am not going to sit in SAS station overnight waiting for it to get in after arriving on the TE at 9pm. Guess I'll see about getting my 40,000 points back and fly, unless something gives.

 

[NY Penn]

5:30 AM into LA? Seriously? That's likely to discourage a lot of people. And with the SL's usual earliness into LA...

 

[Train2104]

Wow. I think this totally screws me. I am not going to sit in SAS station overnight waiting for it to get in after arriving on the TE at 9pm. Guess I'll see about getting my 40,000 points back and fly, unless something gives.

You'll be sitting in the train, not in the station.

 

[Steve4031]

Will sleeper passengers be kicked out on arrival into lax?

 

[Shortline]

1331680146[/url]' post='353259']

1331679530[/url]' post='353253']Wow. I think this totally screws me. I am not going to sit in SAS station overnight waiting for it to get in after arriving on the TE at 9pm. Guess I'll see about getting my 40,000 points back and fly, unless something gives.

You'll be sitting in the train, not in the station.

You sure? I'm going OKC-FTW-SAS-NOL. Was going to change from Texas Eagle to Sunset Limited. Just checked, doesn't even show as a valid booking now. If we were on a through car, great...but I don't think that's the case. Hence, either cancel, or, sit all night in the station.

 

[guest]

You're not kidding about the early arrival time into LA!

We'd better hope the Sunset runs late all the time! 5:35 is way too early for any train arrival at its destination. It makes the last night in the sleepers westbound almost a waste of money, since you'd have to be up by 4:30 assuming the train was on time.

AND according to the posted sked, there's a lot of padding between Pomona and LAUS, about 90 minutes! If the train is running anywhere close to schedule in arriving in Pomona at 4:04 a.m., it will be into LAUS about 4:45 a.m.!!!

THAT'S SO EARLY that you couldn't even walk over to Philippes (or Philippe for the curmudgeons on this forum) for breakfast!!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I hope someone somewhere is seriously benefiting from all this, because from where I'm standing this is nothing but lose-lose for folks in and around San Antonio. The previous 5:40AM departure was early and the 10PM arrival was late, but not impossibly so. People were still willing to work within those schedules. Now with these 2:45AM departures and 4:50AM arrivals it's beginning to look a lot less workable. I see a big drop off for SAS, but maybe Amtrak is perfectly fine with that. Maybe this really does have more to do with resource management than it does with trying to improve the revenue performance of the Sunset Limited. Maybe Amtrak would be happy to have the Sunset revenue dip so low that they can finally cut it loose?

 

[dart330]

1331680146[/url]' post='353259']

1331679530[/url]' post='353253']Wow. I think this totally screws me. I am not going to sit in SAS station overnight waiting for it to get in after arriving on the TE at 9pm. Guess I'll see about getting my 40,000 points back and fly, unless something gives.

You'll be sitting in the train, not in the station.

You sure? I'm going OKC-FTW-SAS-NOL. Was going to change from Texas Eagle to Sunset Limited. Just checked, doesn't even show as a valid booking now. If we were on a through car, great...but I don't think that's the case. Hence, either cancel, or, sit all night in the station.

That is the exact itemerary I wanted to do, and it looks like it no longer shows as a valid one with the 8.5 hour layover. The reverse trip is still showing up though. Hopefully they just haven't programmed in all the connections yet, or this is yet another missing one we will never see in the system.

They will for sure kick you off upon arrival into SAS, so you'd have a long night at Denny's or need to spring for a hotel room.

 

[Train2104]

You sure? I'm going OKC-FTW-SAS-NOL. Was going to change from Texas Eagle to Sunset Limited. Just checked, doesn't even show as a valid booking now. If we were on a through car, great...but I don't think that's the case. Hence, either cancel, or, sit all night in the station.

I didn't realize you were going the other way. Then I guess you'll have to sit in the station.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Where's the extra equipment going to go?

I heard that the SL used to have a really late departure eastbound out of LAX. Probably back when it ran with a pair of POOHES. Is this true?

 

[Montanan]

This is actually fairly close to the historic, pre-Amtrak schedule of the Sunset, as well as the train's schedule in Amtrak's early years. And while some city pairs will be made less convenient by the change, all in all I think it's a significant improvement. The big thing is the return of a decent overnight schedule between LA and Arizona, city pairs that used to provide a lot of traffic for the train. Times are also better in Houston, and the trip times for Texas Eagle-Sunst through passengers are *much* better. So I'd say this is a very good thing ... though of course I don't happen to live in San Antonio.