Why is everyone going to ATL this weekend?

[northnorthwest]

Just checked the Crescent from PHL to GNS today, Friday, and Saturday, and it's totally sold out 3 days in a row! Is there a huge party I wasn't invited to?

(And if so, why not?!)

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Maybe heading to Augusta for The Masters?

 

[ronkstevens]

There's a big national gathering of people in the propane industry

 

[hastybob]

Welcome to the Crescent.... That is just the way it is.

 

[JoeBas]

Yup... I got low bucket RT roomettes between NOL and PHI in July... all I had to do was travel midweek & book in January! LOL

 

[haolerider]

Maybe heading to Augusta for The Masters?

If the were going to the Masters, they would be better off taking one of the Silvers or Palmetto. The Crescentmis usually very full between WAS & ATL.

 

[XHRTSP]

I can't believe with the size of Atlanta it's only got one train. Has there been any real talk about new lines or increased Crescent service lately?

 

[TVRM610]

I can't believe with the size of Atlanta it's only got one train. Has there been any real talk about new lines or increased Crescent service lately?

Yes... The talk is that NS will not allow any additional trains at the current station so until a new Amtrak station is built, there will be no additional service.

A new station has been talked about nearby at the Atlantic Station Area near the IKEA.

A day train Atlanta to NYP, a train to Macon, a train to Chattanooga, a train to Florida, alot is possible if the states would support it.

Much of what I said is my own paraphrase of the Performace Improvement Plan for the Crescent that was put out...

 

[me_little_me]

I can't believe with the size of Atlanta it's only got one train. Has there been any real talk about new lines or increased Crescent service lately?

Yes! Many more trains are planned - starting in 2476 when Georgia has finished paving the rest of the state that's now covered in trees, farms and grass.

To promote rail, they did nothing in the 12 years I lived there and even less in the 12 years since I left.

 

[MattW]

This week was Spring Break for many of our big school systems, for a train with only a few hundred seats to begin with, having just a very small amount of them taking train trips and coming back could saturate the Crescent.

 

[xyzzy]

The Southern Crescent often sold out -- particularly on weekends and holidays -- between Atlanta and DC even though its Southern Railway consist was longer than today's Amtrak 19/20 and the Atlanta metro population was one-third of what it is now.

Yes, it is patently absurd that the nation's ninth-largest metro has only one passenger train. But metro Dallas and metro Houston are even larger, and they have the same problem. Meanwhile, without picking on Buffalo for any particular reason and merely to serve as an illustration, metro Buffalo has one-fifth the population of metro Atlanta, Dallas, or Houston; yet Buffalo has four trains. We all know how and why this came to be, but it's nonsensical.

 

[TVRM610]

Atlanta - Greenville - Charlotte is one of the most logical corridors ever.

 

[XHRTSP]

To promote rail, they did nothing in the 12 years I lived there and even less in the 12 years since I left.

When I become Emperor of the World I will definitely rectify the problem.
And there'll be free rail passes for everyone on the board too!

 

[gn2276]

The Southern Crescent often sold out -- particularly on weekends and holidays -- between Atlanta and DC even though its Southern Railway consist was longer than today's Amtrak 19/20 and the Atlanta metro population was one-third of what it is now.

Yes, it is patently absurd that the nation's ninth-largest metro has only one passenger train. But metro Dallas and metro Houston are even larger, and they have the same problem. Meanwhile, without picking on Buffalo for any particular reason and merely to serve as an illustration, metro Buffalo has one-fifth the population of metro Atlanta, Dallas, or Houston; yet Buffalo has four trains. We all know how and why this came to be, but it's nonsensical.

This is because most of the trains to Buffalo are paid for by the state of New York.

 

[neroden]

The Southern Crescent often sold out -- particularly on weekends and holidays -- between Atlanta and DC even though its Southern Railway consist was longer than today's Amtrak 19/20 and the Atlanta metro population was one-third of what it is now.

Yes, it is patently absurd that the nation's ninth-largest metro has only one passenger train. But metro Dallas and metro Houston are even larger, and they have the same problem. Meanwhile, without picking on Buffalo for any particular reason and merely to serve as an illustration, metro Buffalo has one-fifth the population of metro Atlanta, Dallas, or Houston; yet Buffalo has four trains. We all know how and why this came to be, but it's nonsensical.

This is because most of the trains to Buffalo are paid for by the state of New York.

And if you look at the history, the Lake Shore Limited only exists because of early sponsorship by the state of New York.
Yes, we all know how and why this came to be. When the private railroads started collapsing, the federal government really tried not to preserve any of the passenger rail service, but was convinced to form Amtrak. Since 1971, the routes which have state & local government backing (of one form or another, from station purchase onward) have repeatedly been preserved or restored, while the routes without state & local government backing have continued to wither.

Georgia's government has never, ever cared, and the City of Atlanta hasn't cared much either, so Atlanta's situation has continued to decay. Texas is in much the same position, although some Texas effort got them the Texas Eagle and the Heartland Flyer.

The Sunset Limited is an example of one of the few trains which survived despite *none* of the state or local governments caring (well, OK, I saw some historical evidence that Beaumont cared) and it's pathetic. Due to the lack of caring, it doesn't even stop in Phoenix any more.

 

[CaliforniaMom]

To promote rail, they did nothing in the 12 years I lived there and even less in the 12 years since I left.

When I become Emperor of the World I will definitely rectify the problem.
And there'll be free rail passes for everyone on the board too!

Hamsters too?

 

[Bob Dylan]

A correction on the Texas Trains: Our recently retired Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Rep/Texas helped save Amtrak and the Sunset Ltd/Texas Eagle and the Heartland Flyer when the Presidents from Raegan to W Bush tried to kill them by Zeroing out Amtrak's Budget!

And the DFW Metro-Plex and Houston are doing a First Rate Job of expanding their Rail Systems! Even Gov Perry and the tight wad State Government have been supporters of Rail in Texas!

 

[Notelvis]

One of my most memorable trips was from Washington to Atlanta (in coach) on the old Southern Crescent in 1978.

Some convention in Greensboro, NC had a number of people coming in via Southern Railway and, as such, the train actually departed Washington in two sections. I was on the first section which had a baggage car, grill lounge, diner, and 7 coaches. The second section had an additional lounge, a diner, and 8 sleepers.

In Greensboro, destination for the first 4 sleepers, the second section pulled in on the 'house track' where the rear 4sleepers were cut off and added to our section which continued on to Atlanta as one 14 car train.

What was most fascinating is that in Greensboro (at what is once again that city's passenger station) where the only scheduled passenger trains at the time were Southern Railway's Crescent, there were briefly three trains in the station at the same time. Our first section arrived first and less than five minutes later the northbound Southern Crescent pulled in across the platform. Five minutes later the second section of the southbound Crescent arrived.

Perhaps this night was the last time an 'all pullman' train operated in scheduled regular service on a US passenger train route.

 

[hastybob]

The Southern would run the Southern Crescent in two sections regularly from Washington to Atlanta during busy times of year. But, the sections would only be about 9 cars. Each section would have coaches, diner, lounge and sleepers with, usually, 3 E8's instead of the usual 4. I don't know of any time they would run a section section south of Atlanta. But, they would add cars. (and run special trains) Something Amtrak has not figured out how to do .

Bob

 

[me_little_me]

The Southern Crescent often sold out -- particularly on weekends and holidays -- between Atlanta and DC even though its Southern Railway consist was longer than today's Amtrak 19/20 and the Atlanta metro population was one-third of what it is now.

Yes, it is patently absurd that the nation's ninth-largest metro has only one passenger train. But metro Dallas and metro Houston are even larger, and they have the same problem. Meanwhile, without picking on Buffalo for any particular reason and merely to serve as an illustration, metro Buffalo has one-fifth the population of metro Atlanta, Dallas, or Houston; yet Buffalo has four trains. We all know how and why this came to be, but it's nonsensical.

This is because most of the trains to Buffalo are paid for by the state of New York.

More chance of NYS subsidizing Georgia trains than the Georgia legislature doing so. :giggle:

 

[xyzzy]

Georgia's government has never, ever cared, and the City of Atlanta hasn't cared much either

Exactly. Atlanta's growth has been largely transportation-driven, but largely that's reflected in the City's tireless promotion and expansion of its airport. Amtrak has always been viewed as a quaint nice-to-keep but little more.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

I can't believe with the size of Atlanta it's only got one train. Has there been any real talk about new lines or increased Crescent service lately?

Better than no service at all (Phoenix).

 

[cirdan]

Georgia's government has never, ever cared, and the City of Atlanta hasn't cared much either

Exactly. Atlanta's growth has been largely transportation-driven, but largely that's reflected in the City's tireless promotion and expansion of its airport. Amtrak has always been viewed as a quaint nice-to-keep but little more.

I wouldn't call the Marta rail lines and the upcoming streetcar nothing. There are plenty of big cities that have less than that, so Atlanta isn't all that backward.

 

[xyzzy]

I wouldn't call the Marta rail lines and the upcoming streetcar nothing. There are plenty of big cities that have less than that, so Atlanta isn't all that backward.

But we're discussing intercity transportation. FYI, I remember an Amtrak demonstration train leaving Spring Street for Savannah in 1980. All talk, no follow-through... until recent talk of replacing Peachtree Station, at least.

 

[haolerider]

Georgia's government has never, ever cared, and the City of Atlanta hasn't cared much either

Exactly. Atlanta's growth has been largely transportation-driven, but largely that's reflected in the City's tireless promotion and expansion of its airport. Amtrak has always been viewed as a quaint nice-to-keep but little more.

I wouldn't call the Marta rail lines and the upcoming streetcar nothing. There are plenty of big cities that have less than that, so Atlanta isn't all that backward.

The great promise in the sky for ATL is supposed to be a transportation hub in "the gulch" - an area where MARTA, AMTRAK and Greyhound are supposed to meet and provide multi-transportation needs. This has been taked about for many years and it would require Amtrak to make some time consuming track moves to get into and out of,the Hub. We shall see if this ever happens, but in my opinion, Atlanta will continue to be "pavement driven" with expanded freeways, possible,toll roads and continued congestion and long commutes! I just don't see the suburban drivers becoming rail users, unless someone comes up,with a way to make commuter rail feasible and affordable. As far as an expansion of Amtrak in ATL, the Maxn line as also been talked about for years, as well as a connection to Savannah and Chatanooga. Amtrak can't even get a program or approval to move the existing station!