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As it looks right now, all reserved accomodations on Amtrak Empire Service trains, and probably every other train in the system, are sold out. I assume that Amtrak will NOT be running the new turboliners tomorrow, as they are only 5 cars long. EXPECT LONG TRAINS TOMORROW. That means, Empire Service trains may use as many as two P32 locomotives and 10 cars. If there are not enough P32s to go around, it is possible that the two Amtrak FL9s may be brought back into service for the holiday rush. Watch other corridors for longer trains, unusual consists, and locomotives that are no longer in service, like F40s. And this is nothing compared to what will happen on Thanksgiving!
Doesn't take much to sell out the Texas Eaglet (no typo.. a joke) since Gunn cut a coach and a sleeper off, and knocked her down to one locomotive... Schedule gets worse, too.. It was 3 hours late going NORTH (Being that late going north through Mc Gregor is rare, because MCG is only 5-6 stops up from SAS) Friday, because it was held for the Sunlate Limited, as it was connection day... The Eagle just isn't the Eagle anymore.
Thanks for the info. I'll be fanning the Hudson Line tomorrow, it will be a great day for me to go to Poughkeepsie and see the track layout for my route.
I took the Zephyr from Emeryville yesterday, to Salt Lake City. The thing was half empty to Reno and 3 quarters empty after that. I must say though that I'm impressed with Amtrak, considering that they are a government organisation running on track that may or may not be continuously welded (usually not), and I was travelling in coach, I could stretch out my 6'4" frame and sleep!!! Staff were a little rude on the Zephyr but on the Starlight they were friendly. Looking forward to travelling to Denver tomorrow, then on to Chicago, Washington, New York. Then back onto that sardine can of a Qantas 747 for the 24 hour indirect flight home . . . I can almost feel that pain already . . .
How many RTL-IIIs are in service? If so, then the Albany - NYC services could be taken by RTL-IIIs, running in multiple if possible, and required.As for Amtrak being sold out - is this Mr Gunn's way of making Washington cough up some more cash? By filling the trains, then you make them seem worthwhile (ie available capacity is used up, so you need more money to make the service better and improve capacity). If Amtrak can pull off Labor Day without a big hitch, then some of those new passengers will travel again, and ultimately Amtrak should not be aiming for financial sucess, but for ridership sucess. It's not about making Amtrak profitable, but making Amtrak appear vital to the nation, and by increasing market share, you make it appear to politicians that people want to travel by train, and that train travel is something worth supporting - why did the airlines recieve bail-outs? If it wasn't for their importance in the transport infrastructure as a whole, then they'd be left out to dry. The example I'd give is of the commuter services, particularly in NYC, without which, Manhattan would be gridlock. That is why Connecticut, New Jersey, New York state and the city of New York, through ConnDOT, NJT, NYDOT and MTA respectively, support the services which run into NYC, because they are almost as essential to New York as running water and flowing electricity.This could be amongst the first signs of a renaissance of rail travel in the USA, and that can only be a good thing. Look positive - people are flocking back to the railways, and quite possibly, a train awaits in thw wings...
John
