Recently, part of the Sunset East Route between Pensacola and Jacksonville was sold by CSX to RailUSA-owned Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad.
Just when railfans were trying to figure out what the sale meant for the odds of passenger service being restored, Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker announced that service will return to the western portion of the Sunset East Route between New Orleans and Mobile.
The catch is right there: Only the CSX portion of the Sunset East is involved. It would be up to FG&A to restore the easternmost portion and even then, there would still be a gap between Mobile and Pensacola because neither Alabama nor Florida has shown an interest in restoring passenger service. If only the affected states (Louisiana, which is also paying for the restored service, is the fourth state involved) had actually talked to SNCF, that portion of the country would already have some kind of passenger service. After all, it was Virgin's interest in a Charlotte-Atlanta route for example that forced Amtrak to look at that same area for expansion earlier this year. Had SNCF tapped Keolis to run the 620-mile route, it may have motivated Amtrak management to at least restore the Sunset Limited or produce an entirely new route.
So, what we'll end up with is a third incarnation of the Gulf Coast Limited--the first one ran in the mid 1980s and the second one ran in from mid 1996 to mid 1997. The second version didn't even operate on a flipped schedule vis-à-vis the Sunset Limited--Train #24 operated about two hours earlier than #2 while #23 operated 2-3 hours earlier than #1. That said, an opportunity arises where dueling roundtrips could provide consistent ridership. Not to mention, a revived Gulf Breeze that is extended to the Crescent City should also be on the table after 2021.
Showing posts with label train schedules. Show all posts
Showing posts with label train schedules. Show all posts
Sunday, June 9, 2019
Monday, November 7, 2016
Addendum: Updated Gulf Coast Schedule
|
2
|
Gulf Wind
|
1
|
|
23:00
|
New Orleans
|
0:35
|
|
0:53
|
Biloxi1
|
22:31
|
|
2:18
|
Mobile
|
21:27
|
|
11:00
|
Tallahassee
|
15:32
|
|
13:50
14:10
|
Jacksonville-Marietta
|
12:32
12:12
|
|
14:35
|
Jacksonville-Naval Air Station
|
11:47
|
|
17:55
|
Orlando-LYNX Central
|
8:28
|
|
18:08
|
Orlando-Sand Lake Rd.
|
8:15
|
|
21:44
|
West Palm Beach-S. Tamarind Ave.2
|
4:47
|
|
23:49
|
Miami Airport2
|
3:05
|
Notes
- This excludes future planned New Orleans-Mobile routes that extend to Birmingham as well as local services
- No local passengers between West Palm Beach and Miami
Friday, April 22, 2016
Tackling the Headlines 81
Denver opens its first commuter rail line
Just four hours ago, the University of Colorado A Line, which runs from Union Station to the airport, marks the first time since the last Rio Grande Zephyr pulled in on April 23, 1983 that Union Station will have more than one rail tenant in accordance to the FRA's 49 CFR 238/239 portion covering intercity and commuter trains.
Take: Once all of the RTD commuter lines are up and running, the next steps taken should be as follows:
1. Provide a regional (read, intercity) rail system that serves Cheyenne, Ogden, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Pueblo, and Albuquerque
2. Congress has to force Title XI Subtitle C Section 205 of the FAST Act to allow overnight competition which may be better for the Mile High City than the regional system in the long term
Amtrak discontinuing its timetables
Take #1: If the company were actually serious about expansion, it wouldn't be doing this. If those in Washington were serious about providing competition to Amtrak, the company wouldn't be doing this.
Take #2: Now, if other states follow Indiana's lead or break away from Amtrak altogether combined with even limited long distance competition, these entities (likely AIPRO members, regional/shortline railroads, and some foreign operators) could develop their own timetable. Thanks to the Saratoga & North Creek, such a timetable independent of Amtrak could already be developed since that railroad connects to Amtrak in upstate New York.
NYC MTA leaves the APTA
Take: This is big. If more of the major systems follow, then, the APTA could be reduced to representing small and midsized transit agencies.
Just four hours ago, the University of Colorado A Line, which runs from Union Station to the airport, marks the first time since the last Rio Grande Zephyr pulled in on April 23, 1983 that Union Station will have more than one rail tenant in accordance to the FRA's 49 CFR 238/239 portion covering intercity and commuter trains.
Take: Once all of the RTD commuter lines are up and running, the next steps taken should be as follows:
1. Provide a regional (read, intercity) rail system that serves Cheyenne, Ogden, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Pueblo, and Albuquerque
2. Congress has to force Title XI Subtitle C Section 205 of the FAST Act to allow overnight competition which may be better for the Mile High City than the regional system in the long term
Amtrak discontinuing its timetables
Take #1: If the company were actually serious about expansion, it wouldn't be doing this. If those in Washington were serious about providing competition to Amtrak, the company wouldn't be doing this.
Take #2: Now, if other states follow Indiana's lead or break away from Amtrak altogether combined with even limited long distance competition, these entities (likely AIPRO members, regional/shortline railroads, and some foreign operators) could develop their own timetable. Thanks to the Saratoga & North Creek, such a timetable independent of Amtrak could already be developed since that railroad connects to Amtrak in upstate New York.
NYC MTA leaves the APTA
Take: This is big. If more of the major systems follow, then, the APTA could be reduced to representing small and midsized transit agencies.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Addendum: Hoosier Corridor schedule
Short Term
The current Hoosier State route will be moved to another timeslot, renumbered #315 & #316, and converted to daily status. #317 & #318 will be an added standalone frequency.
F-Flag stop
Long Term
Hoosier State
318
|
Hoosier State
316
|
Cardinal
50
|
Cardinal
51
|
Hoosier State
315
|
Hoosier State
317
|
|
Daily
|
Daily
|
TuThSa
|
Days of Operation
|
MoThSa
|
Daily
|
Daily
|
7:45
|
13:45
|
17:45
|
Chicago CT
|
10:05
|
13:05
|
18:05
|
8:58
|
14:58
|
18:58
|
Dyer
|
8:27
|
11:27
|
17:27
|
9:49
|
15:49
|
19:49
|
Renesslear
|
7:38
|
10:38
|
16:38
|
12:00
|
18:00
|
22:00
|
Lafayette ET
|
7:33
|
10:33
|
16:33
|
12:30
|
18:30
|
F22:30
|
Crawfordsville
|
F6:58
|
9:58
|
15:58
|
13:50
|
19:50
|
23:50
|
Indianapolis
|
6:00
|
9:00
|
15:00
|
The current Hoosier State route will be moved to another timeslot, renumbered #315 & #316, and converted to daily status. #317 & #318 will be an added standalone frequency.
F-Flag stop
Long Term
Name of Operator
Train Name
Train Number
|
CorrCap
Hoosier State
101
|
CorrCap
Hoosier State
151
|
CorrCap
Hoosier State
103
|
CorrCap
Hoosier State
153
|
Amtrak
Cardinal
50
|
Days of Operation
|
Daily
|
Daily
|
Daily
|
Daily
|
TuThSa
|
Chicago-Union
Sta. CT
|
19:15
|
||||
Chicago-Millennium
Sta.
|
7:15
|
10:00
|
13:15
|
16:00
|
|
Dyer
|
7:50
|
10:35
|
13:50
|
16:35
|
19:50
|
Renesslear
|
8:40
|
11:25
|
14:40
|
17:25
|
20:40
|
Lafayette
ET
|
10:40
|
13:25
|
16:40
|
19:25
|
22:40
|
Crawfordsville
|
11:10
|
13:55
|
17:10
|
19:55
|
|
Indianapolis
|
12:00
|
14:45
|
18:00
|
20:45
|
23:59
|
12:05
|
14:50
|
18:05
|
20:50
|
0:20
|
|
Louisville
|
16:45
|
22:45
|
|||
Cincinnati
|
14:40
|
20:40
|
2:55
|
Name of Operator
Train Name
Train Number
|
Amtrak
Cardinal
51
|
CorrCap
Hoosier State
152
|
CorrCap
Hoosier State
102
|
CorrCap
Hoosier State
154
|
CorrCap
Hoosier State
104
|
Days of Operation
|
MoThSa
|
Daily
|
Daily
|
Daily
|
Daily
|
Cincinnati ET
|
2:50
|
12:00
|
18:00
|
||
Louisville
|
8:30
|
14:30
|
|||
Indianapolis
|
5:25
|
11:35
|
14:35
|
17:35
|
20:35
|
6:00
|
11:40
|
14:40
|
17:40
|
20:40
|
|
Crawfordsville
|
12:25
|
15:25
|
18:25
|
21:25
|
|
Lafayette
|
7:15
|
12:55
|
15:55
|
18:55
|
21:55
|
Renesslear
CT
|
7:15
|
12:55
|
15:55
|
18:55
|
21:55
|
Dyer
|
8:05
|
13:45
|
16:45
|
19:45
|
22:45
|
Chicago-Millennium
Sta.
|
14:25
|
17:25
|
20:25
|
23:25
|
|
Chicago-Union
Sta.
|
8:45
|
The Hoosier Corridor will relocate to
Millennium Station since the connecting track is already in place at Harvey
Junction. Once there are more roundtrips,
the Hoosier State’s numbers will be changed to reflect Corridor Capital’s
operation. Also, the expanded schedule reflects track improvements laid out by
All Aboard Ohio and improved Indianapolis-Louisville times.
Stations
·
All stations
currently unstaffed will be handled by CorrCap
·
Columbus, IN
will be the only stop between Indianapolis and Louisville
·
Joint Amtrak-CorrCap
stations will be Lafayette, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati
·
In the
future, Amtrak may change its stops to receive/discharge only between Chicago
and Indianapolis and skip the CorrCap stations with the exceptions of Dyer and
Connersville
· Also note that the current shelter in Crawfordsville will be replaced by an actual station and that Amtrak will skip it once Corridor Capital expands service
· Also note that the current shelter in Crawfordsville will be replaced by an actual station and that Amtrak will skip it once Corridor Capital expands service
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