Amtrak207

Hello all,

I am sure some people know this already, but just in case...

48 Lakeshore Limited
DEPARTS Chicago, IL -@ 10:00PM
ARRIVES New York, NY -@6:45PM (next day)

This train will now leave much later than the current departure time (7:55PM), this new departure will take effect with the April 2, 2007 Timetable Change.

Just in case you have already picked up tickets for Train 48 ON or AFTER 4/2/07, (as in my case), disregard the current departure time of 7:55 that is printed on the ticket), as...once again, the new departure time will be 10:00PM.

gliere

I personally find this schedule change so inconvenient. I frequently travel between Madison, WI (Columbus, WI) and Boston and this 10PM departure time will give me about a 5 hour layover (along with anyone else connecting from the Empire Builder which has a good track record for long distance on-time performance), the 9:45PM arrival time in Boston will see the often-delayed LSL arriving past midnight, after public transportation has stopped running, and that will mean my parents will have to schlepp down from Reading to South Station in the middle of the night to pick me up.

Looks like from now on I'll be taking the Capitol Ltd and then the Pennsylvanian even if it means a transfer at in Pittsburgh at 5AM and another in NYC. At least those connections will be guaranteed and I'll be able to get to Boston at a reasonable hour for sure.

Finally, this schedule change also gives Amtrak a way to weasel out of serving three meals on the train to now serving two. I suppose 10PM is too late for dinner and the 6:45PM arrival time in NYC is also too early to finish serving a full dinner.

I feel a much better solution to the problem of people missing their connection from the much delayed Cal Zephyr would be to reinstate the Three Rivers all the way to Chicago with it's old 10PM depature time. But of course that is just a pipe dream.

wallaby

Or take the Capitol all the way to Washington, spend a relaxed afternoon and evening there, and then take 66 for an early morning arrival in Boston.

the_traveler

I once took the LSL many years ago, and because of a locomotive breakdown (I know it's unusual ), the arrival into BOS was over 9 hours late! So our arrival scheduled before 6 PM was actually after 3 AM!

Because it was much too late to make connections or any other choices for transportation (and even too late for a hotel), my family had to drive from RI up to Boston in the middle of the night! And this was the old "early" departure. I'd hate to see what a 10 PM departure will do!

AlanB

Actually with the new times, and similar circumstances, you would have arrived into Boston right at the end of the morning rush hour. Other than a second night on the train, that would probably have been far more convienent.

AlanB

Well the Lake Shore connection is also guaranteed, as is the connection between the Capitol Limited and a regional in DC. Now if the Pennsy is on time, you catch train #94 in Philly. However, if the Pennsy is more than 1 hour late you'll be put on #178 leaving Philly at 5:56 PM and it doesn't arrive into Boston until 11:50 PM. I don't know if you consider that to be a reasonable hour, but it is certainly getting close to closing time for much of Boston's mass transit.

And if the Capitol fails to connect with the Pennsy, something that does, has, and probably will happen again in the future, then you'll be kept on the Capitol in the hopes of connecting to train #178. Failing that, you'd be put on the overnight train to Boston.

It is possible that is part of the reason for this decision, however I don't suspect that it is the whole reason. First, why it may have had something to do with the decision. That being the current ages of the existing Heritage diners, all of them are now over 60 years old. Finding parts for them is increasingly difficult and many times impossible. That means a huge expense on Amtrak's part to have someone make the needed parts.

So this move could have something to do with that, since it would make it easier to use a Diner-Lite car on this train. On the other hand, they still have to serve dinner going westbound, so it doesn't completely solve the problem.

Now for reasons that I don't believe that this was based upon the dining situation alone. First the host RR's would not entertain such a request from Amtrak just because Amtrak wanted to stop serving dinner out of Chicago. Second, Amtrak will still be serving some food in the diner or diner-lite car. It just won't be a full dinner, more like a late snack that will be free to sleeping car passengers, or so I understand. This is not confirmed yet.

The later departure also gives Amtrak more time to clean and turn the train, should it arrive late, a not uncomon problem. And unlike other routes, the LSL does not use Superliner cars. So Amtrak can't just throw together another trainset. Amtrak doesn't have enough spare single level cars to park an extra set in Chicago just for emergencies. What comes in that morning as the LSL, must go out that evening or there are big problems. In fact at least twice this winter I understand that Chicago actually ended up sending out a Superliner trainset. Only problem is, the train must terminate in Albany, since it won't fit into Penn Station.

Next, I have heard from one source that it was Norfolk Southern who asked for the later time, to help space out the times between the Capitol Limited and the LSL.

Finally, and this is only at the rumor stage, I have heard that Amtrak may consider re-routing the LSL to run through Michigan, turn south at Dearborn (just before Detroit), and then run down to Toledo, before turning east. This would get the train out of the congested area between Toledo and Chicago, as well as better serving the Michigan market. So it is possible that this time change may have come about because of this.

If this was one of the reasons, to protect connections from a late running Zephyr or Eagle, reinstating the Three Rivers isn't a viable option for Amtrak. They could run it as a coach only train, but they don't have enough sleepers to add to the train. That would largely disqualify adding that train back as an alternative for late arriving westcoast trains. And then there is the question of whether it makes financial sense to bring it back, especially if it's main purpose is only to facilitate late connections.

fairviewroad

One aspect to this is that it will probably make Amtrak a little more attractive to Cleveland passengers. Eastbound arrives into Cleveland at 6:22 a.m. (instead of 4:02 a.m.) Westbound to/from CLE is still in the middle of the night. But I'd imagine the new eastbound schedule might help Amtrak pick up a few more CLE pax.