http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/03/31/1347041/amtrak-adds-a-midday-train-to.html
Phoebe: Now you have your mid day service. I have several questions.
1. Is there going to be Dinette service on the new trains? That service would certainly be business orientated with the noon time departures.
2. Is the Dinette service on NC equipment or Amtrak’s and who runs it NC or Amtrak?
3. The NB Carolinian shows :10 earlier and afternoon CLT Piedmont :40 earlier any idea why?
4. How will the normal and PM maintenance be completed? My understanding was most completed in CLT with the 7+ hr layover of the Piedmont?
5. In reference to #4 is there going to be a maintence base in RGH?
6. Does or will NC have a complete spare train set and where is it based?
7. Is NC DOT recruting more Station attendants for this service and are they volunteers?
8. Will you be able to get us some reactions to this in about a week or has this been fairly much already anticipated?
9. Will the NC DOT and the public get ridership figures quicker than Amtrak’s 6 week delay? I know that the Northern New England group gets ridership on the Downeaster about a week after the end of any month. Early figures may be very enlightning?.
I don’t have all your answers, but I will answer what I can.
The maint facility is in Raleigh. All equipment is based in Raleigh. NCDOT operates 4 trains at the moment.
The Carolinian, which is funded by NCDOT uses Amtrak equipment. It originates in Charlotte and goes to NYP via Raleigh, Richmond, DC, & the NEC. It leaves Charlotte about 7:40 AM and returns about 8:14 PM. It uses 2 train sets.
The Piedmont is funded by NCDOT and uses refurbished equipment owned by NCDOT. It Originates in Raleigh and goes to Charlotte. It leaves Raleigh around 6:50 AM and leaves Charlotte around 5:30 PM. It uses 1 train set.
NCDOT already has spare equipment. http://bytrain.org/passenger/pdf/dotrailequipment.pdf
They have recently purchased more, including 2 more F59s from GO Transit. They are currently being refurbished. https://apps.dot.state.nc.us/pio/releases/details.aspx?r=3094
The new trains will require a second train set. They will follow the same route as the current Piedmont, with the second train set leaving Raleigh at about 11:50 AM while the morning train set leaves Charlotte at about 12:30 PM. The second train set will then follow the existing Piedmont evening Schedule, leaving Charlotte about 5:30 PM. The Piedmont only runs in one direction in the morning and evening because it is schedule to compliment the Carolinian which follows the same route as far as Raleigh.
3. The NB Carolinian shows :10 earlier and afternoon CLT Piedmont :40 earlier any idea why?
My question is the winter 2010 current Carolinian leaves CLT at 0740 and the Charlotte observer says it will leave at 0730. The current #76 leaves CLT at 1730 and the paper’s article says it will leave at 1650. Was wondering if most passengers wanted the earlier departure? Will look at advance schedule to see running times.
Through service to/from Columbia, SC (and beyond) would be nice. No more back-tracking, through Wilson/Selma, etc. to get to Jacksonville! Any chance SC can be brough into this deal?
Hays
Perhaps because of the location of pass sidings, so that it will be easier to schedule meets without the probability of cornfield meets when trains are running on time?
Last year, I saw announcements on the NC DOT site that this train would be inaugurated last year.
SC was on Don Phillips list of “completely clueless” states in his column this month, so, not likely. The most likely would be the extension from Charlotte south to Atlanta thru Greenville, Spartansburg and Anderson/Clemson, but I wouldn’t hold my breath for that one, either.
Clueless is often a function of perspective. Another perspective might be fiscal responsbility. Given the large subsidy required to hoist passenger rail trains, many people see doing so as a waste of money.
Much as I like trains (I use them extensively), they are not an optimum solution for every part or even many parts of the country.
The only reason I can see of having Amtrak start running CLT - Columbia ( APPROX 65 miles? still signaled?) would be with that route established as Amtrak route an alternate route for the Florida trains becomes easily available. CSX usually plugs up somewhere north of Florence. Petersburg WASH this winter The Florida trains have had a lot of cancellations of trains the past 16 months due to CSX especially this past winter. The detours could go SAV - CLB (columbia) - CLT - GSO - LYH - CVS - WASH. If the Meteor and Star were combined then only one detour train a day each way + AutoTrain. Time keeping would be fairly easy since no scheduled intermediate stops unless Amtrak provided some at the last minute.
having enough crews qualified on the SOU (NS) route would be a problem unless NS crews available. This past winter the Florida trains could have operated this way. A quick look at the schedules SAV - CLB 2:30; CLB - CLT 2 hrs (maybe less); CLT - WASH 8 hrs. Total 10 hrs CLB - WASH (actually beats present SS times). Present silver star times 10:15 - 10:45 CAE - RIChmond - WASH. S Meteor , Palmetto SAV - WASH SB 11:30 NB 11:40 NB. Probable alternate times SAV CLT WASH 12:40 and 11:45 regular route thru Richmond… Not a bad alternative.
Auto - Train a different problem with a required 15 mile backup Lorton - Alexandria but still times maybe only one more hour than scheduled.
I don’t want to go to Atlanta! I want to go to JAX from GRO or WNS. The “Mule Train”, or “Pony Express” hasn’t made it to Montana, from Milwaukee, yet. I look forward to reading Phillips’ column, as always.
Hays
Back when the Southern station in Charlotte was on Trade Street, it was 108.6 miles to Columbia. I understand that plans are in the works to build a multi-system transport center at about the same location. As to signals, I do not know; it did have ATS until the Southern received permission to discontinue all ATS going on forty years ago. It may still have ABS Charlotte-Columbia (it was dark Columbia-Augusta, Columbia-Hardeeville (now almost all abandoned) and Columbia-Charleston. My latest timetables for that area are from the sixties.
Just before it was discontinued, in 1966, the Augusta Special was given three hours to go from Charlotte to Columbia, and three hours and ten minutes to go from Columbia to Charlotte.
Then don’t bite the hand that feeds/subsidizes you!
You did mean Charlotte-Spartanburg-Greenville-Clemson-Atlanta, did you not? Unless there has been recent construction, going through Anderson would involve a detour down to Belton, and then over to Seneca.
The new Charlotte Gateway Station is going to be exactly where that old Southern station was. It is a Greyhound bus station at the moment, but the are moving that one block south from where it will be incorporated into the new Gateway Station.
If there were a couple hundred more of you willing to go on a schedule that wouldn’t top 50 mph avg, you could make a good case. Would you settle for Greensboro to Jacksonville via Atlanta? That’s a route that’s actually been studied.
Yup. Shoulda looked at a map. Thought Anderson was on the other side of I-85…
I think it’s all dark now, but will have to look it up.
I believe that South Carolina is the fly in that particular oinment.
GA is not far behind. They’ll front the study money and nothing more…