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Amtrak tests bicycle service on Capitol Limited
Hate to state the obvious but bikes and Amtrak make a great mix. Anything we can do to get the message to Amtrak that bikes belong on trains is a step in the right direction. Traveling with a bike on a train just makes huge sense. And the more Amtrak can do to accommodate the touring cyclist just makes it even sweeter. Roll on!
I am not a cyclist, but I think this is a great idea with the potential to increase ridership and revenue while decreasing subsidies. Improvements in ridership and financial performance help make Amtrak’s future more secure.
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Does the Bike Pittsburgh organization know about this? They must by now, but I’ll make sure they do. Ride the Great Allegheny Passage one way from Pgh to DC, or a part or it, and come back on the Cap Ltd with your bike aboard. Sweet! Bring it on, Amtrak!
This is a great deal for the cyclists among us, especially those in Pittsburgh, Washington, and the intermediate stops between them.
Two weeks ago we rode the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad from Cumberland to Frostburg. The train had a baggage car that many cyclists used to get to Frostburg. Good option for the wimps who want to ride the train up the hill and coast back down. OK, so that’s a bit over the top.
I could envision someone in DC putting his or her bike on the Capitol Limited, getting off at Cumberland, and pedaling along the Great Allegheny Passage. Come to think of it, I might do it next year.
Great idea!
Great idea How about constructing the racks as a multi bike unit that could be secured in a similar manner as a wheel chair?
Search for “Cyclists Special” on YouTube to see how it’s done! 
What’s old is new again: This is what we’re aiming for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPkT0paGEnQ
If problem with link, go to YouTube, search for Cyclists Special!
15 minutes of old-fashioned pleasure!
I’ve used Amtrak to facilitate this bike trip in the past. I’ve wondered (and written Amtrak) about why roll-on/roll-off bike service can’t be expanded–it works great in California…
Also, I am just back from Germany and Switzerland–bikes (and dogs!) easily accommodated on nearly every train I rode…
I support this idea, but I have to wonder if it will really be all that revenue-healthy for the company. It could result in seats being sold for short trips and then remaining unsold for the rest of the train’s run.
To TRAINS: elsewhere on the internet, I saw a picture of bikes being rolled off this test train. That would have been a good illustration for this article. A generic shot of the train in a location not even in the geographic area included in the test is useless.
One way to avoid loosing long distance revenue to cyclists riding short distances is to add an extra coach between Washington and Pittsburg. Also, bike space should be reserved. Customers wouldn’t be very happy if they bought a ticket and all of the bike space was taken when they got to the station.
One way to avoid loosing long distance revenue to cyclists riding short distances is to add an extra coach between Washington and Pittsburg. Also, bike space should be reserved. Customers wouldn’t be very happy if they bought a ticket and all of the bike space was taken when they got to the station.
I’d like to see how this could be turned into a cash cow for Amtrak. Anything to help it’s bottom line and hopefully make it less of a target for small minds.
Regards adding autotrain cars, the dwell time at the origination and destination is just too great to load and unload vehicles. I even looked at cars with sides that opened and pulling vehicles on and off with forklifts - fast but one has to has a forklift, a backup and a driver at each point with car service. Bottom line, have a good car rental network at the station. My favorite are in Flagstaff, AZ, and Ft. Morgan, CO, where National and Hertz respectively will arrange to have the car ready for you regardless of time of day. When Chicago to Miami passenger service is put in place, watch for car rental kiosks.
This is how to sell and save the railroad, flexibility. Now let’s please request they add two autotrain cars to the California Zephyr. HOG members would fill up one car per week with motorcycles alone in the summer months! One car left behind at Denver to unload and one car stays connected all the way.
The space that was designated for checked baggage in Superliner I coaches ought to be put to use for stowing bicycles. checked baggage needs to be safely secured in a baggage car space that passengers won’t have access to enroute.