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Hi Folks! As some of you know I recently booked an 8 day amtrak trip, beginning on Jan 16, from NY to CA to OR, to NY. The first leg of my journey is on the Lakeshore limited, which, if on time, gets into Chicago about 5-6hours before my next connection. Since booking the trip I am starting to realize that the LSL is pretty frequently late (the latenesses this week alone have been over 5hrs). This is the most important connection on my trip and missing it would totally screw up the rest of the trip. What are some other viable (and reliable) rail options to getting to Chicago? Or do you think I should be OK with current situation? Thanks! Mike
Posts: 50 | From: New Hyde Park, nY | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
until it is eliminated completely in the Spring 2005, one option is the Three Rivers. Damn shame that there no longer is a sleeper on this train. The other, more viable, option is to head down to DC & catch the venerable Capitol Ltd. You'll get to ride aboard the double deck Superliners. If memory serves me correctly, the Cap has a better on-time record than the Late for Sure Ltd.
------------------ Over 20,000 miles aboard Amtrak trains.
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one corner of the Earth all one's lifetime." - Mark Twain.
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I'd stick with the Lake Shore, as the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore are operating on the same sections of track where all these problems have occurred. Only the Lake Shore is getting affected by equipment turns, which hopefully will work itself out over the next couple of days, barring any more disasters.
Lake Shore Limited is scheduled to arrive at 8:43 a.m., only about an hour later than the Three Rivers and almost two hours prior to the Capitol Limited. Amtrak resorted to busing Three Rivers passengers between Chi and Pittsburgh the other day so the Three Rivers equipment could be utilized on the Lake Shore Limited.
I am in a similar situation myself: riding the Lake Shore next week and connecting in Chicago. If I happpen to miss my connection in Chicago, and can't catch up to the connecting train in some reasonable fashion, I am heading back home, after Amtrak refunds me of course!
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I see you're leaving on a Sunday. If you're departing from New York City (rather than somewhere further north in New York State), there's another option: the Cardinal.
It leaves Penn Station at 9:25 a.m., and arrives in Chicago (with luck anyway) at 10:40 a.m.
But then, I've found that painstakingly analyzing Amtrak's recent on-time performance along a particular route is fairly pointless. Unless you were born with the Gift of Prophesy, there's no way to guarantee that the Cardinal -- or any of the trains that others have suggested -- will or won't run into problems on the day you plan to travel.
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I have been looking into the 3 rivers a bit more, and in my very limited sample (of a week or so) it seems that it tends to arrive much closer to the scheduled time than the Lakeshore. Why is this? Is this a less populated track? Are there structural differences that can account for this? A previous poster mentioned that in the past week a 3 Rivers run was canned to support the LSL, what was the reasoning behind this?
Thanks! Mike
Posts: 50 | From: New Hyde Park, nY | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
I think if you are really worried you should leave one day early and stay overnight in Chicago. When you explain the situation, I am sure Amtrak will change you ticket at no charge.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Schedule of the Three Rivers is heavily padded, or at least more than the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited.
Ironically, the Lake Shore Limited has emerged as the "premiere" train from Chicago to NYC. I say "ironically" b/c it used to be that the Broadway Limited (Three Rivers being the closest in terms of the Broadway's route) was Amtrak's premiere train between NYC and Chicgo. Lake Shore Limited's coaches froze (on the day of the lounge car derailment) and Amtrak subsituted the Three Rivers' coaches and lounge on the Lake Shore. Those on the Three Rivers to/from Pittsburgh and Chicago were bussed.
Keep in mind that you don't have a full service diner or sleeping car on the Three Rivers - any more that is. Just a lounge car and coaches for passengers. If you are worried about the connection in Chicago, plan for an overnight.
I've done the same day connection from the Lake Shore Limited to western long distance trains many times, and knock on wood, I haven't had problems. Just luck I suppose. Also, if the Lake Shore Limited were to arrive at 2:45 p.m. into Chicago, they would hold the long distance trains to the West Coast (i.e. CA Zephyr). But they don't hold the trains forever and there's no exact science for it.
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>> When you explain the situation, I am sure Amtrak will change you ticket at no charge.<<
Extremely unlikely. When the CSX track work project caused the Silver Star and Meteor trains to be combined this past summer--resulting in a schedule change for both--Amtrak did not wish to change my reservation so I could overnight in Washington and make a Capitol Limited to Super Silver connection. This was despite the fact that I had made my reservation months before the schedule was changed. It was only through a great deal of effort on my part, and an intervention by Guest Rewards, that I was able to get the reservation changed to the following day at no cost.
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Actually, Amtrak had no problem changing my tickets. I called them last week to find out why I hadn't received my tickets, 2 weeks after purchasing them, to find that they hadn't even been sent out yet. Oh well. The very plesant woman who I spoke to on the phone promised to get them processed the next day. I then discussed the possibility of changing to the Three Rivers, explaining how I was concerned with the rampant lateness of the Lakeshore. She happily changed my trip for me, without an extra charge, so I am now taking the 3 rivers out to Chi instead of the Lakeshore (though I will be returning on LSL). I am not staying overnight in Chi, so I will take my chances with the 3 rivers. My tickets arrived in the mail today, and all is well. Less than 3 weeks to til I depart!!!!! I am psyched! -Mike
[This message has been edited by Michael Christiansen (edited 12-27-2004).]
Posts: 50 | From: New Hyde Park, nY | Registered: Dec 2004
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