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DD and I are traveling 6/25 from ABQ - Chi - DC- Orlando and back on 7/7. I've never had to worry about connecting trains, but now I'm wondering if these connections are too short and if we miss one, what happens?
SWChief arrives 3:20 p.m. Dep on Capitol Ltd at 5:35. Capitol arrives 12:24 Dep on Silv Meteor 6:25 p.m.
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I know absolutely nothing about the Southwest Chief but I have taken the Capitol Ltd. to DC and made the connecting Silver Meteor to Orlando with no problem whatsoever.
Posts: 149 | From: Joliet, IL USA | Registered: Aug 2004
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When I took the SWC in Jan, leaving Chicago, it left 3 hours late. Though from what I understand, this is not a common occurence for this train. Esp from an originating point.
quote:Originally posted by Michael Christiansen: When I took the SWC in Jan, leaving Chicago, it left 3 hours late. Though from what I understand, this is not a common occurence for this train. Esp from an originating point.
I've made five trips using the Southwest Chief over portions of it's route in the last decade. (ie: KCY-ABQ, KCY-CHI, LAX-ABQ etc.) Two of those were within 30 minutes of on-time, another was an hour late, the other two were close to four hours late.
Being really late can happen with the train but it isn't the norm. I'd be far more worried about this connection if I were coming off the California Zephyr or the Texas Eagle.
David Pressley
Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Gold Cup Mom - most of these connections sound reasonable. The only one I might worry about is your return connnection in DC between the Meteor and the Capitol -- the Florida trains can be late northbound; however, if that happens, they MAY hold the Capitol Ltd if there are several connecting passengers. I have not ridden the SW Chief lately, but from what I read on this Board, it generally runs pretty close to schedule, but that COULD be a close connection in Chicago (heading east) if there are problems.
BTW, based on the most current AMTRAK timetable I have, it appears that your N-bound train from Fla. is actually the Silver Star, not the Silver Meteor.
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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What's the worse that could happen? A night in DC or Chicago? Things could be worse. Best of luck!
Posts: 43 | From: Cape Coral, FL | Registered: May 2003
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The only connection I would not rely upon would be the one from the Southwest Chief to the Capitol Limited.
I would NOT recommend a SAME day connection between these two trains.
I have arrived LATE into Chicago from the west aboard the Chief a NUMBER of times , thus missing the Capitol's departure east-bound.
So , again , my advice is to NOT plan on a same day connection between the two trains EAST-bound. It simply will not work.
Fact be known, I would not recommend a same day connection between ANY of the western trains arriving into Chicago (the Empire Builder and Zephyr included) with the Capitol. The connection is basically impossible to make, even so the schedule makes it appear likely.
As I have mentioned a number of times on this forum before, Amtrak make a huge mistake moving -up the departure time of the Capitol (east-bound) to 5:30 PM-----as compared to what it ONCE was , at about 7:30 PM) This virtually eliminated any and all connections to this train from the rest, SAME DAY. I never could understand the logic to this. Evidently it was to make connections from the Capitol to south-bound trains in DC more same-day "friendly." But I disagree with the "logic" completely. As it is now, passengers from THREE western trains can not make same day connections to the Capitol, east-bound. But, ONE train-load of passengers CAN make a same day connection to southern trains at DC.
Presently passemgers from three trains are being inconvenienced in Chicago, in my opinion, needlessly----as compared to NONE in DC. All the Chicago connections are missed (same day) , by NONE in DC. This does not seem reasonable.
When the Capitol departed Chicago east-bound at 7:30 PM, at least there was a slight CHANCE same day connections could be made from ANY of the western trains to the Capitol. But not with the present Capitol's schedule.
My logic is "better to inconvenience ONE trainload of passengers instead of three trainloads."
Posts: 187 | From: Pittsburgh , PA | Registered: Apr 2001
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It is a little mind boggling that Train 30 is not moved back to 7:30,especially with the demise of the Three Rivers. The SW Chief is probably the most punctual of all the Western trains,but it is still cutting it close.
If someone is going to Pittsburgh or anyplace in Pennsylvania,andthe connection to 30 is missed,there is virtually no alternative..Going on the Lake Shore to New York and then back to Pennyslvania is the only option..The Cardinal is a little better but it gets into Philly too late to make any connections with a Keystone train,and it only runs three days a week.
I still find it incredible we have 15 trains daily fromPhilly to Harrisburg and only one from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh!
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