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Amtrak has announced an exciting new service that has long been on the wish list of many rail travelers and contributors to this forum. Beginning July 1 auto ferry service similar to the popular AutoTrain will commence on the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief. Due to equipment constraints and the uncertainty of a new market, service will initially be limited to one additional sleeper and one added coach car along with 2 auto carrier cars tacked onto the rear of each train. The California Zephyr service will operate between suburban Chicago and Denver while the Southwest Chief line will initiate this service between the same suburban Chicago location and Albuquerque.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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Rumor has it that the suburban Chicago location is in Aurora where a loading facility could be added in or around the Metra yard. The only drawback is that this creates issues if Amtrak wants to expand to the Florida market or other lines south and east of the Chicago area. It's doubtful they would want to add the Empire Builder route so that is not a problem.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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The selection of Albuquerque seems to point to confidence that the Chief will remain on the Raton route unless Amtrak expects to continue serving ABQ by backtracking from Belen to ABQ if the train is ever rerouted via Amarillo.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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An Amtrak press release states that Amtrak anticipates this service becoming very popular. "We expect demand for auto carrying service to be very high, especially on western routes where the national parks are a popular destination requiring personal automobiles," stated Amtrak spokesman U."Ben" Hadd, "Internal marketing analysis indicates at least three other potential markets could be supported in the future. When asked for route specific information, Mr. Hadd indicated that he was not at liberty to discuss possible scenarios for the future.
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But lest we forget, this day, that I for one wish would simply go away, only comes around once a year.
Posts: 9975 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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The saddest thing is that this April Fool's story is a lot more sensible and reasonable than most of what does come out of Amtrak headquarters for real....
-------------------- --------Eric H. Bowen
Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past! Posts: 413 | From: Houston, Texas | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by SilverStar092: Amtrak has announced an exciting new service that has long been on the wish list of many rail travelers and contributors to this forum. Beginning July 1 auto ferry service similar to the popular AutoTrain will commence on the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief. Due to equipment constraints and the uncertainty of a new market, service will initially be limited to one additional sleeper and one added coach car along with 2 auto carrier cars tacked onto the rear of each train. The California Zephyr service will operate between suburban Chicago and Denver while the Southwest Chief line will initiate this service between the same suburban Chicago location and Albuquerque.
In other news, Amtrak announces plans to extend its current Lorton-Sanford Auto Train northwards to Jersey City, originating adjacent to Liberty State Park and the old Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal. Trains will travel over what was once "rare mileage", via former B&O, Reading and Lehigh Valley tracks, bypassing the busy Northeast Corridor and restoring once-lost views of Philadelphia, Delaware and Maryland en route to Florida...
Posts: 566 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Thanks, fellas, for taking this in the spirit it was intended. Yes, April Fools. Note that name of the Amtrak spokesman. And yes, ehbowen, it is more sensible than much of what we hear from 60 Mass Ave.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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