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What are the biggest places on an Amtrak route but where the train doesn't stop. I'm not referring to places which might have commuter service instead or "share" a station with the neighbouring township (eg MSP) but on my travels I've gone through several what appear to be largish towns/conurbations but have no station and the next one down the line isn't for some considerable distance.
Morgan City (Louisiana and ok, no service at all on the line now but this was pre-Katrina) springs to mind and the SWC goes through somewhere sizeable a couple of hours west of Albuquerque.
What costs are involved in getting Amtrak to stop in these days of unmanned stations and electronic bookings? In the UK all trains need raised platforms for passenger access but in the States you get on at ground level (assisted by a stool sometimes!) so whilst a waiting area/shelter would be nice why can't the train just roll up anywhere and people get on?
Southwest Chief Member # 1227
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quote:Originally posted by mr williams: ... and the SWC goes through somewhere sizeable a couple of hours west of Albuquerque.
Might be Holbrook, Arizona? The old Santa Fe depot is still there. But I personally don't think it is big enough or much of an attraction to warrant a stop. Even the interstate bypasses much of it.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Mr. Williams -- the city in New Mexico you are thinking of is probably Grants -- it is located about halfway between Albuquerque and Gallup, and the SWC passes through but does not stop there.
There are quite a few "larger" cities that AMTRAK passes through but doesn't stop in -- with only one train a day in most places, all those additional stops would make the train trip too long for most people, and just because of the nature and purpose of the skeletal AMTRAK system we have now makes it unfeasible to stop "everywhere," plus the additional costs would not be justified to set up more stations, hire more station personnel, etc. In addition, freight RR contracts would not allow AMTRAK to "just pull up and stop anywhere to let people on."
Back in the 20's and 30's, when there were a lot more trains, one route would often have 2 or 3 "express trains" or "flagship" trains that only stopped in the larger cities, but maybe several "locals" which would stop at all the towns.
sojourner Member # 3134
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You don't mean stops where 1 Amtrak train stops but another doesn't, right? You means cities and towns not served by any other trains (including other Amtrak trains) where Amtrak goes through and doesn't stop, right?
Doesn't the Capital Limited go through Akron Ohio without stopping? I don't know if there is a lightrail there, though; that might disqualify it.
There is Hyde Park NY. All Amtrak tracks going up the Hudson go past the old train station there without stopping. This was the stop Mr Vanderbilt built for himself . . . The town of Hyde Park is fairly large, over 20,000, but that would be the whole township, not just the village of Hyde Park. In addition to the Vanderbilt home there, it's where Franklin Roosevelt was from, and the Culinary Institute of America is there.
There's also Chatham NY, but that's not very big! Town has over 4000; again, village of Chatham in that township would be much smaller. The LSL Boston spur (449/448) goes right past the train station without stopping, and no other train stops there either.
And there's that resort-y looking place north of Bellingham WA right by the Canadian border; no idea how big it is, and I've forgotten the name, but it's very pretty.
I am pretty sure we passed some towns or cities on the City of New Orleans where the train didn't stop and there were no others serving them, but I don't remember the names. Also don't know how large they are.
notelvis Member # 3071
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I'd say Grants, NM would be the town west of Albuquerque. Spent the night there on a driving tour in 1997.
There are several larger 'towns' on the route of the Cardinal which do not have stops - Waynesboro, VA and Covington, VA for instance. With the new regional train extended to Lynchburg, VA now I'm surprised that at least one of the three trains (the regional, Crescent, or Cardinal) is not making a station stop in Orange, VA.
In North Carolina several large towns that do not have stops but would probably support them if they did include Thomasville and Lexington on the route of the Crescent and Piedmonts, Sanford on the route of the Silver Star, and Dunn on the route of the Sliver Meteor/Palmetto.
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Ms. Sojourner -- the Capitol Ltd does NOT go through Akron, OH -- Akron was formerly served (in the middle of the night, I believe) by the Three Rivers CHI-NYP, which ended service a few years ago.
I don't consider any of those towns up in NE Ohio particularly "scenic" -- they are mostly old worn-out industrial towns, with a lot of closed factories now and high unemployment.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Thanks, RRRich, I wasn't sure. I mean, I knew it didn't go through the downtown of Akron but I thought it went through the outerlying parts of it. . . . It is always dark when I come & go into Ohio on the Cap Ltd, though, so I didn't know!
I don't consider that area that part of Ohio scenic either; the scenic part of the Cap Ltd IMO is Pittsburgh east; a few spots on the lake around Sanduskey are nice & seeing Toledo bridge etc., and then in Indiana some OK farmland, and maybe the glimpse of South Bend plus it's exciting to come in to Chicago just because it's exciting to come in to Chicago . . . but east o Pittsburgh all the way to Washington suburbs is best.
Railroad Bob Member # 3508
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While not answering your question exactly, Mr. W- it has to be Phoenix, AZ if you ask which truly large American city is "skirted by" yet not served; even by a dedicated bus connect. I know Maricopa isn't exactly next door to PHX, but I'm one of the Sunset buffs here that still wishes the grand old Arizona city had a passenger train. I know all the arguments though for the reroute along the high steel mainline; running time, track conditions, etc. I will say SW Airlines serves PHX with incredible frequency at their beautiful Sky Harbor 'port. Pretty hard for a slow passenger train on jointed 40 MPH rail to compete with that--(get with the times, RR Bob!)
sojourner Member # 3134
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Railroad Bob: The minibus that I took from the Flagstaff train station to Phoenix was fine; don't know if the same company is running it as when I took it (just a few years ago), but I caught the one at 7AM & went to Phoenix Skytop Airport, where I got a free hotel shuttle to Scottsdale (but you could get one to Downtown Phoenix). You an also take it to the Greyhound Station in Phoenix, I believe; no idea where that is or what it is like.
I did have to overnight in Flagstaff to catch it--becauseI was coming on the SW Chief from the East, getting in too late to catch the shuttle. However, if you are coming from the West on the SW Chief, you would get into Flagstaff at 5:21AM if on time & catch the shuttle (I think you can book right with Amtrak then) at 7AM; or if you miss the one at 7, there is one every 2 hours until 3PM, and then one more at 6PM. In fact, you could even count on getting in to Flagstaff close to on time but take a later bus to get a "free" stopover in Flagstaff, if you are so inclined.
This is a nice way to go to Phoenix also because the SW Chief runs daily.
If you are taking the Sunset Ltd, I think that Casino bus in Maricopa might bring you between Phoenix and train, but there may be a lot of waiting around. Another option is to go to Tucson and catch the shuttls from there to Phoenix Airport; I imagine you can arrive at the Congress Hotel (right across from Phoenix Station) in the middle of the night to stay.
Railroad Bob Member # 3508
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Good info;...also a scenic ride from FLG to PHX as part of the bargain. Did not know about the possible casino bus; still that sounds a bit "dodgy" as our UK friends might say...
Awfully lonely there in the wee hours at Maricopa after the Amtrak crew trundles off to their lodgings in the white Ratzenberger van, eh? Kind of reminds me of the days when the Wyoming route Zephyr stopped at a forlorn little concrete slab called Borie; where Amtrak customers could catch a bus into downtown Cheyenne, since the old #6/#5 didn't go into town...
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Sojourner -- I agree that the most scenic part of the Cap Ltd is from Pittsburgh east, especially through the mountains and small towns near the Sand Patch Grade.
The scenic bridge you mentioned west of Cleveland, I believe, is the bridge over Sandusky Bay, not Toledo -- yes, that too is a very pretty area.
sojourner Member # 3134
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No, there is a little bridge right in downtown Toledo I think. ReSanduskey: more scenic area but I'm often asleep for it (if train is on time) or it can still be dark too, depends on times. (Also my memory isn't always so good!)
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Sojourner -- OK, I think you mean the bridge in Toledo over the Maumee River -- it's lcoated pretty close to the AMTRAK station.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Yes, Rich, that's it. I think it's a nice little bridge, attractive little view. It's usually around when I wake up, or rather, when I start looking out the window.
mr williams Member # 1928
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quote:Originally posted by RRRICH: Mr. Williams -- the city in New Mexico you are thinking of is probably Grants -- it is located about halfway between Albuquerque and Gallup, and the SWC passes through but does not stop there.
Thanks - I've got the atlas out and that looks like it.
Whilst I can empathise with a long-distance train not wanting to stop every ten minutes it is strange if there is no stop for, say, at least 50 miles either side.
RR4me Member # 6052
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Currently out west I think of Las Vegas, NV and Boise ID. I note that "large cities" is relative to the surrounding countryside.
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