St. Paul, Milwaukee, Chicago (TCMC) second daily service

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Steve's Wanderlust said:
Given the likelihood of train 8 being late eastbound I hope the states & CP have a realistic view about the need for sidings being available. For the mornings that 8 runs two-plus hours late an 11 o'clock hour eastbound departure for the new train out of STP would put two passenger trains occupying the freight route in relative proximity.

Such is why I would prefer an afternoon departure from STP, my main layover point (ie. where I'm presently living). I'm still glad for a predictable eastbound departure at any hour.
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As someone who is riding from MSP to CHI in a couple of weeks I would much prefer the predictable schedule above to the possibility of a late 8. At least in my case, the Metra train I will be connecting with (BNSF line) runs until after midnight.

I will miss the SSL and it might prompt me to take 7 westbound even if I take the new train eastbound.
 
IMHO It would seem that Amtrak should start service as son as possible by getting crews and equipment available. Go to CPKCS and negotiate final schedule but say these are the initial times. Then as the planned improvements complete make shorter times feasible then initiate them.

But this would give Amtrak a great publicity opportunity to say hey we have reduced the time 30 minutes from CHI <> MSP. Then another announcement maybe 3 months later announce as the planned improvements have been completed we have reduced the times by another 30 minutes. NC certainly has promoted its shorter times to the piedmont's advantage.
 
Mr.Technician said:
As someone who is riding from MSP to CHI in a couple of weeks I would much prefer the predictable schedule above to the possibility of a late 8. At least in my case, the Metra train I will be connecting with (BNSF line) runs until after midnight.

I will miss the SSL and it might prompt me to take 7 westbound even if I take the new train eastbound.
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Agreed. I've recently been taken to utilizing Sun Country's daily evening flight to ORD to ensure predictable departures on my trips. I'd rather burn my first vacation day on the Milwaukee Road with dinner and evening strolls on the north side after.
 
Some how I don't picture that 2nd train consist of a double stack superliner - it is not as if it was a long haul train needing sleeping accommodations.
More of a speedy metro commuter train from MSP to Chicago (Milwaukee). On the same note where is Amtrak going to get another double stack
Superliner train set unless replacing one of the other long haul trains with a new set of wheels (not in the budget !)
I am picturing the consist being a short train set of locomotive - baggage - 3-4 coach (one with business seating) cars and a diner/snack car.
If need be throw a View Liner Sleeper on the end. This 2nd train set should be short enough to slip into any siding to make ease of movement
around the long freight trains. - Not my job to run the train or blow the horn but should it jump the track guess who catches the blame !

All this predicated on running the train late morning early afternoon.
Running later in the evening then there would be justification for the Sleepers.
Early am too much conflict with the scheduled #8 -

AND then the return trip from Chicago to MSP -
Definitely a morning trip to avoid conflict with the (late) evening #7

BUT still yet the connection conflict with the Chief and the Zephyr and other east bound trains.
Unless the rails are worked on to allow high speed rail the connection issue may be mute.

Then the possibility of connection with the NorthStar Duluth service -

When the airlines beat the train city-center-to-city-center if is time to rethink the travel equation !
 
I traveled on Amtrak #9 and #10 which was originally the North Coast Hiawatha and at end the Duluth - Twin Cities Chicago over night train. I was stationed at Grand Forks AFB from 1972 through May, 1975. While the Empire Builder was my train, I also would get a ride to Fargo and catch the NCH which had a convenient 6:40 AM departure and late night arrival in Fargo. In 1975, I moved to Minneapolis and would frequently catch the NCH which had a 1:00 PM departure from Minneapolis and 8:20PM arrival in Chicago. I often transferred to the Floridian which left at 9:00 PM and there was usually a number of people making that connection. When it became and overnight train, I would frequently travel to Chicago for a long weekend getting a roomette to Chicago on #10 and coming back Sunday on the Empire Builder's daytime schedule. Unfortunately when they changed #9 and #10 to an over night schedule the lost many of the local passengers along the Hiawatha line. When it was the NCH, the train had a Dining Car and I would have lunch departing Minneapolis. They had the best Reuben Sandwiches. When the NCH was 3 times a week from Seattle, a former NP Ranch car served meals between Minneapolis when it was just the Twin Cities Hiawatha. When #9 and #10 were overnight between Minneapolis and Chicago, the coaches were Amfleet with a Snack bar. The Twin Cities to Chicago has potential for lots of passengers. Up until Amtrak started, there was still 4 daily trains in each direction on the Burlington and Milwaukee Road.
 
There is no way there can be a connection with the future Duluth train since it will run only down to the commuter train terminal in Minneapolis. A future Fargo train that would run into St Paul.

Forget about sleepers. This is a day train. My guess it will be like other midwset corridor trains: a random consist of Horizon, Amfleet-1, and Venture cars, probably push-pull since they will not want to do any wying or looping in the St Paul area. Imagine sitting in those Venture seats for 8 hours.
 
Mr.Technician said:
I must be missing something because I thought the Venture coaches were pretty nice?
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What others have said who have used them is their so-called recline is by sliding out the bottom, and not by much. They are also hard and narrow due to ADA-compliant wide aisles. The cars only have one bathroom. We know how rapidly Amtrak toilets become unusable.
 
Amtrak25 said:
What others have said who have used them is their so-called recline is by sliding out the bottom, and not by much. They are also hard and narrow due to ADA-compliant wide aisles. The cars only have one bathroom. We know how rapidly Amtrak toilets become unusable.
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IMHO, recline is overrated. Last time I was on the train, the person in front of me in a Horizon car reclined practically into my lap. :rolleyes: Reclining more than _/ when there's another passenger behind you has always struck me as a bit "hurrah for me, and the devil take the hindmost."

As to hard seats, I was able to sit in a Venture coach for only a while, as I was assigned by destination to one of the Horizon cars. That said, the Venture coach seat didn't strike me as actually hard. It's not heavily-padded or cushy, but that isn't the same thing. There are comfortable chairs with no cushions at all, which achieve their comfort by ergonomic design. Which isn't to say the Venture coach seats are in that group, just that comfort is not synonymous with heavy padding.

I haven't seen (to be fair, I haven't gone looking for) feedback from someone who sat in a Venture seat for 5-8 hours. I've seen plenty of feedback along the lines of "I sat in it for a couple of hours and it was fine, but I assume/presume/intuit/guess because I don't see a lot of padding that it wouldn't be comfortable for 5 or more hours."
 
I've ridden and sat in a Venture seat between Chicago and Ann Arbor and between Chicago and St. Louis, trips of about 4.5-5.5 hours. I thought the seats were okay-ish. I think I probably shifted around a bit more than I might have in another Amtrak seat. I definitely would not say that I thought the seats were overly comfortable but I also don't plan to make an effort to avoid riding in a Venture coach and seek out Amfleet or Horizon coaches instead (when given the opportunity).
 
Any updates on Great River / TCMC? I know the last word was September but I looked at bookings through December and no options yet.
 
The idea of a September start seems to have come from a WI legislative committee report. When asked about it, IIRC Amtrak basically said "no start date has been decided upon" yet. I don't believe we've heard anything else.
 
Amtrak can’t provide reliable service on current routes for many reasons and those reasons change by the month. Expecting reliable new services to start any time soon isn’t going to happen.
 
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AmtrakFlyer said:
Amtrak can’t provide reliable service on current routes for many reasons and those reasons continue to change by the month. Expecting reliable new services to start any time soon isn’t going to happen.
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Except the service is already funded and cleared to start.
 
Yeah, I haven't heard much about a start date beyond "hopefully fall 2023." Basically it's just finding the staffing and equipment to run it. I do recall them potentially starting with a few days a week schedule if they can't immediately staff up to a full 7-day-a-week schedule.

I'm just hoping they have it squared away by mid-November so I can use my vouchers to book the first trip before the vouchers expire!
 

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