Additional CLT-RGH R/T

[BobWeaver]

I haven't heard any update on this since it was announced back in June. I remember reading that the new service would be ready anywhere from 6 to 12 months. Has anyone heard anything regarding this? Train name? Numbers? Equipment?

 

[MrEd]

I think the cars are not ready yet. I would think next summer.

 

[George Harris]

The announced time was next summer, so it was not intended to happen yet.

 

[heavesrock]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is CLT-RGH R/T?

 

[sechs]

I'd say, it's a Charlotte-Raleigh round-trip.

Most of us know abbreviations, but it might be nice if folks expanded those in their original posts for everyone else.

 

[had8ley]

I'd say, it's a Charlotte-Raleigh round-trip.
Most of us know abbreviations, but it might be nice if folks expanded those in their original posts for everyone else.

An easy way to solve this is to keep a copy of the Amtak TT (timetable) handy. All the station abbreviations are listed in the front.

 

[AlanB]

I'd say, it's a Charlotte-Raleigh round-trip.
Most of us know abbreviations, but it might be nice if folks expanded those in their original posts for everyone else.

An easy way to solve this is to keep a copy of the Amtak TT (timetable) handy. All the station abbreviations are listed in the front.

Or just head to Amtrak.com, click on stations, and then enter the code.

 

[Neil_M]

I must admit, the abbreviations are a bit of a nuisance. Its ok if you know them all, some of the bigger cities are easy to work out, but having to go back and forth to the Amtrak site to work out what someone is trying to say is a pain, especially if someone has done a long trip via loads of places then it gets boring...

I do think that if you post something to a forum like this it should at least be easily readable without external reference works needed to refer to.

 

[Montanan]

I must admit, the abbreviations are a bit of a nuisance. Its ok if you know them all, some of the bigger cities are easy to work out, but having to go back and forth to the Amtrak site to work out what someone is trying to say is a pain, especially if someone has done a long trip via loads of places then it gets boring...I do think that if you post something to a forum like this it should at least be easily readable without external reference works needed to refer to.

Agreed!!!

I know a good number of the abbreviations by now, but we have to remember that this isn't just a site for hardcore railfans. A whole lot of newcomers pass through here, and those abbreviations are just going to confuse them -- and maybe put them off. To me, it seems like a very simple and worthwhile courtesy to make your messages readable to someone who doesn't permanently have an Amtrak timetable sitting in their lap.

 

[had8ley]

I must admit, the abbreviations are a bit of a nuisance. Its ok if you know them all, some of the bigger cities are easy to work out, but having to go back and forth to the Amtrak site to work out what someone is trying to say is a pain, especially if someone has done a long trip via loads of places then it gets boring...I do think that if you post something to a forum like this it should at least be easily readable without external reference works needed to refer to.

Agreed!!!

I know a good number of the abbreviations by now, but we have to remember that this isn't just a site for hardcore railfans. A whole lot of newcomers pass through here, and those abbreviations are just going to confuse them -- and maybe put them off. To me, it seems like a very simple and worthwhile courtesy to make your messages readable to someone who doesn't permanently have an Amtrak timetable sitting in their lap.

I have to agree with Alan that there are enough tools to look up these abbreviations. I can hardly spell Bellingham but know the code. If a guest can log in to the site they most certainly can go Alan's direction and log into Amtrak's site just as easily. No, not every one has an Amtrak TT but it is the way I keep up with the codes. I think it's just the way things are today. If you saw my grand daughters text messages you'd scream from all the abbreviating!

 

[sky12065]

I must admit, the abbreviations are a bit of a nuisance. Its ok if you know them all, some of the bigger cities are easy to work out, but having to go back and forth to the Amtrak site to work out what someone is trying to say is a pain, especially if someone has done a long trip via loads of places then it gets boring...I do think that if you post something to a forum like this it should at least be easily readable without external reference works needed to refer to.

Agreed!!!

I know a good number of the abbreviations by now, but we have to remember that this isn't just a site for hardcore railfans. A whole lot of newcomers pass through here, and those abbreviations are just going to confuse them -- and maybe put them off. To me, it seems like a very simple and worthwhile courtesy to make your messages readable to someone who doesn't permanently have an Amtrak timetable sitting in their lap.

I also agree! It only takes a few seconds to type out whatever then follow with the codes than it does to dig out a reference or go surfing to another site to find out.

If I'd like others to read what I've taken the time to post, then I'm going to spell out the not so common codes to make things easier for others and also so readers won't do what I would; lose interest in the message and move on unless the topic super grabs me!

Look at it this way, none of us are going to always identify or remember to identify the codes initially, but at the same time we should not be that critical of others if they don't or forget to do so. But it sure is a nice way for us to show courtesy to others when we do remember to use a "specify then code" habit in our messaging! B)

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

I've certainly been guilty of just writing ALB, but that's because I can't remember how to spell Rennselaer, and the whole concept of calling a station that isn't actually in Albany the Albany station bugs me, whereas ALB clearly refers to whatever station happens to have that station code, regardless of which city it happens to be located in.

However, humanity would spend less time looking it up if I take the time to remind myself of the spelling every time I make a post about it and include the full station name than if every single person reading the post takes the time to look it up. Besides, after I write out Albany/Rennselaer a few times, I might start to remember how to spell it, at which point typing Albany/Rennselaer would only take me about five seconds.

 

[had8ley]

I've certainly been guilty of just writing ALB, but that's because I can't remember how to spell Rennselaer, and the whole concept of calling a station that isn't actually in Albany the Albany station bugs me, whereas ALB clearly refers to whatever station happens to have that station code, regardless of which city it happens to be located in.
However, humanity would spend less time looking it up if I take the time to remind myself of the spelling every time I make a post about it and include the full station name than if every single person reading the post takes the time to look it up. Besides, after I write out Albany/Rennselaer a few times, I might start to remember how to spell it, at which point typing Albany/Rennselaer would only take me about five seconds.

How about coming to BTR and explaining that to a 17 year old

 

[sky12065]

I've certainly been guilty of just writing ALB, but that's because I can't remember how to spell Rennselaer, and the whole concept of calling a station that isn't actually in Albany the Albany station bugs me, whereas ALB clearly refers to whatever station happens to have that station code, regardless of which city it happens to be located in.
However, humanity would spend less time looking it up if I take the time to remind myself of the spelling every time I make a post about it and include the full station name than if every single person reading the post takes the time to look it up. Besides, after I write out Albany/Rennselaer a few times, I might start to remember how to spell it, at which point typing Albany/Rennselaer would only take me about five seconds.

Joel, I see no problem in using ALB without spelling it out because it is one of the more commonly used codes on this forum. Then again my thinking may be biased because it's my home Amtrak station.

Also, I don't find any fault in anyone who mispells Rensselaer because it's just so easy to do! I worked much of my career in Albany just across the river from Rensselaer it took me years before I got it correct. Using two n's instead of two s's in it's spelling is pretty common. The easiest way of dealing with the mispelling is to just use the abbreviation of Rens. as in Alb/Rens. Amtrak Station

 

[sky12065]

I've certainly been guilty of just writing ALB, but that's because I can't remember how to spell Rennselaer, and the whole concept of calling a station that isn't actually in Albany the Albany station bugs me, whereas ALB clearly refers to whatever station happens to have that station code, regardless of which city it happens to be located in.
However, humanity would spend less time looking it up if I take the time to remind myself of the spelling every time I make a post about it and include the full station name than if every single person reading the post takes the time to look it up. Besides, after I write out Albany/Rennselaer a few times, I might start to remember how to spell it, at which point typing Albany/Rennselaer would only take me about five seconds.

How about coming to BTR and explaining that to a 17 year old

If it weren't for your profile I would have thought that BTR stood for Bar Tenders Reunion and my immediate thought would be that those 17 year olds could probably explain more to me in that area than I could ever explain to them! At least my son could have when he was around that age! :lol:

 

[MrEd]

For those interested in Raleigh, there is no room left at the station.

Also, no expansion plan yet.

article from news and observer:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1341695.html

 

[Montanan]

For those interested in Raleigh, there is no room left at the station.
Also, no expansion plan yet.

article from news and observer:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1341695.html

What's the story with that station? It looks like it predates Amtrak, but certainly doesn't look big enough for a city the size of Raleigh. Was there once a larger station in town, that's now gone?

 

[jphjaxfl]

For those interested in Raleigh, there is no room left at the station.
Also, no expansion plan yet.

What's the story with that station? It looks like it predates Amtrak, but certainly doesn't look big enough for a city the size of Raleigh. Was there once a larger station in town, that's now gone?

Amtrak uses what I believe is the former Seaboard Airline Station which is pre Amtrak and is fairly decent sized. The Southern Railway used their own station in Raliegh but service ended in the 1960s and I think that station is gone. I changed trains in Raleigh a few years ago enroute from Jacksonville, Fl to Charlotte and I found the station to be quite adequate for the number of passengers. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make the same connection in Raleigh with the current schedules.

 

[jis]

Amtrak uses what I believe is the former Seaboard Airline Station which is pre Amtrak and is fairly decent sized. The Southern Railway used their own station in Raliegh but service ended in the 1960s and I think that station is gone. I changed trains in Raleigh a few years ago enroute from Jacksonville, Fl to Charlotte and I found the station to be quite adequate for the number of passengers. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make the same connection in Raleigh with the current schedules.

Amtrak actually uses the 1950's vintage Southern station. The old SAL station is on a track segment that was downgraded when Petersburg to Norlina segment of SAL was taken out of service by CSX.

From the Wikipedia: "Southern Railway built the station in 1950 after leaving Union Station. The station was not used for passenger trains from 1964 to 1985, when a pending abandonment of track by CSX Transportation forced Amtrak to move there from the former Seaboard Air Line station north of downtown."

 

[Montanan]

Amtrak uses what I believe is the former Seaboard Airline Station which is pre Amtrak and is fairly decent sized. The Southern Railway used their own station in Raliegh but service ended in the 1960s and I think that station is gone. I changed trains in Raleigh a few years ago enroute from Jacksonville, Fl to Charlotte and I found the station to be quite adequate for the number of passengers. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make the same connection in Raleigh with the current schedules.

Amtrak actually uses the 1950's vintage Southern station. The old SAL station is on a track segment that was downgraded when Petersburg to Norlina segment of SAL was taken out of service by CSX.

From the Wikipedia: "Southern Railway built the station in 1950 after leaving Union Station. The station was not used for passenger trains from 1964 to 1985, when a pending abandonment of track by CSX Transportation forced Amtrak to move there from the former Seaboard Air Line station north of downtown."

Ahh, thanks. A little Googling shows that both the old Union Station and the former SAL station there still exist, though in non-railroad uses. And now that you mention it, the current Amtrak stop does kind of have a Southern Railway look to it.

 

[MrEd]

I verified with North Carolona DOT that new service won't start till mid summer 2009. They could not provide any more details on train numbers at this time. When the new train starts it is scheduled to have vending machines, currently drinks and snacks are free with your ticket. They are using a nicely converted hospital car for the cafe.

 

[George Harris]

A look at the NC DOT rail web site. www.bytrain.org

For Raleigh Station: www.bytrain.org/station/iraleigh.html

Does tell you that this is the ex-Southern Railway System station built in 1950.

Also:

Project OVerview: Raleigh is one of the busiest stations in North Carolina and in the South. As a result, Amtrak spent more than $580,000 to expand waiting room space and to add a First Class passenger lounge. Additional long-term parking is planned for late 2008.
Proposed Project: A new station is needed to accommodate Raleigh's current passengers and prepare for improved and expanded train service in the next few years. Recent studies have determined that a new station may need to accommodate over 500,000 passengers annually by 2015.

At this point, a lot of the dates on the NC web site bave proven to be too optomistic.

When Southern built the station, presumably to replace a much older building, but I really don't know, they ran either two or three relatively low patronage trains a day. The major passenger volume in/out of Raleigh was always more north-south on the Seaboard line.

After CSX shut down the former SAL main north of Norlina, to have continued to use the former SAL station for the trains to/from the northeast would have required a rather long back-up move. And, there is was, the old Southern Railway Station, a fairly modern building right on the line they had to use to access the former ACL main at Selma NC.

 

[VentureForth]

A sort-of related question...

I think they were supposed to get quik trax machines at each of the state-operated stations along the route. Has this happened yet? It sure would be nice, in order to not worry about making a phone reservation for a short day trip...

 

[MrEd]

Quick-Trak Stations Hours for Piedmont Service

Raleigh, NC (RGH), 6:15 - 22:30

Cary, NC (CYN), not available

Durham, NC (DNC), 7:00 - 21:00

Burlington, NC (BNC), 7:15 - 10:30, 17:00 - 20:00

Greensboro, NC (GRO), 24 hours

High Point, NC (HPT), 00:00 - 04:00, 08:00 - 14:00, 17:00 - 19:30

Salisbury, NC (SAL), 00:45 - 03:14, 07:30 - 10:15, 17:15 - 20:00

Kannapolis, NC (KAN), 07:15 - 10:30, 17:00 - 20:30

Charlotte, NC (CLT), 24 hours