Amtrak no longer allowing standing passengers on unreserved trains?

[Just-Thinking-51]

https://www.nepr.net/post/ridership-booms-hartford-line-ctrail-riders-are-being-kicked-amtrak-trains#stream/0

So the NPR story was from October but it referenced Amtrak Train 475. The story stated there was a two hour break between train.  Not quite true.  The Vermonter Train 55 fill that timeframe.  Of course the Vermonter skips stops enroute to NYP.

So we need more railcars on Amtrak 475.  But the empty slot can be filled by the Vermonter making more stops.

Multiple option to fix this problem.  Still need money, still need more railcars.  This issue should of been addressed much earlier.

 

[rspenmoll]

https://www.nepr.net/post/ridership-booms-hartford-line-ctrail-riders-are-being-kicked-amtrak-trains#stream/0

So the NPR story was from October but it referenced Amtrak Train 475. The story stated there was a two hour break between train.  Not quite true.  The Vermonter Train 55 fill that timeframe.  Of course the Vermonter skips stops enroute to NYP.

So we need more railcars on Amtrak 475.  But the empty slot can be filled by the Vermonter making more stops.

Multiple option to fix this problem.  Still need money, still need more railcars.  This issue should of been addressed much earlier.

The Vermonter has a separate ticketing regime from the rest of the trains on the New Haven-Springfield Line. Hartford Line tickets are not valid on it, and it still uses typical bucket-based pricing rather than the purely distance based fare of other trains on the line.

 

[Thirdrail7]

On the CT end of things, the problem is that as far as I can tell, CT doesn't want more Amtrak equipment. I get the feeling that after the back-and-forth over CTRail, they'd rather kill off the shuttles and run everything as part of their program.

. In any case, ConnDot doesn’t have anywhere near enough equipment to take over the Amtrak trains on the line. It barely has enough to operate its current service as it is.

While the standee problem has seemingly been resolved, there is a cloud on the horizon:

https://www.courant.com/politics/ca...0200228-k5kkoc37brbcfkahzlztfvwfay-story.html
The Hartford Line relies on 30-year-old trains leased from Massachusetts. Now officials have told Connecticut they would like them back.

"We’ve got a good relationship with Massachusetts,'' he said. “But they’re also in a position where they don’t want to extend their lease on the cars because they [have] a need for [them.]”

Giulietti said Connecticut transportation officials are “looking right now around the industry to see if there’s anywhere we can pick up some other cars.”

He added: "If we’re not successful, I’ve got to beg, borrow and steal...to try and keep things going.''

At that, Rep. Roland Lemar, the co-chairman of the committee interjected: "Mr. Commissioner, you are authorized to beg and borrow but not to steal.''

This would put stress on the SPG shuttles. They should have gone for the MARC cars!