Amtrak running extra trains around Thanksgiving?

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rs9

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I saw this quote from Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner:

Travelers are hitting the rails again in record numbers this Thanksgiving season, as Amtrak reports ridership is up 15% over prepandemic levels.

So many riders are traveling by train that the railroad has added extra cars and scheduled extra trains, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner said Tuesday from Union Station’s cavernous Great Hall.

“I think it’s because people enjoy taking the train. It’s convenient, it’s comfortable, flexible. And certainly it’s not easy to fly or drive these days,” Gardner said.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/1...ship-thanksgiving-holiday-empire-builder-chip
No paywall, but you have to sign up with email to read the article.

Not to bash endlessly on Mr. Gardner, but is this claim actually true? Are there extra trains running? Presumably NEC if they are?
 
Adding extra cars to a good number of sets on the NEC is probably better for them in some ways, since it requires way less additional staffing. Just not sure how many cars they actually have around to do it. Less hassle with slotting as well.
 
On Sunday Nov 26, my search of WAS / PHL - NYP showed no extra trains, Anyone find different? I can remember few years ago when PHL - NYP actually showed 51 trains. Only 38 trains for Sunday.
BOS - MYP only has 18 trains not the usual 19. But fares == Acela first $500., Acela business $359, Regional business $319, only 3 regional coach trains all near 100% == $258. somehow have to suspect that for the NEC some prevarication is happening as far as additional trains.
 
Flix added an extra PDX<>SEA round-trip on Sunday. They usually rely on demand pricing rather than adding service. This time they did both and started the most popular trips at $131 one-way, almost exactly double Amtrak's top bucket fare. Amtrak, of course, is sold out on the comparable trips.
 
Miss the days of the massive NEC Thanksgiving schedules...
Me too…and going back to the PRR era, that road made a heroic effort to accommodate all who desired to travel, at standard fares, pressing into service any car that was fit to go, including commuter cars or recently retired equipment. True “mass transportation”.
 
Me too…and going back to the PRR era, that road made a heroic effort to accommodate all who desired to travel, at standard fares, pressing into service any car that was fit to go, including commuter cars or recently retired equipment. True “mass transportation”.
I wonder if contemporary Amtrak and VIA employees would even know what it meant if a train displayed green flags or green lights?

Flix has now added an extra trip from Portland to Eugene on this Sunday, one-way fare $86 for the 110-mile trip. Their four regular scheduled trips (including one GL) are sold out. The three Amtrak trains are sold out, and four of the five $25 fixed-price complementary Thruway trips are sold out. There's still space on the 7:00 a.m. trip!

In the weird category, for Sunday, Amtrak has one PDX>SEA train left with available coach seating, at $36, and it's the popular PDX>VAC train. Yesterday (22nd) it was shown as sold out. The comparable flix trip that leaves five minutes before it is selling at $131, with only two seats left. Perhaps Amtrak found an extra coach for the strangled Cascades?
 
going back to the PRR era, that road made a heroic effort to accommodate all who desired to travel, at standard fares, pressing into service any car that was fit to go
The Sunday after Thanksgiving was always the busiest day and when I returned to college. I well remember returning from Wilmington riding in a late afternoon train to Washington in a 12sec-DR Pullman being used as a coach. My lucky day!
 
There are 3 keystone sets running today on the NEC. Some 9 car trains will now have 10 cars and one will have 11 cars.
FWIW this isn't all that uncommon anymore, especially north of NYP. Several run with 10 or 11 regularly. Of course, great for those on the NEC, but makes me feel guilty for those along the TE or CL.
 
FWIW this isn't all that uncommon anymore, especially north of NYP. Several run with 10 or 11 regularly. Of course, great for those on the NEC, but makes me feel guilty for those along the TE or CL.
Don't the Keystones run Amfleets, as opposed to Superliners on CL & TE? If so, pulling from different stocks.
 
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