Atlantic Coast (Silver/Palmetto/Carolinian) Service discussion Q4 2023 - 2024

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I was trying to book a train from Orlando to Philadelphia the first week of December and every date I checked showed rooms on the Silver Star being sold out, but there were rooms on the Meteor. I did a Live Chat with Amtrak and was told "As of right now the Silver Star won't be operating at that time.", although the web site appears to allow you to book Coach at this time. Anyone know what is going on with this train? I can do the Meteor, but I prefer the Star since it leaves later in the day.
 
danlb_2000 said:
I was trying to book a train from Orlando to Philadelphia the first week of December and every date I checked showed rooms on the Silver Star being sold out, but there were rooms on the Meteor. I did a Live Chat with Amtrak and was told "As of right now the Silver Star won't be operating at that time.", although the web site appears to allow you to book Coach at this time. Anyone know what is going on with this train? I can do the Meteor, but I prefer the Star since it leaves later in the day.
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Looks like it is available to Washington DC, so you could try to change at Washington DC to a Regional or Acela to get to Philly, if you must travel by the Star.
 
jis said:
Looks like it is available to Washington DC, so you could try to change at Washington DC to a Regional or Acela to get to Philly, if you must travel by the Star.
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Yep, If I change the destination I now see the rooms. Has this been officially announced anywhere? I did not see in on the Amtrak site anywhere.
 
I checked the latest GTFS data (updated this week), and it shows no changes to the northbound Silver Star through April 2025.

If they terminate at WAS, it would be a significant reduction in service. Haven't they said that available VL sleepers would increase by the end of the year?
 
joelkfla said:
I checked the latest GTFS data (updated this week), and it shows no changes to the northbound Silver Star through April 2025.

If they terminate at WAS, it would be a significant reduction in service. Haven't they said that available VL sleepers would increase by the end of the year?
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I have a feeling that some significant change may be in the offing and when it happens I suspect there will be an announcement of whatever the overall change is. October is still far away.
 
railiner said:
Could they possibly be planning to permanently cut the train back to a WAS- MIA train, or perhaps run it thru to the Capitol?🤔
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That would presuppose some creativity that might not exist, but it’s an intriguing idea. Through cars could be offered from Boston on a Northeast Regional which would extend through Florida service to New England without needing to send a full train to Boston. If the train was late from Florida, they could just put the through cars on the next NE Regional. That could free up the Capitol’s Superliners for other services (like the daily Sunset) and extend full dining to the Capitol. It would also facilitate through Midwest to the Southeast and Florida service. This is a brilliant idea.
 
Just a quick observations...

I was surprised to discover that you just need one more consist than what is needed for running the Silver Star, to run both the Star and the Capitol Ltd. thus improving equipment utilization tremendously.
 
jis said:
Just a quick observations...

I was surprised to discover that you just need one more consist than what is needed for running the Silver Star, to run both the Star and the Capitol Ltd. thus improving equipment utilization tremendously.
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What consist for the CL? And do you mean running the Star on the full route between MIA & NYP?
 
jis said:
thus improving equipment utilization tremendously.
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About time- the 27 hour Washington layover for the CL is certainly poor utilization- and bad management.

If the Star/Capitol becomes the new Floridian it would please those of us in the southland. And I suspect Amtrak would be happy to a have another slot for Avelia service.
 
A thru sleeper from BOS could be assigned to train #95. with a 1 hour connection at WAS. Now if badly late always placed on Meteor with some mitigation for Raleigh and Columbia passengers. Coach passengers of course can take one of the 2 Acelas.

Unfortunately only 1600 regional from WAS is left to take sleeper to BOS. Otherwise, at present schedule it would need to go on the night owl. Now it could go on Meteor instead with its early morning arrival at WAS. Anyway it certainly has merit as others have posted many times to make the Star an extension of the Capitol. However the capacity of the Capitol for Midwest demand to Florida may be more than Amtrak can provide any time in next 2 years.

Sleeper to / from BOS also has merit as it would allow for revenue swap of LSL sleeper to go to MIA .
 
Amtrak would have the option of running Superliner or Amfleet/Viewliner equipment on the combined Cap-Star…, but if they would desire to run some cars thru on the Pennsylvanian at PGH, they’d be limited to single level.
 
railiner said:
Amtrak would have the option of running Superliner or Amfleet/Viewliner equipment on the combined Cap-Star…, but if they would desire to run some cars thru on the Pennsylvanian at PGH, they’d be limited to single level.
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There actually is a much more severe shortage of Superliners than of single level equipment at present.

Consider this... in order to run the Cap and Star using Superliners they will have to come up with 2 more Superliner consists, while to do the same with single level consist they just have to come up with one more. Furthermore, the Superliners released from the three Capitol consist can be used to add cars and even Diner to a few Western trains that lack the same. Whereas there simply is not enough Superliners around to come up with two more Superliner consists.

AmtrakMaineiac said:
Would that mean traditional dining on the Capitol? That would be cool.
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Only time will tell. Currently the through running thing itself is a speculation which fits some observed facts (and according to many of us, an obvious improvement looking at it from various angles), but we don't know that that is what will happen for sure either.

west point said:
A thru sleeper from BOS could be assigned to train #95. with a 1 hour connection at WAS. Now if badly late always placed on Meteor with some mitigation for Raleigh and Columbia passengers. Coach passengers of course can take one of the 2 Acelas.
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Why would you not simply transfer one Coach too? It is not like that will add to any equipment needs. Of course if the Star-Cap run through happens all this Boston stuff won't happen from the Star anyway. The Star going pretty intact with all cars (2 Sleepers and 3-4 Coaches) to CHI, will still be inadequate and will be crying out for an additional Sleeper and Coach, needing a total of another 5 Sleepers and Coaches - more stuff to pull out of mothballs.
west point said:
Unfortunately only 1600 regional from WAS is left to take sleeper to BOS. Otherwise, at present schedule it would need to go on the night owl. Now it could go on Meteor instead with its early morning arrival at WAS. Anyway it certainly has merit as others have posted many times to make the Star an extension of the Capitol. However the capacity of the Capitol for Midwest demand to Florida may be more than Amtrak can provide any time in next 2 years.

Sleeper to / from BOS also has merit as it would allow for revenue swap of LSL sleeper to go to MIA .
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That is not particularly critical since a Cap - Star through running, if it comes to pass, would provide an adequate platform for such transfers between Chicago and Miami anyway. At present it is done via the Card or LSL and then one of the Silvers via Sunnyside most of the time.
 
I was trying to book the Silver Star. I noticed that on September 5 and before there are multiple availabilities. But September 6 and after they are ALL sold out, at least that's what it says on Amtrak's website. Does anyone know why this is?
 
Keith1951 said:
I was trying to book the Silver Star. I noticed that on September 5 and before there are multiple availabilities. But September 6 and after they are ALL sold out, at least that's what it says on Amtrak's website. Does anyone know why this is?
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Where your journey is originating and terminating may have an effect. In general Silver Star has no availability starting October 1 for journeys originating or terminating at stations north of Washington DC as discussed in several posts up thread in this thread. Other than that there is no problem with availability other than just demand overtaking supply on some days.
 
One more puzzle piece - not seeing family bedroom availability on the Cap out of DC after Sept 5 - which gives more weight to the speculation of a single level through train.
 

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