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As frequent as we have Amtrak service here in the Northeast Corridor, there are some intermediate station stops that only get a handful of trains making stops there.
The biggest example is Newark, DE (NRK). One Amtrak train per day stops at this station. Southbound it's 189 on weekdays, 197 on Saturdays, and 135 on Sundays. Northbound, it's 186 on weekdays, and 156 on weekends. The question is, why bother? On the plus side, the University of Delaware's campus is adjacent to the station. Colleges can be bread and butter to Amtrak, as many students prefer this mode of travel over driving or buses. On the other hand, Newark, DE is served on weekdays by several SEPTA trains. Connections to and from Amtrak could be made in Wilmington. Is this one stop per day really convenient to any UD students, or anyone else in that town?
Another Amtrak stop that bothers me is New Brunswick, NJ (NBK). Granted, this is also a college town, with Rutgers University sitting just west of the station. There is a little more Amtrak coverage here than at Newark, DE, but does it really pay? Do the few trains that stop in New Brunswick really serve that many intercity passengers? There are no stops by any weekend trains in New Brunswick. Students staying in dorms who might go home for the weekend would be unable to return on Sunday night by Amtrak. Five northbound trains stop there on weekdays -- two Clockers and three Keystone trains. So you can get to New Brunswick directly from points between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, but nowhere south of Philly on the NEC. And southbound only one train stops there, Keystone 641 on weekday mornings going to Pennsylvania.
Yes, New Brunswick has NJ TRANSIT, and excellent service 7 days a week and 20 hours a day, with 30-60 minute base service and much better during rush hours. One can use Amtrak to or from Trenton, Metropark, or New York, and connect with NJ TRANSIT to and from New Brunswick. So again, why even have the Amtrak stop in New Brunswick? For the number of passengers who would use the Amtrak trains there, I don't think it pays to make long distance trains stop there. Improve service by keeping Amtrak trains on the express track where they can blow through town at over 100 mph.
Aberdeen, MD (ABE) gets more trains than the above two, but service there is miniscule when compared to the rest of the NEC. It's an inconvenience to through passengers when the train has to stop for zero or a handful of passengers. Like Newark, DE, Aberdeen has commuter rail service on weekdays, although one would have to go south to Baltimore to go north on Amtrak. Extending MARC service from Perryville to Wilmington or Philadelphia, and running weekend commuter service, might be a good first step in eliminating Aberdeen as an Amtrak stop. Of the three stations I have mentioned, Aberdeen probably will always be an Amtrak station stop for selected trains. Since not all trains stop there, it can get confusing to passengers as to which trains make this stop.
Now I know one argument might be that much smaller towns around the country have station stops, and only one time a day. But many of these places are served by only one long-distance train per day, not a corridor that often sees two or more Amtrak trains per hour. People in the Northeast want speed. Sure, those who really want it bad can take the Metroliners and Acela Express which won't stop at those locations. But even the Regional trains should provide a faster ride by leaving the commuter stops to the commuter railroads.
OK, your turn!
The biggest example is Newark, DE (NRK). One Amtrak train per day stops at this station. Southbound it's 189 on weekdays, 197 on Saturdays, and 135 on Sundays. Northbound, it's 186 on weekdays, and 156 on weekends. The question is, why bother? On the plus side, the University of Delaware's campus is adjacent to the station. Colleges can be bread and butter to Amtrak, as many students prefer this mode of travel over driving or buses. On the other hand, Newark, DE is served on weekdays by several SEPTA trains. Connections to and from Amtrak could be made in Wilmington. Is this one stop per day really convenient to any UD students, or anyone else in that town?
Another Amtrak stop that bothers me is New Brunswick, NJ (NBK). Granted, this is also a college town, with Rutgers University sitting just west of the station. There is a little more Amtrak coverage here than at Newark, DE, but does it really pay? Do the few trains that stop in New Brunswick really serve that many intercity passengers? There are no stops by any weekend trains in New Brunswick. Students staying in dorms who might go home for the weekend would be unable to return on Sunday night by Amtrak. Five northbound trains stop there on weekdays -- two Clockers and three Keystone trains. So you can get to New Brunswick directly from points between Harrisburg and Philadelphia, but nowhere south of Philly on the NEC. And southbound only one train stops there, Keystone 641 on weekday mornings going to Pennsylvania.
Yes, New Brunswick has NJ TRANSIT, and excellent service 7 days a week and 20 hours a day, with 30-60 minute base service and much better during rush hours. One can use Amtrak to or from Trenton, Metropark, or New York, and connect with NJ TRANSIT to and from New Brunswick. So again, why even have the Amtrak stop in New Brunswick? For the number of passengers who would use the Amtrak trains there, I don't think it pays to make long distance trains stop there. Improve service by keeping Amtrak trains on the express track where they can blow through town at over 100 mph.
Aberdeen, MD (ABE) gets more trains than the above two, but service there is miniscule when compared to the rest of the NEC. It's an inconvenience to through passengers when the train has to stop for zero or a handful of passengers. Like Newark, DE, Aberdeen has commuter rail service on weekdays, although one would have to go south to Baltimore to go north on Amtrak. Extending MARC service from Perryville to Wilmington or Philadelphia, and running weekend commuter service, might be a good first step in eliminating Aberdeen as an Amtrak stop. Of the three stations I have mentioned, Aberdeen probably will always be an Amtrak station stop for selected trains. Since not all trains stop there, it can get confusing to passengers as to which trains make this stop.
Now I know one argument might be that much smaller towns around the country have station stops, and only one time a day. But many of these places are served by only one long-distance train per day, not a corridor that often sees two or more Amtrak trains per hour. People in the Northeast want speed. Sure, those who really want it bad can take the Metroliners and Acela Express which won't stop at those locations. But even the Regional trains should provide a faster ride by leaving the commuter stops to the commuter railroads.
OK, your turn!
