New Lynchburg Regional Now Open For Booking

[Rafi]

The new Lynchburg Regional IS NOW BOOKABLE on Amtrak.com as trains 171 (BOS-NYP-WAS-LYH Mo-Fr), 147 & 145 (SPG-NYP-WAS-LYH Sat & Sun respectively), 176 (LYH-WAS-NYP-BOS Mon-Fr), and 156 (LYH-WAS-NYP-SPG Sat-Sun). Yes, it's running from Springfield on weekends. Yes, it's odd. Connections to/from Boston on weekends and to/from SPG on weekdays will be loaded in Arrow this weekend if not sooner.

Have at it.

Rafi

 

[jis]

Interesting! BC on the Regional to LYH from NYP around the 19th of Oct. is cheaper than Coach from NYP to LYH on the Crescent, by about $20 or so! Naturally Coach is much much cheaper on the Regional, less than half of what it is on the Crescent!

Looks like a quick weekend trip beckons! The arrival and departure from LYH are ideal for such.

Then again, on Sunday the 4th the Crescent is cheaper than the Regional LYH - MET!

 

[battalion51]

Very interesting. This is the only train I can think of in the post-Shoreline Electrification era that will go from diesel to electric back to diesel. Does raise some interesting questions though. How will the LSA jobs on this train work? Also, will the connection be altered to/from SPG for 171? As it stands right now the closest connection is 495, which gives you a nice two hour layover...

 

[jis]

Very interesting. This is the only train I can think of in the post-Shoreline Electrification era that will go from diesel to electric back to diesel. Does raise some interesting questions though. How will the LSA jobs on this train work? Also, will the connection be altered to/from SPG for 171? As it stands right now the closest connection is 495, which gives you a nice two hour layover...

I am confused. The LSA's job depends on what traction is used?

 

[battalion51]

No, that's a separate issue. Sorry if that wasn't clear. For example there is no SPG LSA base, so that means that the LSAs have to be either NYP or WAS based (typically WAS). So if they're WAS based will they work WAS-SPG-LYH-WAS?

 

[Guest]

So anybody think AGR might extend the Northeast Zone to Lynchburg since it is going to be a regional?

 

[Acela150]

So what about timetables??? I noticed that nothing is up yet. Which also means people won't know LYH is being served by Amtrak. I have also noticed that Amtrak is hiring ticket agents for LYH.

Stephen

 

[cpamtfan]

So what about timetables??? I noticed that nothing is up yet. Which also means people won't know LYH is being served by Amtrak. I have also noticed that Amtrak is hiring ticket agents for LYH.
Stephen

Lynchburg is already served by the Crescent.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

So what about timetables??? I noticed that nothing is up yet. Which also means people won't know LYH is being served by Amtrak. I have also noticed that Amtrak is hiring ticket agents for LYH.
Stephen

Lynchburg is already served by the Crescent.

And tri-weekly Cardinal whoops thats my memory not functioning again. I guess MOD can delete since I messed up. Sorry :blush:

 

[jis]

So what about timetables??? I noticed that nothing is up yet. Which also means people won't know LYH is being served by Amtrak. I have also noticed that Amtrak is hiring ticket agents for LYH.
Stephen

Lynchburg is already served by the Crescent.

And tri-weekly Cardinal

And whoever looks at timetable to try to book something? You go to the reservation page and ask for trains to Lynchburg from wherever on a particular date, and if it is after Oct 1 you will see the Regional in addition to the Crescent etc.

 

[Acela150]

Ok, well the Crescent yes but, not the card. But I was talking about the NE Regional trains. I did know that the Crescent does serve LYH but my question is how are they going to advertise service to and from LYH. I will be at PHL and RTE on the 22nd to see how the advertising is there. But with fares at $53 from PHL to LYH I'll try to do that some day when I'm board and have money is go down there and come back.

Stephen

 

[Rafi]

Wallet cards at stations and PDFs online will show up in the next week or two, but keep in mind the schedule wasn't officially finalized until today.

That said, news of this train has been widely reported up and down the LYH-WAS corridor, so the local patrons know it's coming.

Rafi

 

[Acela150]

That's great to know I'll be on the look out for them! But you would think that Amtrak would publicize it up and down the NEC.

Stephen

 

[wayman]

That's great to know I'll be on the look out for them! But you would think that Amtrak would publicize it up and down the NEC.
Stephen

I bet 95% of the ridership of this train going southbound to LYH, CVS, or CUP actually lives down there (and is taking the southbound train to go home, having taken the northbound train first); and most folks taking the train to MSS and ALX probably do as well, though not as great a percent. So spending 95% of their advertising dollars south of WAS makes the most sense, because that's where it will reach the vast majority of their potential ridership.

 

[VT Hokie]

I sure wish they'd extend this train to Roanoke! Is there any car rental place convenient to the Lynchburg station? That's the only way I'd consider using this train to visit my alma mater!

 

[wayman]

I sure wish they'd extend this train to Roanoke! Is there any car rental place convenient to the Lynchburg station? That's the only way I'd consider using this train to visit my alma mater!

The main U-Haul lot is about half a block away

Other than that, though, I can't think of anything particularly nearby.

I know Amtrak and the state of Virginia are both working towards a Roanoke extension with a goal of service in 2-3 years. It's far from a done deal, but I doubt it will meet with much political opposition. Getting funding and making all the deals and getting everything done is still a lot of effort, but not having to fight a big political battle makes things a lot easier.

 

[TampAGS]

I sure wish they'd extend this train to Roanoke! Is there any car rental place convenient to the Lynchburg station? That's the only way I'd consider using this train to visit my alma mater!

I too wish Amtrak had trains servicing Roanoke. It seems odd that the city which hosts the Virginia Museum of Transportation has no passenger rail service.

 

As far as Kemper Street Station in LYH goes, I don't recall there being any kind of car rental desk on-site. There is, however, the Lynchburg Greyhound Station on the building's top/ground level (Amtrak is housed in the building's lower/track level).

 

Below are photos I took last November after arriving on the Crescent. As for getting to Roanoke, my friend came and picked me up!

 

 

[Ryan]

I sure wish they'd extend this train to Roanoke! Is there any car rental place convenient to the Lynchburg station? That's the only way I'd consider using this train to visit my alma mater!

If they make it to Roanoke, they can make it to Christiansburg (the Hilltopper served C-berg, but that was before my time down there).

 

[Rafi]

You'll see an Amtrak Thruway to Roanoke in the next few months if all goes well. In the meantime, Greyhound has an 11 PM departure from Kemper Street Station to Roanoke, which while not a guaranteed connection (yet), is a pretty safe one.

Rafi

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I sure wish they'd extend this train to Roanoke! Is there any car rental place convenient to the Lynchburg station? That's the only way I'd consider using this train to visit my alma mater!

If they make it to Roanoke, they can make it to Christiansburg (the Hilltopper served C-berg, but that was before my time down there).

When advocating for anything rail related, I must suggest you don't EVER mention the name "Hilltopper". It was a microcosm of all that was wrong with Amtrak in the late 70s, and it brings up just how ridiculously wrong Amtrak can go when it goes wrong.

 

[Ryan]

You're absolutely right, but I would have loved to had the chance to ride it to/from school! Sadly, I'm 20 years too young for that.

 

[jamesontheroad]

When advocating for anything rail related, I must suggest you don't EVER mention the name "Hilltopper". It was a microcosm of all that was wrong with Amtrak in the late 70s, and it brings up just how ridiculously wrong Amtrak can go when it goes wrong.

I'm going to rise to the bait... could you perhaps type through the pain and explain what was wrong with it? Apart from a truly crazy schedule and apparently only running with an Amfleet coach and café car despite a 26 hour journey time...

An interesting and beautifully illustrated Cardinal/Hilltopper trip report from 1979: http://www.robertpence.com/md_baltimore_19...imore_1979.html

 

[Bob Dylan]

When advocating for anything rail related, I must suggest you don't EVER mention the name "Hilltopper". It was a microcosm of all that was wrong with Amtrak in the late 70s, and it brings up just how ridiculously wrong Amtrak can go when it goes wrong.

I'm going to rise to the bait... could you perhaps type through the pain and explain what was wrong with it? Apart from a truly crazy schedule and apparently only running with an Amfleet coach and café car despite a 26 hour journey time...

An interesting and beautifully illustrated Cardinal/Hilltopper trip report from 1979: http://www.robertpence.com/md_baltimore_19...imore_1979.html

Thanks, a really good trip report with great pics, Im envious and nostalgic,a time long gone but always in our hearts!

 

[Palmland]

When advocating for anything rail related, I must suggest you don't EVER mention the name "Hilltopper". It was a microcosm of all that was wrong with Amtrak in the late 70s, and it brings up just how ridiculously wrong Amtrak can go when it goes wrong.

I'm going to rise to the bait... could you perhaps type through the pain and explain what was wrong with it? Apart from a truly crazy schedule and apparently only running with an Amfleet coach and café car despite a 26 hour journey time...

An interesting and beautifully illustrated Cardinal/Hilltopper trip report from 1979: http://www.robertpence.com/md_baltimore_19...imore_1979.html

Great story and photos. I especially liked the Balt photos since I lived there for many years including 5 when I worked in the second floor of Camden station. It is amazing how things change. What is mundane today will seem very special 30 years from now. Take your photos now of Viewliners, not to mention Amfleet cars! But then I think they are like plastic and will never go away.

 

[Shanghai]

Thanks for the great photos.