Pennsylvanian Update....

[AmtrakerBx]

PENNSYLVANIAN CUTS DELAYED: Amtrak's only daylight service to northern Ohio will continue to operate and carry passengers for the foreseeable future. Amtrak now says that it will delay shortening the route of its Chicago - Philadelphia Pennsylvanian to become a Pittsburgh - New York City service. The previously planned Jan. 27 schedule change to the Pennsylvanian would have reduced daily east-west service to the Ohio cities of Alliance, Cleveland, Elyria, Sandusky and Toledo. The Ohio Association of Railroad Passengers (OARP), a nonprofit advocacy organization, says this delay buys more time for local, state and federal officials to intensify their efforts to keep the Pennsylvanian serving Ohio. Further, those officials have more time to work with Amtrak on finding ways to improve the service and make it more marketable to Ohio travelers. Municipal and county governments in every community served by the Pennsylvanian have passed, or are considering passing strongly worded resolutions that argue for Amtrak to keep and improve this train service. "This is a stay of execution for conveniently scheduled train service in Ohio," said Stu Nicholson, OARP's administrative director. "We urge all local, state and federal officials who represent those five cities to take advantage of this opportunity to not only preserve this service, but to improve it. It's rare to have second chances like this." According to Amtrak, the postponement of the service change was due to the fact that Amtrak had not yet gotten approval from track-owning freight railroad Norfolk Southern (NS) Corp. for its proposed new train schedules east of Pittsburgh. This is the second time in recent years that Amtrak had officially announced a major service change without getting prior approval from host railroad NS. Over two years ago, Amtrak announced it would start on Aug. 1, 2000 an additional, daily Chicago - Philadelphia train, called the Skyline Connection, operating on the same tracks as the Pennsylvanian. Amtrak made the announcement before getting the official go-ahead from NS. As Amtrak's finances continued their downward spiral, plans for starting the Skyline Connection were indefinitely put on hold. Nicholson said OARP recommends rescheduling the Pennsylvanian to what Amtrak had proposed for the Skyline Connection, and extend it east to New York City. This would preserve daylight service to Ohio cities and provide better arrival and departure times at Chicago. It would also offer overnight service to Philadelphia and New York City. (Stu Nicholson - posted 1/12)