Sneak preview of Amtrak 11/1 timetables

[Superliner Diner]

Once again I've taken a look at how Amtrak's trains will be operating after the upcoming timetable change on Monday, November 1, 2004. Current train or Thruway numbers are in black, while new numbers are in red. Here is my analysis, by route:

Florida service, Virginia Service

As noted elsewhere, Florida service will undergo a major change. The PALMETTO will be cut back to Savannah, GA. The SILVER STAR will add a new branch between Auburndale and Tampa, and the stations in Northern Florida missed by the truncated PALMETTO will be served by a bus.

• Train 89, the southbound PALMETTO, will depart New York City one hour earlier, running behind Regional Train 181.
  
• Train 91, the southbound SILVER STAR, will operate approximately 2-1/2 hours earlier than it does now.
  
• Train 97, the southbound SILVER METEOR, will operate approximately 4-1/2 hours earlier, which means a New York City departure in mid-afternoon instead of the evening.
  
• Train 98, the northbound SILVER METEOR, will operate approximately 3-1/2 hours later than it does now, which means it will arrive in New York City midday rather than in the morning.
  
• Train 86, a weekday Regional train from Richmond to Boston, will operate about 25 minutes earlier.
  
• Train 92, the northbound SILVER STAR, will operate approximately 3-1/2 hours later, bringing it into New York after the evening rush hour instead of mid-afternoon.
  
• Train 80, the northbound CAROLINIAN, will operate about 15 minutes earlier than present.
  
• Train 90, the northbound PALMETTO, will operate about 3-1/2 hours later, which translates to a late night arrival in New York City.
  
• Lakeland, which will have stops on the SILVER STAR both on its way into and out of Tampa, will have two station codes. For service to/from the south, the new station code will be LKL. For service to/from the north, the station code remains LAK. It will not be possible to ride either train between Lakeland and Tampa, nor can one be booked LAK-LKL for a short round trip.
  
• Thruway bus 6291 will begin in Jacksonville, and carry passengers from the southbound SILVER STAR to Waldo, Ocala, Gainesville, Wildwood, and Dade City. It will pickup passengers at those intermediate stops and bring them to the same southbound SILVER STAR at Lakeland (LKL).
  
• Thruway bus 6292 will begin in Lakeland (LKL), and carry passengers from the northbound SILVER STAR to Dade City, Wildwood, Gainesville, Ocala, and Waldo. It will pickup passengers at those same intermediate stops and bring them to the same northbound SILVER STAR at Jacksonville.
  
• Thruway buses 6097 and 6098 will continue to run between Orlando and Fort Myers, via the Tampa Bay area.
  
• Thruway buses 6089 and 6090 are cancelled.
  
• Thruway buses 6091 and 6092 will connect to/from the SILVER STAR at Tampa rather than Orlando.
  
• Since the Silver Service trains were rescheduled, the westbound SUNSET LIMITED can no longer share Bus 6098 with passengers headed for the northbound SILVER METEOR. A new Thruway bus 6001 will connect passengers from Pinellas County, Tampa, and Lakeland with Train 1, the westbound SUNSET LIMITED, on the days the train operates.
  
• The Greyhound Thruway connection between Miami and Key West will now be served by Buses 8191 and 8192. The bus will no longer ba able to connect with the PALMETTO, hence this change.
  
• There will also be some number changes to the Thruway taxi connections between Deland and Daytona Beach. Taxis that previously connected to the SILVER METEOR in both directions will now connect with just one train, and another run will be made for the SILVER METEOR in the other direction.
  

North Carolina service

Thruway bus connections between High Point and Winston-Salem have been doubled. In addition to 6079 and 6080 (connecting from Train 79 and to Train 80 respectively), new Thruway run 6073 will connect from the southbound PIEDMONT (Train 73), and new Thruway run 6074 will connect to the northbound PIEDMONT (Train 74).

East-Midwest Trains

Several changes of note regarding the LAKE SHORE LIMITED, CAPITOL LIMITED, HOOSIER STATE, and CARDINAL. See below for information about the THREE RIVERS and PENNSYLVANIAN.

• As noted elsewhere, through service on the Boston leg of the LAKE SHORE LIMITED will end once more. All cars will operate through to/from New York City. Trains 448 and 449 will operate only between Albany and Boston.
  
• Since the need to switch cars on and off the train in Albany will be removed, travel time between Albany and Chicago on Train 49 will be 12 minutes shorter, resulting in an earlier arrival into Chicago. Eastbound Train 48 will depart from Chicago 15 minutes later than present.
  
• Train 51, the westbound CARDINAL, will operate approximately 10 minutes earlier over the western portion of its route. This change also applies to Train 317, the northbound HOOSIER STATE, which runs in the same timeslot on the days the CARDINAL is not operating.
  
• Train 50, the eastbound CARDINAL, will operate approximately 5 minutes later over the western portion of its route. This change also applies to Train 318, the southbound HOOSIER STATE, which runs in the same timeslot on the days the CARDINAL is not operating.
  
• All Thruway buses between Pittsburgh and Cleveland are cancelled. Only the CAPITOL LIMITED can be used between these two cities.
  
• Between Pittsburgh and Columbus, no changes to Thruway bus runs, including those that currently connect with the PENNSYLVANIAN.
  

Keystone Service, THREE RIVERS, PENNSYLVANIAN

As noted elsewhere, the THREE RIVERS and PENNSYLVANIAN will be combined into a single train, which temporarily will continue beyond Pittsburgh to Chicago. Amtrak's website shows the surviving train retaining the THREE RIVERS name (but without any sleepers).

• Train 41, the westbound THREE RIVERS, will depart from New York City one hour later than it does now. One difference is that it will accept local passengers traveling to points west of Philadelphia.(currently the dividing point is Harrisburg). So for example, one can now ride Train 41 from New York to Paoli.
  
• Train 40, the eastbound THREE RIVERS, will depart from Pittsburgh at the same time it does now, however by the time it gets to New York City it will be 42 minutes earlier than it is now. Harrisburg will continue to be the first station where this train is discharge-only.
  
• Trains 42, 43, 44, and 45 are gone.
  
• On weekdays, new train 641 will replace Train 43.
  
• On weekdays and Saturdays, new train 650 will replace Train 42.
  
• On weekends, Train 611 moves to a 10:45 AM Philadelphia departure, partially to replace Train 45 (although it will run about 2 hours later than 45 did).
  
• On Saturdays, Train 615 will run 15 minutes later than it does now.
  
• On Sundays, Train 615 will be replaced by new Train 657 and originate in New York City.
  
• On Sundays, new Train 664 will replace Train 44.