The Silver Meteor

[Bill Haithcoat]

Anyone have any idea why the Silver Meteor does not stop in Alexandria? Is this a relatively new thing---certainly in older timetables(yes, including Amtrak's) all trains stopped there. Anybody know?

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

Anyone have any idea why the Silver Meteor does not stop in Alexandria? Is this a relatively new thing---certainly in older timetables(yes, including Amtrak's) all trains stopped there. Anybody know?

I can't see a good reason for the "Meteor" not stopping there in the southbound direction at least. They should in my opinion! It is only fifteen or twenty minutes south of Washington D.C. Union Station and not at a bad time. It passes through there around 23:20 after leaving WAS at 23:01. However, I can see a good reason for not stopping the northbound there due to the early AM arrival time. And also, the fact there are numerous trains stopping there daily which gives ALX plenty of service. I do remember a time, however, when the southbound "Meteor" used to leave NYP around 16:00, with it passing through ALX around 19:30, and it did indeed serve ALX both directions at that time.

 

[Guest]

Ahhhh yes!! Indeed a first class passenger could board the southbound "Meteor" and go to the diner for their meal! I still miss those times. I am not exact on those departure times in the previous post though. But they're close!

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I realize the times are very late southbound and very early northbound, I thought of that myself.......but that does not keep trains from stopping other places at all hours of the night.

A case could be made that they don't need it so much for passengers going to and from stops north of Alexandria.

However, I have the longer distance passengers in mind; they can use all the options they can get for people going to and from Florida. And Alexandria and its environs does represent a major suburban section of DC, including people who may not want to be bothered going all the way into and out of the big downtown city at bad hours.

 

[battalion51]

Well the bad hours and redundant service is the most likely reason. Also, you want to avoid short passengers who want to just ride from ALX to WAS as Commuter service. Also, when the train doesn't stop it allows the Conductor and AC to finish up the numbers right after departure from Richmond. But the redundancy and times are the most likely cause. Plus if you have it open that early or late, you would probably need security or an agent at those hours.