The "Sunset Limited" is gone indefinitely

[Trogdor]

Per an Amtrak advisory, trains 1 and 2 are suspended indefinitely. The Texas Eagle will operate as trains 21 and 22 four days a week between Chicago and San Antonio. The train will operate as trains 421 and 422 three days a week between Chicago and Los Angeles. There will be no service east of San Antonio on the Sunset route for a very long time (no date of service restoration has been set).

The consist of the new train will be:

1 Transition sleeper (with public space)

1 regular sleeper

1 dining car with lounge space at one end

1 coach-baggage

2 coaches

 

[gswager]

It's a bummer!

On the sarcastic fun side, let's see if it's on time.

 

[jccollins]

The Amtrak reservations system has already been programmed to only show availability between Los Angeles and San Antonio on the tri-weekly Texas Eagle for the foreseeable future. What a bummer indeed.

 

[saxman]

Where did you hear this? And why? I know NO is bad right, but indefinetly means forever doesn't it? I understand it could be gone for several weeks, but forever??

Chris

 

[Trogdor]

No, indefinitely does not mean forever.

Indefinitely (according to Merriam-Webster online) means: not definite; not precise; having no exact limits.

In otherwords, for the foreseeable future, with no known limits.

This is appropriate in this case, as nobody knows when the service will return.

 

[saxman]

No, indefinitely does not mean forever.
Indefinitely (according to Merriam-Webster online) means: not definite; not precise; having no exact limits.

In otherwords, for the foreseeable future, with no known limits.

This is appropriate in this case, as nobody knows when the service will return.

K good, I was really scared for a second. Guess I should learn my vocabulary

Now the question is, why don't they keep the train going to Houston at least? That way the Houston station employees can come come to work again.

 

[GG-1]

Now the question is, why don't they keep the train going to Houston at least? That way the Houston station employees can come come to work again.

Aloha

What additional riders between San Antonio & Houston? Additionaly what connections would exist in Houston?

Mahalo

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

It should start running once NOL is opend back up

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

K good, I was really scared for a second. Guess I should learn my vocabulary
Now the question is, why don't they keep the train going to Houston at least? That way the Houston station employees can come come to work again.

They can't run to Houston due to the lack of facilities and wye. They would have no way to service or turn the train.

 

[Midland Valley]

How about a coach and loco from and to Houston? Don't they keep a couple extra coaches in San Antonio? Or is there not enough traffic at Houston to warrent the trip?

 

[Midland Valley]

Also, I have seen long tagents of track along the gulf destroyed. Is this the Amtrak route or does it travel farther inland?

 

[sechs]

This is really a paper transaction. I do wonder, however, why they don't run the Eagle with the Sunset's equipment... like a baggage car.

 

[battalion51]

I'm guessing that a lot of the equipment's going to be moved to other trains for capacity, PM'd, and don't forget it's gonna take some equipment to run through the train. Also the baggage cars are in really short supply right now, so they can be used elsewhere in the system.

 

[Trogdor]

This is really a paper transaction. I do wonder, however, why they don't run the Eagle with the Sunset's equipment... like a baggage car.

Half the time, the Sunset doesn't run with a baggage car anyway. The baggage cars are really worn out. That's part of the reason why Amtrak is converting all the smoking cars to coach-baggage cars (only a couple left to be done).

As for the damage to the railroads done by the hurricane, several really long bridges (including those used by Amtrak) have been destroyed. In fact, last year a hurricane destroyed part of the CSX line that Amtrak uses, and the Sunset had to be truncated in NOL. That same line (though perhaps not the same part) has been destroyed again by Katrina.

It will be many, many months before service is restored, and possibly longer than that before New Orleans is a destination again.

 

[lepearso]

This "paper transaction" is potentially a good thing for Amtrak. When (notice I did not say 'if') the SL returns to service, it should call for several things.

(1) Renewed discussions with UP on how to better handle the train;

(2) Renewed discussions on rerouting the train so that it serves a stronger market; and,

(3) A celebration of the renewed train service so that leery customers will reconsider taking the SL.

 

[Amtrak OBS Gone Freight]

I will be surprised if the "Sunset Limited" ever operates as, how, and where we used to know it, especially east of NOL. Just my two cents worth with keeping in mind what the company's plans are this coming couple of years. <_< OBS...

 

[Sam Damon]

Just my two cents worth with keeping in mind what the company's plans are this coming couple of years. <_< OBS...

Are you suggesting Amtrak is moving more to a corridor-based system, in place of an intercity one? Do share!

 

[jccollins]

Are you suggesting Amtrak is moving more to a corridor-based system, in place of an intercity one?  Do share!

Unlikely in light of the rehabilitation Amtrak's Empire Builder longhaul route has just received.

I think OBS might have been suggesting Amtrak has been considering pulling the plug on ye ole' Sunset Limited for a while (primarilly do the the You Pee RR making it nearly impossible to operate the train) and because of the liability and expense the lateness of the train has caused the company over the last few years.

On the other hand, Amtrak also knows the victory that the You Pee RR would be handed should they decide to pull the plug on the route, and that it could lead to the You Pee further bullying Amtrak on the remaining Coast Starlight and California Zephyr longhaul routes that run primarilly over their tracks. I would consider this line of thinking to be the main reason we still have the Sunset Limited today.

 

[coronado]

Any word on whether or not there will still be an overnight layover in San Antonio for 421 since there won't be a westbound Sunset coming from Florida to connect with?

Ideally, once 421 reaches San Antonio in the evening and discharges and picks up passengers, it would make sense that the train would continue westward that evening.

I suppose the downside would be having to notify all passengers west of San Antonio that the schedule had been moved up several hours.

 

[AmtrakFan]

Amtrak needs to have a connecting train from San Antoino to Houston with 1 P42, 1 Lounge, 1 Coach, 1 Coach-Bag and 1 P32.

 

[jccollins]

Amtrak needs to have a connecting train from San Antoino to Houston with 1 P42, 1 Lounge, 1 Coach, 1 Coach-Bag and 1 P32.

Could you imagine? The train would run ON TIME westbound from Houston to San Antonio (since it would originate in Houston). Houston is a big city. San Antonio is a big city. And the two are close enough that a train could run reliably (within a couple hours of its schedule) between the two.

Word of reliable train service between the two cities would reach the news media and BAMM - Amtrak would pack the "temporary" train between HOS and SAS and be up against massive public outcry when the real Sunset Limited (and lack of reliability) returns.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[battalion51]

Look, I agree Houston is a big gap on the map right now, but there are a couple of other big gaps as well. Look at Phoenix, they haven't had service in a number of years from trains directly. San Francisco you have to take the bus or Cal Train. And there are a number of other areas without service now due to the Sunset being cut off. Lafayette, Mobile, Pensacola, my city of Tallahassee. You can't just say, well we have to put in train connections for all these cities, it's not practical. That's the whole thing here guys, practicality. How practical is it for Amtrak to put in a shuttle train between Houston and San Antonio three days a week, pay for crews, maintenance, and all that (And don't forget no LSA's are based in either city). It's not practical at all. They are going to exert more effort and money than it's really necessary for the folks that want to go to Houston. If they really don't want to fly or drive they can utilize the exsiting bus connection to the Eagle. Simple as that.

 

[IceColdMintJulep]

No sightseer lounge on the Eagle, that stinks. The route already had a diner and sightseer lounge, why get rid of them? Here's an idea, as farfetched as it may sound, run the sunset up to Atlanta then over through Nashville, Memphis, and join the Eagle at Little Rock or somewhere in Arkansas.

 

[haolerider]

The whole idea is to save money and be smart with equipment. Running the Sunset to Atlanta, Nashville, etc does not make any sense and there are no tracks that Amtrak can use to do this. I think Batt.51 said it best - "practical" is the key word..........and that is not practical.

 

[Trogdor]

Amtrak needs to have a connecting train from San Antoino to Houston with 1 P42, 1 Lounge, 1 Coach, 1 Coach-Bag and 1 P32.

Why are we specifying the exact type of engines to be used? *If* (and I do mean *if*) a shuttle train was instituted between Houston and San Antonio, a couple of Horizon cars would be sufficient.

But again, that's neither here nor there. I'd hope Amtrak at least starts a thruway bus connection to Houston from San Antonio in the mean time.