Why doesn't Capitol Ltd. stop at Bryan, OH

[rms492]

So I was just looking at times from Chicago to Cleveland, and I have two options, either the Capitol or Lake Shore.

But just out of curiosity, I noticed that the Lake Shore stops at Bryan, OH, while the Capitol does not....isn't it along the same route??? Bryan, OH is between Toledo, OH and Waterloo, IN.

 

[fairviewroad]

Bryan, population 8500, is lucky to have any LD train stop there. They certainly don't need two trains to Chicago each morning.

But you'd think it might make more sense to have the CL stop there eastbound instead of the LSL, since the LSL passes through

well after midnight but a hypothetical CL stop would be nearer to 10:15 p.m.

Of course, westbound, the LSL makes a 7:05 a.m. stop but a hypothetical westbound CL stop would be around 5:30 a.m. So westbound,

the LSL has the better calling time for Chicago-bound traffic.

So for people heading to/from Chicago, it would make sense for the CL to stop there eastbound, and the LSL to stop there westbound.

But generally that's not how Amtrak operates...and it would mess things up for people heading to Bryan from points east of Cleveland.

 

[Mackensen]

So I was just looking at times from Chicago to Cleveland, and I have two options, either the Capitol or Lake Shore.

But just out of curiosity, I noticed that the Lake Shore stops at Bryan, OH, while the Capitol does not....isn't it along the same route??? Bryan, OH is between Toledo, OH and Waterloo, IN.

When the Capitol Limited first moved to that route in 1990 Bryan was skipped because the connection in Washington to the Silver Star was already really tight. That connection's since broken altogether so I'm not sure what the current rationale is. The Capitol Limited did stop there briefly in 2003-2004. My guess is that it just doesn't work with the schedule (that is, the slots available from Norfolk Southern/CSX).

 

[AutoTrDvr]

Bryan, population 8500, is lucky to have any LD train stop there. They certainly don't need two trains to Chicago each morning.

But you'd think it might make more sense to have the CL stop there eastbound instead of the LSL, since the LSL passes through

well after midnight but a hypothetical CL stop would be nearer to 10:15 p.m.

Of course, westbound, the LSL makes a 7:05 a.m. stop but a hypothetical westbound CL stop would be around 5:30 a.m. So westbound,

the LSL has the better calling time for Chicago-bound traffic.

So for people heading to/from Chicago, it would make sense for the CL to stop there eastbound, and the LSL to stop there westbound.

But generally that's not how Amtrak operates...and it would mess things up for people heading to Bryan from points east of Cleveland.

The LSL has stopped at Bryan OH historically, since I rode it many years ago. At that point, Sandusky OH was not a permanent stop but is

now. I see they have also added Waterloo, Indiana (I suppose, to make up for losing Ft. Wayne when the Broadway Ltd. ceased operations).

They also seemed to have lost both Gary and Valparaiso Ind., and Lima, Crestline and Canton OH when the Amtrak Broadway Ltd. ended.

My lasting impression of both the Broadway Ltd. and LSL is going through the steel mills near Gary/Hammond/East Chicago, Ind. Wow!

Although, one time, just after New Years, you could actually see the blue sky in the afternoon and the Christmas wreath on the big Inland

Steel building!

 

[thetourman]

The Bryan stop is a nice little feeder station forAmtrak. Many times the parking lot isfull with cars from northwest Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and other states.

While it can help support the LSL, and other trains Bryan passengersconnect to, it would not be financially efficient for two rains to stop.

Bryan was supposed to get a new Amtrak station by the end ofthis year but that has been delayed up to a year. Amtrak told city officials itwas due to federal regulations. Thestation will not have restrooms, unless the city wants to pay for them and themaintain them.