Pennsylvanian (train)

Pennsylvanian
The Pennsylvanian passing Bryn Mawr, PA.
Overview
Status	Operating
First service	April 27, 1980
Current operator(s)	Amtrak
Average ridership	568 daily 207,422 total (FY11)
Route
Start	New York City, NY
No. of intermediate stops	17
End	Pittsburgh, PA
Distance travelled	444 miles (715 km)
Average journey time	9 hours 20 minutes
Train number(s)	42, 43, 44
On-board services
Class(es)	Standard and Business Class
Seating arrangements	Reserved Coach Seat
Catering facilities	Dinette
Technical
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Track owner(s)	NS AMTRK
Route map Legend Distance Station 0 New York City(subway) New York/New Jersey border North River Tunnels 10 mi (16 km) Newark 58 mi (93 km) Trenton New Jersey/Pennsylvania border 91 mi (150 km) Philadelphia 99 mi (160 km) Ardmore(train 44 only) 110 mi (180 km) Paoli 112 mi (180 km) Exton(trains 42 & 44 only) 123 mi (200 km) Downingtown(train 44 only) 159 mi (260 km) Lancaster 177 mi (280 km) Elizabethtown 195 mi (310 km) Harrisburg 256 mi (410 km) Lewistown 293 mi (470 km) Huntingdon 313 mi (500 km) Tyrone 327 mi (530 km) Altoona 366 mi (590 km) Johnstown 403 mi (650 km) Latrobe 413 mi (660 km) Greensburg 444 mi (710 km) Pittsburgh

The Pennsylvanian is a 444-mile (715 km) daytime Amtrak train running between New York and Pittsburgh via Philadelphia. The trains travel through Pennsylvania's capital, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, suburban and central Philadelphia, and pass through New Jersey up to New York. Trains run once daily in each direction. The entire train ride takes about 9 hours total, with 1.5 hours between New York and Philadelphia, 2 hours between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, and 5.5 hours between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh.

During fiscal year 2011, the Pennsylvanian carried over 200,000 passengers, a 2% increase over FY2010. The train had a total revenue of $8,856,539 during FY2011, up 4.8% from FY2010.

History

The Pennsylvanian began on April 27, 1980 as a state-supported daylight train between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, with connecting service to New York via the Philadelphian (a Clocker) westbound and the Montrealer eastbound. It was the first daylight service over the route since the discontinuance of the Keystone in 1972. At the time the Pennsylvanian was inaugurated, the Broadway Limited was departing Pittsburgh at an inconvenient early morning hour. The new train ran with Amfleet equipment, including a cafe car. Pennsylvania agreed to pay 20% of the train's costs for the first year, or $580,000, with the state and Amtrak eventually splitting the costs 50/50 by the third year.

Between 1981 and 1983 the Pennsylvanian's equipment was turned every night to operate a second state-supported train, the Fort Pitt, which ran from Pittsburgh to Altoona. Amtrak withdrew this train in early 1983 after PennDOT declined to continue subsidizing the increased operation. At the time the Fort Pitt carried 30 passengers per day.

After significant ridership gains in 1984 PennDOT proposed to Amtrak that a second frequency be added to the route. This train would also have its operating costs split 50/50. Amtrak officials were favorable, but budget problems stalled the plan and in the end nothing was done.

In the late 1980s passenger-rail groups urged Amtrak to extend the Pennsylvanian to Cleveland, Ohio. Proposals included new stations in Sewickley and Beaver Falls. Pressure increased when in 1989 Amtrak announced the re-routing of the Broadway Limited and Capitol Limited over that same route as part of a restructuring of routes in Indiana. As part of this change the Capitol Limited began serving the Cleveland—Pittsburgh route, albeit in the middle of the night. Amtrak and PennDOT considered two routes for an extended Pennsylvanian: one via Alliance, Ohio (following the route of the Capitol Limited) and one via Youngstown, Ohio (partially following the Broadway Limited) with a new stop in New Castle, Pennsylvania.

Amtrak's "Pennsylvanian" passing Rosemont. PA, eleven miles west of Philadelphia on its daily run to Pittsburgh.

On November 7, 1998, Amtrak extended the Pennsylvanian through to Chicago along the route of the Capitol Limited via Toledo, finally bringing a daylight connection to Cleveland. The Three Rivers continued to run over a different schedule via Akron and Fostoria. As part of the change Amtrak truncated the eastern end to Philadelphia, enabling the train to complete the run within a single day. Amtrak returned the Pennsylvanian to New York—Pittsburgh route on January 27, 2003, citing low ridership and Amtrak's withdrawal from the express freight business. On November 1, 2004 Amtrak merged the Pennsylvanian and Three Rivers, keeping the latter name with a western terminus in Chicago. Amtrak had sought $2.5 million in assistance from Pennsylvanian to keep both trains running. On March 8, 2005 Amtrak cut the train back to Pittsburgh—New York and restored the Pennsylvanian name to the route.

As of 2010 there is no through service west of Pittsburgh; the Capitol Limited continues to provide service to Chicago, though as part of its federally mandated analysis of the worst-performing long-distance routes, Amtrak determined that reinstating a through-car connection with the Pennsylvanian would result in the highest gain in monetary and customer service measurements of possible options. To implement this, Amtrak plans to operate a Viewliner sleeper car, an Amfleet cafe car and two Amfleet coaches between Chicago and New York via the Capitol Limited and Pennsylvanian beginning sometime when funding and equipment is available.

On 28 January 2011, it was announced that the state of Pennsylvania had received a $750,000 grant from the federal government to study expanding service westwards from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh along the route of the Pennsylvanian, including higher speeds and additional frequencies.

Route

The Pennsylvanian runs a portion of the Three Rivers route, which ran from New York to Chicago. East of Harrisburg, the Pennsylvanian runs over Amtrak's own railroad, but between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh it runs over Norfolk Southern's ex-Pennsylvania Railroad line through Horseshoe Curve. The route east of Philadelphia is along the Northeast Corridor (originally owned by the PRR); the rest is the old main line of the PRR, consisting of the Amtrak-owned Keystone Corridor east of Harrisburg. Trains running through Philadelphia require a 20-30 minute reverse move and engine change at 30th Street Station.

Services on the Pennsylvanian includes coach, business class (reserved deluxe seating), dinette (for food, snacks, and drinks), and Railfone for public telephone access, which is available in the food service cars.

Details

The Pennsylvanian operates over Amtrak and Norfolk Southern Railway trackage:

• Amtrak Northeast Corridor, New York to Philadelphia
• Amtrak Philadelphia to Harrisburg Main Line, Philadelphia to Harrisburg
• NS Pittsburgh Line, Harrisburg to Pittsburgh

External links

• Amtrak - Pennsylvanian