Pennsylvanian (train)

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Pennsylvanian
Amtrak "Pennsylvanian" at Bryn Mawr, PA.jpg
Pennsylvanian passing Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Overview
Status Operating
First service April 27, 1980
Current operator(s) Amtrak
Average ridership 568 daily
207,422 total (FY11)[1]
Route
Start New York City, New York
No. of intermediate stops 17
End Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Distance travelled 444 miles (715 km)
Average journey time 9 hours, 20 minutes
Train number(s) 42, 43,
On-board services
Class(es) Standard and Business Class
Seating arrangements Reserved Coach Seat
Catering facilities Dinette
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Track owner(s) Norfolk Southern Railway
Amtrak

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 passes through New Jersey enroute 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.[2]

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.[1]

Contents

History [edit]

The Pennsylvanian is the replacement of the former Keystone service between New York and Pittsburgh. Prior to Amtrak, the route was known as the Duquesne, named after Fort Duquesne in Pittsburgh, and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Duquesne had a long history, finally becoming a daily New York-Pittsburgh train on October 25, 1959, numbered 16 eastbound and 25 westbound. With the start of Amtrak operations on May 1, 1971 the Duquesne was renamed the Keystone and renumbered 42 westbound and 43 eastbound with the first Amtrak timetable on November 14, 1971. The Keystone was discontinued on June 10, 1972. 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. 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.[3][4] 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.[5]

Between 1981 and 1983, Pennsylvanian equipment was turned every night to operate a second state-supported train, the Fort Pitt, which ran from Pittsburgh to Altoona.[6] Amtrak withdrew this train in early 1983 after the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) declined to continue subsidizing the increased operation. At the time the Fort Pitt carried 30 passengers per day.[7]

After significant ridership gains in 1984 PennDOT that a second train be added to the route. PennDOT and Amtrak would have split the costs evenly. Amtrak officials were favorable, but budget problems stalled the plan.[8]

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.[9] Pressure increased in 1989 when 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.[10] 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.[11]

Amtrak's "Pennsylvanian" passing Rosemont, Pennsylvania

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.[12][13] 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.[14] 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 Pennsylvania to keep both trains running. On March 8, 2005 Amtrak truncated service to Pittsburgh—New York and restored the Pennsylvanian name to the route.[15][16]

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.[17] 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.[17]

On January 28, 2011, it was announced that 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.[18]

Route [edit]

The Pennsylvanian operates over the following trackage:

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Amtrak Ridership Rolls Up Best-Ever Records" (PDF). Amtrak. 13 October 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2012. 
  2. ^ "Amtrak System Timetable". Amtrak. October 26, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-21. 
  3. ^ Fisher, Ken (April 28, 1980). "Amtrak Train Begins Daylight State Crossing". Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  4. ^ Amtrak (August 3, 1980). "National Train Timetable". Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  5. ^ McCann, Tom (April 23, 1980). "Amtrak, PennDOT expand service". Daily Collegian. Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  6. ^ McCann, Tom (April 15, 1981). "Amtrak expands service: Western Pa. to get Three full runs". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 2009-08-09. 
  7. ^ "Train serving Latrobe, Greensburg finished". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. December 24, 1982. Retrieved 2009-08-09. 
  8. ^ Fisher, Ken (January 7, 1986). "Second train to New York put on hold". Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2010-08-21. 
  9. ^ Sterling, Joe (March 15, 1989). "Amtrak may OK area stop for route". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 2010-08-21. 
  10. ^ Utterback, Debra (November 14, 1989). "Amtrak train heads for Beaver Falls, but it won't be stopping". Beaver Country Times. Retrieved 2010-08-21. 
  11. ^ Moore, Lori (September 28, 1990). "Group continues call for trains stop". Beaver Country Times. Retrieved 2010-08-21. 
  12. ^ "All Aboard: Amtrak schedule changes are what it has to do". Post-Gazette. September 9, 1998. Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  13. ^ Amtrak (October 25, 1998). "National Timetable". Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  14. ^ Patch, David (December 11, 2002). "Amtrak trims Toledo service". Toledo Blade. Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  15. ^ Ritchie, Jim (October 1, 2004). "PennDOT won't chip in for cross-state train". Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  16. ^ Ritchie, Jim (March 6, 2005). "Pittsburgh to be end of the line for train". Tribune-Review. Retrieved 2010-08-17. 
  17. ^ a b "PRIIA Section 210 FY10 Performance Improvement Plan Capitol Limited". Trains Magazine. Amtrak. Retrieved 13 November 2010. 
  18. ^ "Feds pledge $750G for rail study". Johnstown Tribune Democrat. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 29 January 2011. 

External links [edit]

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