Misplaced Pages

#783216

52-690: The Crescent is a daily long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and New Orleans (the "Crescent City"). The 1,377-mile (2,216 km) route connects the Northeast to the Gulf Coast via the Appalachian Piedmont , with major stops in Charlotte, North Carolina ; Atlanta, Georgia ; and Birmingham, Alabama . Most of the route of the Crescent

104-463: A fee. However, baggage and bikes cannot be checked at certain unstaffed stations. Small dogs and cats in carriers are allowed on trips shorter than seven hours for an additional fee. Service animals are exempt from pet restrictions. All long-distance routes have café car service offering takeaway meals, snacks, drinks, and alcohol. As of 2023 , sleeping car passengers also have access to one of two types of restaurant-style dining. Traditional Dining

156-646: A lounge car for the exclusive use by sleeping car passengers. As part of Amtrak's Network Growth Strategy (NGS), adding a section from Meridian, Mississippi to Fort Worth, Texas has been discussed since the early 2000s, with the route having supposed to been up and running by 2002. The plan fell through when Amtrak abandoned the NGS. However, in March 2023, Amtrak announced that it is seeking federal funding to once again study this proposal. Due to Kansas City Southern Railway 's (KCS) continued opposition to hosting this train on

208-657: A push by its partners to discontinue passenger operations, the Southern Railway merged the Southerner and the Crescent into one service: the Southern Crescent. The new train used the route of the Southerner, operating via Birmingham instead of Mobile. Although the Birmingham route was slightly longer, it was fully owned by the Southern Railway and therefore more reliable. The Southern Crescent

260-548: A run-through Amtrak 10-6 sleeper on those days to connect to the Sunset Limited . On occasion, when the Southern deemed an Amtrak car to be short of its standards, it substituted a Southern sleeper in the consist. Additionally, one of the two dome coaches in the Southern car fleet was added for the leg south of Atlanta. The Southern Crescent was one of the last two privately operated long-distance passenger services in

312-566: A solution, Congress created Amtrak, a government-owned company, to operate intercity rail as a public service. Most railroads opted-in and transferred their passenger rail operations to Amtrak on May 1, 1971. After the Southern Railway opted-in to Amtrak in 1979, and the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1983, Amtrak was left as the sole long-distance train operator in the US. In

364-831: A terminus and an intermediate stop. In FY2023, Amtrak's long-distance trains carried 3,944,124 riders, around 14% of the company's total. However, the routes account for about 42% of passenger miles traveled. Amtrak operates two types of long-distance trains: single-level and bi-level. Due to height restrictions on the Northeast Corridor , all six routes that terminate at New York Penn Station operate as single-level trains with Amfleet coaches and Viewliner sleeping cars. The remaining nine long-distance routes operate as bi-level trains with Superliner coaches and sleeping cars. Both single-level and bi-level trains are equipped with Viewliner baggage cars . Amtrak plans to replace all of its long-distance rail cars by 2032, except for

416-485: A usual consist on the Crescent includes: Amtrak plans to replace the Amfleet cars with new long-distance cars by 2032. [REDACTED] Greyhound Lines [REDACTED] Media related to Crescent (train) at Wikimedia Commons Long-distance Amtrak routes [REDACTED] The Long Distance Service Line is the division of Amtrak responsible for operating all intercity passenger train services in

468-525: Is available on eight routes and consists of full table service in a dining car . Six routes instead feature Flexible Dining, where passengers may order hot meals to be delivered to their room or lounge. Passengers may also bring their own food and drink. Amtrak provides free basic Wi-Fi on seven of its long-distance routes: the Auto Train , Cardinal , Crescent , Lake Shore Limited , Palmetto , Silver Meteor , and Floridian . The service

520-678: Is distinct from its Northeast Corridor and state-supported services. All trains except the Palmetto involve at least one night of travel, and so are outfitted with sleeping and dining cars . Routes depart once daily in each direction, at most, so some stops are served only at night. Delays are commonplace on long-distance trains, as the tracks are generally controlled by freight railroad companies. While anchored by major cities, long-distance trains also serve many rural communities en route (unlike commercial flights). A minority of passengers ride an entire route at once, with most traveling between

572-579: Is intended to support low-bandwidth uses only. Onboard internet is dependent on cell towers along the route of the train, so speed and availability correspond to regional cell coverage. Amtrak's long-distance network is a legacy of the railroad age , when trains operated by private railroad companies were the fastest and sometimes only mode of intercity transportation. The mid-20th century saw steep disinvestment in passenger rail relative to air and highway travel. Passenger trains became financial burdens for railroad companies, who sought to discontinue them. As

SECTION 10

#1732776727784

624-716: Is on the Norfolk Southern Railway . It is the successor of the Southern Crescent , introduced in 1970 by Norfolk Southern's predecessor, the Southern Railway . Today's Crescent is a direct descendant of the Southerner , a streamlined passenger train operated by the Southern Railway from 1941 to 1970. The daily train followed essentially the same route as the modern Crescent , providing sleeper service between New York and New Orleans via Washington, Atlanta, and Birmingham. Since its inception,

676-837: The City of San Francisco was renamed the San Francisco Zephyr and the Lake Shore was discontinued. The Inter-American entered service in 1973 as short-distance train between Laredo and Fort Worth . It was extended north to St. Louis in 1974 and further to Chicago in 1976. In 1974 Amtrak renamed the Super Chief to the Southwest Limited and the Texas Chief to the Lone Star following

728-609: The Crescent and Silver Meteor in 1981. The conversion of the Silver Star on March 10, 1982, completed Amtrak's transition to HEP equipment. (Most of the western long-distance trains were converted to new Superliner equipment in 1979–1981.) The final cars from the main HEP program were completed in March 1983. A small number of cars were converted later, including several dome cars in 1984. The HEP conversion program

780-612: The Empire Builder became the first route to receive the new locomotives. In FY2022, Amtrak's long-distance trains averaged 48 mph (77 km/h) between stations. Dwell time at stations averaged four minutes each, while dwell time at stations with crew changes or enroute servicing averaged 20 minutes each. Trains operating on the Northeast Corridor reach top speeds of 125 mph (201 km/h) in some stretches. The top speed for long-distance trains outside

832-588: The Empire Builder divides at Spokane , with sections to Seattle and Portland . Eastbound from Chicago the Lake Shore Limited divides at Albany–Rensselaer , with sections to New York and Boston . The Texas Eagle and Sunset Limited are combined between Los Angeles and San Antonio , where the Texas Eagle continues to Chicago and the Sunset Limited to New Orleans . On

884-533: The Empire Builder was rerouted to St. Cloud . Meanwhile, the Southern Railway transferred its last remaining passenger route, the Southern Crescent , to Amtrak, who renamed it the Crescent . The Desert Wind also entered service in 1979. In 1981 the Capitol Limited began service, while the Inter-American was truncated to San Antonio, stripped of its Houston section, and renamed

936-640: The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway revoking permission to use the "Chief" names. The Mountaineer and Lake Shore Limited began service in 1975, and the Palmetto in 1976. The Mountaineer lasted only until 1977, at which point it was replaced by the Hilltopper . The Pioneer also entered service in 1977, and the James Whitcomb Riley was renamed the Cardinal . 1979

988-714: The Capitol Limited , creating a single Chicago–Washington–Miami route: the Floridian . This was the first direct train service between the Midwest and Florida since the 1979 discontinuance of the original Floridian , albeit following a longer route. St. Petersburg, FL Miami, FL Miami, FL In 2017, North Carolina and Connecticut were in talks to extend the Carolinian from New York to New Haven . The resultant 779-mile (1,254 km) route would cross

1040-483: The Crescent was reduced to tri-weekly operation from April 2, 1995, to November 11, 1996 (quad-weekly from November 1995 to February 1996). When Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana , Mississippi , and Alabama in August 2005, the Crescent was temporarily truncated to Atlanta. Service was restored first as far as Meridian, Mississippi , while Norfolk Southern crews worked to repair the damage to their lines serving

1092-755: The D&;RGW's Rio Grande Zephyr between Denver and Salt Lake City , renaming the train the California Zephyr . Amtrak also began operating the Auto Train in 1983. In 1984 Amtrak renamed the Southwest Limited to the Southwest Chief alongside the deployment of Superliner equipment, and also initiated the River Cities as a section of the City of New Orleans . In 1988

SECTION 20

#1732776727784

1144-731: The Eagle was renamed the Texas Eagle , and in 1989 Amtrak began the Gulf Breeze as a section of the Crescent . In 1990 the Capitol Limited and Broadway Limited were rerouted between Pittsburgh and Chicago, bypassing Fort Wayne . The Capitol Limited was moved to serve Cleveland and South Bend , the Broadway Limited to Youngstown and Akron . Amtrak extended the Sunset Limited east to Florida in 1993, creating its only coast-to-coast route. The River Cities

1196-475: The Eagle . The Empire Builder was rerouted to Wenatchee , bypassing the Yakima Valley , while a Portland section was added. The Panama Limited was renamed back to the City of New Orleans in hopes of capitalizing on the song of the same name . The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad opted-in to Amtrak in 1983. As a result, Amtrak rerouted its San Francisco Zephyr over the former route of

1248-618: The I-20 corridor . In July 2024 the United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Railway , alleging that they did not give priority to Amtrak's Crescent on about 1,140 miles of Norfolk Southern-owned tracks as required by federal law. According to the lawsuit and audits conducted by Amtrak, about one out of every four southbound Crescent services arrived at their destination on-time in 2023. A spokesman for Norfolk Southern said that delays on

1300-650: The Meridian Speedway , the study was dependent on a proposed merger between the KCS and Canadian Pacific Railway being approved by the United States Surface Transportation Board . This merger was approved on March 15, 2023, and officially went into effect on April 14, 2023, allowing this proposal to move forward. In June 2023, Amtrak applied for funding to begin the project to extend service from Mississippi to Texas along

1352-477: The Northeast Corridor . The unusually harsh winter of 1976–1977 sidelined much of the steam-heated fleet, causing cancellation of most Amtrak service in the Midwest for two months. The HEP-equipped Amfleet corridor cars handled the weather better; some were even pressed into service on long-distance routes. On May 26, 1977, Amtrak began a program to convert steam-heat cars to HEP at Beech Grove Shops . The rebuild cost $ 250,000–$ 400,000 per car – one-third

1404-566: The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA), Congress divided Amtrak's routes into three strictly-defined service lines: Northeast Corridor routes, short distance corridors (less than 750 mi (1,210 km)), and long-distance routes of more than 750 mi (1,210 km). Unlike short distance "state-supported" corridors, long-distance routes could continue to receive full federal funding. In Amtrak's first year, 1971, it significantly overhauled

1456-474: The Viewliner II fleet. Long-distance trains are typically hauled by GE Genesis diesel locomotives. Trains which traverse the Northeast Corridor use Siemens ACS-64 electric locomotives for that segment of their routes, switching engines at Washington Union Station . Amtrak is in the process of replacing all of its long-distance locomotives with diesel-electric Siemens Charger units by 2032. In 2022

1508-598: The " Rainbow Era ". This created maintenance difficulties: mechanics from one railroad were not familiar with the equipment from another. Almost all of the secondhand equipment was steam heated ; only eight cars from the Keystone and 16 ex- C&NW cars had head-end power (HEP). Amtrak acquired its first large HEP fleet, the Amfleet cars, in 1975–76. The company converted 30 ex-US Army troop kitchen cars to baggage cars with HEP in 1976 to operate with Amfleet cars on

1560-472: The 21st century. By 2011, 101 ex-steam-heat cars remained active: 67 baggage cars, 20 dining cars, five "Pacific Parlour" Hi-Level lounge cars, one dome car, and eight non-revenue cars. The Viewliner II cars, delivered from 2014 to 2021, replaced the remaining Heritage Fleet baggage and dining cars were used on the Eastern single-level trains. The final use of the remaining Pacific Parlour cars on

1612-711: The 750-mile (1,210 km) threshold required to categorize the Carolinian as a long-distance train, thus freeing North Carolina of its funding obligations. In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act . Section 22214 of the law orders the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to study the restoration of all long-distance Amtrak routes that had been discontinued, daily service on non-daily trains (the Cardinal and Sunset Limited ), and

Crescent (train) - Misplaced Pages Continue

1664-473: The FRA released its preferred draft network of fifteen new long-distance routes. The plan would increase the coverage of the long-distance Amtrak network by 23,200 route miles, reaching an additional 45 million population, 61 metropolitan statistical areas, 24 congressional districts, twelve National Park Service sites , and two states ( Wyoming and South Dakota ). Another round of public input will take place before

1716-482: The Gulf Coast. Amtrak restored Crescent and City of New Orleans service to New Orleans on October 9, 2005. From July 10 to September 1, 2017, the train terminated at Washington, D.C. instead of New York City due to track work at Penn Station. Starting October 1, 2019, traditional dining car services were removed and replaced with a reduced menu of 'Flexible Dining' options. As a result, the dining car serves as

1768-427: The Southern assigned it operating numbers 819 and 820. The train began using rebuilt Heritage Fleet equipment in 1981. On October 28, 1989, Amtrak added a section of the Crescent between Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama , known as the Gulf Breeze . It ran until April 1, 1995, when it was cancelled due to budget issues. A replacement Amtrak Thruway bus ran until October 16, 1997. The Atlanta–New Orleans portion of

1820-601: The United States longer than 750 miles (1,210 km). There are fourteen such routes as of 2024 , serving over 300 stations in 39 states. Amtrak's long-distance routes form the backbone of the US national rail network, providing an alternative to intercity drives or flights. They are also noted for their scenery, and are popular as vacations and experiential travel. A few routes provide direct service to National Parks , with Amtrak Thruway buses reaching many more. The rider experience of Amtrak's long-distance trains

1872-482: The United States, the other being the Rio Grande Zephyr . However, mounting revenue losses and equipment-replacement expenses forced Southern Railway to leave the passenger business. The Southern Railway turned over full operation of the Southern Crescent to Amtrak on February 1, 1979. Amtrak simplified the name to the Crescent and renumbered it 19 southbound and 20 northbound, though for several years

1924-615: The cost of new equipment. Beech Grove was initially to handle all 500 cars selected for HEP conversion, but 175 were overhauled elsewhere to speed the process. In a separate program, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway handled the conversion of the Hi-Levels in its Topeka, Kansas shops. On October 15, 1979, the Lake Shore Limited was the first Amtrak route to be permanently assigned HEP-equipped Heritage Fleet cars. The Broadway Limited followed in March–April 1980, then

1976-399: The final set of routes are recommended to Congress in spring 2024. Heritage Fleet When Amtrak took over most intercity passenger service in the United States in 1971, the company selected the best equipment from its predecessor railroads . Amtrak selected about 1,190 of the circa 3,000 passenger cars available; all were air-conditioned, and over 90% were stainless steel. None of

2028-419: The initial cars came from Penn Central due to its bankruptcy proceedings, even though it was the source of a substantial proportion of Amtrak's initial trains. Amtrak acquired additional secondhand equipment from various railroads, including Penn Central, during the 1970s. Amtrak used its secondhand equipment across its national system – often with cars from multiple railroads seen in a single train, creating

2080-727: The long-distance rail network in the United States. In addition to selecting which existing routes to retain, Amtrak created several new routes: the Coast Starlight , North Coast Hiawatha , and Lake Shore . It also renamed several routes: the Spirit of St. Louis became the National Limited , the City of New Orleans the Panama Limited , and the South Wind the Floridian . The following year, 1972,

2132-434: The middle leg of the Southern Crescent route. Amtrak took over most inter-city passenger trains in the United States on May 1, 1971, but the Southern Railway initially opted out. Amtrak did inherit most of Penn Central's passenger services, including the haulage agreement for the Southern Crescent . For a portion of the mid-1970s, the Southern Crescent only operated tri-weekly between Atlanta and New Orleans, and carried

Crescent (train) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2184-456: The northeast is 100 mph (160 km/h), reached by the Texas Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis . In a practice not seen elsewhere in the Amtrak network, four long-distance trains divide partway along their routes. This allows trains to serve multiple endpoints without requiring passengers to transfer, and provides efficiency over the shared route segments. Westbound from Chicago

2236-690: The possibility of new long-distance routes—particularly those that were discontinued upon the formation of Amtrak. Work on the Amtrak Daily Long-Distance Service Study began in September 2022. Materials published in February 2023 indicated that the FRA was studying 18 discontinued long-distance Amtrak routes, as well as four that were discontinued in 1971: the City of Miami , George Washington , Pan-American , and San Francisco Chief . In February 2024,

2288-544: The rail network. The Silver Palm was renamed to Palmetto in 2002, restoring the route's former name. In 2005 the Three Rivers was discontinued following the cancellation of a related Postal Service contract. That same year, the Sunset Limited was suspended east of New Orleans due to track damage from Hurricane Katrina . In November 2024 Amtrak truncated the Silver Star at Washington and merged it with

2340-402: The reverse trips the trains are coupled at these stations. All long-distance Amtrak trains have checked baggage service, save for the Auto Train , which instead allows passengers to transport items in their vehicles. On every other route, passengers are allowed two personal items, two carry-on bags, and two free checked bags. Two additional bags, oversized bags, and bicycles may be checked for

2392-537: The route had been reduced in recent months and that they were "committed to complying with the law, working together, and honoring our commitments." The tracks used were once part of the Pennsylvania Railroad ; Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad ; Southern Railway and North Carolina Railroad systems; they are now owned by Amtrak , CSX Transportation , and Norfolk Southern Railway , respectively. The following lines are used: As of 2024,

2444-560: The sister train of the Southerner was a second New York–New Orleans sleeper, the Southern Railway's Crescent . The two trains shared generally the same route between New York and Atlanta , but diverged between Atlanta and New Orleans. The Crescent took a more coastal route, operating via Mobile and Montgomery over Atlanta and West Point Railroad , Western Railway of Alabama , and Louisville & Nashville Railroad trackage. The Southerner stayed inland to run exclusively on Southern Railway trackage through Birmingham. In 1970, amid

2496-597: Was numbered 1 southbound and 2 northbound. Penn Central carried it between Washington and New York along the Northeast Corridor , inheriting the longstanding haulage agreement from the Pennsylvania Railroad. For most of the 1970s, the Southern Crescent was supplemented by the Piedmont , a former New York–New Orleans train that had been cut back to a regional Atlanta–Washington (later Charlotte–Washington and Salisbury –Washington) service running along

2548-590: Was a year of major restructuring. Six long-distance routes were discontinued by the Carter Administration for not meeting a minimum farebox recovery ratio: the Lone Star , Champion , North Coast Hiawatha , National Limited , Floridian , and Hilltopper . As limited compensation, a Houston section was added to the Inter-American , a St. Petersburg section to the Silver Meteor , and

2600-571: Was discontinued the same year. Amtrak discontinued the Tampa section of the Silver Meteor in 1994. In 1995 Amtrak discontinued the Gulf Breeze , Palmetto , and Broadway Limited , the latter being partially replaced with the short-distance Three Rivers . Meanwhile, the City of New Orleans was rerouted west to Greenwood between Memphis and Jackson . In 1996 the Three Rivers

2652-531: Was extended to Chicago and the Silver Palm was introduced, essentially restoring service on the routes of the Broadway Limited and Palmetto that had ended the prior year. The Sunset Limited was rerouted to bypass Phoenix at the request of Union Pacific . In 1997, funding issues forced Amtrak to discontinue the Desert Wind and Pioneer , severing Las Vegas , Wyoming , and Southern Idaho from

SECTION 50

#1732776727784

2704-401: Was intended to wring about ten additional years of service out of the aging cars. Amfleet II coaches began replacing older coaches on the Broadway Limited in 1982 and the Lake Shore Limited in 1983, and Heritage Fleet coaches were gone from the latter by 1990. Viewliner sleeping cars replaced Heritage Fleet sleepers in the 1990s. Nevertheless, some Heritage Fleet cars remained in use into

#783216