Extra Board
Welcome to Passenger Train Journal’s Extra Board! Enjoy previews and features from the pages of our magazine.
January 31, 2018
The Short, Troubled Life of Penn Central Passenger Trains
Penn Central’s managers believed that passenger service west of both Buffalo, N.Y., and Harrisburg, Pa., were financially hopeless cases. Most surviving trains either offered no amenities or provided minimal food service from snack bars.
January 8, 2018
Seaboard Coast Line Passenger Service
For three and a half years, Seaboard Coast Line passenger trains continued the tradition of its predecessor railroads in providing excellent service from the Midwest and Southeast to southern Florida, despite dark times in the industry during the late 1960s.
October 23, 2017
My Life at Amtrak: Part 2
In the fall of 1976 I moved from Amtrak’s Operations and Planning Department to the Marketing Research Department, which became my home for the next 19 years.
August 31, 2017
The South Wind
The Pennsylvania Railroad’s “South Wind” served Florida from Chicago by partnering with Atlantic Coast Line and Florida East Coast Railway.
May 15, 2017
Countdown to Brightline
Brightline is well on its way to proving that a private intercity rail passenger venture just may work and even be profitable. What gives wonder to it all is that Brightline arose from the DNA of the Florida East Coast Railroad, whose roots date from the late 1800s and was a premier passenger carrier into the latter half of the 20th century.
March 10, 2017
CZ by KZ: Amtrak’s California Zephyr
Amtrak’s California Zephyr nearly follows the same schedule as the original train launched by the Burlington, Rio Grande, and Western Pacific railroads in 1949.
February 20, 2017
Passenger Trains of the Lehigh Valley Railroad
More than 55 years have passed since the Lehigh Valley Railroad abandoned its last passenger trains in 1961. At the time it was one of the largest railroads to do so and followed the Maine Central and Bangor & Aroostook in discontinuing what had been a mature service offering sleeping and dining service along with basic coaches.
February 13, 2017
Transforming the Long Island Rail Road
New York State, the MTA, and the LIRR are making a big bet that an expanded network, increased track capacity, new and improved stations and new rolling stock will improve service and remove some of the constraints on the railroad’s growth.
January 9, 2017
My Life on Amtrak
I’ve never been a big fan of flying. While I don’t have nearly the same kind of crushing anxiety I used to about getting on a plane, it’s still not my favorite way to travel. While planes are great for quick hops across the country, I try to work train travel into my schedule whenever I can.
December 23, 2016
Springfield Union Station
After 43 years of being shuttered, the majestic 1926 Springfield Union station is set to reopen thanks to an $88.5-million restoration and redevelopment project.
