"Carolinian Trains 79 and 80 -Service Change - Effective June 22 Only Trains 79 and 80 will operate on an alternate route and will not stop at stations between Alexandria, Va., and Greensboro, N.C., on June 22."
These named points say that all the RF&P - ACL - Raleigh-Greensboro line stations are being skipped. Seems like that would equal a tour down the Southern main Charlottesville - Lynchburg - Danville.
This should put the train into Greensboro about 1.5 to 2 hours early southbound and into Alexandria VA about the same 1.5 to 2 hours early northbound.
You can still make a Raleigh to the north daytime trip, you just have to leave a little earlier and you will be doing it Southern Railway all the way. Ride the Piedmont between Raleigh and Greensboro and then you ride the Carolinian to/from the north.
Posts: 2808 | From: Olive Branch MS | Registered: Nov 2002
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Thanks for the heads up, George. Would love to take that trip, but will be watching the Atlanta Braves that day.
While I understand that NC is footing part of the bill for the Carolinian, wouldn't it make more sense for the Carolinian to take that route every day?
For those wanting to go to Richmond, have a connection from Greensboro- Raleigh- Rocky Mount that connects to the Palmetto in Rocky Mount.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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My last two daytime trip on the Southern Main north of Greensboro were both pulled by steam locomotives! One was a November 1980 or 81 one-way trip from Salisbury to Alexandria behind a Canadian Pacific locomotive numbered 2839. The other was a Manassas - Lynchburg roundtrip with the great Norfolk & Western 611 in the fall of 1992.
I'd love to do this trip southbound if I could find an affordable way to get to Alexandria without having to board the Crescent at 3:00am and ride coach. (Roomette fare is an additional $347.00........I've already checked!).
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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How about this for the hardcore SRR fan: Southwest has a $120 fare for 6/22: Lv Raleigh 11:30am arv BWI 12:30om. Leave your car at Cary and take a tzxi to the airport. On your return, get off at Greensboro and then the Piedmont to Cary.
Sadly It don't think I've ever had a daylight trip on the Southern between Washington and the Carolinas, although took various journeys on the Southerner, Crescent, Birmingham Special and Peach Queen.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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Let me research a little bit but I need to look at Airtran from Charlotte to BWI. No matter how you slice it, I have a 2 hour 45 minute drive home from Charlotte after #79 arrives and a 5:45am wakeup followed by a 45 minute commute to work (due there at 7:15am) the next morning.
Note that I also had a daylight ride in June 1975 aboard the old Piedmont, Southern Railway #6 from Salisbury to Washington.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
It's a great route in daylight. I did the part north of Lynchburg on the 611 inaugural and on the old Southern mixed train during Amtrak's early years. Later I rode the American Orient Express which ran daylight WAS-Greensboro.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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