As I posted before, I am now faced with a major inconvenience. I always used to connect to the east-bound Three Rivers upon arriving into Chicago from the west---when it HAD a sleeper. I no longer have that option, and I refuse to take Coach over-nite.

The east-bound Capitol is simply not a viable option because (in most cases) it is virtually impossible to connect with it , same day , from the west. I would like to know just how many times last year (if any) connections from the Builder, Chief , or Zephyr were possible to the Capitol---same day, that is.

It just does not make sense to me have the Capitol depart so early from Chicago, thus denying possible same day connections from the west. Of course, many of Amtrak's decisions of late make no sense. The "benefits" of an early arrival into DC , in my opinion , are FAR out-weighed by the both the inconvenience to east-bound passengers who MISS same-day connections to the Capitol , AND the cost of "over-niteing" those passengers in Chicago. It would have to be a tremendous expense----that could be avoided by simply moving back the Capitol's departure time to where it was previously , about 7:30 PM. In that case, at least SOME connections to it from the west were possible.

To connect to the Capitol now, I must overnite in Chicago at my own expense, then face a 4:00 AM arrival time back into Pittsburgh---YIKES !!! Thanks, but no thanks.

I probably will end up overniteing in Chicago, then FLYING back to Pittsburgh the next day sometime---which, of course means less of my business for Amtrak.