Metroliner (train)

Metroliner was a premium express train service run by Amtrak between Washington, D.C., and New York City in the United States. The train offered reserved business class and first class seating. A trip between New York's Pennsylvania Station and Washington, D.C.'s Union Station took 3 hours. Amtrak has replaced Metroliner service with Acela Express trainsets, and to this end, Metroliner service was discontinued on 27 October 2006.

History

The High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965 started a U.S. Government effort to develop a high speed train for Northeast Corridor service. The U.S. Department of Transportation worked with the Pennsylvania Railroad, Budd Company, General Electric and Westinghouse to develop a Multiple unit high speed passenger train with initial service target for 1967.

After several setbacks, Metroliner service started on January 16, 1969, operated by Penn Central Transportation, successor to the Pennsylvania Railroad. The initial trip between New York and Washington took 2:59, 36 minutes faster than the previous best. The train consisted of six cars; 2 club cars and six snack bar coaches, full coaches weren't added until October. By April of 1969 the fastest scheduled train took 2:30 running at 125 mph.

The Metroliner was wildly successful, some trains having three times as many people trying to buy tickets as there were seats. With the creation of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation in 1971, the Metroliner trains were transferred to Amtrak.

During the prolonged labor strike at Eastern Shuttle many passengers defected to the Metroliner service.

With the increasing popularity of the faster and more modern Acela Express, the last Metroliner service operated on Friday 27 October, 2006.

Current train

The original electric multiple-unit trains built under the mid-1960's contracts were retired from service in the first part of the 1980's. Many of those cars were scrapped, but some have been preserved in museums. Others were converted by Amtrak into Amfleet-style coaches and lounges. Some of these cars have been converted for cab car use elsewhere on the Amtrak system. Metroliner service today consisted of AEM-7 locomotives pulling conventional Amfleet I and II coaches (the design of the coaches is derived from the Metroliner design). Expanded Metroliner service was initiated by Amtrak when issues developed with the Acela Express trainset braking systems. As trainsets were repaired, the number of Metroliner service trains declined to the current level,then were discontinued.

Station stops

The last schedule in effect for the Metroliner (effective April 24, 2006), which consisted of one weekday round-trip Metroliner train (2300 northbound departing Washington at 10:00 AM; 2301 southbound departing New York at 6:00 PM) made the following station stops:

New York

• New York Penn Station

New Jersey

• Newark Penn Station
• Metropark
• Trenton

Pennsylvania

• Philadelphia 30th Street Station

Delaware

• Wilmington

Maryland

• Baltimore Penn Station
• BWI Airport

District of Columbia

• Washington Union Station

Template:Amtrak NE |}

External links

• Amtrak - Metroliner