Resolution from Bristol, Tennessee City Council
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Dec. 3, 2019: BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) – There’s been a vote of support for the extension of passenger rail service to Bristol, Virginia and south into Tennessee.
It’s in the form of a resolution by the Bristol, Tennessee City Council that will be sent to the Tennessee General Assembly next year. Click on the following links to read further: WJHL.com WCYB.com |
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We made the front cover of PTJ!
Tennesseans should be proud! Our one and only commuter train made the cover of Passenger Train Journal!
This is the 3rd quarter 2019 edition.
You can buy PTJ at Barnes & Noble bookstores or online at www.passengertrainjournal.com.
The old-timers in TARP will especially remember the commuter rail experiment using equipment from the Broadway Dinner Train to prove that the demand was there! We played a large part in those successful trial runs!
The article also mentions the two transit-oriented developments along the route and the expansion of parking at Mt. Juliet to meet growing demand.
We salute our fellow Tennessean Ralcon Wagner for his good work on this article!
STAR will get rebranded under WeGo Transit
The article in PTJ also mentions the ongoing work to rebrand the Music City Star under RTA's new brand name: WeGo Transit.
The goal of the rebranding is to create a more marketable name for the region's public transportation system. Under the new brand, the name of the train will be simplified and the cars, locomotives, and other identifiers will have a new color scheme.
We haven't found any enthusiasm among the Star riders regarding this plan. Sure, everybody wants a more marketable transit system. However, the Star has more serious issues that need be addressed, such as schedule frequency.
We truly hope that the rebranding is part of a more successful train service for Davidson and Wilson County. At the very least, we are proud to say that Tennessee has the only commuter train in the entire mid-South!
This is the 3rd quarter 2019 edition.
You can buy PTJ at Barnes & Noble bookstores or online at www.passengertrainjournal.com.
The old-timers in TARP will especially remember the commuter rail experiment using equipment from the Broadway Dinner Train to prove that the demand was there! We played a large part in those successful trial runs!
The article also mentions the two transit-oriented developments along the route and the expansion of parking at Mt. Juliet to meet growing demand.
We salute our fellow Tennessean Ralcon Wagner for his good work on this article!
STAR will get rebranded under WeGo Transit
The article in PTJ also mentions the ongoing work to rebrand the Music City Star under RTA's new brand name: WeGo Transit.
The goal of the rebranding is to create a more marketable name for the region's public transportation system. Under the new brand, the name of the train will be simplified and the cars, locomotives, and other identifiers will have a new color scheme.
We haven't found any enthusiasm among the Star riders regarding this plan. Sure, everybody wants a more marketable transit system. However, the Star has more serious issues that need be addressed, such as schedule frequency.
We truly hope that the rebranding is part of a more successful train service for Davidson and Wilson County. At the very least, we are proud to say that Tennessee has the only commuter train in the entire mid-South!
City of New Orleans restored to full route!
Amtrak's City of New Orleans (train #'s 58 & 59) operated on a truncated route beginning in early May.
High water levels in Louisiana required a number of spillways to be opened. Although the spillways help control flooding, the resulting water flow can increasing the risk of wash-out conditions on parts of the railroad.
As a result, trains have been truncating and originating in Memphis with substitute bus service to and from stations on the southern portion of the route.
Fortunately, the flood conditions subsided and Amtrak regained access to the full route on August 20th.
TARP is grateful to Amtrak for keeping the route in service as far south as Memphis and for keeping a connection in place to cities in Mississippi and Louisiana.
It's worth noting that in the May-June-July operating quarter, ridership on the City of New Orleans increased by 3.1% compared to last year. That's impressive considering the hardship on operations this season!
High water levels in Louisiana required a number of spillways to be opened. Although the spillways help control flooding, the resulting water flow can increasing the risk of wash-out conditions on parts of the railroad.
As a result, trains have been truncating and originating in Memphis with substitute bus service to and from stations on the southern portion of the route.
Fortunately, the flood conditions subsided and Amtrak regained access to the full route on August 20th.
TARP is grateful to Amtrak for keeping the route in service as far south as Memphis and for keeping a connection in place to cities in Mississippi and Louisiana.
It's worth noting that in the May-June-July operating quarter, ridership on the City of New Orleans increased by 3.1% compared to last year. That's impressive considering the hardship on operations this season!
Chef Madi came to Memphis!
The Summer by Rail program came to Memphis in July and gave our train some good publicity!
Chef Madi, this year's intern, arrived in Memphis on Amtrak's City of New Orleans and got a Tennessee welcome.
Madi then enjoyed two fun-filled days coordinated by the Memphis Tourism Board.
Her visit drew some much-needed attention to the fact that West Tennessee is served directly by Amtrak, and the service feeds a vital tourism industry!
Here is the link to very good write-up in the Daily Memphian.
For more information on the Summer by Rail initiative, log on to www.summerbyrail.com.
Chef Madi, this year's intern, arrived in Memphis on Amtrak's City of New Orleans and got a Tennessee welcome.
Madi then enjoyed two fun-filled days coordinated by the Memphis Tourism Board.
Her visit drew some much-needed attention to the fact that West Tennessee is served directly by Amtrak, and the service feeds a vital tourism industry!
Here is the link to very good write-up in the Daily Memphian.
For more information on the Summer by Rail initiative, log on to www.summerbyrail.com.
Nashville has a new Thruway Bus connection!
At long last we have a new Amtrak Thruway Bus Service that connects Nashville with Amtrak's Crescent in both directions at Birmingham!
TARP has been advocating for this service ever since construction started on Birmingham's $33 million dollar Gateway station.
Gateway station bring Amtrak's Crescent (train #'s 19 & 20) under the same roof as Greyhound, Megabus, and local MAX transit service. The facility also features a cafe and free parking.
The Nashville Thruway connection allows a seamless and guaranteed bus/rail connection. The service makes Amtrak a more appealing option for passengers traveling between Nashville and the various cities served by the Crescent, including:
The Thruway connection also includes a stop at Huntsville, AL, which will give potential Amtrak passengers in a population area of over one million people better access to the Crescent as well. The stop at Alabama will serve parts of Middle Tennessee we well.
The fares and schedule for the connecting bus and related train service are available at amtrak.com or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
TARP has been advocating for this service ever since construction started on Birmingham's $33 million dollar Gateway station.
Gateway station bring Amtrak's Crescent (train #'s 19 & 20) under the same roof as Greyhound, Megabus, and local MAX transit service. The facility also features a cafe and free parking.
The Nashville Thruway connection allows a seamless and guaranteed bus/rail connection. The service makes Amtrak a more appealing option for passengers traveling between Nashville and the various cities served by the Crescent, including:
- New York (Penn Station)
- Newark, NJ
- Philadelphia, PA
- Baltimore, MD
- Washington, DC
- Charlottesville, VA
- Lynchburg, VA
- Charlotte, NC
- Greenville, SC
- Atlanta, GA
- Tuscaloosa, AL
- Meridian, MS
- Hattiesburg, MS
- New Orleans, LA
The Thruway connection also includes a stop at Huntsville, AL, which will give potential Amtrak passengers in a population area of over one million people better access to the Crescent as well. The stop at Alabama will serve parts of Middle Tennessee we well.
The fares and schedule for the connecting bus and related train service are available at amtrak.com or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL.
