regional

HHP-8 #653 leads Amtrak train 157
Overview
Service type	Regional rail
Status	Operating
Locale	Northeastern United States
Current operator(s)	Amtrak
Average ridership	18,960 (2009 per day) 6,920,610 (2009 total)[1]
Route
Start	Boston or Springfield, Massachusetts
No. of intermediate stops	35 between Boston and Newport News, 7 on Springfield branch
End	Newport News or Lynchburg, Virginia
Distance travelled	664 mi (1,069 km)
Average journey time	12 hours 30 minutes
Service frequency	18 trains per day[2]
On-board services
Seating arrangements	Airline-style coach seating
Catering facilities	On-board café
Baggage facilities	Checked baggage available at selected stations
Technical
Gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Operating speed	max: 125 mph (201 km/h)
Route map Legend Springfield ~ Wallingford  94 mi (151 km)Springfield MA/CT border 109 mi (175 km) Windsor Locks 114 mi (183 km) Windsor 120 mi (193 km) Hartford 131 mi (211 km) Berlin 138 mi (222 km) Meriden 144 mi (232 km) Wallingford 0 mi (0 km) Boston South Station 1 mi (2 km) Boston Back Bay Station 11 mi (18 km) Rt. 128 MA/RI border 43 mi (69 km) Providence 70 mi (113 km) Kingston 87 mi (140 km) Westerly RI/CT border 96 mi (154 km) Mystic 105 mi (169 km) New London 123 mi (198 km) Old Saybrook 156 mi (251 km) New Haven 173 mi (278 km) Bridgeport 195 mi (314 km) Stamford CT/NY border 212 mi (341 km) New Rochelle 231 mi (372 km) New York Penn Station NY/NJ border 241 mi (388 km) Newark Penn Station 244 mi (393 km) Newark Airport 255 mi (410 km) Metropark 263 mi (423 km) New Brunswick 279 mi (449 km) Princeton Junction 289 mi (465 km) Trenton NJ/PA border 305 mi (491 km) Cornwells Heights 318 mi (512 km) North Philadelphia 322 mi (518 km) Philadelphia PA/DE border 347 mi (558 km) Wilmington 359 mi (578 km) Newark DE/MD border 386 mi (621 km) Aberdeen 416 mi (669 km) Baltimore 427 mi (687 km) BWI Airport 448 mi (721 km) New Carrollton MD/DC border 457 mi (735 km) Washington D.C. DC/VA border 465 mi (748 km) Alexandria 471 mi (758 km) Franconia-Springfield 481 mi (774 km) Woodbridge 491 mi (790 km) Quantico 511 mi (822 km) Fredericksburg 555 mi (893 km) Ashland 566 mi (911 km) Richmond Staples Mill Road 573 mi (922 km) Richmond Main Street 621 mi (999 km) Williamsburg 644 mi (1,036 km) Newport News Burke Centre ~ Lynchburg  Burke Centre 490 mi (789 km) Manassas 525 mi (845 km) Culpeper 569 mi (916 km) Charlottesville 630 mi (1,014 km) Lynchburg

The Northeast Regional is a regional rail service operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern United States. In the past, it has also been known as the NortheastDirect, Acela Regional, and Regional. It is by far the busiest Amtrak route, carrying 6.9 million passengers in fiscal 2009. The second-busiest Amtrak service is the Acela Express which carried just over 3 million passengers the same year.^[1]

There is frequent daily all-reserved service, operating every hour of every day. Trains generally operate between Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C., with extra service between New York City and Washington and some extended service to Springfield, Massachusetts, and Newport News and Lynchburg, Virginia.

Travel times are approximately 4.5 hours between Newport News and Washington, 2 hours between Washington and Philadelphia, 1.5 hours between Philadelphia and New York, 3.5 hours between New York and Springfield, and 4 hours between New York and Boston.

Equipment

Trains are usually 6 to 10 cars long, with an electric locomotive pulling at the head end between Boston and Washington at speeds up to 125 MPH. The electric locomotives include the AEM-7 class, built 1978–1987 for the now retired Metroliner service with 7000 horsepower (5.2 MW); rebuilt AEM-7's (AEM-7AC) with 8000 horsepower (6 MW); and Bombardier/Alstom HHP-8 built 1999–2002, also with 8000 horsepower (6 MW). The latter locomotives are not as commonly used on Regionals, since they are standard power on long-distance trains that use the Northeast Corridor (the Cardinal, the Carolinian, the Crescent, the Palmetto, the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star). Diesel engines are used south of Washington, because overhead electrification is no longer present on that section of the route. This, combined with lower demand for travel to Richmond, means that most Northeast Regional trains have their southern terminus at Washington D.C. Trains on non-electrified sections south of Washington, D.C., and on the Springfield line use P42DCs until they reach the NEC.

The cars are Amfleet I series passenger cars built by the Budd Company in the mid to late 1970s. Prior to March 2008 when Amtrak changed its format for the new Northeast Regional service, the first car was Business Class (formerly the last car), and the second car was the operational Café Car (formerly the second-to-last car). Today, all regional trains have the cafe in the middle of the train, but the business class car is still on the front. If a second Café Car is present, it is only used for passenger seating. Rarely, there will be no business class car, but instead limited business class seating at the front of the Café Car featuring wider seats than typical business class (3 across).

History

The logo used for Northeast Regional services from 1995 to 2003

The services along the line, as inherited from Penn Central, once had their own names, like the Yankee Clipper and the Federal; typically a name applied to at most one train and its "twin" in the opposite direction. On October 28, 1995, Amtrak introduced the NortheastDirect brand for all trains on the Northeast Corridor (and its extension to Newport News, Virginia) except for the express Metroliner and hourly Clocker services.^[3] The November 10, 1996 timetable restored the old names in addition to the NortheastDirect brand.^[4] The names (except the Twilight Shoreliner) were permanently dropped with the May 16, 1999 schedule,^[5] and on January 31, 2000 the first rebranded Acela Regional electrified trains ran.^[6] Due to confusion with the Acela Express, the name was changed again on March 17, 2003 to Regional.^[7] On April 7, 2008 with the release of their new timetable, the name was changed again to Northeast Regional and as a result, Amtrak has started adding the new Northeast Regional logo to their cafe cars.^{[8] [9]} However, to this day, some Amfleet cars still have the NortheastDirect branding in the side.

Virginia services

Although not strictly part of the Northeast Corridor, some Northeast Regional trains continue into Virginia, serving Richmond, Newport News, Lynchburg and points in between. Unlike the Northeast Corridor these tracks are owned by CSX and are not electrified. Service began on June 14, 1976, when Amtrak ended the Newport News section of the James Whitcomb Riley. In October 2009 Amtrak extended the Northeast Regional to Lynchburg with support from the state of Virginia. In the first month ridership doubled expectations.^[10]

Classes of service

• Coach class: This class has large, comfortable seats with reading lamps and folding tables and either 1 or 2 120V 3-Prong AC outlets per seat pair. Reservations are required.
• Business Class: Seating with extra legroom, and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages and snacks are available. Reservations are required.
• First Class was formerly offered on NortheastDirect trains but is no longer available on Northeast Regional trains. It is now exclusively on Acela Express trains.

Beginning with the schedule effective April 25, 2005, Amtrak abolished the previously common unreserved trains. Now, any ticketed passenger is guaranteed a seat on his/her train. "Reservations" may be made at any time after eleven months prior to the train's departure, easing the frequent practice of arriving at the station and purchasing a ticket for the next train. Now reservations are made online at amtrak.com or at 1-800-USA-RAIL. Tickets may also be purchased at the station closer to departure if the station is equipped with a ticket window. Quick Trak machines are available for self ticket service in place of a ticket window.

Route

The Northeast Regional operates over Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Amtrak, Metro-North Railroad, and CSX Transportation trackage:

• MBTA Providence Line, Boston to Massachusetts/Rhode Island state line (dispatched and maintained by Amtrak)
• Amtrak Northeast Corridor, state line to New Haven
• MNRR New Haven Line, New Haven to New Rochelle
• Amtrak Northeast Corridor, New Rochelle to Washington
• CSX Landover Subdivision, RF&P Subdivision, Richmond Terminal Subdivision, Bellwood Subdivision, and Peninsula Subdivision, Washington to Newport News

There is frequent service between Washington-New York and Washington-Boston throughout the day. There is some service to Springfield, Massachusetts, either through to Washington or via a connection at New Haven, Connecticut. Trains between Springfield and New Haven operate over Amtrak trackage but require a diesel locomotive over that portion. Some trains go as far south as Richmond, Newport News, Virginia or Lynchburg, Virginia.

Until around 1999, some service to Springfield continued east to Boston, for an alternate Inland Route between New York and Boston. One weekend train stayed along this route until the November 1, 2004 schedule.

One train, the Federal (Twilight Shoreliner until 2004), used to provide premium overnight sleeper service between Washington and Boston, giving the corridor 24 hour service; the Federal name (briefly resurrected in 2004) is no longer used as an indication of the absence of sleeper service, but a Northeast Regional runs in its place.

Station stops

External links

• Amtrak - Northeast Regional

References