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 Northeast Regional |
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 Northeast Regional train #93 enters Trenton, bound for Richmond. |
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| Info | |
|---|---|
| Type | Inter-city rail |
| System | Amtrak |
| Termini | Boston (South Station), Springfield, MA, Newport News, VA |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Amtrak, CSX, MNRR, Norfolk Southern (track) |
| Operator(s) | Amtrak |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 644 miles |
| Gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) |
The Northeast Regional is Amtrak's service between Newport News, Virginia and Boston, Massachusetts. It has also been known as NortheastDirect, Acela Regional, and Regional. Amtrak removed the Acela from the name due to mass confusion by passengers with the high speed Acela Express in early-2003. There is frequent daily all-reserved service, operating every hour of every day. Most have Business Class and a Café Car.
Most trains operate between Boston and Washington, with some continuing to Richmond or Newport News with a diesel engine. Some operate only between Boston and New York, Boston and Philadelphia, and New York and Washington.
Travel times are approximately four hours from Newport News to Washington, two hours from Washington to Philadelphia, one and a half hours from Philadelphia to New York, and four hours from New York to Boston.
Contents |
Equipment
| Amtrak Northeast Corridor services |
|---|
| Acela Express |
| Northeast Regional (including Virginia and NHV-SPG) |
| Former services: Clocker - Metroliner |
| Other Amtrak trains on the NEC: Cardinal - Carolinian - Crescent Keystone - Palmetto - Pennsylvanian Silver Meteor - Silver Star - Vermonter |
| Commuter services on the NEC: MBTA Providence/Stoughton Line - SLE MNRR New Haven Line - NJT NEC Line NJT NJC Line - SEPTA R7 - SEPTA R2 MARC Penn Line |
Trains are usually 6 to 10 cars long, with an electric locomotive pulling at the head end between Boston and Washington. The electric locomotives are AEM-7 class, built 1978–1987 with 7000 horsepower (5.2 MW), Rebuilt AEM-7's (AEM-7AC) with 8000 horsepower (6 MW), or a Bombardier/Alstom HHP-8 built 1999–2002, also with 8000 horsepower (6 MW), although these 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 between Washington and Newport News. Only select trains operate between those cities; most terminate/originate at Washington.
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 serivce, 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). Amtrak has also introduced a number of new products in its cafe car and it has lowered its prices.
Naming
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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.1 The November 10, 1996 timetable restored the old names in addition to the NortheastDirect brand.2 The names (except the Twilight Shoreliner) were permanently dropped with the May 16, 1999 schedule,3 and on January 31, 2000 the first rebranded Acela Regional electrified trains ran.4 Due to confusion with the Acela Express, the name was changed again on March 17, 2003 to Regional.5 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.6 7 However, to this day, some Amfleet cars still have the NortheastDirect branding in the side.
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. Qucik 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 or Newport News, 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.