Author Topic: Iowa Pacific's Hoosier State  (Read 3046 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Vern Sargent

  • Monon Brakeman
  • **
  • Posts: 62
Iowa Pacific's Hoosier State
« on: June 28, 2015, 09:27:04 pm »
Trial run of new equiptment turning north at Ames this morning.  Vern@G.

Heath Matthias

  • Inactive
  • Monon Brakeman
  • *
  • Posts: 62
Re: Iowa Pacific's Hoosier State
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2015, 08:55:41 am »
wow, didn't know they already had equipment up and running.  This is really good news

Stew Winstandley

  • Monon Engineer
  • ****
  • Posts: 290
Re: Iowa Pacific's Hoosier State
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2015, 04:16:22 pm »
What I heard from an Iowa Pacific employee was that the best guess when the IPH train set will be used on the Hoosier State is about July 29th.  The Amtrak Cardinal will continue to run Amtrak cars.

Stew

Stew Winstandley

  • Monon Engineer
  • ****
  • Posts: 290
Re: Iowa Pacific's Hoosier State
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2015, 04:32:21 pm »
‘Hoosier State’ July 1 debut in limbo
 
By Bob Johnston  | June 29, 2015 TRAINS News Wire
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Although Iowa Pacific Holdings’ equipment successfully completed a test run between Indianapolis and Chicago over the weekend, the Indiana Department of Transportation has yet to confirm a July 1 effective date for Iowa Pacific equipment and on-board service personnel to take over the Hoosier State. Amtrak’s contract is set to expire on June 30, but the national carrier has said it will continue operating the train without interruption should the effective date of Iowa Pacific’s involvement be pushed back.

 INDOT spokesman Will Wingfield says the state will affect the transition schedule. He adds that state officials will review the results of the test, possibly as early as Monday.

 The test train, consisting of GP40FH-2 locomotives No. 4135 and 4137 bracketing full-length dome Summit View and two coaches, followed an Amtrak P42 and Horizon coaches to Indianapolis on Friday evening and returned Sunday morning about an hour behind train No. 851 into Chicago. The Iowa Pacific equipment was set to go back to Indianapolis Sunday night, this time deadheading at the rear of the regular Amtrak train.

 While an Amtrak engineer and conductor will continue to operate the Hoosier State once the takeover occurs, the nature of Amtrak’s contractual arrangement with Indiana necessarily changes when the state brings a third party into the mix. As part of its commitment to upgrade the service, Iowa Pacific plans to offer food service downstairs and business class upstairs in the dome car; it has established an inspection and turnaround facility in Indianapolis, and will utilize its Bensenville, Ill., shop for inspection and maintenance during the Chicago layover.

 On Sunday, Amtrak’s website showed no “premium service” offering or a different fare structure for Hoosier State departures into July; its Chicago-Washington-New York Cardinal, which operates with a café car and through sleeping car, will continue to depart Chicago on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays after arriving Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The Friday, July 3, Hoosier State into Chicago showed “sold-out” on June 28.