Shenandoah (Amtrak)
Encyclopedia
The Shenandoah was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak
between Washington, D.C.
and Cincinnati, Ohio
. The Shenandoah shared the former Baltimore & Ohio
(B&O) route with the Blue Ridge
, which ran as far west as Martinsburg, West Virginia
.
The Shenandoah began operating on October 31, 1976. Connecting service to Chicago
, Illinois
at Cincinnati was provided by the Mountaineer/James Whitcomb Riley
, which continued east to Washington, Newport News, Virginia
and Norfolk, Virginia
. After the Mountaineer's discontinuance in 1977 the Riley became The Cardinal and continued to provide connecting service to Chicago.
Amtrak discontinued both the Shenandoah and the Cardinal on September 30, 1981, citing low ridership figures. Amtrak considered the Shenandoah one its "weakest lines"; the Department of Transportation had recommended its discontinuance in 1979. A new train, the Capitol Limited
(Washington-Pittsburgh-Chicago), took over the Washington-Cumberland stretch and remains in operation, while the Cardinal was revived the following January by congressional mandate. The Cincinnati-Cumberland portion remains without rail service, and CSX subsequently abandoned much of the line.
Uniquely, the Shenandoah equipment pool 1978—1979 included a pair of converted Amfleet
sleepers
(dubbed "Ampad") in response to equipment shortages and a Congressional requirement that overnight trains including sleeping accommodations.
The Shenandoah was also the name of a Washington-Akron, Ohio
train operated by the B&O which was discontinued on the formation of Amtrak
.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
between Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. The Shenandoah shared the former Baltimore & Ohio
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
(B&O) route with the Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge (Amtrak)
The Blue Ridge was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Washington, D.C. and Martinsburg, West Virginia. The Blue Ridge began on May 6, 1973 as a truncated Potomac Special, which had run all the way to Parkersburg, West Virginia...
, which ran as far west as Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
.
The Shenandoah began operating on October 31, 1976. Connecting service to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
at Cincinnati was provided by the Mountaineer/James Whitcomb Riley
James Whitcomb Riley (train)
The James Whitcomb Riley was a passenger train operated by the New York Central between Chicago, Illinois and Cincinnati, Ohio via Indianapolis, Indiana...
, which continued east to Washington, Newport News, Virginia
Newport News, Virginia
Newport News is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia. It is at the southeastern end of the Virginia Peninsula, on the north shore of the James River extending southeast from Skiffe's Creek along many miles of waterfront to the river's mouth at Newport News...
and Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. After the Mountaineer's discontinuance in 1977 the Riley became The Cardinal and continued to provide connecting service to Chicago.
Amtrak discontinued both the Shenandoah and the Cardinal on September 30, 1981, citing low ridership figures. Amtrak considered the Shenandoah one its "weakest lines"; the Department of Transportation had recommended its discontinuance in 1979. A new train, the Capitol Limited
Capitol Limited (Amtrak)
Amtrak's Capitol Limited is one of the railroad's two routes connecting Washington, D.C. to Chicago, running via Cleveland, Ohio . Service began in 1981 and was named after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Capitol Limited which ended in 1971 upon the formation of Amtrak...
(Washington-Pittsburgh-Chicago), took over the Washington-Cumberland stretch and remains in operation, while the Cardinal was revived the following January by congressional mandate. The Cincinnati-Cumberland portion remains without rail service, and CSX subsequently abandoned much of the line.
Uniquely, the Shenandoah equipment pool 1978—1979 included a pair of converted Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...
sleepers
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
(dubbed "Ampad") in response to equipment shortages and a Congressional requirement that overnight trains including sleeping accommodations.
The Shenandoah was also the name of a Washington-Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
train operated by the B&O which was discontinued on the formation of Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
.