An Amtrak planning document shows that the carrier plans to continue to operate most services this summer with reduced consists and reduced frequencies on some routes. However, this will represent a slight increase over what the intercity passenger carrier ran this spring.
The Chicago-Detroit (Pontiac) Wolverine Service corridor will continue to operate with one daily roundtrip whereas until the COVID-19 pandemic struck it had three daily roundtrips.
There will be no change in operations of the Chicago-Port Huron, Michigan, Blue Water.
The planning document shows the Chicago-Grand Rapids, Michigan, Pere Marquette not operating, but that appears to be an error.
The Amtrak website shows Nos. 370 and 371 as operating starting June 1 and reservations can be made.
Amtrak also plans to restore the New York-Pittsburgh Pennsylvanian and gradually ramp up service in the Keystone Corridor in eastern Pennsylvania.
Starting June 1 Amtrak will restore Keystone Service to nine roundtrips operating between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
On July 5 one roundtrip will be extended to New York. On Sept. 5 service between Harrisburg and New York will be restored to all trains.
The level of service planned this summer will be two roundtrips fewer than what Amtrak operated last summer.
Keystone Service trains will operate with their normal consists while the Pennsylvanian will have its normal consist of four coaches, one business class car, a food service car and a baggage car.
The consist of the Chicago-Washington Capitol Limited is slated to expand this summer.
Nos. 29 and 30 are set to operate with three coaches, two sleepers and a diner-lounge. There will be no separate lounge car or baggage car.
The summer consist for the Capitol Limited will be down one sleeping car from last summer, the documents said.
The Capitol Limited currently is carrying two coaches, one sleeper and a diner-lounge.
The Lake Shore Limited summer consist will be three sleepers, four coaches, one dining car for sleeper class passengers, one club dinette and a baggage car.
The planning document, which is dated May 7, said this consist is down one sleeper and one coach from what Nos. 48/448 and 49/449 carried last summer.
However, that may be an error in regards to sleeping car capacity because trackside reports and photographs show the Lake Shore seldom operated with four sleepers as the planning documents suggests.
Nos. 48 and 49 will be the only eastern long-distance train carrying a Viewliner II dining car for sleeper class passengers.
The Chicago-New York Cardinal will see no change this summer from its current consist of two coaches, one sleeper and a diner-lounge.
Tags: Amtrak, Amtrak Blue Water Service, Amtrak eastern long-distance trains, Amtrak Keystone Service, Amtrak Wolverine Service, Amtrak's Capitol Limited, Amtrak's Cardinal, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited, Amtrak's Pennsylvanian, Amtrak's Pere Marquette
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