Colonial (Amtrak train)

File:C&O George Washington at Newport News, October 1968.jpg

By the time Amtrak took over intercity passenger service in the United States on May 1, 1971, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) served Newport News with three daily round trips: the Charlottesville–Newport News sections of the George Washington and Fast Flying Virginian / Sportsman, plus a Newport News–Richmond trip.{{cite book |title=The C&O/B&O Railroads Passenger Timetable effective June 10, 1967 |date=June 10, 1967 |publisher=Chesapeake and Ohio Railway |via=Wikimedia Commons}} Amtrak kept only one daily round trip to Newport News — a section of the Washington–Cincinnati George Washington. The George Washington was combined with the James Whitcomb Riley on July 12, 1971, to provide through service to Chicago.{{Sanders-Heartland}}{{rp|38}}

The Newport News section was lightly used — usually not filling a single coach—and passengers between the Tidewater region and the Northeast had to transfer at Charlottesville.{{rp|40}} The March 25, 1975 introduction of the Chicago–Norfolk Mountaineer satisfied a federal mandate for Amtrak to provide service between Cincinnati and the Tidewater.{{rp|40}} Following studies that indicated a market for direct service between the Tidewater and the Northeast, Amtrak replaced the Riley section with the New York City–Newport News Colonial on June 15, 1976.{{rp|41}} The Colonial served as an extension of the southbound Mount Vernon (which was already called Colonial on Saturdays) and the northbound Betsy Ross.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19760425&item=0020 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |pages=19, 27 |publisher=Amtrak |date=April 25, 1976 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} It used new Amfleet coaches, unlike the aging ex-C&O passenger cars used on the Riley.{{rp|50}}

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File:Amtrak Tidewater at Newport News, December 1978.jpg

Initially, the Colonial ran between Newport News and New York City, except for the Saturday southbound train which originated in Boston.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19760615&item=0020 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |pages=19, 27 |publisher=Amtrak |date=June 15, 1976 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} On February 15, 1977, all Colonial service was extended to Boston.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19770215&item=0025 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |page=25 |date=February 15, 1977 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} Northbound Sunday service changed on May 1, 1977: the Colonial began to originate at Richmond, while the several-hours-later Senator originated at Newport News.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19770501&item=0039 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |pages=38–39 |date=May 1, 1977 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} A stop at Lee Hall was added on October 30, 1977.{{cite magazine |url=https://history.amtrak.com/archives/i-amtrak-news-i-nov.-1-1977 |title=New Fall Schedule Changes Include Shortened Travel Times |date=November 1, 1977 |magazine=Amtrak News |publisher=Amtrak |volume=4 |issue=20 |page=2}} Beginning on July 30, 1978, northbound Sunday service became the Newport News-New York City Tidewater, and the Senator returned to its previous schedule.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19780730&item=0026 |title=National Train Timetables |page=25 |date=July 30, 1978 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} On January 4, 1987, the northbound Colonial collided with Conrail locomotives in Maryland, killing fourteen passengers and two Amtrak employees.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/RAR8801.pdf |title=Railroad Accident Report: Rear-end Collision of Amtrak Passenger Train 94, The Colonial and Consolidated Rail Corporation Freight Train ENS-121, on the Northeast Corridor, Chase, Maryland, January 4, 1987 |date=January 25, 1988 |publisher=National Transportation Safety Board }}

By the early 1980s, Richmond was served by the Colonial/Tidewater plus three long-distance trains—the Palmetto, Silver Meteor, and Silver Star.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19840429&item=0029 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |page=28 |date=April 29, 1984 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} Because the long-distance trains frequently ran late, only the Colonial/Tidewater provided reliable northbound service from Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Quantico. On October 28, 1984, Amtrak added the daily Richmond–New York Virginian, which was timed to allow commuting to Washington.{{cite web |url=https://history.amtrak.com/archives/first-day-on-the-virginian-route |title=Inaugural Run of the Virginian |publisher=Amtrak |work=Amtrak Archives |date=April 14, 2011}}{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19841028&item=0030 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |page=29 |date=October 28, 1984 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} On April 28, 1985, the northbound Sunday Virginian was moved two hours later as the Potomac.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19850428&item=0032 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |page=31 |date=April 28, 1985|publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} The Potomac was discontinued on September 15, 1988; the Colonial began running from Richmond to Boston on Sundays, with the Tidewater continuing to provide Sunday northbound service from Newport News.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19880918&item=0039 |title=Amtrak National Train Timetables |page=39 |date=September 15, 1988 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} The April 1990 extension of one Atlantic City Express train to Richmond and the April 1991 separation of the New York–Charlotte Carolinian from the Palmetto increased Washington-Richmond service to seven daily round trips.{{cite news |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CO&s_site=charlotte&p_action=search&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F2445631B1C0447&p_field_direct-0=document_id |title=Change to cut Carolinian's run by 40 minutes |newspaper=The Charlotte Observer |date=March 15, 1991}}{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19910407&item=0040 |title=Amtrak System Train Timetables |pages=40–41 |date=April 7, 1991 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}

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File:Northeast Corridor Amtrak 66 boarding trackside at Williamsburg Transportation Center 2-03-2008.jpg

Amtrak made a series of changes to corridor service in Virginia beginning on 1992. On October 25, 1992, both the Virginian and Colonial were cut back from Boston to New York City, and the latter was renamed Old Dominion. A Friday Tidewater round trip was also added.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19921025ne&item=0036 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Fall/Winter 1992/1993 |pages=36–37 |date=October 25, 1992 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} May 2, 1993 saw the additional of Tidewater round trips on Thursday and Saturday southbound / Sunday northbound, plus a southbound-only Sunday trip from Richmond to Newport News. A station stop was added at Williamsburg Pottery Factory.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19930502ne&item=0036 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Spring/Summer 1993 |pages=36–37 |date=May 2, 1993 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} Service levels of the added weekend round trips were adjusted the next February.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19931031ner&item=0036 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable Revised Edition: Fall/Winter 1993/1994 |pages=36–37 |date=February 14, 1994 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} The southbound weekend Virginian became the Chesapeake on May 1, 1994, with the northbound weekend Old Dominion in turn renamed Virginian.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19940501ne&item=0036 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Spring/Summer 1994 |pages=36–37 |date=May 1, 1994 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} On October 30, 1994, the Sunday Richmond–Newport News trip and a late Friday Newport News-Richmond move (a former deadhead move) were called the James River.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19941030ne&item=0036 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Fall/Winter 1994/1995 |pages=36–37 |date=October 30, 1994 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}

Amtrak began showing Virginia services as part of Northeast Corridor timetables on April 2, 1995. The Old Dominion and Virginian were renamed New England Express and the Lee Hall stop was dropped. A daily Richmond–New York City round trip — the southbound Chesapeake made daily and a new northbound Old Dominion — was added to replace the discontinued Amtrak City Express.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19950402ne&item=0004 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Spring/Summer 1995 |pages=4–18 |date=April 2, 1995 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} On September 10, 1995, the northbound New England Express was renamed Tidewater Express (except for a single Sunday trip from Springfield, which became the Old Dominion), and the northbound Old Dominion was replaced with the Manhattan Express.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19950910ne&item=0010 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetables: Fall/Winter 1995/1996 |pages=10–23 |date=September 10, 1995 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} On October 28, 1995, most of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor services (except for the premium Metroliners and commuter-based Clockers), including the Richmond and Newport News trains, were rebranded as NortheastDirect and lost their individual names.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19950910ner&item=0004 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Winter 1996 |pages=4–17 |date=January 1996 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}{{cite web |url=https://history.amtrak.com/blogs/blog/a-closer-look-patriotic-train-names |title=A Closer Look: Patriotic Train Names |work=Amtrak History Blog |date=June 30, 2014 |publisher=Amtrak}}

Train names were re-added under the NortheastDirect brand the next year. The daily Newport News train became the Old Dominion, with Tidewater, Virginian, James River, and Potomac assigned to other trips. The daily Richmond trains became the Virginian and the Bay State, the latter of which ran to Boston via Springfield and the Inland Route.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19961110ne&item=0004 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Fall/Winter 1996/97 |pages=4–17 |date=November 14, 1996 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} The Williamsburg Pottery Factory stop was also discontinued in 1996.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19960414ne&item=0004 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Spring/Summer 1996 |pages=4–17 |date=April 14, 1996 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} On July 10, 1997, the Washington–Boston Night Owl was replaced by the Newport News–Boston Twilight Shoreliner, providing a second daily round trip to Newport News. The Bay State was cut back to Washington and replaced by the Springfield–Richmond Charter Oak, and the Potomac was renamed Gotham Limited.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19970710ne&item=0004 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable (Revised Edition): Summer 1997 |pages=4–18 |date=July 10, 1997 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} On October 26, 1997, the Chesapeake was cut to New York and renamed Colonial.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19971026ne&item=0008 |pages=8, 14 |date=October 26, 1997 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Fall/Winter 1997-98 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} NortheastDirect trains except for the Twilight Shoreliner again lost their individual names on May 16, 1999.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19990516ne&item=0004 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Spring/Summer 1999 |pages=4–18 |date=May 16, 1999 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} The NortheastDirect brand — including the Virginia trains — was renamed Acela Regional in 2000–2001, Regional in 2003, and finally Northeast Regional in 2008. Virginia began funding further expansion of Northeast Regional service in 2009.{{cite book |url=http://drpt.virginia.gov/media/1135/vsrp-2013.pdf |title=Virginia Statewide Rail Plan |chapter=Chapter 3: The Virginia Rail System |date=November 2013 |pages=3–20 |publisher=Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation}}

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{{Former Amtrak routes}}

Category:Former Amtrak routes

Category:Passenger rail transportation in Virginia

Category:Railway services introduced in 1976

Category:Railway services discontinued in 1992

Category:Railway services introduced in 1997

Category:Railway services discontinued in 1999