Twilight Shoreliner
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Short description|Named passenger train of Amtrak}}
{{italic title}}
{{Infobox rail service
| box_width =
| name = Twilight Shoreliner
| logo =
| logo_width =
| image = Electric train in Boston (195624610).jpg
| image_width = 300px
| caption = The Twilight Shoreliner in Boston in 2002
| type = Inter-city rail
| status = Discontinued
| locale = Northeast Corridor
| predecessor = Night Owl
| first = {{Start date|1997|07|10}}
| last = {{End date|2003|04|28}}
| successor = Federal
| operator =
| formeroperator= Amtrak
| ridership =
| start = Newport News, Virginia
| stops =
| end = Boston, Massachusetts
| distance =
| journeytime =
| frequency = Daily
| trainnumber = 66,67
| class =
- Coach class
- Custom class
- Viewliner sleeper car
| access =
| seating =
| sleeping =
| autorack =
| catering =
- On-board café
- Twilight Lounge
| observation =
| entertainment=
| baggage =
| otherfacilities=
| stock =
| gauge = {{RailGauge|USSG}}
| el =
| speed =
| owners =
| routenumber =
| map = {{Amtrak Twilight Shoreliner}}
| map_state = collapsed
}}
The Twilight Shoreliner was a passenger train operated by Amtrak on the Northeast Corridor between Boston, Massachusetts, and Newport News, Virginia, via New York City and Washington, D.C. Amtrak introduced it in 1997 to replace the Night Owl. It was discontinued in 2003 in favor of the Federal.
History
The Twilight Shoreliner replaced the Night Owl as Amtrak's dedicated overnight service on the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak equipped the train with a Viewliner sleeping car, replacing the Heritage Fleet equipment used by the Night Owl. The new train also featured a Custom-class coach and the specially-branded "Twilight Café," which served hot meals and was restricted to sleeper- and custom-class passengers. Finally, Amtrak extended the southern terminus from Washington, D.C., to Newport News, Virginia, and moved the departure time from Boston from 10 PM to 8 PM.{{cite web|title=HERALD TRAVELER: Bet on a good time with golf, gambling|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56393420.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321174306/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56393420.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 21, 2016|publisher=Boston Herald |access-date=October 27, 2012|date=July 3, 1997}} The Twilight Shoreliner provided a second daily frequency between the Northeast and Newport News, supplementing the Old Dominion.{{cite web|title=LIKE HOME ON THE RAILS AMTRACK EXPANDS SERVICE TO HAMPTON ROADS WITH SECOND TRAIN, LUXURY SLEEPING AND DINING|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68490000.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310000127/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68490000.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 10, 2016|publisher=The Virginian-Pilot |access-date=October 27, 2012|date=July 10, 1997 | first=Debbie | last=Messina}}
Amtrak launched the Twilight Shoreliner on July 10, 1997. The cover of its Summer 1997 Northeast timetable called the train "An Unexpected Departure from the Northeast"; a full-page inset touted the many amenities available, including showers and in-room first-run movies for sleeping car passengers and the two cafe cars.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=19970710ne&item=0011 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Summer 1997, Revised Edition |publisher=Amtrak |date=July 10, 1997 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} By October, ridership was up 28%.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36774678/the_boston_globe/ |title=At hearing, most say Greenbush train line should be left defunct |newspaper=Boston Globe |first=Thomas C. Jr. |last=Palmer |date=October 27, 1997 |page=B2 |via=Newspapers.com |quote=Amtrak says its Twilight Shoreliner between Virginia and Boston carried 28 percent more passengers than the Night Owl service it replaced.}} {{open access}}
Amtrak discontinued the Twilight Shoreliner on April 28, 2003, replacing it with the Federal, which ran from Boston to Washington, D.C. Ridership from Newport News had declined in 2002–2003, and eliminating the Virginian portion of the route Amtrak could offer a better schedule to travelers on the Northeast Corridor.{{cite web|title=Amtrak Alters Sleeper Service to Boston|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-100599458.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018194442/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-100599458.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 18, 2016|publisher=The Virginian-Pilot|access-date=October 19, 2015|date=April 24, 2003|first=Debbie|last=Messina}} A southbound connection from the Federal to a Newport News-bound Regional was available at Washington, but northbound trips required a three-hour layover.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20030428ne&st=0001 |title=Amtrak Northeast Timetable: Spring/Summer 2003 |pages=8, 25, 26 |date=April 28, 2003 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} The Federal was merged into the Regional brand on April 26, 2004.{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20040426&item=0033 |page=33 |title=Amtrak System Timetable: Spring/Summer 2004 |publisher=Amtrak |date=April 26, 2004 |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}} Amtrak re-extended overnight trains 66 and 67 (now part of the Northeast Regional brand) to Newport News on November 1, 2004; however, they do not include the sleeping car and lounge car.{{cite book|url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Northeast-Schedule-W06-031018.pdf|title=Amtrak Virginia Service Timetable: March 10, 2018|date=March 10, 2018|publisher=Amtrak|pages=1,4}}{{cite book |url=http://www.timetables.org/browse/?group=20041101&item=0033 |pages=30, 48 |title=Amtrak System Timetable: Fall 2004 {{!}} Winter 2005 |date=November 1, 2004 |publisher=Amtrak |via=Museum of Railway Timetables}}
Private sleeping rooms were restored to the unnamed overnight Northeast Regional trains 65/66/67 on April 5, 2021.{{cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/03/08/metro/amtrak-add-private-rooms-northeast-regional-overnight-trains/ |title=Amtrak to add private rooms to Northeast regional overnight trains |first=Charlie |last=McKenna |date=March 8, 2021 |newspaper=Boston Globe |accessdate=March 8, 2021}} The trains were temporarily discontinued in January 2022.{{cite news |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/amtrak-to-restore-four-long-distance-trains-to-daily-service-in-late-may/ |title=Amtrak to restore four long-distance trains to daily service in late May |first=Bob |last=Johnston |date=April 19, 2022 |newspaper=Trains News Wire}} On July 11, 2022, Amtrak resumed the trains without sleeper service and shifted the southern terminus of numbers 66/67 from Newport News to Roanoke, Virginia.{{Cite web |date=June 21, 2022 |title=Amtrak Increases Daily Service to Roanoke |url=https://media.amtrak.com/2022/06/amtrak-increases-daily-service-to-roanoke/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622040044/https://media.amtrak.com/2022/06/amtrak-increases-daily-service-to-roanoke/ |archive-date=June 22, 2022 |access-date=July 15, 2022 |website=Amtrak Media |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=COURIER |first=DAVID MCGEE {{!}} BRISTOL HERALD |title=Second Roanoke Amtrak train began Monday |url=https://heraldcourier.com/news/second-roanoke-amtrak-train-began-monday/article_5e1690a4-0152-11ed-879a-7be7e4fafa2f.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220711195633/https://heraldcourier.com/news/second-roanoke-amtrak-train-began-monday/article_5e1690a4-0152-11ed-879a-7be7e4fafa2f.html |archive-date=July 11, 2022 |access-date=July 15, 2022 |website=Bristol Herald Courier - Tricities |date=July 11, 2022 |language=en}} They were temporarily cancelled north of New York City effective April 4, 2023, due to Penn Station Access construction.{{cite news |url=https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/amtrak-suspend-3-overnight-trains-ct-april-2023-17866699.php |title=Amtrak suspending 3 regional trains with service in CT due to construction project |first=Amy |last=Coval |date=March 29, 2023 |newspaper=CT Insider |access-date=March 30, 2023 |archive-date=March 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329194041/https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/amtrak-suspend-3-overnight-trains-ct-april-2023-17866699.php |url-status=dead }}
Equipment
File:Twilight Shoreliner viewliner.jpg
The Twilight Shoreliner operated with a mix of Heritage, Amfleet, and Viewliner equipment. A Heritage Fleet baggage car handled checked baggage for passengers and, beginning in 2001, bicycles.{{Cite news |title= Coming and Going |newspaper= The Washington Post |url-access=|access-date= October 22, 2015 |date= May 13, 2001 |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-449806.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170214102825/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-449806.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= February 14, 2017 }}{{cite web | url=http://history.amtrak.com/exhibit-train/restoring-the-exhibit-train | title=Exhibit Train Equipment History | publisher=Amtrak | access-date=October 22, 2015 | archive-date=October 22, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022081018/http://history.amtrak.com/exhibit-train/restoring-the-exhibit-train | url-status=dead }} The train carried a Viewliner sleeping car except for a brief period in 2002 when Amtrak had to withdraw it because of equipment shortages elsewhere.{{Cite news |last= Hanchett |title= Amtrak rethinks bed idea, restores sleeper car service |newspaper= The Boston Herald |url-access= |access-date= October 23, 2015 |date= June 15, 2002 |first= Doug |url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-87342142.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160409161627/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-87342142.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= April 9, 2016 }} The train carried four Amfleet coaches, two of which were configured for "Custom Class" seating. The train featured a first class-only lounge car, the "Twilight Lounge", for sleeper and Custom Class passengers.{{cite news | title=An updated Boston-D.C. night train | work=USA Today | date=June 27, 1997 | author=Grossman, Cathy Lynn | pages=5D}} A second standard cafe car served regular coach passengers.{{cite magazine | title=The First Run of Amtrak's Twilight Shoreliner | author=Riddell, Doug | magazine=RailNews | date=October 1997 | issue=407 | pages=12–13|url=http://original.trainlife.com/magazines/pages/244/18134/october-1997-page-12}}{{rp|13}}
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References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Former Amtrak routes}}
Category:Night trains of the United States
Category:Passenger rail transportation in Massachusetts
Category:Rail transportation in Rhode Island
Category:Rail transportation in Connecticut
Category:Rail transportation in New York (state)
Category:Rail transportation in New Jersey
Category:Rail transportation in Delaware
Category:Rail transportation in Maryland
Category:Rail transportation in Virginia