indyfabz

This exists in many, many places around the country as has for some time now. Philly has had bus bike racks for probably a decade. NJ, too. The commuter rail agencies in SE PA and NJ allow bikes on trains during off peak hours and all the time on weekends. PATCO, between Philly and S. Jersey allows bikes 24/7. And it's not just large cities. I was in Rapid City, SD in June and saw bike racks on busses. They also have a bike share program.

Rob_E

If $25 is what they need to charge to make it worthwhile, then it sounds good to me. Still far cheaper than the airline, and about the same as buying and using an Amtrak bike box but without the hassle of boxing the bike and without the baggage-stop-only limitation.

It's certainly more expensive than the free service I can use in North Carolina, but it still seems like an acceptable fee for an occasional trip. If my in-state train charged an extra $25 per trip for bikes, I'd probably use it a lot less, but I guess they're going after the touring cyclist crowd.

But really it's hard to put a price on that service when compared to any situation where you have to partially or completely disassemble your bike, package it, and reverse the process at the other end. When I've used our local service, I've loved how you hand you just grab your bike and go at the end of the ride. The downside for this route is that going northwest you're always going to disembark in the evening or at night, so unless you want to ride in the dark, you're pretty much off the train and looking for the night's lodgings. On the other hand, if you're in Pittsburgh, you could spend a day on the trail by catching the morning train to Connellsville and biking back.

indyfabz

Yeah. I am curious to see what ridership north ends up being like. Assuming it's on time, the train arrives in Pittsburgh after 11 p.m., right? Unless you've got friends in the area, you are likely going to end up in a downtown motel, and that's not going to be cheap. When I did my GAP trip as part of a cross-PA tour a few years ago I drove a one-way rental from Philly and stayed at the cheapest place I could find. It was very close to the Amtrak station and was convenient for dropping off the car near U. of Pitt. I think the hotel bill was around $175, if not closer to $200.

tarwheel 

When we rode the GAP-C&O trails, we took the train from Washington DC and arrived in Pittsburgh close to midnight. We had made reservations at a hotel on the south side of downtown, which was about 3.5 miles by bike. We had headlights and taillights on our bikes, so the ride was not bad and traffic was negligible. (You should have lights for the tunnels anyway.) Costs were not bad since we shared a room, and the hotel was right on the trail. The hotel also was very accommodating, allowing us to roll bikes up to our rooms.

alan s 

If and when this actually happens, I can ride from work to Union Station on Friday, take the train to Cumberland, and still have a couple hours of light in the summer to ride to a campsite. That would make a weekend C&O trip a little more manageable. Maybe 30 miles Friday night, then two shorter days on Saturday and Sunday back home. However, I don't actually expect this to ever be available. It's all a cruel hoax. Come on Amtrak, get your act together.

edthesped

Alan,

Check this thread to know what's going on with Amtrak as one of the posters is very involved with getting this off the ground.

alan s 

Thanks for the tip. I just sent a PM to the guy on the PGH forum to see if I can become a test rider. Hats off to the folks who have kept after Amtrak for years to make this happen.

tarwheel 

For all of you doubters, here is a link to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the first cyclists using the new roll-on service for the Amtrak route from Pitt to DC.

[h=1]Bicyclists test out roll-on train service for Amtrak [/h]https://www.post-gazette.com/life/cycling-pittsburgh/2015/08/29/Bicyclists-test-out-roll-on-train-service-for-Amtrak/stories/201508300132

edthesped

I was hoping to take the train for a quickie Cumberland to Pgh ride over Labor day but it's looking like I'll have to push it back a week. OTOH, I've ridden the GAP so many times it might be nice to to take a weekend and do the C&O. Is it better to go from DC to Cumberland or vice versa?

alan s 

Riding, it doesn't make much difference, as the towpath is 99% flat. It's nice having the occasional downhill at locks going from Cumberland to DC, but not enough to outweigh other factors. Wind could be a factor, but the towpath winds around so much that it won't be from the same direction for long. More important for me is being able to camp at quieter sites, which are few and far between with all the trains. If you are staying in hotels or other indoor accommodations, then it really doesn't matter. Just figure out what works best for stops you want to make along the way.

gpsblake

It's better then nothing. Yes, the Pittsburgh schedule sucks bad, either case you are there in the middle of the night. But what is good, is you don't have to go to just Pittsburgh, the bike service goes all the way to Chicago from Washington (and vice versa).

Rob_E

That's interesting. I didn't realize the service would continue on to Chicago. The only time I've gone on that route was from Cleveland to DC, and I could see doing that again. And I could see using the Alliance stop, too, which isn't useful for a boxed bike since there's no baggage service. The roll-on service to Ohio could be even more useful to me than Pittsburg. But then I still have to get to that route from here, and right now if I want to go from Raleigh to DC, I have to box my bike.

alan s 

Just got word the RORO service on the Capitol Limited will start on September 14. Let's hope it happens. Here's to everyone who worked on this.

indyfabz

Absolutely. It's a shame Amtrak did away with the Broadway Limited a decade or more ago. When they did it marked the first time since (I believe) the early 1900s that one could not take a train directly from NYC to Chicago. I took it twice with my bike from Philly to Chicago and then the Empire Builder to Seattle to start bike tours.

Altair 4

Kudos to Amtrak for finally implementing the RORO service. Maxine raises a good point: a shuttle service can still be the better deal, on a per person basis, depending on the size of your group. It's something future riders will have to calculate. The other factor, though, is the timing. A shuttle service can be more flexible and get you to places along the trail at less-than-ungodly hours. When I last rode the full GAP, I drove to Cumberland to meet my ride partner. Leaving our cars there, we took a shuttle to Pittsburgh and got on the trail by noon or 1:00 PM. That gave us enough time to comfortably ride to our first night's stop at Connellsville.

I'm thinking I need to take a look at where the Amtrak stations are in Ohio. That Cuyahoga Valley trail looks interesting....

Altair 4

I just checked Amtrak's schedule for a date in early October to see what it might cost to take the train out to Connellsville and then ride back. A non-refundable Saver fare from Pittsburgh to Connellsville is $11. A Value fare is $14, and refundable with 24 hour advance notice. I didn't see anything about pricing or reservations for a bike. The train schedule says it is departing at 5:20 AM and arriving at 7:00 AM. You could have breaky in Connellsville, lunch in Little Boston, and dinner in Pittsburgh, over the course of 60 miles. Could be a pretty nice day's ride, at the transportation cost of around $36 to $40. Seems doable.

Rob_E

You mean the Ohio & Erie Towpath? Alliance is not on the trail, but it is the first (from PA) stop in Ohio and the closest to the southern end. Cleveland is at the other end. Neither have great arrival/departure times. Also the Ohio & Erie is part of a longer trail network that goes from Cleveland to Cincinnati, the Ohio to Erie trail. It's not 100% off road, but most of it is. Cinci also has an Amtrak station, but it's not the same route and doesn't run daily, so it's not as useful, but it's still a trip I'd like to take. I've ridden a good chunk of that Ohio to Erie trail, but the Towpath section is the bit I haven't done yet.

tarwheel 

I was thinking the same thing about Ohio. The Ohio & Erie Canal trail runs about 80 miles from Cleveland to Bolivar, including the Cuyahoga National Park. From there you could ride back to Pittsburgh, partly on other rail trails. Eventually, the Ohio & Erie trail is supposed to run all the way from Cleveland to Cincinnati, about 250 miles. You could also take the trail to Toledo or several stops in Northern Indiana, and ride up into Michigan, which has lots of rail trails.

staehpj1

It shouldn't be hard to find much cheaper rooms there especially if you book ahead. Maybe not in the center of downtown, but there are a number of motels in the $60-90 range within 5 miles or so of the Amtrak station. These are moderately priced chains like Motel 6 and Quality Inn. It may not be the most convenient time of day to be riding to a motel, but I'd still ride the five or so miles to save $100 or more rather than stay in the downtown Sheraton, Marriott, or whatever.

Philly Tandem

If anyone was thinking of riding the Capitol Limited over Labor Day weekend, be aware of the following (from Amtrak's site):

[h=3]Capitol Limited Trains 29 and 30: Track Work Affects Service between Pittsburgh and Washington[/h] [h=4]Effective Sunday and Monday, September 6 and 7, 2015[/h] Track work being performed by CSX Transportation will affect Capitol Limited service on Sunday and Monday, at stations between Washington and Pittsburgh.
[h=5]Trains 29 and 30[/h] On September 6 and 7, 2015, Trains 29 and 30 will not stop at Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry and Rockville. Alternate service will not be provided to these stations.
[h=5]Eastbound Train 30[/h] Trains 30 (originating in Chicago on September 5 and 6) will terminate at Pittsburgh at 5:05 am on September 6 and 7, 2015. Passengers traveling to Washington will transfer to a bus in Pittsburgh that will operate directly to Washington. The bus will not make stops at stations between Pittsburgh and Washington.
[h=5]Westbound Train 29[/h] Train 29 will not operate from Washington to Pittsburgh. Passengers boarding in Washington who are traveling to Pittsburgh and beyond will board a bus from Washington directly to Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh passengers will transfer to westbound Train 29, which will make all remaining stops on the route. The bus will not make stops between Washington and Pittsburgh.

Philly Tandem

Good news, but wish it was available this weekend! We're trying to figure out logistics to do a three-day tour this weekend, from Connelsville to Cumberland (or vice versa). This service would make it so much easier! I may try to use it this fall for a GAP tour.

indyfabz

I wanted to be close in town because I was meeting a friend for dinner and didn't want to make it inconvenient. Dropping off the car was very convenient from where I stayed, and I got to walk around my old stomping grounds since I went to law school at Pitt. I actually had to change the day of the trip to get a room at all. I had planned to drive out on a Saturday, in order to save a vacation day, and start riding Sunday, but there were no rooms to be had, so I went out Friday. That was likely due to the fact that Sunday was the opening of the regular season for the Steelers. IIRC, they played the Browns, which likely meant people coming from Cleveland for the game. I must have checked close to ten hotels with no luck. I don't miss the $100.

Rob_E

A clarification because having multiple trails with the names "Ohio" and "Erie" in them leads to confusion: The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath trail is part of a larger trail network, the Ohio to Erie Trail (as in Ohio River to Lake Erie). The Ohio to Erie Trail already runs from Cleveland to Cincinnati, but there are several gaps that require going on road for part of the trip. The majority of the route, though, is already there, using existing rail trails and, in the northern section, the old canal trail. I've ridden the trail from Cincinnati to Canton, and there's not much road riding, and what road riding there is is about half in pleasant, rural areas. The other half is less pleasant riding in Columbus and a little in Cincinnati, with the west side of Columbus being the only stretch I found really unpleasant.

You can see the route here as well as which sections are on and off roads: Ohio to Erie Trail - Maps

The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail runs between Cleveland and New Philadelphia, 80-some miles. Only the northern half to two thirds are part of the Ohio to Erie Trail system. Here's the Towpath map: Map | Ohio & Erie Canalway

Also, since we're talking trains, bikes, and the canal towpath, it's worth noting that there's a train that runs along a nice stretch of the towpath, between Cleveland and Canton, I think, and it has roll-on bike service. I don't think it's considered part of any transportation system, just a recreational route, and it doesn't run daily, and it doesn't run consistently throughout the year, and I don't know if bikes are accepted on all trips at all stops. I tried to plan a trip that involved biking on the towpath and riding the train but coordinating the train schedule with my schedule and figuring out when and where I could board the train proved too much for me, and I never made it happen, but if you could make it work, it seems like another fun way to combine rail and bike travel. Home - Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad

Altair 4

This is true; you can find less expensive rooms outside the downtown core that are easily accessible by car. The challenge, though, is finding one that is easily accessible by bike, especially considering the scheduled arrival time of the west-bound Capitol Limited at midnight (assuming a West-to-East bike ride). There's a Days Inn and Motel 6, both under $80, in the South Hills, but you'd be a better man than I am, Gunga Din, to bike out Route 19 to get to them. Google Maps shows the Holiday Inn Express at the Waterfront at just over $100 a night. It's 8.7 miles away by bike, heading down the GAP Trail. The problem with that is that it eliminates the opportunity to take the obligatory photo at the Fountain in Point State Park in Pittsburgh (if such things are important to you).

alan s 

I think a nice three-day trip would be to take the train from DC to Connellsville, stay overnight and ride back to DC. That is, if you can ride 90 mile days. Connellsville-Cumberland-Williamsport-DC. The train gets into Connellsville at 9:47 pm, which is better than midnight in Pittsburgh.