Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Shenandoah (Amtrak train)

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Status
  
Discontinued

Distance travelled
  
546 mi (878.70 km)

Service frequency
  
Daily

Last service
  
30 September 1981

End
  
Cincinnati

Former operator
  
Stops
  
18

Locale
  
Average journey time
  
14 hours 28 minutes

Train number(s)
  
32,33

Start
  
Washington, D.C.

First service
  
31 October 1976

Service type
  
Shenandoah (Amtrak train) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

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 of 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 in 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.

References

Shenandoah (Amtrak train) Wikipedia