Twilight Shoreliner

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. The ''Twilight Shoreliner'' provided a second daily frequency between the Northeast and Newport News, supplementing the ''Old Dominion.''

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. By October, ridership was up 28%.

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. A southbound connection from the ''Federal'' to a Newport News-bound ''Regional'' was available at Washington, but northbound trips required a three-hour layover. The ''Federal'' was merged into the ''Regional'' brand on April 26, 2004. 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.

Private sleeping rooms were restored to the unnamed overnight ''Northeast Regional'' trains 65/66/67 on April 5, 2021. However, these sleeping cars removed by 2022. On July 11, 2022 Amtrak shifted the southern terminus of numbers 66/67 from Newport News to Roanoke, Virginia.

Equipment

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. 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. 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. A second standard cafe car served regular coach passengers.

References

{{Former Amtrak routes

Former Amtrak routes
Night trains of the United States
Rail transportation in Massachusetts
Rail transportation in Rhode Island
Rail transportation in Connecticut
Rail transportation in New York (state)
Rail transportation in New Jersey
Rail transportation in Delaware
Rail transportation in Maryland
Rail transportation in Virginia
Railway services introduced in 1997
Railway services discontinued in 2003