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The ''Chesapeake'' was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak along the
Service began on May 1, 1978, with funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the
October 1, 1979 Amtrak Chesapeake Timetable (Railroad Picture Archives)Inaugural Run of Amtrak's Chesapeake (Window on Cecil County's Past)
{{Former Amtrak routes Former Amtrak routes Passenger rail transportation in Washington, D.C. Passenger rail transportation in Maryland Passenger rail transportation in Delaware Passenger rail transportation in Pennsylvania Railway services introduced in 1978 Railway services discontinued in 1983
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston through Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Philadelphia, Wilmington, a ...
between Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1978 to 1983. It was one of the few commuter trains operated by Amtrak.
History
Service began on May 1, 1978, with funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to it ...
; a demonstration trip ran from Philadelphia to Bowie on April 30. BWI Rail Station was added to the service when it opened in October 1980. From February 4, 1980 to October 25, 1981, the ''Chesapeake'' was extended from 30th Street to Suburban Station
Suburban Station is an art deco office building and underground commuter rail station in Penn Center, Philadelphia. Its official SEPTA address is 16th Street and JFK Boulevard. The station is owned and operated by SEPTA and is one of the three ...
.
The train primarily served higher-ranking business executives and government officials on the southbound trip in the morning, as it arrived too late for most civil servants. The northbound trip primarily served the latter group, as it departed too early to serve the morning riders for their return trip.
On January 1, 1983, Conrail
Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busin ...
was relieved of its obligation to run commuter service. Commuter service in Pennsylvania was merged into SEPTA Regional Rail, and MDOT contracted with Amtrak to run other Washington–Baltimore commuter trips. The ''Chesapeake'' was discontinued on October 30, 1983 and replaced by an unnamed Washington–Baltimore train. Commuter rail service is now provided over the former route of the ''Chesapeake''excepting the segment between Perryville and Newark by the SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line and MARC Penn Line.
Equipment
The ''Chesapeake'' operated with leasedArrow
An arrow is a fin-stabilized projectile launched by a bow. A typical arrow usually consists of a long, stiff, straight shaft with a weighty (and usually sharp and pointed) arrowhead attached to the front end, multiple fin-like stabilizers c ...
electric multiple units.
Station stops
The following station stops were made by Chesapeake trains during the October 1980 to October 1981 period:See also
* List of Amtrak routes#Northeast Corridor for other Amtrak trains named ''Chesapeake''.References
External links
October 1, 1979 Amtrak Chesapeake Timetable (Railroad Picture Archives)
{{Former Amtrak routes Former Amtrak routes Passenger rail transportation in Washington, D.C. Passenger rail transportation in Maryland Passenger rail transportation in Delaware Passenger rail transportation in Pennsylvania Railway services introduced in 1978 Railway services discontinued in 1983