Chesapeake (Amtrak)

Chesapeake
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Transferred to SEPTA and MTA
Locale	Mid-Atlantic states
First service	1973(First version) 1978(Second and third versions)
Last service	1977(First version) 1995(Second and third versions)
Successor	SEPTA MARC Train
Former operator(s)	Amtrak
Route
Start	Washington, DC
End	Philadelphia
Distance travelled	134 miles (216 km)
Average journey time	2 hour 18 minutes
Service frequency	Monday through Friday
Train number(s)	182 & 187 (1973-1977) 420 & 421 (1978-1995)
On-board services
Class(es)	Unreserved coach
Technical
Rolling stock	Amfleet coaches
Gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	Overhead caternary
Track owner(s)	Amtrak
Route map Legend Station Philadelphia (SEPTA) Chester Wilmington Newark, DE Elkton Perryville Aberdeen Edgewood Baltimore Penn Station Edmonson Avenue (Baltimore) Baltimore Airport Odenton Bowie Beltway-Lanham Washington, D.C. (METRO)

Chesapeake was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak along the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Chesapeake was originally established on April 29, 1973 as a train that ran between Washington, D.C. and New York City. This service ended on June 11, 1977, however on April 30, 1978, the name was revived for a commuter service that was financed through funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Maryland. Chester Transportation Center, which was closed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in either 1966 or 1967, was added to service in 1978^[1] and the Baltimore-Washington International Airport railroad station was added to the service in 1980.^[2]

On October 29, 1983, Maryland and Pennsylvania, along with a number of other Northeastern states, took control of its commuter railroads. SEPTA expanded to commuter railroads previously used by the Pennsylvania Railroad and Reading Railroad, and the "MARC" (Maryland Area Regional Commuter) service name was established.^[3] The SEPTA R2 (now the Wilmington/Newark Line) and MARC Penn Line became the replacements for Amtrak's Chesapeake, although no service existed between Perryville and Newark. The name remained and service was extended not only back to New York City, but south into Richmond, Virginia until October 28, 1995 when it was replaced by the NortheastDirect.

Station stops (1978–1983)

The following station stops were made by Chesapeake trains; not all trains made all stops.

State	City	Station	Notes and Connections
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	30th Street Station	SEPTA subway service; SEPTA Regional Rail
	Chester	Chester Transportation Center	SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line
Delaware	Wilmington	French Street Station	SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line
	Newark	Newark Rail Station	SEPTA Wilmington/Newark Line
Maryland	Elkton	Elkton
	Perryville	Perryville	Now stop on Penn Line
	Aberdeen	Aberdeen	Now stop on Penn Line
	Edgewood	Edgewood	Now stop on Penn Line
	Baltimore	Pennsylvania Station	Now stop on Penn Line and Baltimore Light Rail
		Edmonson Avenue Station
	Linthicum	Baltimore Airport	Now stop on Penn Line
	Odenton	Odenton	Now stop on Penn Line
	Bowie	Bowie
	New Carrollton	Beltway-Lanham Station	Metro Orange Line; now stop on Penn Line
Washington, D.C		Union Station	Metro Red Line; MARC; various Amtrak trains

References

1. ^ Chesapeake Timetable; April 30, 1978 (Museum of Railway Timetables.org)
2. ^ Chesapeake Timetable; October 26, 1980 (Museum of Railway Timetables.org)
3. ^ MARC History on MTA website

External links

• October 1, 1979 Amtrak Chesapeake Timetable (Railroad Picture Archives)
• Inaugural Run of Amtrak's Chesapeake (Window on Cecil County's Past)