Riding across 2024: A review of the region's newest bicycle projects

This past year showed the importance of celebrating our wins. A number of important bicycle infrastructure projects have opened across the region. Feel free to leave a comment about which projects I missed, especially ones in Montgomery County or Prince Georges County.

Alexandria 

King St protected bike lanes

2024 brought the first protected bike lanes to Alexandria. King St, Seminary Rd, N Pickett St and N Van Dorn St's existing buffered bike lanes received flexpost protection. Oddly, I have not heard much about this from the naysayers although it may be because I tuned them out.

Potomac Yard Trail spur

A new spur of the Potomac Yard Trail opened this fall. Whereas cyclists previously had to cross four-lane Potomac Ave at Glebe Rd and use a side path intersected by strip mall back alley entrances, the new spur meanders behind the new Potomac Yard Metro without interruption. The trail will eventually connect to Arlington.

I may have missed this from 2023 but on Oronoco St, a bicycle only left turn lane was added. This allows people biking to turn into the Mount Vernon Trail. I have not seen anything like it elsewhere.

Bicycle left turn lane

The Monroe St bike lanes finally got short protection to deter drivers from using them to bypass speed bumps. The initial bumps where built six inches too tall but even after they were shaved down and the bike lane got green paint, drivers still treated them like passing lanes. 

Monroe St's protected speed humps 

A short half block of King St got a protected bike lane in one direction to improve access to the King St Metro. An unprotected bike lane was added just east of it and a westbound bike lane and bike box were also added. While currently disconnected, construction will soon get underway to replace a 100 year old railroad bridge, which when completed, will provide space for protected bike lanes. 

Arlington County

Wilson Blvd has had a protected bike lane since 2016 but it stopped about two blocks short of N Veitch St protected bike lanes. That gap has finally been filled and includes a wider sidewalk to boot. 

Wilson Blvd's protected bike lane

While just one block, the N Lynne St bike lane long been among Arlington’s most blocked. Any number of food delivery drivers, ride hailing and taxis, delivery trucks and an official intercity bus stop would force people biking into a four lane street. For folks coming off of the Arlington Blvd Trail or the Route 110 Trail, this link will provide a much safer connection to the Mt Vernon Trail, Custis Trail and Key Bridge. 

A new bridge opened across Four Mile Run, augmenting a narrow sidewalk section on S Shirlington Rd. It also provides direct access to Jennie Dean Park.

Four Mile Run Bridge to Jennie Dean Park

A short section of 18th St S reopened with protected bike lanes from S Eads St to S Fern St, connecting Arlington's first protected bike lane with S Eads St's PBL and the Crystal City Metro.

18th St S protected bike lanes

The 1800 block Crystal Dr received a southbound protected bike lane as did a block of Clarendon Blvd near Courthouse Metro.

Fairfax County

Full disclosure, I work for Fairfax County on bicycle and pedestrian projects. 

For people walking and bicycling on the W&OD Trail, one of the worst crossings has been Wiehle Ave in Reston. The trail crossed midblock just north of the multi-lane Sunset Hills Rd intersection. Wiehle Ave itself widens from four lanes to six just for this intersection and widens again to 12 lanes. Drivers fly off of the Dulles Toll Rd and do not expect to stop for people in the crosswalk, causing numerous injuries for trail users. Thankfully, the Wiehle Nice New bridge opened in July, allowing people riding and walking to soar over that nonsense. 

View from new Wiehle Ave Bridge
of former Wiehle Ave grade crossing

Fairfax County has not repurposed parking for bike lanes in a meaningful way until Anderson Rd. This street divides an aging apartment complex on either side, a grocery store and newer condos and townhomes, all just a short ride from the McLean Metro. Most of the parking has been removed except for a short downhill section. 

Anderson Rd buffered bike lanes

Laurel Hill Dr's buffered bike lanes

Lorton is not a place where people expect to bike or walk. But with the former Lorton Penitentiary getting apartments, shops and a grocery store, people have begun to demand more ways to make short trips. The Cross-County Trail crosses through this street too and the East Coast Greenway is not far away. Built with driving in mind, Laurel Crest Dr has been reduced from four lanes to two in front of an elementary school, pacing the way for buffered bike lanes, and almost all street parking was removed for bike lanes at the behest of residents. 

The National Park Service also replaced the Mount Vernon Trail's Dyke Marsh bridge. The bumpy, loud ride is now slightly wider, much smoother and quieter.

Mount Vernon Trail bridge over Dyke Marsh 

Washington, DC

DDOT has a helpful list of projects completed by year. A close contender with N Lynne St for one of the region’s most blocked bike lanes, Columbia Rd NW’s bike lanes had faded and were constantly blocked by the same sorts of drivers. Thankfully, DDOT leveraged repaving to remove most street parking to add protected bike lanes, concrete islands to help people cross the street, and even added few short bus lanes. 

11th St NW received protected bike lanes in its downtown section, running from Pennsylvania Ave to Massachusetts Ave for 0.6 miles. Not only will this link help revitalize downtown DC, there is an extension planned to Columbia Heights.

11th St NW protected bike lanes

I rode on I (eye) St SW for several years as my primary commute route. While it lacked the thrill of N Lynne St and Columbia Rd NW’s frequent bike lane parkers, parents dropping their kids at an elementary school would occasionally make u turns into my path. Drivers at the S Capitol St intersection also had a nasty habit of swerving into people biking across the street, thanks to a combined left/straight lane that encouraged eastbound drivers to go around fellow drivers turning left. Now, people biking have a protected lane and a green wave, meaning a cyclists traveling 12 mph will hit all green lights, a regional first! This is a key east-west link between Maine Ave and Virginia commuters and employers in the Navy Yard.

The Capital Crescent Trail has long been one of the region’s main bicycle routes, connecting Bethesda with Georgetown. However since it follows the Potomac River’s steep embankment, it has few connections to other DC neighborhoods. Now, the Palisades are connected via a two-way cycletrack on Arizona Ave NW. This also puts American University a short ride away from the Capital Crescent Trail. Cyclists must use a short dirt section to get from the trail to the cycletrack but hopefully, a direct connection will be formalized in the future. 

After a bike repair this fall, my toddler and I took the new 19th St NE/SE cycletrack home. It provides a north-south link across the Eastern side of Capitol Hill, connecting directly to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail and the Stadium Armory Metro. 

19th St NE cycletrack

In summer 2019, Dave Salovesh was stopped a red light on Florida Ave NE when a driver of a stolen van killed him while fleeing police. Dave was well-known for his cycling advocacy. DDOT implemented a quick build cycletrack on Florida Ave a few months later. Overtime, those materials fell apart and one day, a construction crew even left a large saw blade in the cycletrack itself. Thankfully, the street was repaved and the cycletrack was replaced with two concrete barrier protected bike lanes that run under the railroad tracks to 2nd St NE. A short walk up a runnel or ride up an elevator connects riders to the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

Florida Ave NE protected bike lanes

Technically, M St SE was rideable in late 2023 but it was not officially completed until January. M St was a six lane highway and not long after the US DOT opened its Navy Yard headquarters, several employees died trying to cross it. I rarely rode it for that reason and always dreaded crossing it. But along the south side, there is now a cycletrack and just two travel lanes and just one in the other direction. A bus lane and left turn lane have replaced the other lanes, transforming the street into a far safer place, right next to DDOT and USDOT’s offices as well as numerous transportation contractors. 

M St SE cycletrack

Lastly, 2024 marks ten years of living in the DMV for me. At that time, all we had  for protected bike lanes was L St, M St and 15th St NW, nothing beyond DC. While the day to day pace of change may seem slow, our bike network has grow in leaps and bounds across multiple jurisdictions in only ten years, fairly short for transportation planning. We have gotten faster at implementation, have much better guidance to build the right stuff and have a whole generation of politicians, planners and engineers creating momentum for the next decade. Enjoy the ride!

A Better Lake Shore Corridor: Part 1

Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited links New York City with Chicago via Buffalo and Cleveland and generated the highest ridership of any long distance train in 2024. This route should be improved to better serve this busy corridor.

Phase I: Improved Cleveland service

Although Cleveland is the largest city between New York and Chicago, the Lake Shore Limited stops there in the middle of the night. Adjusting the Lake Shore Limited’s schedule to provide more reasonable departure times in Cleveland would significantly increase ridership and revenue. The train's New York City departure would be shifted from 3:40 PM to 6:20 PM, allowing the train to run overnight to arrive in Cleveland around 6 AM and then run to Chicago during daylight hours, arriving around noon. Instead of leaving Chicago at 9:30 pm, the Lake Shore Limited would leave at 3:20 pm, stopping in Cleveland before midnight and arriving in New York City around noon. See 2025 timetable and proposed timetable here.

Lake Shore Limited stopped in Cleveland

Source

The new schedule could easily increase ridership from 34,000 in 2022 to more than 100,000 in Cleveland alone. Although the Lake Shore Limited debuted in 1975 with this exact schedule, it was adjusted over time to prioritize passengers in upstate New York and ensure connections for passengers arriving late on western long distance trains. 

To compensate for the loss of service between upstate New York and Chicago, an Empire Service train would be rescheduled and extended from Buffalo to Cleveland where it would connect to the Capitol Limited. This train would also create a second roundtrip between New York City and Chicago but at a much lower cost than an entirely new train as the only new section would run between Buffalo and Cleveland. This new section would require at least two 2-car sets to start, consisting of a sleeper and a coach.

Should passengers miss their Lake Shore Limited connection due to delayed western trains, this new section of the Capitol Limited would accommodate them. While Niagara Falls would lose a roundtrip, the train would continue to serve Buffalo via a short reserve maneuver. Some additional capacity on CSX freight railroad's busy main line between Buffalo and Cleveland would be needed to accommodate the new train such as a few new passing sidings. 

New Michigan Service

Both the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited stop in Toledo, about an hour south of Detroit. Several cars should be split from both trains in Toledo, allowing two short sections to run to Detroit and terminate in Pontiac. Starting with two-car sets for each route, Michigan service would likely add another 50,000 riders to each train. The Lake Shore Limited service would connect Cleveland to Detroit which is one of Amtrak’s ConnectUS routes. 

While this service expansion to both Cleveland and Michigan can be accomplished with a low track infrastructure investment and small increase in operating costs, part two of this series will examine ways to substantially increase service.

Results of the Long Distance Train Study

For the first time in decades, Amtrak’s long distance routes could expand to new cities. Earlier this year, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) wrapped up a study of long distance train routes and proposed new ones. 

The study criteria stated that the new routes should link large and small communities, advance socio-economic well-being of rural areas, enhance connectivity for long-distance trains and reflect public input and local and state support for passenger trains. One outcome of that criteria is circuitous routes through small communities instead of larger cities such as Amarillo instead of Oklahoma City or Shreveport instead of Houston. Larger cities provide more riders and are a key destination for riders in smaller cities. 

The FRA also does not appear to have factored in freight train volumes and existing service, going from breadth instead of depth. High volumes of freight trains delay passenger trains and require extensive mitigations such as multiple passing sidings or even an additional track, increasing the cost of starting the service. New routes also require new stations, crew training and servicing facilities. More detailed information about individual routes start on slide 81.

▪ Chicago - Miami
This route last ran in 1979 as the Floridian, doomed by slow, dilapidated track and the rise of cheap flights to Florida. Since then, track qualify has improved. The new route includes several cities that the Floridian skipped, notably Atlanta and Indianapolis which should improve its popularity and would likely be among best performing new long distance trains in this study.

To improve ridership and revenue and increase connectivity, this train should have a section that splits off in Nashville to run to St. Louis and potentially Kansas City.

▪ Dallas/Fort Worth - Miami
Fast-growing north Texas has never had a direct train to Florida. Starting in Fort Worth, the train would go to Shreveport and then run via Louisiana bayous to New Orleans. It would then follow the former Sunset Limited route to Jacksonville but use the Florida East Coast Railroad's coastal route to get to Miami, bypassing Orlando.

Instead of serving Shreveport, this route should serve Houston and use the Sunset Limited's route into New Orleans. Rather than serve Florida's east coast, this route should serve Orlando, following the same route as the Silver Meteor. Including these two cities will substantially increase ridership and revenue and reduce capital cost to start this train.

▪ Denver - Houston
This route was last operated in 1967 as the Texas Zephyr. Linking Denver and Colorado Springs with fast-growing Dallas and Houston, this route is among the most promising in the study. However, the FRA missed an opportunity to serve larger cities during daylight hours and use track with existing passenger trains. For example, the FRA proposes to serve Amarillo in the middle of the night but could instead serve Wichita and Oklahoma City during the day. Both cities are have much larger populations and have much higher demand for Dallas and Denver trips (approximately one million airline passengers per year compared to 0.25 million in Amarillo). Amtrak also operates two trains on 553 miles of this route, reducing the capital cost to start the service.

▪ Los Angeles - Denver
This route restores the Desert Wind which last ran in 1997 and extends it to Denver via Wyoming. While the Desert Wind operated as a section of the California Zephyr, splitting in in Salt Lake City, the study proposes a dedicated service.

Running the train all the way to Chicago as a section of the California Zephyr will increase revenue and reduce the start up capital cost. Like the Desert Wind, it should split in Salt Lake City to provide adequate departure and arrival times into Las Vegas.

▪ Phoenix - Minneapolis/St. Paul
Both cities have solid demand to travel between them. However, the FRA's route proposes a less direct route to serve Sioux Falls and Omaha and then uses BNSF's busy Southern Transcon route to serve Wichita and Amarillo. The train would then have to make 30-mile reverse move to serve Albuquerque and to access Phoenix, use BNSF's curvy and slow Phoenix Subdivision. 

Instead, a section of the Southwest Chief should be split off in Kansas City for St. Paul. An another section should be split off in Albuquerque, running south to join the Sunset Limited route to Tucson and then splitting off to serve Phoenix. The track south of Albuquerque has few freight trains with along a relatively straight track but requires a signal system for faster speeds. Improvements could be shared with a state sponsored train (s) to El Paso. A small railroad owns about 50 miles of the route and significant improvements would be required. Between Deming and Tucson, the train would use Union Pacific double track main line.

▪ Dallas/Fort Worth - New York
This route would follow the Pennsylvanian's route to Pittsburgh and then serve Columbus, Indianapolis and St. Louis, which was served by the National Limited until 1979. In St. Louis, it would turn southwest to Springfield (MO), Tulsa and Oklahoma before turning south to Fort Worth and Dallas. 

One way to reduce start up capital cost is to split the Cardinal in Indianapolis, running the new section to St. Louis. It would then follow the Texas Eagle's route to Dallas and Fort Worth substantially reducing start up cost compared to the St. Louis-Oklahoma City route and also provide a more direct service. The Cardinal section would eventually be replaced by a dedicated train from New York City to Pittsburgh, Columbus and Indianapolis. 

Alternatively, the train could run to Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville and Memphis, crossing the Mississippi to reconnect with the Texas Eagle route in Little Rock. While this route would also have a high start up cost, it has much higher revenue potential than the St. Louis-Oklahoma City route. That route may be better served by state sponsored daytime trains. 

▪ Houston - New York
This route runs via the west side of the Appalachian Mountains via Roanoke, Bristol and Chattanooga, turning south to Atlanta. It would then run to Montgomery, Mobile and New Orleans before using the Sunset Limited route to Houston. This route is slow, indirect and is unlikely to attract many passengers. It also would require substantial start up costs as large portions of the route do not host any passenger trains. It would be better served with state sponsored trains such as Virginia's planned extension to Bristol and the Chicago - Miami's Chattanooga to Atlanta route.

Instead, the Crescent should be extended from New Orleans to Houston and San Antonio, replacing the Sunset Limited which would be rerouted to Chicago to replace the Texas Eagle. 

▪ Seattle - Denver
Like the Los Angeles - Denver route, this route restores the Pioneer that last operated in 1997. Whereas the Pioneer operated as a section of the California Zephyr, this route would operate independently.

To reduce start up capital costs, this route should operate as a section of the California Zephyr, operating via Wyoming to Ogden and then to Portland and Seattle. Passengers traveling to Salt Lake City and Provo could connect via the Front Runner commuter train. Operating via Wyoming would allow for more reasonable arrival and departures times from Seattle. 

▪ San Antonio - Minneapolis/St. Paul
This route follows the historic Twin Star Rocket route. Starting in Minneapolis, it would run south to Des Moines, Kansas City, Tulsa, Dallas and San Antonio.

To reduce capital costs and serve cities with higher potential ridership potential, this train should run via Wichita and Oklahoma City, allowing it to use the Southwest Chief and Heartland Flyer's track and stations. Rather than terminating San Antonio, it should terminate in Houston. Tulsa and San Antonio could be served by state-sponsored trains. One way to restore service along part of this route more quickly is to extend the Heartland Flyer from Oklahoma City to Newton where it would pick up a coach and sleeper car from the Southwest Chief.

▪ San Francisco - Dallas/Fort Worth
This route proposed to connect the tech hub of the San Francisco Bay area with Dallas, serving Phoenix and Tucson in between. It would use the San Joaquin route from Oakland to Bakersfield, run over the busy Tehachapi pass to Barstow, following the Southwest Chief's track to Cadiz where it would use the small Arizona and California Railroad. This line would require some track upgrades and potentially a signal system. Using existing signalized freight track in Phoenix and Tucson, it would follow the Sunset Limited route to El Paso and then split to serve Midland and Abilene before arriving in Dallas. This route would take two nights and would likely draw substantial ridership and revenue.

To further boost revenue and ridership, a section for Los Angeles should be split off the train in Barstow. Once the track west of Phoenix is restored, the split could be moved there for a faster trip.

▪ Detroit - New Orleans
This route never had direct passenger service. However, the Pan-American ran between Cincinnati, Nashville, Mobile and New Orleans until 1971. The route would follow only short sections of existing passenger routes, substantially increasing start up costs. Some portions of the route would be shared with other new long distance trains though which would reduce costs.

Rather than terminate in Detroit, this train should terminate in New York City, serving Pittsburgh and Philadelphia along the way. Detroit should have a section that splits from this train in Springfield.

▪ Denver - Minneapolis/St. Paul
One of the study's challenges is the weight placed on unserved areas and smaller cities. The circuitous Denver to Minneapolis route is a perfect example. Rather than serve Des Moines and Omaha, it proposes to serve Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Despite being the largest beneficiary of the route, South Dakota officials have stated they are not interested in passenger trains.

Instead, adding a section of the California Zephyr between St. Paul, MN and Chadron, IA should be the priority. It only requires a short track connection in Chadron as well as a siding and station. Those same tracks could also be used for a future Southwest Chief section. As demand grows, a dedicated train could run on the same route.

▪ Seattle - Chicago
Last served in 1979, the North Coast Hiawatha formerly ran between Chicago and Seattle via souther Montana. It would serve the most populated parts of North Dakota and Montana and also share the line with the Empire Builder between Fargo and Chicago and between Sandpoint, ID and Pasco, WA. The Empire Builder's direct line to Seattle via the Stevens Pass reportedly lacks capacity for additional passenger trains. As such, the FRA proposes to run it via the lightly trafficked but less direct Stampede Pass. 

One way to more quickly restore partial service is to move the Empire Builder's Portland section split from Spokane, WA to Williston, ND. The Seattle section would run from Williston to Billings and Missoula before returning to its existing route in Sandpoint. The section could drop off a coach and a sleeper car in Spokane for the Portland section to pick up, maintaining Seattle's connection to northern Montana. As funding allows, the split could eventually move to Fargo, restoring service across central North Dakota. Restoring most of the North Coast Hiawatha's route as a section of the Empire Builder would substantially reduce start up cost and negate the expensive restoration of the Stampede Pass route for passenger trains.

▪ Dallas/Fort Worth - Atlanta
This route would follow the existing Crescent's route from Atlanta to Meridian and then use an existing freight route to Marshall. There, it would then follow the Texas Eagle route to Fort Worth. The train would operate overnight, leaving Atlanta in the evening and arriving in Fort Worth the following morning.

Unlike many of the proposed routes, this one already generated significant interest from stakeholders including one of the freight railroads. That plan would operate this route as a section of the Crescent, splitting in Meridian, and operate during the day. This plan would substantially reduce start up costs and compliment a future dedicated overnight train.

▪ El Paso - Billings
This route is challenged by having small cities at each end and very little demand for an end to end trip, lacking nonstop flights between its end points that every other proposed route has. While Denver would be a key draw for both cities and there is demand for a Denver to Albuquerque service, this train would likely have the lowest ridership and revenue of the study. Furthermore, track geometry and track conditions would likely make any train slow and expensive to restore.

Instead, this route should be served by two separate night trains, both originating in Denver. A day train may also be feasible between Denver and Billings which would enable an El Paso to Billings through trip via a connecting train.

This study will aid in planning for restoration of lost long distance trains and development of new ones. Its results will likely be used to develop competitive grant applications for the $66 billion in funding for passenger trains. However, the long lead time to acquire new railcars and upgrade track and stations will erode support for the program. The incoming administration will likely try to claw back some of the passenger train funding too. Therefore, finding cheaper and faster ways to augment existing long distance service and serve some of the study's communities is essential. 

Lost Trains of the White Mountains

While on a recent 12-hour car trip to New Hampshire's White Mountains, I thought there had to be a better way of getting there. Turns out there were dedicated trains to bring tourists to the Mountains.

The Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) controlled almost all of the track in New Hampshire and Massachusetts north of Boston. The railroad used three lines to access the White Mountains. 

Three routes of passenger trains to New Hampshire's White Mountains

Eastern Line

The eastern line ran from Boston to Dover, NH and north to Conway and Littleton/Bethlehem, sharing part of the route with the Maine Central Railroad. While unnamed trains had run between Boston and Littleton, the named passenger train Mountaineer replaced them around 1941. In 1945, the Flying Yankee trainset displaced the steam-hauled train as it was too small to meet demand on its Boston to Bangor route. By 1952, Budd RDCs replaced it. While the Flying Yankee had food service, the Budd cars likely did not as the B&M mostly used them for commuter service and were trying to economize on this route. The Flying Yankee was recently moved from Lincoln to North Conway for restoration to operating service on the Conway Scenic Railroad.

Flying Yankee in Lincoln, NH

While the automobiles has begun to draw away potential passengers, the opening of fast highways such as the Spaulding Turnpike in 1956 and Interstate 95 in 1950 struck the final blows. The Spaulding reduced travel times between North Conway and Boston by an hour to 2:30, faster than the Mountaineer’s 3:00 timetable and 4:00 local service with a change in Dover.

In 1956, the terminus shifted from Bretton Woods to Intervale and in 1957, was cut back to North Conway. In 1958, the Mountaineer's from two daily shuttle trains between Dover and North Conway into a single daily through train to Boston. That train also skipped eight small station stops. By early 1960, the B&M proposed removing one of the three crewmembers but discontinued the service after the two railroad unions objected. Service was restored by April after the New Hampshire Public Utility Commission ordered its restoration with two crew. This arrangement was short lived as by December 1961, that passenger train was discontinued on the Conway Branch. More details available at Wikipedia.

Today, passenger trains run from Boston to Dover on their way to Maine (Amtrak's Downeaster) and scenic trains run between North Conway and Bretton Woods. Between Dover and Ossipee, the tracks are used for freight trains carrying sand and gravel to Boston. While the tracks remain in place between Ossipee and North Conway, they are abandoned and would require complete reconstruction to be used again, making restoration highly unlikely.

Central Line

The central line ran from Boston to Manchester, Concord, Plymouth and Woodsville. It served New Hampshire’s largest cities and state capitol, connecting them to smaller towns in the northern part of the state as well as Lake Winnipesaukee. Most trains ran between Concord and Boston.

In 1954, the line between Plymouth and Woodsville was abandoned, severing the connection between New Hampshire’s largest cities and the White Mountains. While Plymouth did not have a dedicated train to New York City, it did have a seasonal sleeper car originating in Philadelphia that was removed from a Maine-bound train in Lowell until 1956. Passenger service to Plymouth was discontinued in fall of 1959.

As more logging mills and other industry closed along the tracks between Concord, Plymouth and Lincoln, abandonment seemed highly likely. But in 1975, the state of New Hampshire acquired the entire line in order to retain service to a struggling paper mill in Lincoln. In 1976, tourist railroad service began in on the line, operated by the Wolfboro Rail Road Company, for a year before financial troubles led to the Goodwin Railroad taking over until 1980 when freight service ceased after the mill closed. Tourist train service was eventually taken over by the Hobo Railroad which was recently renamed as the Granite State Scenic Railway and runs on two sections, Lincoln and Lakeport. We took a scenic train ride from Lincoln a few weeks ago.

Author and son riding the Granite State Scenic Railway

While the line still exists, it would have to be completely rebuilt from Lowell, MA to Lincoln to handle modern, fast passenger trains. Amtrak has listed the Boston-Lowell-Concord segment in its 2035 Connect US plan for restoration.

Western Line

The western line ran along the Connecticut River and only turns toward the White Mountains at Wells River, VT. All of these trains originated in New York City rather than Boston although connections to the latter were available in White River Junction and Wells River.

The Day White Mountains and Night White Mountains first appeared on the OAG’s June 1926 timetable although they were unnamed trains prior to that. Their purpose was to provide a summer connection between New York City and the White Mountains, terminating in either Berlin or Bretton Woods. Both trains made their last run in the summer of 1956 although the Day White Mountains was replaced with an unnamed Budd RDC run between White River Junction and Berlin until being discontinued in 1961. 

North Wind in the 1950's

The North Wind was a summer only daytime all-coach train between New York City and Whitefield, NH which began in 1946 and was an initial success according to B&M management. As it was a seasonal train, the earliest public timetable I could find was 1948. The train was discontinued in 1956. While the North Wind’s 8:30 travel time was close to pre-interstate driving speeds, the same driving trip takes about 6:00-6:30 today. It offered coach and parlor car service. Please see the wikipedia article for more details.

Timetable from August 1956

Today, Amtrak's Vermonter runs from Washington, DC to White River Junction, turning northwest towards St. Albans, VT. The track remains in place between White River Junction and Wells River. However, the last freight train from Wells River to Whitefield ran in 1999 and the tracks have since been converted into a trail.

While scenic trains are going strong in New Hampshire, the state has been unwilling to invest in passenger service, relegating many visitors to long car rides for the foreseeable future.