Amtrak's Cardinal | Cincinnati to New York | Viewliner I Sleeing Car

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TRIP INFO
Amtrak Cardinal Train 50
Cincinnati Union Terminal to New York Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station
Viewliner Roomette - Room 2 (5000 car)
Price - $287 (Adult Fare $144 + Viewliner Roomette $143)
__________________________________________________
0:00 • Introduction
0:45 • Cincinnati Union Station
3:50 • Boarding
5:25 • West Virginia
11:09 • Virginia
14:48 • Roomette Info
16:25 • Washington, DC
20:23 • Closing Thoughts
__________________________________________________
Amtrak's Cardinal
www.amtrak.com/cardinal-train
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardina...)
Flexible Dining
www.amtrak.com/onboard/meals-...
Cardinal Dining Car Menu
www.amtrak.com/content/dam/pr...
Cincinnati Union Terminal
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinn...
Roomette
www.amtrak.com/roomettes
__________________________________________________
Filmed on an iPhone 11 Pro Max
All Rights Reserved
©2021
#amtrak #amtrakcardinal #viewliner

[@jfelizondomd]

The station in Cincinnati is beautiful , too bad it can’t be appreciated with greater ridership

[@The_PaleHorseman]

I live in Cincinnati and didn't know this existed. I need to take this trip

[@barbaratobin5579]

I traveled on the Cardinal in July from Philadelphia to Chicago in a roomette. It was a great ride (although, as you said, food not all that great) but the best part of the ride was the Car Attendant Melanie. She outshone all the attendants on the rest of my trip to Colorado and home again. She made clear what would happen and when, notified you when your stop is next and helped with luggage and was overall a very friendly woman and a great ambassador for Amtrak. She said she has worked for Amtrak for 23 years. No one else measured up to her.

[@ForeLeafTravel]

Hopefully employees like her get the proper recognition!

[@RichardinNC1]

I would say Ohio's biggest Amtrak challenge is being in the middle of the routes and all overnight stops whether Cleveland or Cinci. Maybe a daytime route between the two would help and bring folks from Dayton, Columbus, Akron, etc to those cross country routes. And continue the route south to Lexington KY, Nashville and Memphis!

[@KimiWallrus]

Bring back the Red Devils!

[@williamparker1085]

finally an interesting train video made by someone who does not feel the need to drivel on endlessly......bravo sir.....enjoyable

[@mareerogers364]

Awesome report. Can you imagine the changes to Amtrak if you ran it! LOL We wish.

[@eottoe2001]

Traveled the California Zephyr in 1978. God the food was great. It was on the level or Olive Garden or better. In my recollection, those weren't Superliner cars; but they managed to make great food in tiny kitchens. The service was great, too.

[@claudiahansen4938]

Nice report! That is one tall bridge!

[@TheFarix2723]

Before Amtrak's takeover and merging multiple lines to make a route between NYC and Chicago, there were several daily trains running between Washington DC and Cincinnati. It would have been interesting if Amtrack would have maintained the daily service between Wahsington DC and Cincinnati.

[@katherinemoss8503]

We are seniors. The Cardinal has our favorite train. Your improvement suggestions are dead on point. Thanks.

[@divox9pqr]

Praise the Lord..daytime rail service is returning to Cincinnati. I remember the B&O Railroad had several trains to stop there on the way to Chicago and St Louis. My brother and I would board the train in Baltimore and ride all night and part of the next day arriving in the early evening as the steamer puffed ever so slowly around that wonderful steel scaffolding into that beautiful Art Deco station.

[@divox9pqr]

Look..When I was a kid there were two daily trains through Cincinnati. One in the afternoon on the B&O to St Louis, and one later in the evening to Chicago. They both ran daily. The Cardinal is a great little train, but that arrival time in the early morning coupled with running only three days a week is ridiculous. Amtrak has got to do something about the limited service. Why not run an earlier train from New York or Washington DC. If you can’t justify having it run daily, run a through train earlier in the day three days a week as now. The “Queen City” deserves better. After all, they remodeled the Art Museum that is attached to the train terminal.

[@gerardmoran9560]

Great video! I'm happy to spend the money to enjoy myself. I want a dining car and I don't want microwaved slop. Amtrak needs to listen to the customers.

[@nickgreenwich8649]

The Cardinal rivals the Zephyr and Builder in wonderful scenery. The small towns and stations are a delight.

[@Murphyproductions]

Just a quick note due to height restrictions in the Baltimore and north river tunnel Amtrak can only use the viewliner cars

[@redstonerelic]

I dont think Amtrak could bring Superliners to the cardinal due to the fact that it goes into new york, and may not fit in the tunnels. I could be wrong

[@johnchambers8528]

I have ridden the Cardinal several times between Philadelphia and Indianapolis or Chicago. I used to use the old Broadway Ltd. to Chicago until Amtrak discontinued it. As you noted the food service has much to be desired in quality and variety compared to the old full service dinning cars. To improve the service Amtrak should try to service Cincinnati at more reasonable times, arriving or departing at early AM times hurts ridership from such a large city. Daily service also would help. The time I rode to and from Indianapolis I was attending a business conference and had to stay one day longer than the conference to ride back to Philadelphia due to the tri weekly schedule. As to adding a lounge/scenic viewing car, it could be done with existing modified Amfleet equipment or added when they buy more single level cars. The old private railroads like Chessie or B&O railroad used round ended observation cars on many of their trains and could be duplicated or modified for todays trains. They just need larger viewing windows and possibly curved upper roof area windows like found on the western Superliner lounge/ sightseeing car. The old Seabord Coast Line had mid train lounge/ sightseeing cars that were single level that ran on several of their through trains from Florida to New York. So it can be done if Amtrak wants to truly upgrade service on this train.

[@TomHoffman-uw7pf]

The most important aspect of the Cardinal is that for many of the smaller communities on its route, it's the only way to get there. Many of these places don't even have bus service, let alone airline service. Some of these stations are out in the woods, but they draw on a much larger area. Prince WV, for example, is in the middle of nowhere. But it's used by passengers from Beckley, which is a much larger town. I was in Hinton WV a month ago, and there were LOT of people waiting for the train. If it ran every day, patronage would be even stronger. I've ridden the Cardinal several times in both directions, always in sleeper. It was always a great trip.

[@himbourbanist]

I am SO GLAD Union Terminal is still being cared for, I really hope that someday the beautiful building will be host to numerous daily trains just like it was in its heyday. Cincinnati can be a rail city again one day with some elbow grease and the new funding from the Fed

[@thelastluciano8026]

Had to take thid trip recently during the holidays(never rode a train before). The cincy station is nice,rode to philly and enjoyed the break

[@AA_8184_1]

Very informative video! I’ve traveled in a Viewliner bedroom & I agree that those upper level windows are a great feature!

[@himbourbanist]

aw man Cincy is a cool town, and the Cardinal is a BEAUTIFUL route. Supposedly it's getting upgraded to a daily train, plus all of the trains that Amtrak plans to expand in Ohio. Cincy Union Terminal will be a glorious rail hub once more!

[@PopcornSimulationGaming]

Again bloody fantastic video. Come do some trains here in uk 🇬🇧

[@jlynn37]

I have ridden The Cardinal multiple times and would most definitely ride it again as it is one of my favorite Eastern trains. I have to admit that I am a train buff.

[@MrBNARick]

Gotta love Amtrak's attention to the details...filthy windows

[@joemeyers3127]

Like your style of travel videos. Very balanced reviews. Keep up the good work!

[@coryphillips8526]

I have been on the Cardinal 8 times. From Philadelphia to Chicago and back. Only once the train left on time and arrived on time. Even before the pandemic, it never had a full service dining car. Those are my main issues with the Cardinal. Although most delays are due to freight trains. The food is ok. In spite of. Long for me, but is the only direct route since Amtrak got rid of the Broadway Limited.

[@kevinsmith5288]

I was looking forward to this video, and was not disappointed! Very well done, with intelligent and informative narrative. I last took the Cardinal in October 2019 from Philadelphia to Chicago round trip in a Viewliner roomette. It was a great, albeit not a perfect trip. As you pointed out, the food service leaves a lot to be desired. Also being a vegetarian, my meal choices are further limited. I know that traditional dining has returned on some of the western routes, but realistically I don't expect it to happen in the East anytime soon. But that won't stop me from riding Amtrak. The Cardinal has always been one of my favorite trains, and yes, as you pointed out, it definitely could use some upgrades. Earlier this year on a special fare deal I took the Capitol Limited from DC to Pittsburgh in coach. What surprised me was how it just seemed to trudge along on what looked to be well maintained rail. Also having to deal with a rude conductor put a further damper on that trip. Much better was the ride back to Philly on the Pennsylvanian. The crew was top notch and very pleasant.

[@karlmiller7188]

I agree thoroughly with your assessment

[@Noah-ym3nd]

The reason Amtrak isn’t up front in the building is because of the huge Cincinnati children’s museum that takes up 85% of the building

[@FromtheWindowSeat]

Great review. Very enjoyable. 👍

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Thank you very much for this excellent video. I completely agree with you about the Viewliner sleeping cars, and they are also my favourite type in the Amtrak fleet. I also agree with your suggested improvements for the dining facility on the Cardinal - I have used that service twice from. Chicago to Baltimore, pre Covid, and thoroughly enjoyed the ride ! If a Viewliner II diner was to be incorporated in the consist, I think the whole train should be lengthened to provide more customers. I booked my rides two months before travelling, and obtained a roomette without difficulty. I prefer the Viewliner I cars, because they have their own toilet ! I have recently travelled on the Silver Star from Tampa to Baltimore, and I was able to have a roomette in the single Viewliner I car, though the consist included two Viewliner II cars and a Viewliner diner, the latter being excellent ! I look forward to your next Amtrak video. Many thanks.

[@robertmoats2069]

My favorite rolling stock the Amtrak Superliner Sleeper Car

[@shaunwilliams4231]

Cincinnati Union Terminal is my favorite building in the world:)

[@rgreed20081]

The Cardinal's main advantages are: Great scenery Access to the Northeast Access to a lot of regional hiking trails Access to Florida via Washington New River Gorge National Park Hawk's Nest State Park Disadvantages Three days a week service for East Bond and 3 days for West Bond Main Improvements need to focus to returning either to daily service or six day service for both East Bound and West Bound Promote the main advantages esp access to the Northeastern States and Florida, and other Eastern States. Improvements in cars and sleepers One or two additional Sleepers

[@ggreg2258]

THANK YOU for including the cost. Not cheap if you want a roomette!

[@senorsoupe]

Some good insight! I'm thinking of taking the Cardinal to get to next years Indy 500 from either Washington or Philadelphia so this helps provide some good info

[@C5Loadmaster]

I have ridden all three Chi to the West Coast in the ‘80s plus Broadway Ltd before removal & SW Chief & Cap Ltd in 2010 & 2013. I enjoyed the meals very much. Since the meals have been downgraded, I won’t step a foot onto Amtrak until the meals return to their original quality. In the meantime, I’m driving coast to coast.

[@stephenkeever6029]

I enjoyed your information along the route. I hope to ride this route in the future and think your suggestions for improvement would go a long way at making this beautiful but difficult to enjoy (food and track quality) trip much better.

[@LMTDDS]

We rode the Cardinal 2X. Only because up here in Cleveland the Lake Shore Ltd. and Capitol Ltd. come thru in the middle of the night. So a drive down to Charleston WV enabled us to get onboard during daytime hours. Parking was questionable at the station though as there was a large empty lot next to a closed restaurant (not sure if it ever reopened) but they seemed adament for us not to park in that empty lot (?).

[@jg-7780]

I took this train from Baltimore to Chicago in coach a few weeks ago, and had a blast! Interestingly, for whatever reason, the conductor never said anything about us being allowed to get off at Charlottesville or Huntington, which was unfortunate as it would have been quite neat to take a look at those stops from ground level. I was also impressed how busy the train was, my car was pretty much at least 70% full the entire time, and for the portions in VA and IN/IL, it was basically sold out! This thing needs to be run way more often! One thing I'd love to see for the NY based long distance routes is an observation car, ideally a brand new observation car that can fit in the NE corridor tunnels.

[@mareerogers364]

Not feasible.

[@mareerogers364]

Observation cars along NE corridor to D.C. not feasible.

[@jg-7780]

@@mareerogers364 Obviously you can't fit a superliner onto the NEC, but considering that Amtrak is procuring new cars, I think they should develop single level observation cars that can fit on the NEC

[@RobertKrebill]

Great great video

[@johnp139]

I took that train both directions from Cincinnati, both at the wee hours of the night (at least the SCHEDULED times). Going to Chicago it took 3x longer than if I were to drive, and to DC at least 2x longer.

[@phoneactress3725]

Thanks for the vid! Really wish Amtrak would have kept the in-room toilets in the Viewliners. They were way more convenient and for that price you shouldn't have to share a toilet with other passengers.

[@tpiety]

I just find the idea of an in-room toilet so icky.

[@dalektorgo2973]

How is the... Um ... odour control?

[@youdontknowme5969]

maybe for #1's right after waking up, that's it

[@johnp139]

Until you think about how many people pissed right next to the bed that you are sleeping on.

[@chriswalker1993]

I'm not a big breakfast eater so don't mind the Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwich, but lunch and dinner definitely do leave a lot to be desired. I rode the Cardinal before "flex dining". It wasn't full dining service, and I'd rate the food just a step above the current "flex dining" but still far below the meal in the dining car when I first rode Amtrak 15 years ago. Hopefully those cost cutting days are behind us, but it makes 0 sense to not put the Viewliner diner on the train. I don't think it makes much sense to put Superliners on the train since they'd have to truncate it to DC. There is too much intermediate traffic between Cincinnati and the NEC north of DC.

[@divox9pqr]

Adding an observation car is step in the right direction. Upgrade the rough tracks of BB line, then go back to traditional dinning. I try to ride the Cardinal whenever I get the chance. I much prefer it to the Capital Ltd, and the Lakeshore Ltd becomes boring after the beautiful scenery of the Hudson River and Valley.

[@quayzar1]

The State of Virginia just bought those tracks and are planning are big improvements.

[@Greatdome99]

Amtrak doesn't own any observation (end) cars. Do you mean lounge cars?

[@jdm1039]

That is the quietest I have ever seen Washington Union Station.

[@kevinhoward9593]

The Buckingham branch Railroad limits The Cardinal to 3 days a week. It has nothing to do with Amtrak. Amtrak wants to operate it daily.

[@wesmullins1975]

It's been 3x/week since the 2000's, it was CSX territory back then.

[@KimiWallrus]

Why it it so freaking expensive! Its a Greyhound but slower! Thanks for the support of passenger train travel America!

[@maureenkelly-thompson7101]

It’s a shame that traditional dining has not yet been restored on the Viewliner trains like it has been restored on their long distance Superliner cross country trains!

[@ForeLeafTravel]

Agreed

[@020untitled]

It's nice but no match for those in Japan…thanks for the video

[@tpiety]

The food is the single worst thing about travel on Amtrak. It is really pretty awful. It is so sad because otherwise I love train travel. The second and third things are the icky toilets (and the idea of a toilet in your roomette is just SO gross!) and the erratic schedules. But I have found the seating and comfort and the people generally good. And bumpy rides don’t bother me that much.

[@youraveragejoe2]

Bring your own food. Thats what i do

[@divox9pqr]

Did you say hello to Curtis the Station Master at Prince, West Virginia. He entertained us for hours after our train was stopped by a landslide a couple of yrs ago.

[@charsbob]

I'd love to see a Sightseer Lounge in the consist. I'm a bit concerned about clearances. Beyond that, full diner service and a daily schedule would be major ridership builders. If we dare to dream, additional trainsets would allow for both evening and daytime departures from Cincinnati.

[@TomHoffman-uw7pf]

For a few years, the Cardinal DID operate with Superliners. However. these cars could not run on the portion between Washington and New York, due to clearance issues. This forced Cardinal passengers to use a Northeast Regional train for that segment. Besides the inconvenience of a transfer at Washington, this meant no dining or sleeping cars for that 227-mile stretch. A big percentage of the Cardinal's passengers are going to or from points on the Northeast Corridor. This voids any advantage from using Superliners. I live about 40 miles from Hinton, an hour's drive on curvy mountain roads. I would use this station to travel west, assuming I could come up with the sleeping car fare. I could ride it east to Washington, but could not come back the same day. I absolutely refuse to pay big-city hotel prices. I don't like being ripped off. If I go back to DC at all, I get a room for maybe $50 in an outlying area and ride MARC or VRE commuter trains to and from the city. Besides the cost savings, doing this gets me out of driving in Washington traffic. 20 years of living in a county with four traffic lights has spoiled me. 🙂

[@Greatdome99]

@@TomHoffman-uw7pf "Clearance Issues" = overhead catenary and sparks.

[@benedmonson3445]

To viewliner vs superliner due to tunnels in NY. Replacing trackage in Va. area would make a softer ride.

[@bnsf4715]

5:04 Ashland, KY. I filmed the Cardinal there

[@cliffordporteriii6625]

Run it daily, get a 2nd sleeper, and a full diner. Then run a tri-weekly overnite train getting into Cincinnati in the morning. Maybe a Newport News section. Just sayin’ Cliff Porter III

[@LMTDDS]

The stop at White Sulphur Springs and Greenbrier Hotel. The hotel conducts tours of the "secret bunker" built into the hotel to house the president and members of congress & senate in event of national emergency. Now open to the public; recommend getting tickets in advance.

[@Noah-ym3nd]

Planning on visiting my girlfriend this summer by train if flights are to expensive, she’s from Long Island so hoping my experience will be the same if not better than this

[@eliwilson8021]

There can’t be super liners in the northeast corridor due to tunnel size

[@sleepinbeaut]

How long does it take?

[@jg-7780]

20:00 I thought that trains with Viewliners I's are only allowed to go 110mph?

[@voyageoffthegridsailinghar4308]

wow that food looks so disappointing. I was hoping it would be like California. What did your seat for the segment from D.C. to New York look like?

[@cherylsemrau4375]

I would like to go on this train. Sad about the food.

[@yumpinyiminy963]

Your right. Just being cheap without a good dinning experience for what you pay for a ticket. Yet They loose money every year and congress has no incentive to fix their budget. They just got some money from the new infrastructure Bill. Let see how it is spent on the rail services.

[@chrisdobrowolski2783]

What was your favorite meal on this train? How many hours of uninterrupted sleep did you get on this train?

[@ToABrighterFuture]

Maybe somebody with a Ouija board can get ahold of Joe Boardman? 🙄 Every regular and would-be passenger on the long routes seems to have ideas for improvements, but the former airline guys they had running the show, were about as responsive to passenger suggestions as their prior industry. The new boss is actually a railroad guy, of all things, and he's also been around the Hill long enough, one presumes, to know how to effectively schmooze the best congresscritters. Amtrak's biggest problem, simply put, is that not enough outsiders take it seriously, and too many insiders don't take it seriously enough.

[@samueljohnson4259]

Favorite rolling stock that Amtrak operates is the Superliner lounge car.

[@roysmith4953]

Do they have good wifi?

[@thomasstambaugh5181]

No. Terrible Wifi, and pretty much no cellphone service through most of West Virginia. So bad that you're well-advised to power down your phone so that you don't kill your battery while your phone endlessly searches for service that does not exist. This train is a good way to get off the grid for those of us who spend all too much time "connected" night and day (like your's truly, typing this at nearly 2:00a in the morning).

[@jdm1039]

How good the wifi is depends on the cellular service in the area the train is passing through.

[@johncoyle777]

I think that the VIEWLINER ONE is good as it has a toilet in the cabin. . . . . I do not like getting dressed in the middle of the night, to take a Pee!

[@divox9pqr]

Look Sir…Don’t give us a justification video for this train. The line is already stressed by virtue of being the only train east or west. Also the hour the train arrives is very inconvenient. If anything, give justification for additional arrivals at a decent hour of the day.

[@ntcrawford722]

But yet it dont go from there up here to Cleveland i say bullshit with that

[@mikeymutual5489]

Vulnerable = venerable

[@jdm1039]

One tri weekly train and two daily trains all serving major cities in the middle of the night is not a recipe for high ridership and is not a reflection at all as to what is possible.

[@karenherold9840]

I enjoyed this but wish you hadn't filmed while sitting back wards.

[@johnp139]

DON’T take that train on the return route sine all of the best scenery (in WV) is passed at night.

[@sodasommelier4990]

you didnt need to insult cincy chili like that

[@TanookiOshawott64]

I will not stand for the Skyline slander smh

[@dustydogonthemoon]

The Cardinal needs better train cars, better food, lounge car and better employees.

[@benedmonson3445]

Full service dining car would really help. An observation car is out of the question du

[@Greatdome99]

Amtrak doesn't own any tail cars. I think you mean lounge car.

[@KyTheGamer12]

First

[@andrewseamans1419]

Amtrak is not competitive at all. It's sad.

[@virginiatolles1664]

Do your homework! Budd, not Amtrak, designed the Viewliner. Since Budd stopped building rail cars, the new cars are built by CAF of Spain using Budd's plans. Also, the crops being grown in the Shenandoah Valley, east of Staunton were grapes. Virginia grows a lot of grapes and makes some passable wines. You've skipped over the most beautiful areas of Virginia. Shame on you!

[@mikeymutual5489]

I don't see why this route needs to be more than three days a week. Does anyone even take it west of Charlottesville? Also, this route needs to end in Washington, DC so Superliner cars can be used. If Cincinnati wants and needs more service, it should be the line to Cleveland (and beyond to New York) shown at 2:06 that would run during the day (and get to New York in the morning, and vice-versa).

[@Randoman35]

A big grand station like that for one single train that stops six times a week? Fucking pathetic.

[@enjoyslearningandtravel7957]

The huge station was probably built before the car age became common for most people to own a car

[@johnp139]

What needs to be improved? Your videos! No mention of any Wi-Fi or cell service. How fast did the train ACTUALLY GO?!? Your audio is also very inconsistent and is often saturated.

[@rickyboy1947]

the train needs "Vista Domes" to view the scenery......Amtrak sucks in its present form.....time to go back to what worked in the past....like "The Canadian" last remaining "Vista Dome" train in North America and has become a tourist destination for tourists from all over the world.....Amtrak sucks