Chesapeake (train)

The Chesapeake was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak along the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1978 to 1983. It was one of the few commuter trains operated by Amtrak.

Chesapeake

Demonstration run of the Chesapeake on April 30, 1978, the day before regular service began
Overview
Service type	Commuter rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Mid-Atlantic states
First service	May 1, 1978
Last service	October 29, 1983
Successor	SEPTA MARC Train
Former operator(s)	Amtrak
Route
Termini	Washington, DC Philadelphia
Distance travelled	134 miles (216 km)
Average journey time	2 hour 18 minutes
Service frequency	Monday through Friday
Train number(s)	420, 421
On-board services
Class(es)	Unreserved coach
Technical
Rolling stock	Arrow
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	11.5 kV 25 Hz AC Overhead catenary
Track owner(s)	Amtrak
Route map Philadelphia–Suburban PATCO Philadelphia Chester PA DE Wilmington Newark, Delaware DE MD Elkton Perryville Aberdeen Edgewood Baltimore Edmondson Baltimore Airport Odenton Bowie Capital Beltway MD DC Washington, D.C. This diagram: view talk edit

History

Elkton station is the only former Chesapeake station not currently served by Amtrak, MARC, or SEPTA.

Service began on May 1, 1978, with funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of Maryland; a demonstration trip ran from Philadelphia to Bowie on April 30.^[1][2] It was the first service at Elkton since 1967.^[3] BWI Rail Station was added to the service when it opened in October 1980.^[4] From February 4, 1980, to October 25, 1981, the Chesapeake was extended from 30th Street to Suburban Station.^[5]

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.^[6]

On January 1, 1983, Conrail 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.^[5] 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 leased Arrow electric multiple units.^[7]

Station stops

The following station stops were made by Chesapeake trains during the October 1980 to October 1981 period:

State	City	Station	Notes
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	Suburban Station	Now a Wilmington/Newark Line stop
		30th Street Station	Now an Amtrak and Wilmington/Newark Line stop
	Chester	Chester Transportation Center	Now a Wilmington/Newark Line stop
Delaware	Wilmington	French Street Station	Now an Amtrak and Wilmington/Newark Line stop
	Newark	Newark Rail Station	Now an Amtrak and Wilmington/Newark Line stop
Maryland	Elkton	Elkton
	Perryville	Perryville	Now a Penn Line stop
	Aberdeen	Aberdeen	Now a Penn Line and Amtrak stop
	Edgewood	Edgewood	Now a Penn Line stop
	Baltimore	Pennsylvania Station	Now a Penn Line and Amtrak stop
		Edmondson	Its replacement, West Baltimore station, is now a Penn Line stop
	Linthicum	Baltimore Airport	Now a Penn Line and Amtrak stop
	Odenton	Odenton	Now a Penn Line stop
	Bowie	Bowie	Its 1989 replacement, Bowie State station, is now a Penn Line stop
	Lanham	Capital Beltway	Its 1983 replacement, New Carrollton station, is now an Amtrak and Penn Line stop
Washington, D.C.		Union Station	Now Penn Line and Amtrak stop

See also

• List of Amtrak routes#Northeast Corridor for other Amtrak trains named Chesapeake.

References

1. Chesapeake Timetable; April 30, 1978 (Museum of Railway Timetables.org)
2. Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE SUCCESSORS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY AND THEIR HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1978" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society.
3. "All Aboard at the Elkton Railroad Station". Window on Cecil County's Past. July 25, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
4. Chesapeake Timetable; October 26, 1980 (Museum of Railway Timetables.org)
5. Baer, Christopher T. (April 2015). "A GENERAL CHRONOLOGY OF THE SUCCESSORS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD COMPANY AND THEIR HISTORICAL CONTEXT: 1980-89" (PDF). Pennsylvania Railroad Technical and Historical Society.
6. Meyer, Eugene L. (February 12, 1980). "A Commuter Train With a Split Personality: Commuter Train Shows A Changing Personality". Washington Post. ProQuest 147130600.
7. "Trivia Quiz". On Track. 1 (1): 15, 25. June 1981.

External links

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