Hilltopper (Amtrak)
Encyclopedia
The Hilltopper was a passenger train operated by Amtrak
in the Mid-Atlantic
region of the United States
. It ran daily from the South Station
in Boston, Massachusetts to Catlettsburg, Kentucky
. The 1674 mi (2,694 km) route made 37 stops in traversing eleven states
and the District of Columbia. The Hilltopper was in operation beginning on June 1, 1977 in serving as a replacement for the discontinued Mountaineer. Initially the Hilltopper terminated at Washington, D.C.
, but on January 8, 1978 was combined with the Night Owl and extended to Boston. The service would continue through October 1, 1979, when service was discontinued, and in the period since service has not returned to many of the places once served in Southwest Virginia
and West Virginia
.
Although the Hilltopper had a warm supporter in West Virginian congressman Harley Staggers, it was in the words of one author "cited by critics as an example of everything that was wrong with Amtrak" and it was one of several routes cut in October 1979 as part of a reorganization initiated by the Carter Administration.
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
in the Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
region of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It ran daily from the South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
in Boston, Massachusetts to Catlettsburg, Kentucky
Catlettsburg, Kentucky
Catlettsburg is a city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States and is the county seat of Boyd County. The city population was 1,960 at the 2000 census. The city's postal ZIP code serves a greater population of 10,029, which is a better reflection of the community's size. Catlettsburg is a part of...
. The 1674 mi (2,694 km) route made 37 stops in traversing eleven states
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
and the District of Columbia. The Hilltopper was in operation beginning on June 1, 1977 in serving as a replacement for the discontinued Mountaineer. Initially the Hilltopper terminated at Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, but on January 8, 1978 was combined with the Night Owl and extended to Boston. The service would continue through October 1, 1979, when service was discontinued, and in the period since service has not returned to many of the places once served in Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia
Southwest Virginia, often abbreviated as SWVA, is a mountainous region of Virginia in the westernmost part of the commonwealth. Southwest Virginia has been defined alternatively as all Virginia counties on the Appalachian Plateau, all Virginia counties west of the Eastern Continental Divide, or...
and West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
Although the Hilltopper had a warm supporter in West Virginian congressman Harley Staggers, it was in the words of one author "cited by critics as an example of everything that was wrong with Amtrak" and it was one of several routes cut in October 1979 as part of a reorganization initiated by the Carter Administration.