West Virginian (Amtrak)
Encyclopedia
The West Virginian was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak
between Washington, D.C.
and Parkersburg, West Virginia
. This route was previously served by the Baltimore & Ohio
's (B&O) train of the same name
, and was the first of several services in the state of West Virginia
established at the behest of US Representative Harley Orrin Staggers
(D-West Virginia), the powerful chair of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. This patronage earned the train the derisive sobriquets Harley's Hornet and the Staggers Special.
Amtrak introduced the train in September 1971, making it the first Amtrak-operated service on the B&O. In 1972 Amtrak experimented with the UAC TurboTrain along the route, leading to the route being renamed the Potomac Turbo, but the equipment was withdrawn after three months because of teething problems. Amtrak re-christened the line the Potomac Special, but eventually withdrew it altogether in 1973. In its place Amtrak introduced the Blue Ridge
, which terminated at Martinsburg, West Virginia
. The introduction of the high-speed Turbotrain to the mountains of West Virginia, where it was occasionally limited to 15 miles per hour (24.1 km/h), attracted particular scorn from critics. Staggers denied that he had brought any pressure on Amtrak, although fellow representative Dan Kuykendall
(R-Tennessee) acknowledged suggesting to Amtrak officials that they "fix up West Virginia."
A later train, the Shenandoah
, operated through Parkersburg to Cincinnati, Ohio
. This train was introduced in 1976 and withdrawn in 1981. The Blue Ridge was transferred to MARC
and continues as the Brunswick Line
to this day. Amtrak's Capitol Limited
, a Chicago
-Washington service begun in 1981, operates over the Washington-Cumberland, Maryland
portion of the line.
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...
between 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....
and Parkersburg, West Virginia
Parkersburg, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 33,099 people, 14,467 households, and 8,767 families residing in the city. In 2006 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that Parkersburg's population had decreased 4.4% to 31,755. The population density was 2,800.5 people per square mile . There were 16,100 housing...
. This route was previously served by the Baltimore & Ohio
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
's (B&O) train of the same name
West Virginian
The West Virginian, train #23 and #24, was operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on a route from New York to Parkersburg, West Virginia. As with all B&O trains, the New York destination was a misnomer since trains never actually entered New York City...
, and was the first of several services in the state of 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...
established at the behest of US Representative Harley Orrin Staggers
Harley Orrin Staggers
Harley Orrin Staggers, Sr. was a Democratic U.S. politician.-Education:Staggers graduated from Emory and Henry College in 1931 and did graduate work at Duke University.-Career:...
(D-West Virginia), the powerful chair of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. This patronage earned the train the derisive sobriquets Harley's Hornet and the Staggers Special.
Amtrak introduced the train in September 1971, making it the first Amtrak-operated service on the B&O. In 1972 Amtrak experimented with the UAC TurboTrain along the route, leading to the route being renamed the Potomac Turbo, but the equipment was withdrawn after three months because of teething problems. Amtrak re-christened the line the Potomac Special, but eventually withdrew it altogether in 1973. In its place Amtrak introduced the Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge (Amtrak)
The Blue Ridge was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Washington, D.C. and Martinsburg, West Virginia. The Blue Ridge began on May 6, 1973 as a truncated Potomac Special, which had run all the way to Parkersburg, West Virginia...
, which terminated at Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
. The introduction of the high-speed Turbotrain to the mountains of West Virginia, where it was occasionally limited to 15 miles per hour (24.1 km/h), attracted particular scorn from critics. Staggers denied that he had brought any pressure on Amtrak, although fellow representative Dan Kuykendall
Dan Kuykendall
Dan Heflin Kuykendall was a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1967 to 1975. He was a member of the Republican Party....
(R-Tennessee) acknowledged suggesting to Amtrak officials that they "fix up West Virginia."
A later train, the Shenandoah
Shenandoah (Amtrak)
The Shenandoah was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Shenandoah shared the former Baltimore & Ohio route with the Blue Ridge, which ran as far west as Martinsburg, West Virginia....
, operated through Parkersburg to Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. This train was introduced in 1976 and withdrawn in 1981. The Blue Ridge was transferred to MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
and continues as the Brunswick Line
Brunswick Line
The Brunswick Line is a MARC commuter rail line consisting of a main line running from Washington D.C. to Martinsburg, West Virginia and a branch line from just south of Point-of-Rocks station to Frederick, Maryland. The service is operated under contract by CSX Transportation, but is administered...
to this day. Amtrak's Capitol Limited
Capitol Limited (Amtrak)
Amtrak's Capitol Limited is one of the railroad's two routes connecting Washington, D.C. to Chicago, running via Cleveland, Ohio . Service began in 1981 and was named after the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Capitol Limited which ended in 1971 upon the formation of Amtrak...
, a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-Washington service begun in 1981, operates over the Washington-Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
portion of the line.