Fort Pitt (train)

The Fort Pitt was a 117-mile (188 km) daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Altoona, Pennsylvania. The Fort Pitt was a so-called Section 403(b) train, meaning that its operation was subsidized by the state of Pennsylvania.

Fort Pitt

Last run of the Fort Pitt at Altoona in January 1983
Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
Status	Discontinued
Locale	Western Pennsylvania
First service	April 26, 1981
Last service	January 30, 1983
Former operator(s)	Amtrak
Route
Termini	Pittsburgh Altoona
Stops	4
Distance travelled	117 mi (188 km)
Average journey time	2 hours 37 minutes
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	37-39
On-board services
Class(es)	Unreserved coach
Catering facilities	On-board cafe
Technical
Rolling stock	Amfleet coaches
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Track owner(s)	Conrail
Route map To Chicago 0 mi Pittsburgh Capitol Limited to Washington 12 mi 19 km Pitcairn 31 mi 50 km Greensburg 41 mi 66 km Latrobe 78 mi 126 km Johnstown 117 mi 188 km Altoona Pennsylvanian to Philadelphia Broadway Limited to New York

The Fort Pitt operated in tandem with the Pennsylvanian, then a Pittsburgh—Philadelphia service. The westbound Pennsylvanian, after arriving in Pittsburgh in the evening, would be turned around and east to Altoona. The following morning, that trainset returned to Pittsburgh as a westbound Fort Pitt, then ran eastbound to Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) as a Pennsylvanian. This allowed Amtrak and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to operate two routes with the same two equipment sets. A typical consist was three to four Amfleet coaches pulled by an EMD F40PH locomotive.[1] Amtrak added Pitcairn as a stop in mid-1981 to supplement the Pittsburgh—Greensburg Parkway Limited commuter train.[2]

The Fort Pitt began operation April 26, 1981, and was withdrawn on January 30, 1983, when PennDOT declined to continue funding the train. On average, the Fort Pitt carried 30 passengers daily, set against a subsidy of $547,453.[3]