Talk:Bedford (Virginia)

"By train" section

I've moved this here, because "Get in" isn't about the history of currently unused transportation. However, a couple of facts might be useful in "See" or "Eat":

By train

Today, Bedford is completely barren of public transportation. However, Bedford station operated right in the center of the town at 515 Bedford Avenue, opening in 1857 during the construction of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Up until 1971, three railroad passenger lines operated by Norfolk and Western Railway stopped at the station:

• The Birmingham Special, beginning operation in 1909, operating from New York City's Pennsylvania Station to Birmingham, Alabama's Terminal Station.
• The Pelican, operating from New York City's Pennsylvania Station to New Orleans, Louisiana's train station, until it was combined with the Birmingham Special in 1970.
• The Tennessean, beginning operation on May 17, 1941, operating from Washington D.C. Union Station to Memphis, Tennessee's Union Station, until it was discontinued on March 30, 1968 to allow abandonment of Memphis Union Station and the opening of the Memphis Central Station.

Amtrak's Mountaineer at Bedford station in March 1975 just after the line's opening.

Later, Amtrak's Mountaineer passenger train serviced the station from March 24, 1975 to May 31, 1977; between Norfolk, Virginia and Chicago, Illinois via Cincinnati, Ohio. The Hilltopper was the last passenger train to service the station from June 1, 1977 to its last service on September 30, 1979. The line ran between Boston, Massachusetts' South Station to Cattlesburg, Kentucky, making 34 stops.

Bedford continues to lack direct train service. While the station building remains and now serves as a restaurant, there remains no train service for miles. Amtrak's Northeast Regional, operating in the Mid-Atlantic from Boston, Massachusetts' South Station or New York City, New York's Pennsylvania Station to Roanoke, Virginia; and the Crescent, a daily long-distance from New York City to New Orleans, Louisiana, run right through the town but don't stop. The nearest stations are in Roanoke serving the Northeast Regional, a 37 minute drive from the west, or in Lynchburg serving both the Crescent and Northeast Regional, a 31 minute drive. Requests by the town for a new intermediate station stop failed due to low projected ridership but were reconsidered in 2016.

Ikan Kekek (talk) 04:21, 17 February 2020 (UTC)

Okay, sounds good! I wasn't completely sure where to put the historical transportation section, I think I'll leave it here until I find a good place to put it. Do you think I should put this information in the History section?

Thegayfrenchbullie123 (talk) 07:27, 17 February 2020 (EST)

Only if any portion of it would be of interest to travelers who aren't specifically train history buffs; otherwise, I think it's too long and too specialized for most of our readership. Ikan Kekek (talk) 23:56, 17 February 2020 (UTC)