Interstate Express

Interstate Express
Overview
Service type Inter-city rail
Status Discontinued
Locale Northeastern United States
Former operator(s)
Route
Start Syracuse, New York
End Washington, D.C.
Average journey time Southbound: 13 hrs 25 min
Northbound: 15 hrs 35 min (1954)
Service frequency Daily
Train number(s) Southbound: 1306
Northbound: 1301
On-board services
Seating arrangements No coach between Binghamton and Wilkes-Barre
Sleeping arrangements Sections and single bedrooms
Catering facilities Diner-Lounge
Technical
Rolling stock Streamlined passenger cars by Pullman Standard
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)

The Interstate Express was a long-distance passenger train operating between Syracuse, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, jointly operated by the Reading Railroad, the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad. These lines offered a long distance overnight line in Train 1301 (north-bound)/ 1306 (south-bound). Connecting service by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad offering continuing service south from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C.[1]

Service limitations

According to a 1954 timetable, there were no coaches between Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and the next stop, Binghamton, New York. Thus, full-length travel was only possible by sleeper car. The Binghamton to Syracuse segment was joined by cars from a direct train from Hoboken.[2] However, the operators allowed for passengers to split their trip between part of the trip in sleeping cars or in parlor cars and other parts of the trip in coaches.[3] The train's service ended by approximately 1955.

The scheduled stops

Reading north-south as one reads down

  • Syracuse
  • Tully
  • Homer (stopping north-bound only)
  • Cortland
  • Marathon
  • Whitney Point (stopping north-bound only)
  • Binghamton
  • Wilkes-Barre
  • Mauch Chunk
  • Bethlehem (stopping south-bound only)
  • Lansdale
  • Philadelphia[2]

Connecting spur from Buffalo to Binghamton

Reading west-east as one reads down

  • Buffalo
  • Corning
  • Elmira
  • Binghamton[2]

Connecting service to Washington, D.C.

Reading north-south as one reads down

  • Wilmington
  • Baltimore
  • Washington, D.C.[2]

Services

This overnight train offered sleeper car service from Philadelphia to Syracuse. The connecting Washington to Philadelphia service offered a dining car-parlor car.[1]

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Lackawanna Railroad's full schedule" (PDF). April 25, 1954. p. 2.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Lackawanna Railroad's full schedule" (PDF). April 25, 1954. p. 10.
  3. ↑ "Lackawanna Railroad's full schedule" (PDF). April 25, 1954. p. 13.
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