[Talk-us] USA Rail: Amtrak Northeast Regional to Norfolk?

[stevea]

Kristin Rollins writes:
"The Norfolk train will run south of Harbor Park, across the 
Elizabeth River and on toward Suffolk, where it will pass through 
rural Western Tidewater along U.S. 460 toward its first stop, the 
Ettrick station by Petersburg, and on to Richmond."

Thank you Kristin, that furthers my efforts "sorta backwards" 
(Norfolk to Suffolk, then NW), but yeah, "not detailed enough:"  I 
can get from Norfolk along U.S. 460 to where it crosses I-295 near 
Petersburg, but from there I see no obvious rail connection to either 
the Petersburg or Ettrick rail stations.  After crossing I-295, then 
Wagner Road, there appears to be two potential routes at the wye. 
But no matter which track you switch to, both of them cross (not 
switch) to track at 90 degrees, not connecting to Ettrick.  (The west 
switch near Wells/Halifax Roads, the north switch north of the W 
Washington Street dual-carriageway split).

So I can figure this out to within the last few miles around 
Petersburg (and again, thank you), but there still remains a small 
unknown gap between the wye and Ettrick -- kind of weird.

Bryce Nesbitt writes:
"My experience with Amtrak is they don't always know.  I remember a 
conductor having a series of phone calls with dispatch about routing, 
and seeing him relay new routes up to the engineer."

I've got just one word for that:  Wow!

Regards,
SteveA
California