Photo of the Pennsylvania Railroad train "The Congressional", which traveled between New York and Washington, D.C.
The train used an electric locomotive for power. October 1965.
(Association of American Railroads (railroad trade organization)-photo is from the Pennsylvania Railroad., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
CONGRESSIONAL
The Congressional was a passenger train of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) that ran from Washington, DC to New York, New York, a route distance of 226 miles. The train was inaugurated in 1882 as the Congressional Limited and continued with the Penn Central until the arrival of Amtrak in 1971.
The New York-Washington route was completely electrified in 1935 by the PRR, and the train was eventually upgraded with streamlined equipment from Budd in 1952. The PRR advertised the train as 226 miles in 215 minutes, an average speed of 63 mph. In comparison, today's modern Acela averages 84 mph.
Amtrak revived the train with various and assorted schedules well into the late 1990s.
A PRR ink blotter advertising the Congressional, ca. 1940s.
Image courtesy StreamlinerMemories.info. Click on image to see more.
(Pennsylvania Railroad, D. Hastin Collection via StreamlinerMemories.info)
Schedule
| Read Down Time/Leave (Train #153) | Milepost | Location | Read Up Time/Arrive (Train #120) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 PM (Dp) | 0.0 | New York, NY (Pennsylvania Station) (ET) | 11:55 AM (Ar) |
| 4:44 PM | 10.0 | Newark, NJ | 11:40 AM |
| 58.1 | Trenton, NJ | 10:54 AM | |
| 5:50 PM | 85.9 | North Philadelphia, PA (North Philadelphia Station) | 10:27 AM |
| 5:59 PM | 91.4 | Philadelphia, PA (30th Street Station) | 10:17 AM |
| 6:25 PM | 118.1 | Wilmington, DE | 9:48 AM |
| 150.3 | Perryville, MD | 9:16 AM | |
| 7:24 PM | 186.5 | Baltimore, MD | 8:41 AM |
| 8:05 PM (Ar) | 226.6 | Washington, DC (Union Station) | 8:00 AM (Dp) |
| Read Down Time/Leave (Train #131) | Milepost | Location | Read Up Time/Arrive (Train #152) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 AM (Dp) | 0.0 | New York, NY (Pennsylvania Station) (ET) | 7:35 PM (Ar) |
| 6:44 AM | 10.0 | Newark, NJ | 7:20 PM |
| 7:06 AM | 32.7 | New Brunswick, NJ | |
| 7:31 AM | 58.1 | Trenton, NJ | |
| 8:01 AM | 85.9 | North Philadelphia, PA (North Philadelphia Station) | 6:15 PM |
| 8:11 AM | 91.4 | Philadelphia, PA (30th Street Station) | 6:06 PM |
| 8:38 AM | 118.1 | Wilmington, DE | 5:39 PM |
| 9:39 AM | 186.5 | Baltimore, MD | 4:40 PM |
| 10:20 AM (Ar) | 226.6 | Washington, DC (Union Station) | 4:00 PM (Dp) |
An Image Gallery
Penn Central 4896 (GG-1) Train 121 the Afternoon Congressional at Washington, DC Union Station on January 18, 1969. (Roger Puta courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
The Afternoon Congressional passing Ivy City Terminal, Washington, DC on January 16, 1969. (Roger Puta courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
The Midday Congressional at Landover, Maryland on December 15, 1968. (Roger Puta courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
PRR GG1 No. 4887 with train No. 131, the Morning Congressional, arriving at Trenton on September 3, 1965. (Roger Puta courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Penn Central's train No. 121, the Midday Congressional, led by GG1 No. 4910 through Landover station on December 15, 1968. (Roger Puta courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Penn Central GG1 No. 4906 pulls the Midday Congressional through Seabrook, Maryland on March 23, 1969. (Roger Puta courtesy Marty Bernard, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
2018 Crozet, Virginia train crash
The Crozet, Virginia train crash was a railway accident that occurred on January 31, 2018. A chartered Amtrak train named Congressional Special Train 923, following the route normally used by the Amtrak Cardinal and carrying a group of politicians and lawmakers from the Republican Party, collided with a garbage truck at a level crossing at Lanetown Road in Crozet, Virginia, 12 miles (19 km) west of Charlottesville, Virginia. The train was chartered by Republican lawmakers for transportation from Washington Union Station to an annual retreat at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Several politicians brought their spouses and children with them for the trip; no members of the general public were passengers. Sadly, one of the occupants of the truck died from injuries received.
Overview
Service type: Inter-city rail
Status: Discontinued
First service: 1885
Last service: 1971 (PC), 1998 (Amtrak)
Average travel time: 3 hours, 35 minutes
Distance traveled: 226.6 Miles
Train numbers: 153/131 (southbound), 120/152 (northbound)
Route Termini: New York, New York (Pennsylvania Station) / Washington, D.C. (Union Station)
Former operators: Pennsylvania Railroad, Penn Central, Amtrak
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)