Penn Central
What operated James Whitcomb Riley (train) from 1968 to Apr 1971?
James Whitcomb Riley ( train ) The James Whitcomb Riley was a passenger train that operated between Chicago , Illinois , and Cincinnati , Ohio , via Indianapolis , Indiana . Originally operated by the New York Central Railroad , it was taken over by Amtrak in 1971 . Under Amtrak , it merged with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroads George Washington to become a Chicago-Washington/Newport News train . In 1977 , it was renamed the Cardinal , which remains in operation . History . The James Whitcomb Riley was introduced by the New York Central on April 28 , 1941 , as a daytime , all-coach train between Chicago and Cincinnati by way of Indianapolis . It was named after the Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley , known for his celebration of Americana . The Riley was a companion to the Mercury streamliners which operated on the Chicago-Detroit and Chicago-Cleveland routes . The Riley was retained by the Penn Central ( as trains 303 and 304 ) after its formation from the merger of the New York Central and Pennsylvania Railroad , but in 1968 it petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission ( ICC ) for permission to abandon the service , citing the loss of a mail contract and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroads termination of through sleepers on the Chicago-Newport News route . The ICC refused , and the Riley survived until the formation of Amtrak . Amtrak . Amtrak , upon its 1971 commencement of operations , kept the Riley intact . During the summer , it began integrating the Riley with the George Washington , an old C&O sleeper running from Cincinnati to Washington , with a section splitting off at Charlottesville , Virginia to continue to Newport News . The George began exchanging Washington-Chicago and Newport News-Chicago through coaches with the Riley at Cincinnati on July 12 , and a through sleeping car began September 8 . Earlier , the George had handed its sleepers to the Riley for most of the 1950s . With the November 14 , 1971 , schedule , the Riley and George Washington merged into a single long-distance Chicago-Washington/Newport News train . The merged train was known as the George Washington eastbound and the James Whitcomb Riley westbound . At the same time the route was extended from Washington to Boston , Massachusetts , and was assigned train numbers 50 eastbound and 51 westbound . On March 6 , 1972 , the train was rerouted from Chicagos Central Station into Union Station . On April 30 , the northern terminus was truncated back to Washington . A broadcast by CBSs 60 Minutes in 1973 revealed that the Riley was limited to in Indiana due to deteriorating Penn Central track . In 1974 the Riley was re-routed off Penn Central trackage altogether along with the Floridian . On May 19 , 1974 , the Washington and Riley were fully merged , with the Riley name now used in both directions . A new train , the Mountaineer began service between Norfolk , Virginia ( Lamberts Point Station ) , and Chicago ( Union Station ) , in March 1975 . It ran combined with the Riley between Russell Yard , the former C&O freight yard near Ashland , Kentucky , and Chicago . In October 1975 , Main Street Station in Richmond , Virginia , closed and the Riley moved to the C&O depot at Ellerson , on the outskirts of Richmond . A bus connected passengers to Broad Street Station , which itself was soon replaced by Staples Mill Road Station . The section between Newport News and Charlottesville was discontinued on June 14 , 1976 . The Colonial began running over its former route between Newport News and Richmond , continuing northward to Washington and New York . The Riley ran between Chicago and Washington , via Charlottesville . In 1977 the Mountaineer was replaced by the Hilltopper , which ran between Washington and Cattlettsburg , where it connected with the Riley for Chicago . A connecting bus via Petersburg , Virginia , served Norfolk . The James Whitcomb Riley was renamed the Cardinal on October 30 , 1977 , as the cardinal was the state bird of all six states through which it ran . It was discontinued September 30 , 1981 ( by then having been extended to New York from Washington ) and brought back by Congressional mandate on January 8 , 1982 . External links . - 1971 Amtrak timetable - 1975 Amtrak timetable