Auto-Train Corporation service (1971–1981)

E620018

Auto-Train Corporation service (1971–1981) was a privately operated U.S. rail service that carried both passengers and their automobiles between Virginia and Florida before ceasing operations in the early 1980s.

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Statements (47)

Predicate Object
instanceOf passenger rail service
privately operated rail service
attemptedExpansion Louisville–Sanford route NERFINISHED
brandingElement emphasis on convenience of taking one’s own car to Florida
carried automobiles
passengers
ceasedOperations early 1980s
competition air travel between the Northeast and Florida
automobile travel on Interstate highways
country United States of America
surface form: United States
effectOfExpansion increased financial strain
endDate 1981
fareStructure combined fare for passenger and automobile
financialOutcome operated at a loss in later years
headquartersLocation Alexandria, Virginia NERFINISHED
introducedConcept long-distance auto-train service in the United States
legacy influenced creation of Amtrak’s Auto Train service
marketedAs Auto-Train NERFINISHED
notableFeature allowed passengers to travel with their personal automobiles on the same train
operator Auto-Train Corporation NERFINISHED
peakPopularity mid-1970s
primaryCorridor Virginia–Florida NERFINISHED
primaryCustomerBase vacationers traveling to Florida
primaryLocomotiveType diesel-electric locomotives
railGauge standard gauge
reasonForEnd bankruptcy of Auto-Train Corporation
financial difficulties
regionServed East Coast of the United States NERFINISHED
rollingStockType auto carriers
dining cars
passenger coaches
sleeping cars
routeEnd Sanford, Florida NERFINISHED
routeStart Lorton, Virginia NERFINISHED
safetyRecord experienced several notable derailments
serviceFrequency daily or near-daily departures on core route
serviceModel combined passenger and auto transport
servicePattern overnight service
serviceType car-carrying train
passenger rail
startDate 1971
status defunct
successorService Amtrak Auto Train NERFINISHED
targetMarket drivers wishing to avoid long-distance highway driving
ticketingModel reservation-only service
trackOwner Seaboard Coast Line Railroad NERFINISHED
typicalUse tourist and seasonal travel between the U.S. Northeast and Florida

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Amtrak Auto Train predecessor Auto-Train Corporation service (1971–1981)