PATrain
History
History
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### Private operation

[thumb\|left\|The B\&O's Grant Street station in Pittsburgh in 1968](/wiki/File:19680224_48_BO_Station_Pittsburgh%2C_PA.jpg "19680224 48 BO Station Pittsburgh, PA.jpg")
In the early 1970s, the Port Authority (PAT)which had controlled all [bus](/wiki/Bus "Bus") and [streetcar](/wiki/Streetcar "Streetcar") service in [Allegheny County](/wiki/Allegheny_County%2C_Pennsylvania "Allegheny County, Pennsylvania") since 1964had negotiated with the B\&O and [Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad](/wiki/Pittsburgh_and_Lake_Erie_Railroad "Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad") (P\&LE), the last two private sector commuter operators in the region, about the possibility of expanded rail service. At the time, the B\&O operated six weekday round trips between Pittsburgh and Versailles, while the P\&LE operated a single weekday round trip between Pittsburgh and [Beaver Falls](/wiki/Beaver_Falls%2C_Pennsylvania "Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania"). The [Pennsylvania Railroad](/wiki/Pennsylvania_Railroad "Pennsylvania Railroad") had ended service on its six commuter routes in 1964, citing lack of patronage.

Neither the B\&O nor the P\&LE showed much interest in expanded service, citing existing operating losses and declining patronage. PAT then proposed that it take ownership of the B\&O's service, with the B\&O operating it under contract. The B\&O trains made the run from McKeesport to Pittsburgh in 25 minutes, twice as fast as comparable bus service. Among the strongest supporters in the local government were then\-mayor [Peter F. Flaherty](/wiki/Peter_F._Flaherty "Peter F. Flaherty") and County Commissioner William Hunt. Another champion was Harold Geissenheimer, PAT's director of transit operations. 

In 1974, PAT estimated capital costs for a three\-year trial at $1\.7 million, plus $1\.9 million in operating costs. The capital costs would be split between the federal government, the state of [Pennsylvania](/wiki/Pennsylvania "Pennsylvania"), and the county, and would include the purchase of two locomotives and nine coaches. PAT would increase the existing two\-car trains to four\-car trains, while also increasing frequency of service. The per\-passenger subsidy was estimated at 95 cents, compared to 6–13 cents for the typical bus passenger. Daily ridership then stood at 300; PAT's best case projection was 3,000\. A proposal by Hunt to extend service further to [Elizabeth](/wiki/Elizabeth%2C_Pennsylvania "Elizabeth, Pennsylvania") was unsuccessful: the route was owned by the P\&LE, which requested $500,000 to rehabilitate the line. This the state would not provide, as the line would still mostly carry P\&LE freight traffic and not commuters.[thumb\|left\|A train at [McKeesport Transportation Center](/wiki/McKeesport_Transportation_Center "McKeesport Transportation Center") in March 1985](/wiki/File:PATrain_at_McKeesport%2C_March_1985.jpg "PATrain at McKeesport, March 1985.jpg")
By mid\-1977, daily ridership had grown to 1,400, a significant increase over the B\&O days. On the other hand, the per\-passenger subsidy stood at $2\.77, nearly three times the 1974 projection, while the bus subsidy was 8 cents per passenger. Defenders pointed out that the figure included capital costs (including a payment of $10,000 per month to the B\&O for equipment leasing), which inflated costs and made the comparison inexact. In addition, the PATrain made the trip between Versailles and Pittsburgh in 23 minutes, while it took over an hour by bus.

In 1978, PAT renewed its agreement with the B\&O, and was finally able to secure the capital funding for the new equipment plus a new intermodal transportation center in McKeesport. The [McKeesport Transportation Center](/wiki/McKeesport_Transportation_Center "McKeesport Transportation Center") opened on December 21, 1981\. In addition to buses and the PATrain, the center saw service from [Amtrak](/wiki/Amtrak "Amtrak")'s Chicago–Washington *[Capitol Limited](/wiki/Capitol_Limited_%28Amtrak_train%29 "Capitol Limited (Amtrak train)")*. Additional capital improvements included the construction of new [park and ride](/wiki/Park_and_ride "Park and ride") lots at Braddock and Versailles and the addition of a new stop at [Port Vue](/wiki/Port_Vue%2C_Pennsylvania "Port Vue, Pennsylvania").

In mid\-1979, service stood at eight round\-trips Monday–Friday and five round\-trips on Saturday. (There was no service on Sundays.) Three round\-trips terminated at McKeesport, with the remainder continuing to Versailles. In a nod to railroad tradition, the Port Authority assigned names to the trains: *PATrain*, *Early Bird*, *Pittsburgher*, *Golden Triangle*, *Shopper*, *Mid Day*, *Mon Valley*, *McKeesporter*, and *Youghiogheny*.

### Decline and discontinuance

Daily ridership peaked in 1981 at 1,800 during the reconstruction of [Parkway East](/wiki/Parkway_East "Parkway East") (which had spawned the short\-lived [PennDOT](/wiki/PennDOT "PennDOT")\-operated *[Parkway Limited](/wiki/Parkway_Limited "Parkway Limited")*). By 1983 daily ridership had dropped below 1,300, spread over eight daily round trips. Operating expenses for [FY](/wiki/Fiscal_year "Fiscal year") 1982–83 were $1\.8 million, of which only $500,000 was recovered. PAT's operations director cited multiple factors, including fare increases, van pools, and a generally poor economic situation in the Monongahela Valley.

PAT discontinued service after April 28, 1989, citing declining ridership and increasing operating losses. PAT instituted express bus service to cover the route.


How much was the per-passenger subsidy for PATrain service in 1974?