Federal Express (passenger train)

The Federal Express (later officially known as just the Federal) was an overnight named passenger train run by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad between Washington, DC's Union Station and Boston, Massachusetts's South Station from 1912 to 1971. Train numbers on both railroads were 172 northbound and 173 southbound.<!--oversimplification of directions for brevity--> At different times, its route has taken it across the Hudson River via a car float between Port Morris and Jersey City (the ferry Maryland), the Poughkeepsie Bridge, and finally the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad. The final routing was identical to today's high-speed Northeast Corridor.

The train carried sleeping cars and coaches, as well as mail and baggage. As the train operated well outside of dinner hours after 1917 (10:00 - 11:00 PM departure), food service was limited to beverages and light snacks on departure, and continental breakfast in the morning, generally dispensed from a lounge car which also contained sleeping accommodations.

History

On October 18, 1912 the Federal Express (and the daytime Colonial Express) commenced operation, using the new Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad into New York Penn Station. However, an omnibus transfer was required to get to Grand Central Terminal to continue to Boston, and the next day it was rerouted via the Poughkeepsie Bridge. The route took it along the PRR's Belvidere-Delaware Railroad from......
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