Train #996 (Metropolitan Lounge CHI)

I was in Moynihan Train Hall yesterday and noticed something very odd on the Amtrak board. Under an Acela and Empire Service was a train #996 called the "Metropolitan Lounge CHI" with no other stops listed and a departure time of 11:55 PM. I asked the station attendant what that train was, and they stated it was an equipment move, and was listed to notify personnel of the move. I also asked a few railfans what this meant, and one of them stated this was a charter train, likely for a baseball team.
Is this common practice for Amtrak to list equipment moves on their departure board? Has anyone seen this specific train or something like it listed before, and do you know what this train may be?

it definitely wasn't a baseball team on that date.
Yankees are on a long road trip and the Mets are in the middle of a long homestand. The date and destination don't match up with any of the Mets opponents.

My guess is the departure boards share a database with whatever system the stationmasters use to plan out tracks assignments.

We do the same in my airline. It's not unusual to see a positioning flight on the monitors at an airport if it's assigned to a real gate vs. a parking pad or hangar.

Well Mr. Olesen, there is only one destination I care to see on the board for 952 next Wednesday!!!!

Meanwhile back at Penn, Phila was playing Wash at Philly earlier this week. Could this noted 996 been a move for the Nationals?

Not likely. I would bet more that the baseball teams would just drive up and back. Besides, that late in the day from NYP? That'll be an hour and change between 30th Street and WAS Union, and you'd still have to transfer equipment and people between the two fields. I can only see the Nationals taking the MARC up from WAS Union to Camden Yards to play the Orioles, namely for one reason.

Camden Yards is at the ballpark!

We have a whole thread about teams taking the train:
more-sports-team-charters-t168245.html

Yeah, no need to jump-start more speculation from four years ago.

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