685 replies to this topic

[jebr]

We are on a late eastbound EB. I had reservations for dinner and a playtonight. Are there any other trains that we can hop on and get to chicago any quicker? It is 10:45am now and we aren't even in Staples MN yet. If this is the best Amtrak can do then I think I will fly next time

No other trains that are quicker along that route, sorry.

[TraneMan]

Must be your first time on the Empire Builder?

We tell many people don't plan an event the very same day when you get off the train. There can be delay as you are seeing yourself.

I make our trip day before events we make plans for in Chicago.

[rusty spike]

I just checked Amtrak's National Status Map, showing #8 departing Staple, MN 5 hours 49 min. late. Other than jumping off at the Twin Cities, catching a flight to Chicago, there's no way to make up that much lost time. Amtrak builds a bunch of "recovery" time in their schedules, but not 6 hours worth. Amtrak is having alot of problems with the extreme heat, plus therir normal equipment & seasonal loading problems. Good Luck.

[Devil's Advocate]

I have a friend who is new to Amtrak on this train as well. She had a sleeper but couldn't even board the train at its origin until three hours after scheduled departure. Not a good first impression. Cue all the foaming apologists.

[the_traveler]

I would never schedule something that you have to be at a certain time on the day of arrival on a long distance train! Even on a plane it's a chance. I remember once flying from Chicago to Providence, RI - and the "flight" took 8 hours! It is normally a 3 hour flight - and it included 3-4 hours on the ground before takeoff due to heavy thunderstorms on the way!

And no, there is no other train you can take from there to Chicago!

[PRR 60]

If you absolutely, positively have to (or really, really want to) get to your dinner and show, you will have to fly from MSP to Chicago. You should get to Amtrak MSP at about 1pm. Delta has a flight with availability out of MSP at 3:59 pm that gets to Chicago O'Hare at 5:33pm (DL 5785). The cost is $205 each all-inclusive. Given it is a Sunday, you should be able to get a cab and be downtown in about 40 minutes. That is maybe not in time for your dinner, but it should work for the show. Expensive, but it's an option.

Second very tight option depending on when you get to MSP: UA 415: 2:23pm MSP - 3:44pm ORD. $266 AI. This may be possible if you have airline status and can use the express line at security.

Edited by PRR 60, 08 July 2012 - 11:55 AM.

[Mackensen]

I have a friend who is new to Amtrak on this train as well. She had a sleeper but couldn't even board the train at its origin until three hours after scheduled departure. Not a good first impression. Cue all the foaming apologists.

I'll cop to being an apologist, but BNSF had a derailment. Nothing Amtrak can do about that. Might as well blame Greyhound for a crash on an interstate, or airlines for ice. It happens.

[Steve4031]

Even if you fly, it is not wise to plan to attend important/expensive events on the day of arrival. Flights get delayed and canceled too. I am sorry you are inconvenienced. IMHO, jumping of the train, and rushing to the airport, may not guarantee you arriving in time to make your dinner reservations. One thing goes wrong, and you dumped a signifiant additional amount of money down the toilet.

Your best bet is to call the restaurant and see if they will work with you. Call the play house and see if they can work an exchange for you or something.

Good luck.

[yarrow]

I would never schedule something that you have to be at a certain time on the day of arrival on a long distance train![img]

i just don't think the average person who "thought it would be fun to take the train" understands this. we don't fly much but i have never had a cancelled or late flight. never had a cancelled or late bus. have had quite a few horrendous amtrak delays (an 18 hour delay and a 12 hour delay within the past year). i'm a railfan and i now understand the unreliability of amtrak long distance but will continue riding the train. i don't think the average person does understand

[the_traveler]

I've had a 3 hour flight turn into an 8 hour flight once! We ate dinner (this was back in the "good old days" when airlines served dinner), saw a movie and about 1/2 of a second movie - and this all happened prior to takeoff in Chicago!

[Devil's Advocate]

I have a friend who is new to Amtrak on this train as well. She had a sleeper but couldn't even board the train at its origin until three hours after scheduled departure. Not a good first impression. Cue all the foaming apologists.

I'll cop to being an apologist, but BNSF had a derailment. Nothing Amtrak can do about that. Might as well blame Greyhound for a crash on an interstate, or airlines for ice. It happens.

It's not something that is fixable just by blaming Amtrak, I think we can all agree on that. That being said, I've seen too many other passenger rail systems that ran like precision clockwork to believe this problem has no possible solution. If we can build the world's largest national highway system and the world's busiest airline market why can't we even come close to building the world's most robust passenger rail network? I know it will require lots of time, money, and effort, but I still look forward to the day when Americans can begin expecting more from our passenger rail network than they are capable of providing us today. I also wonder if our willingness to accept whatever we're given, and even blame the passengers in some cases, is inadvertently helping to hold us back.

[NY Penn]

I've had a 3 hour flight turn into an 8 hour flight once! We ate dinner (this was back in the "good old days" when airlines served dinner), saw a movie and about 1/2 of a second movie - and this all happened prior to takeoff in Chicago!

What's the point of you repeating the same exact story for the second time in this thread? Besides, the keyword in your post is once, as opposed to the almost dependably late EB.

[rusty spike]

I would never schedule something that you have to be at a certain time on the day of arrival on a long distance train![img]

i just don't think the average person who "thought it would be fun to take the train" understands this. we don't fly much but i have never had a cancelled or late flight. never had a cancelled or late bus. have had quite a few horrendous amtrak delays (an 18 hour delay and a 12 hour delay within the past year). i'm a railfan and i now understand the unreliability of amtrak long distance but will continue riding the train. i don't think the average person does understand

I don't fly much either and have only taken Greyhound a couple of times. I have had several cancelled/delayed flights...I have eaten a meal or 2 (when airlines served food) on the taxi way at ORD (Chicago), missed connections on several other occassions. To the airlines advatage,they can at least put you on a later flight the same day.
My only LD Greyhound trip was many years ago when the "Dog" used to scheduled transcontinental routes such as from LA to New York. Took one of those during the summer from LA as far as St. Louis. It took 3 busses as the first one broke down west of Albuquerque (A/C), the second one in Missouri on I-44 near Rolla (starter motor engaged/burned up). Bus stalled on a grade and --are you ready for this?-- all adult male passengers were invited off the bus to PUSH it backward enough to jump start it!

I, too am a railfan and I take Amtrak as much for the journey, as the destination. I understand the other category of Amtrak riders; they want to get from point A to point B in the most economical, comfortable, hassle-free way. Late trains---really, really late trains--bother all of us, but Amtrak is not an exclusive member of the "late" club. Most polls have Amtrak's CSI at over 80%, while overall airline CSI hovers around 65%. Take US Airways out of the mix, they might reach 80%

[the_traveler]

Sorry! But "almost dependably late"? Most every time I've taken the EB, it's been on time or early! So I would not use "almost dependably late" to describe the EB!

[NY Penn]

Your experience is just that, your experience. As I believe you said in another thread, a train could be on time one day, and 6 hours late the next. So unless you ride the EB every day (I doubt that, since it doesn't serve KIN (yet )), long-term averages are more statistically valuable.

Over the last 4 weeks, the EB has been an average of 162 minutes late arriving in Chicago. It's been on time exactly twice. So a passenger has a 2/25 (some days are missing), or 8% chance of arriving on time.

So yes, a train that averages two-and-a-half hours late is "almost dependably late".

[Swadian Hardcore]

Thanks for all the helpful information esp. on the flights. I have called and canceled our dinner and made arrangments with the play house for a future show next time in chi. I too understand late trains, but 5 hours or more consistently is pretty bad since they dont have flooding to blame. I dont think the guy that sat on the runway for 8 hours knows much about the EB or at least doesnt ride trains to much

Does anybody know why the train got so late? The EB is usually not so late. If your talking about Dave (the Traveller) I think he has taken the EB and many other Amtrak trains before. He does like to joke a lot, though, IMHO.

[NY Penn]

IIRC There was a derailment in Montana.