Coast starlight cancelled SEA-SAC Jan 17-23?

I have a trip planned from SEA-SAC-CHI-NOL on January 18th. Due to the recent talk about reduced consists on the trains this winter, I decided to to a test booking to see how much sleeper space was available. To my surprise, my routing shows CANCELLED with the only option being EB to Chicago.

The whole point of my trip is to see the Rockies in winter, so I called AGR and sure enough the Coast Starlight connection from SEA is cancelled for at least a week in January. This really throws a wrench in my plans as I have plane flight from Houston to SEA, hotel in SEA, and plane from NOL to Houston already booked, and vacation already scheduled.

Is it worth rebooking everything for a week later only to get cancelled again? (Or bussed from. PDX-EUG as mentioned in another thread?). By the way, I got NO NOTIFICATION from Amtrak about this. I guess since they have an alternate routing from my origin to destination they figured it wouldn't be necessary ("Oh look, we got you there a day sooner, too!")

Depends on easy or hard it is to move the whole trip. Is it is hard or expensive, e.g. non-refundable air fares, just fly from SEA to SAC. Make sure Amtrak does not lose your SAC - CHI reservation.

Amtrak.com is showing the train-bus-train connection, but only beneath the "Cancelled" train 11. Scroll down.



The trackwork between Portland and Eugene has already been postponed once, back in the fall, so it's possible that it will be rescheduled again.

Amsnag is showing the bus bridge for train 11 leaving SEA 1/16-23/15, and train 14 leaving LAX a day earlier.

Thanks for the replies. I guess since my trip is SEA-NOL and there is an alternate route (EB to CHI) the bus bridge option doesn't show up (not that I'd want to do that unless absolutely necessary). Fortunately my flight up was changeable without fee and the one from NOL to Houston is on Southwest so I will just have to pay the fare difference of about $30.

Hotel was refundable, so I went ahead and made the changes. I hope it doesn't get jacked around again.

2.5 hours on a bus isn't the worst disaster in the world but still you have to break camp, ride the damn thing and then set up again in Hippie Town.

OlympianHiawatha said:

2.5 hours on a bus isn't the worst disaster in the world but still you have to break camp, ride the damn thing and then set up again in Hippie Town.

Click to expand...

You only have to spend a minute in Hippie Town if that itinerary is to be believed.

I think that's about the shortest "guaranteed connection" I've ever seen on Amtrak.