LSL sold out Sun-Thurs twice over three weeks

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daybeers

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Hi all! Was looking up some fares for the LSL and I noticed that 49 westbound is sold out Sunday through Thursday both the week of the 9th and the 23rd of July. 48 eastbound is sold out Saturday through Wednesday over the same weeks. Anyone know if there is a specific reason for this?
 
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I checked in with Amtrak this morning in Calfornia for a cross country Amtrak trip and could not print one of my tickets for a leg on the Lake Shore Limited, the ALB-BOS segment on June 20th. I found out that there is a service disruption on the Lake Shore Limited and I may be on a bus. Amtrak did refund the Business class fare I paid and only charged me for a coach ticket. I thought the track work at Albany that had sent the LSL to New York and had Amtrak operating a stub train for a very long time was over, but apparently not. I have found that Amtrak has shown sold out on some departures that have been cancelled. I would check with Amtrak to see if there will be regular service on the LSL for the dates you want in July. The other LSL segments of my trip, CHI-ALB on June 12th and BOS-ALB on June 23rd have not been changed, so far. Good Luck!
 
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CSX has announced a large track project along the B&A route. Plans are not quite finalized which is why there is a hold. Bustitution is likely. The track work in NYP makes it unlikely the full consist can be accommodated.
 
In a theoretical case where someone was travelling CHI-BOS during this track work, would Amtrak allow passengers to modify their reservations from 449 to another routing via WAS or NYP to avoid the bustitution?
 
brianpmcdonnell17 said:
In a theoretical case where someone was travelling CHI-BOS during this track work, would Amtrak allow passengers to modify their reservations from 449 to another routing via WAS or NYP to avoid the bustitution?
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The LSL often has a bus substitute in the summer. Its actually not bad, its quicker than the train trip from Albany to Boston. When this has happened to me and I've had a 1st class ticket Amtrak has proactively offered to send me via NYP to catch the LSL, but with the Penn work that might be different this year.
 
Peachy Kinda Girl said:
I booked our BOS TO CHI trip for July 9 last Dec. We are in a roomette. So is there really a chance we will have to be on a bus to Albany?
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I booked our BOS TO CHI trip for July 9 last Dec. We are in a roomette. So is there really a chance we will have to be on a bus to Albany?

Maybe, maybe not. See my post above. My Alb-Bos LSL on June 20th in now a bus due to the trackwork, however, my return LSL on June 23rd has not been affected, so far. Check with Amtrak. I could have easily booked the sleeper Chi-Bos, if I were not getting off in Alb for a week. I don't enjoy taking the bus as I enjoy the train ride through beautiful Mass, but I would not have been happy to leave my sleeper for a bus ride. The only piece of of this that I am not happy about is that Amtrak should have notified me in advance. I picked up tickets on Sunday June 4th and all was well, I check in to depart three days later and I learn about that my Alb-Bos LSL segement had been cancelled. Of course, maybe Amtrak just did not know further in advance, if indeed this is track work by a host railroad? I am already planning my next trip. I don't think I am going to book another LSL trip until I know more.
Good Luck!
 
The issue is CSX transportation who owns the lines doesn't generally schedule track work till about a week or two out. So generally Amtrak can not advise you of it because they themselves haven't been notified.

CSX track work is standardly M-TH
 
Track work is now confirmed. Notifications should begin any day. If you still wish to travel on the 9th of July, it is likely your trip will begin on a bus.
 
Seaboard92 said:
The issue is CSX transportation who owns the lines doesn't generally schedule track work till about a week or two out. So generally Amtrak can not advise you of it because they themselves haven't been notified.

CSX track work is standardly M-TH
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are there any alternate routes from ALB-BOS that are possible for detours?
 
norfolkwesternhenry said:
Seaboard92 said:
The issue is CSX transportation who owns the lines doesn't generally schedule track work till about a week or two out. So generally Amtrak can not advise you of it because they themselves haven't been notified.

CSX track work is standardly M-TH
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are there any alternate routes from ALB-BOS that are possible for detours?
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There are not any reasonable alternative routes that I know of. However, both Boston stations and Springfield could be reached via a transfer in New York. Framingham and Worcester could be reached via transfers in both New York and Boston, with the last segment being on MBTA. Therefore, if one is insistent on avoiding busses it is possible to do so at all stations with the exception of Pittsfield.
 
Ok, the LSL isn't sold out solidly for those timeframes...but I will say that there's an obscene amount of selling-out on the sleeper front:
-Roomettes are only available on three days for the rest of the month. They're sold out on 15 of the next 30 days (I checked 15 June to 14 July) and at high bucket on 11 more days (so on 26 out of 30 days the train is either sold out or at high bucket).

-Bedrooms are sold out on 16 of those 30 days (and at high bucket for another 12). There is, oddly, one day where a bedroom is available for $15 less than a roomette.

Coach is sold out zero times.
 
Probably a good home for a bag dorm also. Doubtful that 2 full bags are needed. If the NY bag became a bag dorm the Boston OBS would have to move their belongings at Albany, not sure how much of an issue that would be, but it would add a good chunk of rooms without adding another car that might need to be platformed.
 
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I was just on the LakeShore from Chicago to Albany this week, they crew said the LSL will be getting the new VL II diners over the next year as more of the new diners are deployed into service. I hope the sleepers are not far behind, we were six hours late into Albany-Rensselaer on Tuesday and the late departure from Chicago was due, among other things, to issues with the air conditioning on the sleeper cars, something I have experience on past trips. I think the only thing we found really annoying was they had us leave the Chicago Metropolitan Lounge to "board" when they knew it was delayed, we were already late and the message board noted delayed. We get down to the gates and they herded us into a waiting area they had cleared for the sleeping car/business class passengers and we sat there for over 2 hours. I think they just wanted to close the lounge on time. In past LSL trips with delays with the old Metropolitan Lounge they kept it open for us and we waited there. Have others experienced this with delays at Chicago?
 

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