leemell
Conductor
Six months, January to June.
Worst Service Disruption
- Thread starter Pastor Dave
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DowneasterPassenger
Lead Service Attendant
While Pastor Dave did further clarify his title in his opening post, technically if we took the topic's title at face value, then the "Worst Service Disruption" would be the Sunset Limited which has now been disrupted for more than 4 years east of NOL. Sadly.
By that reasoning, you might say that the creation of Amtrak itself was the biggest passenger rail service disruption in the history of the United States! Half the passenger trains that operated before 1971 have been disrupted for 38 years!
With the vast majority of those "disruptions" likely being permanent.While Pastor Dave did further clarify his title in his opening post, technically if we took the topic's title at face value, then the "Worst Service Disruption" would be the Sunset Limited which has now been disrupted for more than 4 years east of NOL. Sadly.
By that reasoning, you might say that the creation of Amtrak itself was the biggest passenger rail service disruption in the history of the United States! Half the passenger trains that operated before 1971 have been disrupted for 38 years!
My service disruption took place in 1999 on the Capitol Limited eastbound between PGH and WAS. A friend and I had arrived in PGH to board the CL and found that a freight derailment in the mountains had closed the line. The previous day's CL was parked in Cumberland, MD and people had been bussed to PGH to continue westbound. They put whoever they could on the Three Rivers and they headed for Philadelphia.
There were about 100 people remaining, and we were told to enjoy coffee, juice, and donuts that had been brought to the Station while the buses arrived. They turned out to be a couple of charter buses, and 5 school buses for luggage, freight and those of us who volunteered for the school buses.
Once underway, our school bus with 3 passengers headed south on PA 51 to Uniontown, then east on US 40 to Cumberland. The driver treated us to whatever we wanted to drink at a store along the way. The poor old school bus looked to be a substitute, and it bounced along the road like the wheels were going to fall off. The driver and 3 of us were laughing so hard, the trip went quickly.
At Cumberland, we boarded the CL which had a CSZ locomotive added on the back end, and we went "backwards" to Washington, D.C. Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits had loaded 200 meals, and we were told to eat "everything in sight" and take anything from the snack bar (chips, drinks, etc.) as the supply had been "written off."
We arrived in WAS 5 hours late, not bad considering. The cost of the trip was refunded to me.
There were about 100 people remaining, and we were told to enjoy coffee, juice, and donuts that had been brought to the Station while the buses arrived. They turned out to be a couple of charter buses, and 5 school buses for luggage, freight and those of us who volunteered for the school buses.
Once underway, our school bus with 3 passengers headed south on PA 51 to Uniontown, then east on US 40 to Cumberland. The driver treated us to whatever we wanted to drink at a store along the way. The poor old school bus looked to be a substitute, and it bounced along the road like the wheels were going to fall off. The driver and 3 of us were laughing so hard, the trip went quickly.
At Cumberland, we boarded the CL which had a CSZ locomotive added on the back end, and we went "backwards" to Washington, D.C. Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits had loaded 200 meals, and we were told to eat "everything in sight" and take anything from the snack bar (chips, drinks, etc.) as the supply had been "written off."
We arrived in WAS 5 hours late, not bad considering. The cost of the trip was refunded to me.
These are the kind of "trip from hell" stories that turn in to an adventure, sounds like a blast, I think most of us that have ridden lots of trains, or plan to, will experience similar episodes, since theres always the chance to make chicken salad out of chicken poop (PG version!LOL), we can enjoy the mishaps that happen and have good stories or we can be po'd and do ourselves and others harm by spreading bad karma! Id just as soon enjoy the journey, its why we travel!
I will admit that business travel is different but the airlines are treating people worse all the time and have lots more problems than Amtrak so we who ride the rails have another reason not to fly! :lol:
I will admit that business travel is different but the airlines are treating people worse all the time and have lots more problems than Amtrak so we who ride the rails have another reason not to fly! :lol:
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the_traveler
Engineer
mp-44
Train Attendant
Well I can give you 2 nightmares Aug 2005 a trip from emy to chi on the cz one delay after the other made me 6 hrs late to chi and since i was the only one booked on the cardinal i was overlooked. on this one heads rolled funny how there was an extra sleeper on the lakeshore to nyc then to was. the next yearthe ones who had giveme trouble were pushing a broom in the metro lounge. the next was 2007 dal to chi on 22 freight derailment made for a late departure the engine broke down in ark. so 16hrs later arrived in chi.of course no space available to was for2 days another call to corporate got me on a pv to was so not to bad just delays i suppose
AAARGH!
Conductor
Wow, I guess I am lucky. The worst for me was a 4 1/2 hour late westbound CZ. We hit a pickup truck (driver was OK, until his wife arrived anyway ) as well as many slow orders and getting put in the hole a few times.
) as well as many slow orders and getting put in the hole a few times.
Phila 30th St
Service Attendant
My worst was my first Amtrak trip in the era I've been keeping records.
I was at PHL waiting on 43 to Lancaster and there was a freight derailment affecting all NEC trains. It was 3 hours late when my friend from Lancaster drove down to the station and picked me up. I wish I'd thought to get a refund or at least apply the unused ticket later but I didn't know such things then.
I was at PHL waiting on 43 to Lancaster and there was a freight derailment affecting all NEC trains. It was 3 hours late when my friend from Lancaster drove down to the station and picked me up. I wish I'd thought to get a refund or at least apply the unused ticket later but I didn't know such things then.
amtrakwolverine
Engineer
not amtraks fault if they had the money those trains would still be running.While Pastor Dave did further clarify his title in his opening post, technically if we took the topic's title at face value, then the "Worst Service Disruption" would be the Sunset Limited which has now been disrupted for more than 4 years east of NOL. Sadly.
By that reasoning, you might say that the creation of Amtrak itself was the biggest passenger rail service disruption in the history of the United States! Half the passenger trains that operated before 1971 have been disrupted for 38 years!
transit54
Conductor
My service disruptions have been pretty minimal:
-In the summer of '07 I was on the northbound Vermonter between Springfield and Amherst, MA. Midway between the two stations, a freight train in the vicinity of Brattleboro, VT derailed and closed the line. Amtrak reversed the train and returned us to Springfield (I felt very bad for the Amherst passengers) and obtained us busses over the next few hours. Arrived in Essex Jct about five hours late - sometime around 1 AM.
-I was on the southbound Vermonter the same summer and we encountered a tree fallen across the tracks due to a storm the previous night. Utility crews spotted our stranded train and cut the tree up for us and we were on our way with only a 45 minute delay.
-In October I was on the northbound Vermonter and we struck a trespasser north of the Springfield station. We were released by the police after about 2.5 hours.
I've had a few other various delays, but nothing really significant.
-In the summer of '07 I was on the northbound Vermonter between Springfield and Amherst, MA. Midway between the two stations, a freight train in the vicinity of Brattleboro, VT derailed and closed the line. Amtrak reversed the train and returned us to Springfield (I felt very bad for the Amherst passengers) and obtained us busses over the next few hours. Arrived in Essex Jct about five hours late - sometime around 1 AM.
-I was on the southbound Vermonter the same summer and we encountered a tree fallen across the tracks due to a storm the previous night. Utility crews spotted our stranded train and cut the tree up for us and we were on our way with only a 45 minute delay.
-In October I was on the northbound Vermonter and we struck a trespasser north of the Springfield station. We were released by the police after about 2.5 hours.
I've had a few other various delays, but nothing really significant.
Jersey Jeff
Service Attendant
On January 23, 2005, I was traveling on the old Three Rivers from Pittsburgh to Princeton Junction. The train was 2.5 hours late leaving CUS due to "mechanical problems" and arrived in PGH 5 hours late.
The Steelers were playing the Patriots that evening for the AFC Championship Game, and a passenger brought his satellite radio into the cafe car so fans could listen to the game. The train crew was fantastic. They phoned ahead to a Domino's Pizza in Greensburg and when we pulled up to the station, a few dozen piping hot pizzas were waiting for us weary passengers free of charge.
Around Lancaster, I informed the conductor that I would be missing my NJ Transit train connection home from PJC. He radioed Philadelphia and Amtrak held EB train #66 at PHL for me for 15 minutes. 66 was hot and extremely crowded. I settled into my seat and called my father to pick me up at Metropark, which is near my home.
When I told the conductor on 66 that I didn't have a ticket to MET, he replied "oh, I heard about you. You've suffered enough tonight."
The Steelers were playing the Patriots that evening for the AFC Championship Game, and a passenger brought his satellite radio into the cafe car so fans could listen to the game. The train crew was fantastic. They phoned ahead to a Domino's Pizza in Greensburg and when we pulled up to the station, a few dozen piping hot pizzas were waiting for us weary passengers free of charge.
Around Lancaster, I informed the conductor that I would be missing my NJ Transit train connection home from PJC. He radioed Philadelphia and Amtrak held EB train #66 at PHL for me for 15 minutes. 66 was hot and extremely crowded. I settled into my seat and called my father to pick me up at Metropark, which is near my home.
When I told the conductor on 66 that I didn't have a ticket to MET, he replied "oh, I heard about you. You've suffered enough tonight."
A reminder of why train folks are friendlier! Imagine if this was an airline, you'd probably spend the night in some terminal and have a feast of airport type cuisine, if you were lucky! Even under the worst of circumstances there is always something about trains that make for adventures and stories that we can tell, later, with a smile!!
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