Amtrak delays 2023 H2 - 2024

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TheVig said:
Nothing excites me more than getting into NYP after midnight.
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If you have to get in after midnight, no place is better for that than New York. It makes no difference, there will be things open and taxis available. Back in 2002 or 2003 or thereabouts, my wife and I took a weekend trip to New York. When the train rolled into 30th St., we were warned of delays. Apparently, as we found out later, a NJT train derailed and pulled down some catenary. So we spent the evening sitting in various stations, then creeping forward a few miles and sitting some more. When we finally got north of Trenton, we got to enjoy being held for fleets and fleets of NJT trains going in the opposite direction on the only open track. It was kind of like the Canadian being held for double stacks, but on steroids. There was a conductor, who was off duty, riding the train wearing shorts and t-shirs. (hey, he was off-duty), but the train was so late he had enough of a rest period that they called him back to duty, as the original conductor hit his hours of service, so there was this guy running back and forth through the train in shorts and a t-shirt with a radio clipped to his belt trying to find out what has happening up the line. Eventually, the cafe car attendant told us that everything in the cafe was on the house. We were supposed to get into New York around 8 PM, we got in at 3 AM, but would you know that when we went up to 8th Ave, there were plenty of taxis available, lots of people out on the streets, and we were whisked to our hotel. We had a reservation, but, of course, being the last people to check in for the night, we got the last roon (or should I say closet) available. Other than being a little tired the next morning, it was a pretty good weekend.
 
MARC Rider said:
If you have to get in after midnight, no place is better for that than New York. It makes no difference, there will be things open and taxis available. Back in 2002 or 2003 or thereabouts, my wife and I took a weekend trip to New York. When the train rolled into 30th St., we were warned of delays. Apparently, as we found out later, a NJT train derailed and pulled down some catenary. So we spent the evening sitting in various stations, then creeping forward a few miles and sitting some more. When we finally got north of Trenton, we got to enjoy being held for fleets and fleets of NJT trains going in the opposite direction on the only open track. It was kind of like the Canadian being held for double stacks, but on steroids. There was a conductor, who was off duty, riding the train wearing shorts and t-shirs. (hey, he was off-duty), but the train was so late he had enough of a rest period that they called him back to duty, as the original conductor hit his hours of service, so there was this guy running back and forth through the train in shorts and a t-shirt with a radio clipped to his belt trying to find out what has happening up the line. Eventually, the cafe car attendant told us that everything in the cafe was on the house. We were supposed to get into New York around 8 PM, we got in at 3 AM, but would you know that when we went up to 8th Ave, there were plenty of taxis available, lots of people out on the streets, and we were whisked to our hotel. We had a reservation, but, of course, being the last people to check in for the night, we got the last roon (or should I say closet) available. Other than being a little tired the next morning, it was a pretty good weekend.
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"The City that Never Sleeps!"
 
When I got to Baltimore station at about 620 this morning, a little excitement. The early morning Acela, 2150, is apparently blocked just short of the tunnel. They loaded all the 2150 passengers at Baltimore into 170, which was also running late. I'm on 151, which came into Baltimore on time, but we're being held because they're single-tracking through the tunnel. At least one MARC train was cancelled, but that might be due to the cold. It was 12F when I started my car this morning. Not sure what did in 2150, but I'm also going down to DC tomorrow morning, and I hope there are no problems.
 
Was on the Lake Shore Limited that departed Chicago Jan 14'th. It arrived in NYC 8 hours late. On top of being late, all the bathrooms broke down half way into the trip. Sleeping car attendant gave minimal updates on the situation. And worse of all there was a surly dining car attendant. She literally would scowl when she saw me coming and refused to answer any question. I did nothing to annoy her except ask her for an extra cereal with the morning breakfast. That seemed to tick her off for some reason. But she did bring it. If it was bad of me to ask she could have said no.

But today I got an email titled, "Our sincerest apology for your delayed trip" and they said "We are issuing a Transportation Voucher that can be used towards a future trip". It will come in 5-7 days. I had booked a roomette for 2 people using AGR points. Not sure what kind of voucher they will provide ..
 
For some reason both 7 / 21 and 8/ 22 are staying at same time for several hours in Spokane. Wonder if this due to locomotive changes in assignments. 7 arrived SPK 0207 and 8 arrived SPK 0035. PST both. No movement as of 0240 PST
 
TRAINS has an interesting article on Amtrak delays and problems with communicating those delays:

https://is.gd/d9qKuD



Silver Star text messages showing delays.

"The average wait time to answer 800-USA-RAIL calls dropped from 9.5 minutes in Fiscal 2022 to 5.5 minutes in 2023, but more than 900,000 of the more than 5½ million calls placed were never answered, and it took call center representatives more than a half hour to answer 200,000 calls."
 
Last year I got a text that the Crescent was running two hours late into Charlotte. The text came about 18 hours after my trip was completed. Message also said to call USA Rail for assistance.

Trips I've taken since on other trains, the text messages, if they are actually sent, I received in real time.

Not long ago on the Maple Leaf, we left NYP without someone to work the cafe car. About 15 minutes after departure, the conductor let us know they were trying to get an extra board in Albany to work it, until then the cafe is closed. About an hour after departing Albany, I got an automated phone call telling me about the cafe car situation. Of course by then the cafe was open. If not, it would have been all the way to the border without cafe.
 
Looks like trains needing to go south from Portland, or arrive in Portland from the south are going to be blocked for a while. There was a freight derailment on the Steel Bridge this morning, and all traffic on the bridge (MAX, cars, Amtrak and pedestrian) has been halted.

Portland Fire & Rescue said on the social-media site X that six train cars left the tracks: “2 empty lumber cars fully derailed, 4 other cars partially derailed.” One car is leaning against a bridge support column, the fire bureau said.
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Just judging by the photo, looks like track is relatively undamaged, at least the visible portion. An uninformed guess would be the cause as stringlining- heavy cars before and after the very light empty bulkhead flat cars pulled them off in the sharp curve. I wouldn’t think clean up would take long if the brodge is ok.
 
In the early 1982 spent many days around the bridge as you can see the walkway on the north side of bridge. As well a grain unloading facility in view that loaded Russian grain ships is still there just to north of that curve. There were often transfer runs on that leg of the wye. The runs were never very fast estimated as no more than 10 - 15 MPH. However, the runs always had momentum before entering the curve . The locos never seemed to be adding power across the steel bridge. Now if the derailment run had to stop restarting the run might have caused the string lining especially if some drag was at the end of the run's consist.

Noticed that UP appeared to be upgrading the interlocking as turned aside signals are in view. I understand UP has eliminated the connection from Portland US to the route that the Pioneer Amtrak train to SLC ran at thru this CP.
 
Another NS system wide failure of PTC. This VRE notice at 13:08. As of 14:15 Amtrak trains on NS running OK except 390 doing just 15 MPH.

SERVICE ALERT​

VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS (VRE)

Norfolk Southern is experiencing a systemwide Positive Train Control outage. They are working to resolve the issue, but delays are possible for Train 325. We will send updates as we receive more information.
VRE bulletin
Norfolk Southern is experiencing a systemwide Positive Train Control outage. They are working to resolve the issue, but delays are possible for Train 325. We will send updates as we receive more information.



Virginia Railway Express, 1500 King Street, Suite 202, Alexandria, Virginia 22314




Click here for more information on this alert.
​
www.vre.org
[email protected]
Automated Service Information:
1-800-RIDE-VRE
 
west point said:
In the early 1982 spent many days around the bridge as you can see the walkway on the north side of bridge. As well a grain unloading facility in view that loaded Russian grain ships is still there just to north of that curve. There were often transfer runs on that leg of the wye. The runs were never very fast estimated as no more than 10 - 15 MPH. However, the runs always had momentum before entering the curve . The locos never seemed to be adding power across the steel bridge. Now if the derailment run had to stop restarting the run might have caused the string lining especially if some drag was at the end of the run's consist.

Noticed that UP appeared to be upgrading the interlocking as turned aside signals are in view. I understand UP has eliminated the connection from Portland US to the route that the Pioneer Amtrak train to SLC ran at thru this CP.
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Yes, regarding the "Pioneer" connection having been removed. They did that when they added a head-on connection from the Brooklyn (SP) Yard to the Sullivan's Gulch Line. The cost of reinstating it was included in the 2009 PRIIA "study."

That area was controlled by the UP East Portland Tower, which disappeared some time ago. I dropped in now and then. The operator would have had a ring-side seat for the derailment. [Note to moderators: if you want, we could move this to a "Portland's Steel Bridge" thread. I have more photos and info, and many Amtrak passengers pass over/under it.]

1962 032.jpg

The south leg of the wye junction was busier. The SP engine on the right is waiting for the "Northwest's Own Railway" on its transfer run from Albina (UP) to Brooklyn. Train 12 is arriving from Oakland. Power poles are still in place on the top deck for trolley coach lines.

02.jpg---_0237.jpg

Here's the derailment curve and the now-abandoned grain elevator. I remember the Soviet ships being visible from RCTCo. buses on the upper deck of the Steel Bridge. Until the mid-1960's (?) the UP pool trains took passenger cars around the curve. They were rerouted onto the 1.3 mile longer SP&S line to simplify switching of the Oakland<>Seattle sleepers in Portland. I never heard anyone discuss a safety issue from the curve.
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There's a ship in there somewhere, loading grain. Good, unsubsidized durum wheat?
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UP Train 106 making the Steel Bridge <> Sullivan's Gulch move that is not possible now.
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