bad weather

[plka]

What happens on the train in the event of bad weather, for example, tornado weather crossing the plains?

 

[PRR 60]

What happens on the train in the event of bad weather, for example, tornado weather crossing the plains?

If a tornado warning us issued by the NWS (as opposed to a watch), and that warning affects a rail route, the host railroad typically stops all trains until the threat is over. I should emphasize that a tornado warning affecting Amtrak is an exceedingly rare occurrence. While tornado warnings occur frequently, they usually involve just a few counties in a state or two. The chances that on given day a warning would affect states and counties on an Amtrak route at the same time a train is scheduled to pass are very low. Bottom line: I would not worry about it.

 

[George Harris]

On a train is probably one of the safest places you could be. Windows on a train are required to be able to withstand being struck by a high speed and fairly heavy flying objects. It takes a tremendous amount of wind to turn over a superliner.

Generally the railroads have contracts with private weather services to give very specific forecasts. (At least I know BNSF did for a while, and I suspect that they still do.) The most likely problem due to a tornado would be tree limbs on the tracks or possibly damage to the signal system. The possibility of damage to track or structures by the tornado itself is really really low.

As PRR60 says, I would not worry about it.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

A couple years ago on the northbound Heartland Flyer a Tornado Warning came across the scanner for Oklahoma County which was still well north of our current location. Nonetheless BNSF Dispatch in FTW was busy not only with us but with Freight north of us, figuring out where to stop it and readying us for a possible hold in Norman. We were given a speed restriction to keep us from running up on the situation too fast but fortunately by the time we arrived Norman the worst had cleared and traffic was fast getting back to normal.

In this part of the country both Railroads and Airlines take the weather damn seriously.

 

[Railroad Bill]

Three years ago our SW Chief was stopped at Kansas City because of tornadoes in Kansas. We went to bed in KCS and awoke to find us east of Dodge City, KS having traveled very little over night. Next morning there were dead cows on the ROW, trees down, and a report that a young couple had lost their lives in a car when the twister hit.

Glad we missed that one on our #3.