Empire Builders settling into better timekeeping for the Summer

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I saw that as well, but they have managed to lose another 3 1/2 hours since then, not a good trend. My BNSF guy says while the construction and freight traffic are slowing things down on the Hi-Line right now (and will continue to do so for at least several more weeks), BNSF assured Amtrak as late as last week that these factors shouldn't cause more than a 2 hour delay over the entire route. Perhaps there were equipment issues?
 
sounds like they had a locomotive failure then. bummer. a very late arrival in CHI tonight.

I also note that #7, plugging along in MT today has lost over 2 hours thru the same stretch that has been causing slow downs all week as well.
 
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EB (27) logged into CHI at 9:16, LSL out on time at 9:30. Did passengers make the connection?
 
Not sure, but I would think that they'd hold #48 for connecting passengers, don't you?
 
I have made, attempted to make the EB/LSL connection a number of times and interestingly only once did Amtrak hold the LSL for a late EB I was on. One time when we were 7 hours late of course nothing was held (decent stay at a downtown hotel, but I hated to lose an entire day's travel so I flew out the next AM). I would have thought when things are close like yesterday, Amtrak would indeed hold the LSL, since it is the only eastbound connection left. But I guess they figured any transferring pax could zip on over to the LSL within the 14 minutes between trains?
 
I am under the impression that when a train connection is that close, Amtrak representatives will meet passengers on the platform and direct them to their connecting train. I think some other AU threads have mentioned this. It would be a good effort by Amtrak's customer service but I don't know how often that really does occur.
 
My take on this is that if the two trains were on the same platform it could have been done in 14 minutes, maybe. Otherwise, no way. Of course, we also don't know how accurate the logged times are. AFAIK, they're still entered by hand. Be nice to hear from somone who was trying to make the connection or at least was on one of the two trains.
 
Several times in Chicago I've either been on a departing Train that was held for a Late arriving LD Train, ( EB, CZ,SWC,TE) and also have been on a Late Arriving Train where we were met by Amtrak staff that took us directly to our held train. (Cap/Card/CONO)

Its also happened to me in LAX, PDX and SAS.
 
Sometimes they do indeed have customer service reps on the tracks. Not always though. No one was there to help us at 11 PM when the Builder pulled in very late. :-(

BTW: BNSF is doing more track work between SPK and WFH, apparently causing between 1 1/2 and 2 hour delays.
 
The delays east bound for the Builders in Eastern MT and ND appear to be returning to the 3+ hour range as before. A combination of heavy freight traffic and construction according to my local BNSF guy. Rats.
 
The #8 that was about 2 1/2 hours late into Chicago Wednesday actually was only about 15 minutes late at Columbus, but then had to wait for nearly 2 hours due to a disabled freight ahead of it, according to my uncle who was on that train. It got through E. Montana and ND relatively unscathed. It looks like that was an anomaly.
 
It was indeed, since the last two days both east bound EBs have lost about 3 hours in this area. Today's will once again miss most connections in CHI. My BNSF contact says Amtrak has expressed "concern" to BNSF about the trend, since it is costing them big bucks when all of these connections are missed. He said the BNSF folks reminded Amtrak senior mgmt that they told Amtrak months ago, when Amtrak restored all connections, that this period (Sept thru October) would have many days with 3+ hour delays again for weeks and suggested either a departure change from SEA/PDX or severing the connections. Neither of which were done.
 
And the reason Amtrak stubbornly clung to the "old" schedule instead of adopting last years earlier departures out of PDX and SEA that helped is???
 
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LOL. Sad to say, but there is indeed a lot of truth in that. The weather has been so nice along the entire Hi-Line (record mild temps along with no precipitation), that BNSF has actually ramped up a few additional projects for 2015. Additionally my local guy pointed out that after a brief lull in freight traffic, all segments have picked up over the past couple of weeks and the loadings scheduled for the next 4+ weeks indicate heavy volumes of traffic on the Hi-Line well into November. I asked my guy if BNSF was indeed giving the EBs priority over the freights and he was emphatic that the dispatchers are doing this, but he reiterated that sometimes it is tough to put 10 pounds of you know what into a 5 pound sack. Most of the areas causing the delays will not have their projects completed until Fall 2016, so those delays will continue at varying levels. I was in downtown Whitefish yesterday afternoon and evening (a lot going on in town right next to the depot--Oktoberfest being the big event) and the number of freights that passed thru and are on the sidings here appeared to be as heavy as I have seen all summer.

Meanwhile #8, still in central WI, will arrive in CHI well over 3 hours late again today.........
 
With a single track main and lots of traffic and track work t can be hard just to get the freights out of the way of Amtrak... Gotta put them in sidings hundreds of miles in advance, easy for one delay to cascade.

I am less sympathetic to delays on double track (or more) lines.
 
Early departures of EBs from PDX and SEA would seem to be the answer. Summer time probably no but fall yes. Remember the extra train set last year helped. Could it be that the spare Superliner equipment used last year got tied up for the Pope's PHL dormitory set ?

Next year plans should be made now to modify schedules extending times thru locations that will have delays next fall.
 
Alas, that would actually involve advance planning. Not sure that is often a strong point with the folks in Union Station in DC? My BNSF guy said that they had suggested a 60 to 90 minute "tweak" in departure times from SEA/PDX for a certain period this Fall to enable the EB's to have a high probability of making connections in CHI every day, given the known construction projects and expected traffic issues for this Fall, but they never received a response from Amtrak.

I have a trip planned later this month on the EB where I MUST make the EB/CL connection in order to be at a meeting the next day (late PM fortunately). Given the iffy situation now, it looks like I am going to be forced to book a flight out of ORD to DCA the next morning "just in case" since I can't afford to lose an entire day waiting to leave CHI again. Never a dull moment these days to be sure.

Late Friday PM: Compounding the EB woes, #8 leaves SEA 1 hour and 48 minutes late. This sucker will be very late by the time it reaches CHI in two days. Rats........snake bit again.
 
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neroden said:
With a single track main and lots of traffic and track work t can be hard just to get the freights out of the way of Amtrak... Gotta put them in sidings hundreds of miles in advance, easy for one delay to cascade.

I am less sympathetic to delays on double track (or more) lines.
Click to expand...
There's less and less single track on the Hi-line. There's a few places that will not be double tracked anytime soon - the Stevens Pass and Flathead tunnels, Marias Pass, etc.

In my own back yard, the least costly BNSF upgrade in Minnesota is mostly completed. Here's the plan from last April.

"Constructing a two-mile double track segment from Minneapolis Junction to St. Anthony."

Not mentioned in that project description was -

This gives the BNSF a usable alternate double-track mainline on the ex-GN, ends the 1-track bottleneck at Saint Anthony, frees two miles of the old main for waiting intermodals and makes a new off-main entrance to the Midway intermodal. New double track, much less blockage of the main by intermodals waiting to get into the Midway.

Won't affect WB Builder much, but when the EB Builder is late, there have been long delays at the Saint Anthony bottleneck.

Minor project, wins BNSF much, wins the eastbound EB a better chance to avoid delays.
 
#8 currently in Western MT Sat AM was two hours late leaving SEA yesterday (still running about 90 minutes behind now), apparently another locomotive failure. It is being lead by a Cascades engine. Too bad Amtrak wasn't able to keep the extra train set for this route.
 
No amount of trackwork and increased track capacity is going to solve lousy engine maintenance. Whatever happened to the goal of being in the "State of good repair"?
 
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