Status of City of New Orleans as of Saturday, March 12

[Tennessee Traveler]

Anyone aware of the status of CN Rail tracks in Mississippi and when CONO might return to traveling full route from Chicago to New Orleans? I'm aware of busitutions taking place south of Memphis but not fully aware of distance of the bustitution. Hopefully there was not much, if any, damage to the CN track especially in Northern Mississippi and regular service can be restored sooner rather than later. I participated in the bustitution NOLA to Jackson in January but hoping that regular schedule is back in force when I ride again March 29 and later April 10.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I doubt if CN is going to let its main line stay out of service for long. Now I know nothing about local conditions, but I would suspect he line would be back in service in less than a week.

 

[west point]

A what if ? Are the tracks of the past route of the CNO MEM - JAN flooded as well ?

 

[MikefromCrete]

A what if ? Are the tracks of the past route of the CNO MEM - JAN flooded as well ?

Doesn't make a difference. Those tracks are owned now by a short line and may or may not be able to handle an Amtrak detour.

 

[west point]

Point is if CN had not gotten rid of the route is it flooded ??

 

[PaulM]

Point is if CN had not gotten rid of the route is it flooded ??

I seriously doubt it. The current route is in he Mississippi bottoms. The historic routes is in rolling wooded country (think I 55). It's very obvious if you drive from Greenwood on the new to Grenada on the old.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

I did notice that 58 did depart New Orleans on schedule today but is now over 2 hours late approaching Jackson, MS. Lost 1 and 1/2 hours in Kenner just after departing the depot. I'm thinking there may be heavy freight traffic if tracks in North Mississippi have been closed due to water over the tracks. Not sure what happend to last night 59 which departed Chicago on time but was changed to "service disruption" around Newburn, KY or Dyersburg, TN. Now is completely off the map.

 

[Amtrak George]

Looks like train 59 hit a tree south of Dyersburg early this morning and the engine had at least one headlight and one ditch light disabled and some scratches. Amtrak loco set out, consist hauled to Memphis by a freight engine.

 

[Eric S]

A what if ? Are the tracks of the past route of the CNO MEM - JAN flooded as well ?

Doesn't make a difference. Those tracks are owned now by a short line and may or may not be able to handle an Amtrak detour.

Is it even a complete through route at present? I'd have to go dig through recent issues of TRAINS magazine, but I thought it had been severed at some point between Jackson and Memphis.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

The flooding between Memphis and Jackson causing bustitution is over for now. Both 58 and 59 that departed on Sunday are running through but 59 is about 2 hours behind schedule while 58 is now about 6 hours behind schedule. Apparently there is a bottleneck in West Tennessee and West Kentucky causing the delays. If these two trains complete their journey's they will probably be the first the run the complete route since the flooding in North Mississippi last week.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Looks like Amtrak is busing passengers from City of New Orleans Memphis to Carbondale since both 58(14) and 59(14) are in Service Disruption and 58 has arrived in Memphis and 59 is between Effingham and Carbondale. Is there a problem around Memphis to Newbern, TN and Fulton, KY?

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Looks like there is hope for today's 58(15) and 59 later tonight. 58 departed NOL on time 1:45 PM and is now in Jackson, MS, and Amtrak's Online map indicates the journey to Chicago will make all station stops.