Person Strike Penn Line 1/19/16; Service Disruption WAS

Hey everyone, currently all Penn line service is suspended between New Carrollton and Union station due to a trespasser being struck by MARC 443. Silver Service is being delayed.

Just my update from Union Station.

I'm currently on 85, stopped just prior to NCR indefinitely due to a person struck north of WAS. We were scheduled to arrive in WAS at 6:25pm, giving me plenty of time to catch 2128, departing at 8:00pm, back to NYP.

That's clearly not going to happen.

Any suggestions on how I get myself out of this mess and back to NYP?

8:00 Acela might not be on time anyway. It's still a mess here at Union.

I'm sure. So do I continue on to WAS in the hopes of catching 2128 or do I get off at NCR and await a Regional? It's it safe to assume that my ticket will be accepted on whatever train I end up taking?

By the way, this was my first-ever points run. Bad timing.

DoB said:

I'm sure. So do I continue on to WAS in the hopes of catching 2128 or do I get off at NCR and await a Regional? It's it safe to assume that my ticket will be accepted on whatever train I end up taking?

Click to expand...

It is not safe to assume anything. In any case likely all trains north will be holding in Washington unless one got caught between Washington and the incident location. Sounds like it is too soon to make a decision.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

sitzplatz17 said:

8:00 Acela might not be on time anyway. It's still a mess here at Union.

Click to expand...

The 8:00 could be canceled. The inbound turn for that is the 6:50 inbound arrival.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If it were me, I'd get off at NCR and await 2128. What's the difference, really, since you won't have any time in DC. And personally I'd rather just get on the train I have a ticket for and not worry about it.

Oh, edit, I forgot it was an Acela and doesn't stop there. In that case I'd call Amtrak and ask them if they'll honor your ticket on the Regional.

So NCR is not the Nat'l Cash Register station but New Carrolton Md. I lived in Wash DC 15 years til 2000 & I had no idea. Please don't assume we all know these things!

A southbound train just passed us!

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

WJZ says service has resumed. Good luck!

Just departed NCR. So I guess I've decided to stay on to WAS. I hope I don't regret it!

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

DoB said:

Just departed NCR. So I guess I've decided to stay on to WAS. I hope I don't regret it!

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Good luck. If you are lucky they are still turning 2128 and it's still in Washington.

Assuming you have a through res, Amtrak will do whatever is necessary to protect you at WAS.

I got to WAS and asked what to do. Turns out that 2128 was about to depart. Or maybe it's 2124 (the status map shows it as 2124). Whatever it is, I'm on it, and at this point it's estimated to get into NYP at 11:48, less than an hour after I was planning to get in.

Naturally, I'm continuing on to Boston tomorrow morning on 2190 (same ticket - multi-city), so I won't be getting much sleep. My only concern now is that they haven't scanned any tickets yet, and they may not be planning to scan any tickets. Is there a risk that my reservation on 2190 will be cancelled? Or that I won't get my points (which was the whole point of this adventure)?

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Looks like I got out of there just in time, I caught the 5:25 MARC out.

Our crew timed out at Aberdeen! Waiting for a replacement now. Guess we won't be getting in before midnight. Still, no complaints given the circumstances.

Based on the status map, it looks like I caught the first train out of WAS. Glad I didn't get off at NCR - The next Regional is 138, which departed WAS at 6:05 but is now behind us.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

DoB said:

Naturally, I'm continuing on to Boston tomorrow morning on 2190 (same ticket - multi-city), so I won't be getting much sleep. My only concern now is that they haven't scanned any tickets yet, and they may not be planning to scan any tickets. Is there a risk that my reservation on 2190 will be cancelled? Or that I won't get my points (which was the whole point of this adventure)?

Click to expand...

If your ticket has not been scanned, try to locate the conductor (or his/her replacement) or assistant conductor and ask them to scan your ticket. Especially if the entire purpose of your trip is a points run before the new Guest Rewards point system takes effect.

The incident really messed up both MARC Penn Line and Amtrak NEC operations tonight. Trespasser incidents, if that is what this one was, are rare on that section of the NEC as far as I know. Trespasser incidents are more common in Baltimore and around the SEPTA stations on the stretch between Wilmington and 30th Street station.

Just in case you are not that familiar with DC, if your southbound Regional had gotten to New Carrolton but had to stay there, the end of the DC Metro Orange Line is at New Carrolton. Easy to take the Metro with a transfer at Metro Center the Red Line to Union Station as a backup plan.

One lesson to take from this is to have a larger time buffer or margin for a turn-around trip for a points run. There are far worse stations in the Amtrak system to spend several extra hours waiting for the return train than DC Union Station.

Ticket was scanned a few hours ago.

I have myself a 95-minute layover at WAS, which I thought would be plenty! Still, in the end, it worked out OK.

At Newark Penn now. Estimated arrival at NYP it's 12:27. And then it's off to Boston tomorrow morning on 2190!

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

Hey DoB,

Glad it worked out for you. Sorry I wasn't able to come back and update more, my phone started to get really low on battery.

My fiancee was on 443 sitting there for almost 3 hours while the police did their thing.

Eventually they used an inbound Acela as a rescue train as apparently the impact of the person did actual damage to the MARC train.

sitzplatz17 said:

Hey DoB,

Glad it worked out for you. Sorry I wasn't able to come back and update more, my phone started to get really low on battery.

My fiancee was on 443 sitting there for almost 3 hours while the police did their thing.

Eventually they used an inbound Acela as a rescue train as apparently the impact of the person did actual damage to the MARC train.

Click to expand...

Wow, she was on the incident train itself. That must have been - interesting? Not sure what the right word is.

Anyway, I'm now on 449 from BOS to SPG, connecting there to 475 and hence to 175 back to NYP. (And then I go home and collapse.) So far, everything's been running perfectly on time today, but there's still plenty of opportunity for another adventure.

That probably explains why my train this morning had the motor (a leased Amtrak AEM-7) on the wrong end.

DoB said:

sitzplatz17 said:

Hey DoB,

Glad it worked out for you. Sorry I wasn't able to come back and update more, my phone started to get really low on battery.

My fiancee was on 443 sitting there for almost 3 hours while the police did their thing.

Eventually they used an inbound Acela as a rescue train as apparently the impact of the person did actual damage to the MARC train.

Click to expand...

Wow, she was on the incident train itself. That must have been - interesting? Not sure what the right word is.

Anyway, I'm now on 449 from BOS to SPG, connecting there to 475 and hence to 175 back to NYP. (And then I go home and collapse.) So far, everything's been running perfectly on time today, but there's still plenty of opportunity for another adventure.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately she heard more than she would have like to. Interesting is one way to put it...

I hope your travels continue safely and on-time DoB!

Ryan: you MARC to DC every day? We should grab a drink/food sometime at Union Station sometime. I live right next to WAS now.

(I think we actually met on the Cardinal many years back with TrackTwentyNine)

Cheers!

-sitzplatz17

We did, I do, and we should!!!