CS to EB no longer bookable after April 1

shop deals on amazon
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.
RyanS said:
So who wants to backfit the new schedule to the last month's worth of timekeeping and see what we can expect for OTP under the new schedule?

I'm sure that's something that someone with a few spare moments can whip together. :D
Click to expand...
Well, get to it man! :giggle:
 
RyanS said:
So who wants to backfit the new schedule to the last month's worth of timekeeping and see what we can expect for OTP under the new schedule?

I'm sure that's something that someone with a few spare moments can whip together. :D
Click to expand...
But you make such nice graphs!!! Surely you don't have to work today....
 
Wondering if these changes now will bring back the connected trains from CHI?

A friend of mine and her sister booked a ticket to Holland in May, and I told them they had to spend a night in CHI and get on that train the next day.
 
RyanS said:
So who wants to backfit the new schedule to the last month's worth of timekeeping and see what we can expect for OTP under the new schedule?

I'm sure that's something that someone with a few spare moments can whip together. :D
Click to expand...
Sadly, it will likely still be rather lousy for #8. :eek: On the other hand, with the winter coming to an end, maybe the #8 EB will get a little better for keeping within 1-2 hours of a new really padded schedule.

Railway Age has a news report on the change: Amtrak stretches Empire Builder schedule in response to BNSF congestion. The good news is that BNSF is spending $900 million on the northern corridor route and mentioned Amtrak as a customer in it's statement. The bad news is that it takes a while to spend $900 million on track and route upgrades.
 
afigg said:
RyanS said:
So who wants to backfit the new schedule to the last month's worth of timekeeping and see what we can expect for OTP under the new schedule?

I'm sure that's something that someone with a few spare moments can whip together. :D
Click to expand...
Sadly, it will likely still be rather lousy for #8. :eek: On the other hand, with the winter coming to an end, maybe the #8 EB will get a little better for keeping within 1-2 hours of a new really padded schedule.
Railway Age has a news report on the change: Amtrak stretches Empire Builder schedule in response to BNSF congestion. The good news is that BNSF is spending $900 million on the northern corridor route and mentioned Amtrak as a customer in it's statement. The bad news is that it takes a while to spend $900 million on track and route upgrades.
Click to expand...
You could technically spend $900 million in the span of a few hours or less. Of course keeping the line open for traffic while your normal crew allotment works the upgrade will absolutely take a lot of time. :D Any word on how much (if any) double tracking will result from this?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have asked that of my BNSF contacts on several occasions and they have not really given me a firm answer. They have said there will be some, but that most of the $$ will be used for improved (I think they mean longer sidings to accommodate the tanker trains) and additional sidings, switching and energy infrastructure upgrades (whatever that means-perhaps more spurs for filling areas, etc.) in western ND and eastern MT .

Considering that most of the current delays occur between Fargo and Minot because there is just too much traffic and not enough tracks, this initial effort may not result in significantly improved speeds thru this area. We all have to remember, as was pointed out by my BNSF buddies last week, they already have a de facto double track situation in the most congested areas now (the Devils Lake division and the Surrey cutoff), and they still can't move everything thru that well.
 
I heard of two sites mentioned, don't remember where, for approx. 90 miles of double track.

That may not sound like much in the overall route, but it could be a huge improvement thru highly congested areas.
 
EB_OBS said:
I heard of two sites mentioned, don't remember where, for approx. 90 miles of double track.

That may not sound like much in the overall route, but it could be a huge improvement thru highly congested areas.
Click to expand...
It is indeed a good start, but by the time the energy biz is really going strong in the next 5+ years the entire stretch from the eastern half of MT thru western MN is going to need help.
 
The full explaination was printed on Trains Magazine newswire to day. All due to freight congestion onBNSF.
 
Has anyone with a guaranteed connection after April 1 from CS to EB received an email? If so are they allowing an overnight if it was done on AGR?
 
Which means the Builder will now permanently require six sets of superliner equipment. The Seattle/Portland sits for over 24 hours and the Chicago set sits for 22+ hours.
 
Meat Puppet said:
Has anyone with a guaranteed connection after April 1 from CS to EB received an email? If so are they allowing an overnight if it was done on AGR?
Click to expand...
I didn't get an e-mail, but I called AGR this afternoon. They're allowing the overnight connection in Portland, and changed my award ticket to accommodate the changed schedule, though I'm responsible for my own lodging costs in Portland.
 
henryj said:
Which means the Builder will now permanently require six sets of superliner equipment. The Seattle/Portland sits for over 24 hours and the Chicago set sits for 22+ hours.
Click to expand...
You're assuming that the same set that comes in to Chicago goes back out as the Empire Builder.
Given the number of Superliner trains that originate in Chicago, that assumption may be faulty.
 
RyanS said:
henryj said:
Which means the Builder will now permanently require six sets of superliner equipment. The Seattle/Portland sits for over 24 hours and the Chicago set sits for 22+ hours.
Click to expand...
You're assuming that the same set that comes in to Chicago goes back out as the Empire Builder.
Given the number of Superliner trains that originate in Chicago, that assumption may be faulty.
Click to expand...
It's a pretty safe assumption, give or take a car or two. The Builder is the only train that uses that specific consist arrangement, and unless a car is due for maintenance or there is some other compelling reason, trainsets generally aren't switched around willy-nilly.

It's common to see the same consist (give or take a car or two, here or there) on the same route for several weeks.
 
CHamilton said:
Devil's Advocate said:
Any word on how much (if any) double tracking will result from this?
Click to expand...
There is an outline of BNSF's work here. It doesn't specifically say how much double-tracking is included, but it seemed like a minor component of the work they are doing.
Click to expand...
That pretty much confirms what my BNSF contacts have said. It's going to be a slow go in eastern MT and parts of ND this summer for a variety of reasons. :-(
 
I have a CS-EB round trip scheduled for this summer, but not until after May 31st. So, I was somewhat surprised to get an e-mail from Amtrak today, warning me about an "Important Amtrak Alert". They offered profuse apologies, but unfortunately... there will be no wine and cheese on my CS-EB trip.

Of course, with the change in schedule there's almost zero chance I'll actually get to take the CS-EB trip at all, so in terms of a warning for impending travel problems, it understated things quite a bit.
 
Yep no wine & cheese on the CS or EB but you'll have plenty of time for that during your 22 hour 13 min. layover in Portland! :huh:
 
According to my semi reliable sources the schedule reverts back to normal may 31, however the cs to eb connection is still not bookable until further notice
 
Meat Puppet said:
According to my semi reliable sources the schedule reverts back to normal may 31, however the cs to eb connection is still not bookable until further notice
Click to expand...

Well it sounds like your sources are simply relying upon the fact that the internal bulletin states the schedule change is from 4/15 to 5/31.

I'm fairly certain the schedule will not go back to normal. There's undoubtedly going to be some tweaks made to it. However, reverting it back to normal makes absolutely no sense whatsoever when ALL indications and sources repeadetly forecast continueing congestion and delays on the EB's route for the next two years.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
rusty spike said:
ehbowen said:
I wish someone would notify me. Our trip (HOS-LAX-PDX-WFH) falls right in the middle of that window, but no one has notified me at all. I have a prepaid condo booked and airplane reservations for the return trip, both nonrefundable.
Click to expand...
I don't think I would be waiting to be notified if you have a reservation coming up that quickly. I would contact AGR (if a member) or Amtrak right away. They may not have an answer but I would let them know that you are aware of the break in the same-day connection at PDX and the possible schedule change.
Click to expand...
Well, they never did call me. I called them. I had to call twice; the first reservations agent assured me that all was in order and that the only notification I had on my reservation was for the downgraded amenities on the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder. The AGR agent that I spoke to next also said all was well at first, but when I asked her to double-check and take a very close look at the Portland connection she said, "Oh! You know what, you're right!"

Then the fun started. It turned out that the next day's train was Sold Out in sleeper...make that the next two days for #28. If I was going to be three days late to our prepaid condo in Whitefish, I might as well call the trip off altogether and eat the condo and airfare. However, after a few "pretty pleases" AGR let me change my reservation to connect overnight (at my own expense) in Seattle; the next day's #8 had a suitable sleeper vacancy. So I'll miss the Columbia River in the Sightseer Lounge, but we will get to ride the Coast Starlight bumper-to-bumper. I'm satisfied, but I'm awfully glad that I keep up with the discussions on this forum....
 
ehbowen said:
rusty spike said:
ehbowen said:
I wish someone would notify me. Our trip (HOS-LAX-PDX-WFH) falls right in the middle of that window, but no one has notified me at all. I have a prepaid condo booked and airplane reservations for the return trip, both nonrefundable.
Click to expand...
I don't think I would be waiting to be notified if you have a reservation coming up that quickly. I would contact AGR (if a member) or Amtrak right away. They may not have an answer but I would let them know that you are aware of the break in the same-day connection at PDX and the possible schedule change.
Click to expand...
Well, they never did call me. I called them. I had to call twice; the first reservations agent assured me that all was in order and that the only notification I had on my reservation was for the downgraded amenities on the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder. The AGR agent that I spoke to next also said all was well at first, but when I asked her to double-check and take a very close look at the Portland connection she said, "Oh! You know what, you're right!"

Then the fun started. It turned out that the next day's train was Sold Out in sleeper...make that the next two days for #28. If I was going to be three days late to our prepaid condo in Whitefish, I might as well call the trip off altogether and eat the condo and airfare. However, after a few "pretty pleases" AGR let me change my reservation to connect overnight (at my own expense) in Seattle; the next day's #8 had a suitable sleeper vacancy. So I'll miss the Columbia River in the Sightseer Lounge, but we will get to ride the Coast Starlight bumper-to-bumper. I'm satisfied, but I'm awfully glad that I keep up with the discussions on this forum....
Click to expand...
It's rather fortunate that this forum exists and has been so beneficial for folks in this situation. On the other hand your story really makes the Amtrak call center staff look like they still have no clue about this issue and are carelessly allowing even proactive customers to fall through the cracks unless and until they're repeatedly nagged about it. I'm glad you're satisfied with the end result, but if you hadn't read about this on the forum and taken it upon yourself to be extremely proactive I doubt the outcome would have been satisfactory.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Meat Puppet said:
According to my semi reliable sources the schedule reverts back to normal may 31, however the cs to eb connection is still not bookable until further notice
Click to expand...
My wife and I have an already booked same day 14 -> 28 trip coming up in August. I wonder if it's safe to assume that the schedule will really revert by then, or should I try to proactively arrange a 1 night stay in Portland now? We'd have to move our Starlight trip one day earlier, but that'd be OK as long as sleeper space is available.

Thanks,

P.S. Anybody know a good hotel that's inexpensive and close to PDX Union Station??
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top