Texas Eagle Delays

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MikeM

OBS Chief
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
522
Location
Wichita Falls TX
I'm getting ready to ride the Eagle from FTW to CHI in the next two days. I have been watching OTD on the status maps, and keep noticing the train has been running late, seems to loose time south of STL to Marshall. Any idea what's up with this? Today's #22 in is seven hours late at Arcadia and hasn't reached St Louis yet. It is projected to arrive in CHI five hours late. (The other #21 that is still in Texas is on time, however...). Meanwhile #21 SB is 5hours 41 minutes late in Texarkana. Just wondering if there is flooding or track work going on, or something else.
 
I have no idea, but hubby and I just returned a couple weeks ago from a trip on the Sunset Ltd/Texas Eagle leaving from Los Angeles, and with stayovers in San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin, before returning to Los Angeles. Every leg of the trip was way behind schedule: five hours late into San Antonio, four hours late into Dallas, two hours late into Austin, and almost five hours late back home in Los Angeles.
 
Record Setting? Not so when compared to the 3 other trains originating on the West Coast and terminating in Chicago. Here are the average amounts of lateness into Chicago for all four of those trains (as well as the percent each lateness is of the total scheduled run time):

• CZ - 4h 32m (8.8%)
• EB - 2h 36m (5.8%)
• TE - 1h 49m (2.9%)
• SWC - 1h 4m (2.5%)

Maybe you meant record setting compared to its performance in previous years?
 
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I see #22 that should have arrived this afternoon is now over seven hours late, and just cleared Joliet. I went out to the amtrak status map to see how many times it has arrived after 7pm, and it looks like four times since mid March. I have a rental car at Chicago, let's hope it does not have another experience like today's. Just in case, has anyone had experience riding the Blue Line to Ohare from Clinton station at night - anything to worry about in the neighborhood? Do I need to consider a taxi, or is it safe to walk with a roller bag and carry-on?
 
I think a lot of it is freight traffic. I was on an Eagle a couple weeks ago that was four hours late - most of that lateness acquired between STL and MAR. Some of it was waiting on freights, some of it was that a freight stalled out ahead of us and we had to wait for them to get a helper engine to move the freight.
 
Yep, UP has extremely heavy Freight Traffic in Texas.Even with the padding in the Schedule it's hard to get back "On-Time" once it falls behind.

Plus having a Single P-42 on the Eagle has caused lots of Failures, so waiting on a Rescue Engine has become common on this Route.

Also, often #2 is Late into SAS resulting in #22 getting off to a Late Start heading North to CHI.
 
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Well, today's train left FTW right around 4pm, so we're down over an hour. I chatted with a conductor who told me that they've had a raft of bad luck, with freight trains pulling knuckles, a derailment ahead of them one day, etc. No one thing. In other news, the transform is now right behind the engine, no baggage car. Be interesting to see how the fumes from the engine are on this trip. The adventure continues.
 
One more update. Arrived in St Louis around 2 hours late, ton of folks joined the train. Announcements indicate coaches are full. Main sleeper is full, transdorm only has four rooms occupied. Great crew so far, decent dinner, but the superliners are getting tired looking. Shower this morning had a very slow drain, was afraid I was going to flood things but it eventually drained. Hoping we'll make up some time between here and Chicago.
 
Well, based on the records I was keeping... it was record setting. :p
For all I know, your records may be more accurate than those other ones, but those are the only ones I know of. And 2015 beat this year by only one lousy minute - close enough to be called a tie. :)
 
I've taken the Eagle several times each year for several years. The time keeping has never been worse. St. Louis to Little Rock is frequently log jammed with freights; single track with [not always long] passing sidings. On a recent trip on train 21 we were put behind a Sperry Rail Service Vehicle between Marshall and Dallas; usually an area where some time can be made up. Of course we lost more time. Later on we were held for 45 minutes outside of Taylor Station for a northbound/eastbound container train. This, despite the fact there are passing sidings in Hutto, McNeil, and one just north of the Austin Station, the Eagles next stop. We got into Austin 4 hours off, and yes, I got a healthy travel voucher from Amtrak, but that's not a viable, long term, answer. Union Pacific really doesn't care. Speak to crew members; a bit of the Eagle runs on BNSF, and they've all told me BNSF is much better than UP, in terms of getting them over the road. Public statements, some kind of pressure, something must be done. Otherwise, I don't see how this situation will improve.
 
Upcoming trip on 4/27. I can handle a delay between STL-DAL, just worried about dinner leaving STL. Do they make any arrangements for sleeper pax if it's 2 hours late into STL?
 
Upcoming trip on 4/27. I can handle a delay between STL-DAL, just worried about dinner leaving STL. Do they make any arrangements for sleeper pax if it's 2 hours late into STL?
Unfortunately No.:( I suggest you eat before boarding if the Eagle is shown as being more than an Hour Late between Chicago and St. Louis.( away from the Station, the Fast Food served inside the Intermodel Station is Gross!)
 
I've taken the Eagle several times each year for several years. The time keeping has never been worse. St. Louis to Little Rock is frequently log jammed with freights; single track with [not always long] passing sidings. On a recent trip on train 21 we were put behind a Sperry Rail Service Vehicle between Marshall and Dallas; usually an area where some time can be made up. Of course we lost more time. Later on we were held for 45 minutes outside of Taylor Station for a northbound/eastbound container train. This, despite the fact there are passing sidings in Hutto, McNeil, and one just north of the Austin Station, the Eagles next stop. We got into Austin 4 hours off, and yes, I got a healthy travel voucher from Amtrak, but that's not a viable, long term, answer. Union Pacific really doesn't care. Speak to crew members; a bit of the Eagle runs on BNSF, and they've all told me BNSF is much better than UP, in terms of getting them over the road. Public statements, some kind of pressure, something must be done. Otherwise, I don't see how this situation will improve.

Welcome to the Eagle, I could post this 30 years ago and people would in agreement. Except 30 years ago, 2 hours late was the norm. Now, 8 hours? Some of you people think Anderson is killing LDs, nope, its the freight railroads............Again, I could have posted that 30 years ago too.

Be thankful its not peak summer season. Less people are ticked off and "never again"s.
 
Closer, but still no cigar. The average mean lateness for the TE in both directions according to AMSAD:

• Since April 1st has been 3 hours and 1 minute.
• Since April 2nd has been 3 hours and 20 minutes.
• Since April 1st of 2018 has been 1 hour and 48 minutes.

But in comparison to the other trains with UP as the host (IINM) the performance of the TE is not so bad over the last year when you compare lateness to average scheduled run time in both directions:
▲ The TE was late by 2.9%
▲ The SWC was late by 2.8%
▲ The CZ was late by 3.4%
▲ The EB was late by 3.3%, but I think its host is BNSF

I prefer this comparison by % simply because the average scheduled run times of the various LD trains do matter - that of the TE is 20% longer than any other LD train so it has that as a "handicap" if you simply mention hours and minutes of lateness.
 
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I don't think most passengers give a hoot about the Eagle's "handicap" of a longer run. Amtrak prints the schedules. Amtrak works with the freight railroads. I hear comments, and people find these delays [unless weather related] inexcusable. Then there is the hardship on a crew. If you get into San Antonio 4 hours off, that's 1 AM. Then 5 hours later the crew has to report to San Antonio for number 22, the northbound trip. The whole situation has gotten worse, and it seems no one, not Amtrak, nor politicians [miracle, I know] seem willing to address it. Me, I love trains; I'd ride a caboose to Texas. But it's tough on those picking you up at the station; I don't like being rude. And yes, it boarders on rudeness, when you know that reasonable on time arrival is crap shoot at best.
 
I don't think most passengers give a hoot about the Eagle's "handicap" of a longer run.
You are no doubt correct about that. But only because I tend to be a little more analytical and practical than most and don't get my panties all in a wad about stuff I have no control over.
I hear comments, and people find these delays [unless weather related] inexcusable.
Inexcusable? Really?? Perhaps those folks should get in touch with their Fairy Godmothers to have them transform this world into a more perfect one - except for the weather, of course.

But don't get me wrong - I too think the TE and all other trains should have better OTP. But if it's important I get to my destination on time I fly. This reality dawned on me many years ago and I just won't hop on the bandwagon and whine about Amtrak's "iffiness" here. Perhaps the fact that my nearest Amtrak station is a good half-days drive from me has something to do with it.

Carry on.
 
21 (8) was terminated in Fort Worth on account of lateness. 22 is scheduled to originate in Fort Worth, or should I say was scheduled as it's overdue now.
 
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