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Burlington-Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) recently announced it completed a $400 million dollar track upgrade in North Dakota. Sidings, double-tracks, and track improvements between Minot and Williston, and between Devils Lake and Grand Forks. Sidings are designed to allow more trains to pass easier...

BNSF freight train carrying over 100 oil tank cars derailed with explosions and fire 1 mile west of Casselton, ND this afternoon. Casselton is about 11 miles west of Fargo. Amtrak Empire Builder does not take the Casselton route which is on the so-called Surrey cutoff for freight traffic...

I'll be riding Empire Builder (EB) from Montana to Chicago end of February; then connect with Capitol Limited (CL). (I'm aware Amtrak presently not booking same-day Chicago EB connections.) EB's arrival time in Chicago probably won't improve by February enabling same-day connection to CL...

Last year flooding in North Dakota created havoc for east and west bound Empire Builder. Much talk was EB taking Surrey Cut Off east of Minot down to Fargo rather than going east to Grand Forks. Does anyone have updates on this option for this year? Any updates on raising the rail bed at...

My wife and I regularly ride Empire Builder to Chicago and transfer there. Our experience shows metro commuter trains in and around northern Chicago cause some - though not all - Empire Builder delays into Chicago. When our schedule allows, we plan arrival into Chicago on a weekend: preferably...

My wife and I just completed a trip to Washington D.C. on the Empire Builder (EB) connecting with Capitol Limited (CL) in Chicago to Washington D.C. We boarded at Malta, MT, 18 May going and detrained at Malta coming back. EB loses 3 hours through North Dakota due to freight congestion around...

I'll post this separately. We traveled Empire Builder (EB) 18 and 19 May to Chicago. EB doesn't take Surrey Cutoff east of Minot, ND to Fargo, ND, to by-pass flooding in eastern North Dakota, but still goes through Devils Lake and Grand Forks, then south to Fargo. We crossed Churches Ferry...

While riding Empire Builder on 18 and 19 May I asked why Capitol Limited now departed 30 minutes earlier from Chicago? Train conductor said construction crews were enlarging tunnels on the line in Pennsylvania to accomodate higher profile box cars. That meant blasting in tunnels. Trains have...

My wife and I took Empire Builder (EB) train 8 from Malta, MT to Chicago, IL on 18 - 19 May 2011. I carried a Garmin GPS device to record train speeds and stopping times. EB was on-time at Malta. From Malta to Williston, ND, 218 miles, average moving speed 64 mph. Lost 90 minutes in...

Again, I'm new to Amtrak. Are the lights in coach dimmed at night to help with sleeping in coach? Thank-you in advance for your replies.

Again, I am new to Amtrak. I am posting again with another question about the value-added of getting a lower-level coach seat versus an upper level coach seat. One of the obvious answers, of course, is the lower level doesn't require stairs. I am also assuming the lower level, being closer to...

I am new to this forum, and I would welcome some advice from you experienced Amtrak travelers. I am retired and in my early 50's (yes, you can retire early). I am not a special needs person; I am quite self-sufficent. My time is my own; I am not rushed. In September I want to take Amtrak...