Amtrak cancelled (due to breakdown) NE Regional on Sunday 11/20

[Ryan M]

Heading from NY Penn to Boston this past Sunday 11/20 we stopped in Stamford CT to take on a huge number of passengers. Every inch of floor space in the aisles and entry vestibules was taken up by standing or sitting passengers. The on board conductors said these passengers came off another easlier NE Regional that broke down 2 hours earlier.

We passed Sunnyside yard leaving NYC and there were a number of idle locomotives. I know locomotives are also usually sitting on side tracks in New Haven. My question is why would Amtrak strand passengers at a station awaiting a later train instead of an alternate locomotive?

 

[Thirdrail7]

Heading from NY Penn to Boston this past Sunday 11/20 we stopped in Stamford CT to take on a huge number of passengers. Every inch of floor space in the aisles and entry vestibules was taken up by standing or sitting passengers. The on board conductors said these passengers came off another easlier NE Regional that broke down 2 hours earlier.

We passed Sunnyside yard leaving NYC and there were a number of idle locomotives. I know locomotives are also usually sitting on side tracks in New Haven. My question is why would Amtrak strand passengers at a station awaiting a later train instead of an alternate locomotive?

If this is the situation I'm thinking of, it wasn't a regional that was disabled. It was a high speed train which makes a huge difference.

However, even if it is a regional, it is often quicker to transfer passengers to another train and keep them moving instead of waiting for a rescue engine. This is particularly true if the weather is not favorable. That is because there are quite a few restrictions on "lite (single) electric engines.

Furthermore, just because you see an engine doesn't mean the engine is in date or more importantly, has a crew available to operate it.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Heading from NY Penn to Boston this past Sunday 11/20 we stopped in Stamford CT to take on a huge number of passengers. Every inch of floor space in the aisles and entry vestibules was taken up by standing or sitting passengers. The on board conductors said these passengers came off another easlier NE Regional that broke down 2 hours earlier.

We passed Sunnyside yard leaving NYC and there were a number of idle locomotives. I know locomotives are also usually sitting on side tracks in New Haven. My question is why would Amtrak strand passengers at a station awaiting a later train instead of an alternate locomotive?

Because the train that broke down may have been an Acela, not a regional.

 

[the_traveler]

I have been on a Regional that broke down, and it went to New London where it was taken out of service. Instead of waiting the 2 hours for the next Regional, they let all passengers get on the Acela (which was right behind us) to continue their trip.

Thus, the Acela had all the Acela passengers PLUS all the Regional passengers. If they waited for a replacement locomotive to come, it would need to come from either New York or Boston. And they also would have to get a crew to bring it. (The locomotives you see in New Haven are for the trains to Springfield and Vermont.)

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

I have been on a Regional that broke down, and it went to New London where it was taken out of service. Instead of waiting the 2 hours for the next Regional, they let all passengers get on the Acela (which was right behind us) to continue their trip.

Thus, the Acela had all the Acela passengers PLUS all the Regional passengers. If they waited for a replacement locomotive to come, it would need to come from either New York or Boston. And they also would have to get a crew to bring it. (The locomotives you see in New Haven are for the trains to Springfield and Vermont.)

I don't know if the timing would work out or if there are spares, but there are ACS-64s sometimes at New Haven. The Vermonter and Springfield Regional change from electric to diesel there.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Title should be changed. A train wasn't cancelled. It was terminated due to breakdown

 

[the_traveler]

Thread title changed to clarify.