Amtrak delays 2023 H2 - 2024

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AmtrakMaineiac said:
Serious delays yesterday on the NEC in NJ due to a combination of heat related catenary problems and signal power failure between Metuchen and EWR. Apparently the signal power was restored at 3:45 AM this morning.

At one point the status map looked like this (from a FB post)
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The map got darker (more black trains) as the day progressed. Some trains were over 4 hours late, many 3+ hours late.
 
The NEC issue lasted for 15 - 16 hours. I first noticed it around 1:00 pm as I was checking on a train due into Newark, DE at 1:35. It and 91 were stopped up there and were 91 was already running about an hour-1/2 late.
 
AmtrakMaineiac said:
Serious delays yesterday on the NEC in NJ due to a combination of heat related catenary problems and signal power failure between Metuchen and EWR. Apparently the signal power was restored at 3:45 AM this morning.

At one point the status map looked like this (from a FB post)
View attachment 33039
Click to expand...
Is it my imagination or do these issues happen more in NJ than in other parts of the NEC?

When I worked in Princeton Junction and commuted on NJT, I remember I kept an overnight bag with toiletries and a change of clothes in the office in case I couldn’t get home. It never happened but did come close a couple of times.
 
Mystic River Dragon said:
Is it my imagination or do these issues happen more in NJ than in other parts of the NEC?

When I worked in Princeton Junction and commuted on NJT, I remember I kept an overnight bag with toiletries and a change of clothes in the office in case I couldn’t get home. It never happened but did come close a couple of times.
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NEC has two segments that have the most intense traffic. One is Harold Interlocking in Queens NY to Trenton NJ, and the other is New Rochelle NY to New Haven CT. There seemingly is a correlation between that and frequency of problems that arise.
 
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Amtrak had a plan to install commercial power back up power to all of the signal system. What happened? As an aside. When Amtrak upgraded the signal system from New Haven - BOS it used all commercial power for signals and grade crossings. After the 25Kv CAT was installed Amtrak installed transformers connected to the CAT power lines and terminated the Commercial power connections. Something happened which made Amtrak wake up. The commercial power connections were restored to be back up power.

Since it been too many years since riding on the route have no idea if that backup power is still connected. AFAIK the 100 watt commercial power connections are at a very low tariff. It is around here. At a location near here there is a HBD, grade crossing, a CP with 3 bungalows separated at most 500 feet but each one with its own connection all served by one commercial transformer.
 
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jis said:
NEC has two segments that have the most intense traffic. One is Harold Interlocking in Queens NY to Trenton NJ, and the other is New Rochelle CT to New Haven CT. There seemingly is a correlation between that and frequency of problems that arise.
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New Rochelle NY possibly?
 


I love how an engine swap at a major hub somehow caused a delay of three hours. You would think that Los Angeles could handle an engine swap within three hours.
 
Cal said:


I love how an engine swap at a major hub somehow caused a delay of three hours. You would think that Los Angeles could handle an engine swap within three hours.
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Probably depends on how much duct tape they have on hand and whether they have to do a Home Depot run...

However, it does sound more like Stupid Chicago Tricks than LA.
 
zephyr17 said:
Well, I hope your luck holds. I take it you've never "eaten the stew".

For me, I've been on 12-14 hours late long distance trains more times than I can count, that's why I provide that advice. Had I had an airline connection, a cruise, a wedding, a funeral or a job interview scheduled on those days I would have missed them.

I followed that principle for years while working, with finite vacation time. All it takes is prudent planning and taking precautions against a known and common risk. An Amtrak long distance train being extremely late is not exactly an unusual occurrence.
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I'm not sure I've ever been on a long-distance train that was 12+ hours late. I've had to run to make my connections in Chicago, Washington DC and New York Penn before but never needed an extra overnight because of a late train.

My theory on the extra overnight is there is no guarantee that the train for the next day won't get canceled completely, or your sleeper gets bad ordered, or any number of things that "could" go wrong. I always book on a best-case scenario and then adapt as needed.

And no I've yet to eat the stew.. but I have had the "Simple" menu that was just whatever was left in the diner. haha.
 
Once, a number of years ago, I was coming home from Florida and a major snow & ice storm hit the East Coast. Many airports were closed in the Northeast, and along the coast, multiple trees and power lines down, Stopped for downed trees, signal issues, crews timing out but roads were too dangerous for the vans. Mercifully, I had a roomette, and no reason I had to be back in NYC so it didn't bother me much other than boredom. Coach on the other hand started to look like the audience at the Jerry Springer Show. USA Hockey (I was at their Winter meeting) actually agreed to pick up an extra night of hotel for attendees since so many destination airports were down or flights canceled people couldn't go home. I didn't stay, and left on time, but it was a forever trip home.
 
crescent-zephyr said:
I'm not sure I've ever been on a long-distance train that was 12+ hours late. I've had to run to make my connections in Chicago, Washington DC and New York Penn before but never needed an extra overnight because of a late train.

My theory on the extra overnight is there is no guarantee that the train for the next day won't get canceled completely, or your sleeper gets bad ordered, or any number of things that "could" go wrong. I always book on a best-case scenario and then adapt as needed.

And no I've yet to eat the stew.. but I have had the "Simple" menu that was just whatever was left in the diner. haha.
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I for damn sure have been on 12+ hour late trains.

Doesn't sound like you've taken the western LDs much. They're that late with some regularity. The eastern runs are shorter and don't tend to stack delays up quite so much.

The chances of a western LD being 8, 10, 12 hours late or more late are a whole lot greater than an eastern train being cancelled or scheduled sleeper being bad ordered. Huge delays on western LDs are an unfortunately common occurrence.

I don't generally build in an overnight layover at Chicago westbound between an eastern LD and a western LD. As I said, the eastern LD runs are shorter and don't have as much opportunity to stack up delays. I almost always build one in eastbound. Even on the eastern trains I wouldn't schedule a same day connection with a different carrier. I will risk an Amtrak guaranteed connection from one, though.

I have been riding Amtrak literally since Day One, May 1, 1971. Mostly in the West. I travel transcontinentally on Amtrak regularly and have since the 1980s. I have connected in Chicago and Los Angeles countless times. Washington, DC a few. I have arrived in Chicago between 2 am and 4 am many, many times. I have been put up in Chicago hotels by Amtrak when connecting with Midwest corridor trains several of those times. I have eaten a lot of stew. I stand by my advice, won of long experience.
 
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Just checking the dates, my "epic journey" was January of 2004. The QM 2 had made its first sailing from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, and quite a few passengers had no way home because the flights were not leaving going North. 10 days on the brand-new Queen, and then onto packed coaches to try and get home, culture shock for many.... I was lucky to be traveling solo, so I could bring someone to the room for very interesting conversation.
 
zephyr17 said:
Had I had an airline connection, a cruise, a wedding, a funeral or a job interview scheduled on those days I would have missed them.
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I would never take Amtrak to a wedding, funeral or other time-sensitive event unless I am going on an extended trip and the event is in the middle of the trip to allow several days to recover from a possible Amtrak service disruption and still be able to attend the event.
 
July 23 the Sunset-Eagle left LAX four hours late. When it arrived in San Antonio, all the Eagle passengers were routed to buses in order to catch up with the Eagle that had departed San Antonio three hours earlier.
The Sunset train continued to New Orleans.

We arrived in Austin only 2 hours late on our bus.
 
MarkInAustin said:
July 23 the Sunset-Eagle left LAX four hours late. When it arrived in San Antonio, all the Eagle passengers were routed to buses in order to catch up with the Eagle that had departed San Antonio three hours earlier.
The Sunset train continued to New Orleans.

We arrived in Austin only 2 hours late on our bus.
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I've been bused on the Texas Eagle/Sunset Route probably 10 times over the years.

The farthest was El Paso to San Antonio( #2 was Cancelled in LAX), the shortest was Taylor to Austin when #21s P-42 died near McGregor in 100+ Degree heat!

The latest was after the San Diego Gathering last year when #2 was 4 Hours Late into San Antonio and I was bused from SA to Austin.

A fellow AUer, Railroad Bill, was on a Seperate Bus that ran from SA to Longview to catch up with the Eagle that left @ 7AM. headed for Chicago.
 
Sometimes Amtrak meltdowns get you to your final destination faster.

Back when they were daylighting some tunnels on the old B&O line between Pittsburgh and Cumberland they would bustitute the Capitol Limited from Pittsburgh if it arrived in Pittsburgh from Chicago more than 2 or 3 hours late. It happened to me, and I was treated to a scarifying ride in a highway coach on the Pennsylvania Turnpike at 70+ mph in pouring rain. But we actually arrived in Washington at the scheduled arrival time of the train.

Another time, they cancelled the westbound Pennsylvanian in Harrisburg thanks to a Norfolk Southern derailment, and despite the delay from fussing about loading the buses and delays due to the buses getting off the highway to stop at the Amtrak stations, we got to Pittsburgh an hour before the scheduled arrival of the Pennsylvanian.
 
Rasputin said:
I would never take Amtrak to a wedding, funeral or other time-sensitive event unless I am going on an extended trip and the event is in the middle of the trip to allow several days to recover from a possible Amtrak service disruption and still be able to attend the event.
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I presume this refers to Amtrak long distance trains, I'd have no trouble taking a train on the NEC, Virginia service, Keystone, Empire Service, Downeaster, midwest corridors, Cascades, Surfliner, Capitol corridor, San Joaquins, etc. to such events. Any delays are no worse than a plane or driving. But then even if I were to fly or drive I'd probably come out the day before if it was really critical.
 
MARC Rider said:
I presume this refers to Amtrak long distance trains, I'd have no trouble taking a train on the NEC, Virginia service, Keystone, Empire Service, Downeaster, midwest corridors, Cascades, Surfliner, Capitol corridor, San Joaquins, etc. to such events. Any delays are no worse than a plane or driving. But then even if I were to fly or drive I'd probably come out the day before if it was really critical.
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Yes, that is correct. I intended those remarks to apply to long distance trains although the NEC has an occasional service meltdown.
 

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