Amtrak delays 2023 H2 - 2024

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TheVig said:
Nothing excites me more than getting into NYP after midnight.
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If you have to get in after midnight, no place is better for that than New York. It makes no difference, there will be things open and taxis available. Back in 2002 or 2003 or thereabouts, my wife and I took a weekend trip to New York. When the train rolled into 30th St., we were warned of delays. Apparently, as we found out later, a NJT train derailed and pulled down some catenary. So we spent the evening sitting in various stations, then creeping forward a few miles and sitting some more. When we finally got north of Trenton, we got to enjoy being held for fleets and fleets of NJT trains going in the opposite direction on the only open track. It was kind of like the Canadian being held for double stacks, but on steroids. There was a conductor, who was off duty, riding the train wearing shorts and t-shirs. (hey, he was off-duty), but the train was so late he had enough of a rest period that they called him back to duty, as the original conductor hit his hours of service, so there was this guy running back and forth through the train in shorts and a t-shirt with a radio clipped to his belt trying to find out what has happening up the line. Eventually, the cafe car attendant told us that everything in the cafe was on the house. We were supposed to get into New York around 8 PM, we got in at 3 AM, but would you know that when we went up to 8th Ave, there were plenty of taxis available, lots of people out on the streets, and we were whisked to our hotel. We had a reservation, but, of course, being the last people to check in for the night, we got the last roon (or should I say closet) available. Other than being a little tired the next morning, it was a pretty good weekend.
 
MARC Rider said:
If you have to get in after midnight, no place is better for that than New York. It makes no difference, there will be things open and taxis available. Back in 2002 or 2003 or thereabouts, my wife and I took a weekend trip to New York. When the train rolled into 30th St., we were warned of delays. Apparently, as we found out later, a NJT train derailed and pulled down some catenary. So we spent the evening sitting in various stations, then creeping forward a few miles and sitting some more. When we finally got north of Trenton, we got to enjoy being held for fleets and fleets of NJT trains going in the opposite direction on the only open track. It was kind of like the Canadian being held for double stacks, but on steroids. There was a conductor, who was off duty, riding the train wearing shorts and t-shirs. (hey, he was off-duty), but the train was so late he had enough of a rest period that they called him back to duty, as the original conductor hit his hours of service, so there was this guy running back and forth through the train in shorts and a t-shirt with a radio clipped to his belt trying to find out what has happening up the line. Eventually, the cafe car attendant told us that everything in the cafe was on the house. We were supposed to get into New York around 8 PM, we got in at 3 AM, but would you know that when we went up to 8th Ave, there were plenty of taxis available, lots of people out on the streets, and we were whisked to our hotel. We had a reservation, but, of course, being the last people to check in for the night, we got the last roon (or should I say closet) available. Other than being a little tired the next morning, it was a pretty good weekend.
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"The City that Never Sleeps!"
 
When I got to Baltimore station at about 620 this morning, a little excitement. The early morning Acela, 2150, is apparently blocked just short of the tunnel. They loaded all the 2150 passengers at Baltimore into 170, which was also running late. I'm on 151, which came into Baltimore on time, but we're being held because they're single-tracking through the tunnel. At least one MARC train was cancelled, but that might be due to the cold. It was 12F when I started my car this morning. Not sure what did in 2150, but I'm also going down to DC tomorrow morning, and I hope there are no problems.
 
Was on the Lake Shore Limited that departed Chicago Jan 14'th. It arrived in NYC 8 hours late. On top of being late, all the bathrooms broke down half way into the trip. Sleeping car attendant gave minimal updates on the situation. And worse of all there was a surly dining car attendant. She literally would scowl when she saw me coming and refused to answer any question. I did nothing to annoy her except ask her for an extra cereal with the morning breakfast. That seemed to tick her off for some reason. But she did bring it. If it was bad of me to ask she could have said no.

But today I got an email titled, "Our sincerest apology for your delayed trip" and they said "We are issuing a Transportation Voucher that can be used towards a future trip". It will come in 5-7 days. I had booked a roomette for 2 people using AGR points. Not sure what kind of voucher they will provide ..
 
For some reason both 7 / 21 and 8/ 22 are staying at same time for several hours in Spokane. Wonder if this due to locomotive changes in assignments. 7 arrived SPK 0207 and 8 arrived SPK 0035. PST both. No movement as of 0240 PST
 
TRAINS has an interesting article on Amtrak delays and problems with communicating those delays:

https://is.gd/d9qKuD



Silver Star text messages showing delays.

"The average wait time to answer 800-USA-RAIL calls dropped from 9.5 minutes in Fiscal 2022 to 5.5 minutes in 2023, but more than 900,000 of the more than 5½ million calls placed were never answered, and it took call center representatives more than a half hour to answer 200,000 calls."
 
Last year I got a text that the Crescent was running two hours late into Charlotte. The text came about 18 hours after my trip was completed. Message also said to call USA Rail for assistance.

Trips I've taken since on other trains, the text messages, if they are actually sent, I received in real time.

Not long ago on the Maple Leaf, we left NYP without someone to work the cafe car. About 15 minutes after departure, the conductor let us know they were trying to get an extra board in Albany to work it, until then the cafe is closed. About an hour after departing Albany, I got an automated phone call telling me about the cafe car situation. Of course by then the cafe was open. If not, it would have been all the way to the border without cafe.
 

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