Beware if you are booked on those routes. Just got a text that our train has been cancelled. This is for June 15 through Saturday of that week. I am not sure when it starts though. All trains going that way around that time is cancelled due to work on the tracks. They will bus you. Yuck. Longer trip and later in day.
Beware of Chicago to Bloomington
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Thank you for the heads up! I was scheduled for #305, Chicago to Bloomington, on Friday the 17th. After seeing this post I checked my reservation and, sure enough, without any notification from Amtrak, I found I was booked on a 2:40 bus out of Chicago. Problem is I am arriving on the California Zephyr which arrives after the bus leaves. So I made a quick call to Amtrak and changed my reservation for another bus that leaves Chicago for Bloomington at 4:25. Nice of Amtrak to contact me. 
Maybe they just found out about the track work and are working on rescheduling and notifying people starting with the passengers who will be the first ones affected by the changes...or they know you're an AU member and would find out anyway here on AU.Thank you for the heads up! I was scheduled for #305, Chicago to Bloomington, on Friday the 17th. After seeing this post I checked my reservation and, sure enough, without any notification from Amtrak, I found I was booked on a 2:40 bus out of Chicago. Problem is I am arriving on the California Zephyr which arrives after the bus leaves. So I made a quick call to Amtrak and changed my reservation for another bus that leaves Chicago for Bloomington at 4:25. Nice of Amtrak to contact me.
I have a better chance of finding out on here than I do from Amtrak.Maybe they just found out about the track work and are working on rescheduling and notifying people starting with the passengers who will be the first ones affected by the changes...or they know you're an AU member and would find out anyway here on AU.Thank you for the heads up! I was scheduled for #305, Chicago to Bloomington, on Friday the 17th. After seeing this post I checked my reservation and, sure enough, without any notification from Amtrak, I found I was booked on a 2:40 bus out of Chicago. Problem is I am arriving on the California Zephyr which arrives after the bus leaves. So I made a quick call to Amtrak and changed my reservation for another bus that leaves Chicago for Bloomington at 4:25. Nice of Amtrak to contact me.
Devil's Advocate
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Did they just find out how time works? There should be an automated linear time check and an automated email/text. In 2016 there is really no excuse to be rescheduled on an impossible connection with no notice.Maybe they just found out about the track work and are working on rescheduling and notifying people starting with the passengers who will be the first ones affected by the changes...or they know you're an AU member and would find out anyway here on AU.Thank you for the heads up! I was scheduled for #305, Chicago to Bloomington, on Friday the 17th. After seeing this post I checked my reservation and, sure enough, without any notification from Amtrak, I found I was booked on a 2:40 bus out of Chicago. Problem is I am arriving on the California Zephyr which arrives after the bus leaves. So I made a quick call to Amtrak and changed my reservation for another bus that leaves Chicago for Bloomington at 4:25. Nice of Amtrak to contact me.
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I had an airline reschedule my connecting flight to the day before the originating flight back in 2011. And I caught it before they even told me. I ended up switching airlines.Did they just find out how time works? There should be an automated linear time check and an automated email/text. In 2016 there is really no excuse to be rescheduled on an impossible connection with no notice.Maybe they just found out about the track work and are working on rescheduling and notifying people starting with the passengers who will be the first ones affected by the changes...or they know you're an AU member and would find out anyway here on AU.Thank you for the heads up! I was scheduled for #305, Chicago to Bloomington, on Friday the 17th. After seeing this post I checked my reservation and, sure enough, without any notification from Amtrak, I found I was booked on a 2:40 bus out of Chicago. Problem is I am arriving on the California Zephyr which arrives after the bus leaves. So I made a quick call to Amtrak and changed my reservation for another bus that leaves Chicago for Bloomington at 4:25. Nice of Amtrak to contact me.
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Everydaymatters
Engineer
Here we go again. Last October I got one notification after another when I was trying to plan a trip to Canada.
Now I am planning to go from BNL to CHi on the 28th and Chi to BNL on July 1st.
Does anyone have any info re how long this track work - or whatever it is - is going to last? Is there a way to find out what they're scheduling? The Pantagraph in BNL is always talking about track work. Surely UP knows what its schedule is.
Now I am planning to go from BNL to CHi on the 28th and Chi to BNL on July 1st.
Does anyone have any info re how long this track work - or whatever it is - is going to last? Is there a way to find out what they're scheduling? The Pantagraph in BNL is always talking about track work. Surely UP knows what its schedule is.
Per the OP, through the 18th
Everydaymatters
Engineer
Yup, that's how it played out last October...cancelled for a few days,then a few more, and so on.
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After reading this post I verified that my departure on the 10th on 21 would not be impacted if 21 was detoured, so confirmed June 15th - 18th are the only dates with cancelations and 21/22 detoured.
Amtrak told me today that the trains will start running on Sunday (after the fifteenth) so you should be okay.
And on the other hand, I was notified today by Alaska Airlines of a schedule change in a flight I am taking from Seattle back to Spokane....on August 31st.......the change amounting to an arrival time into Spokane three minutes earlier than the previous schedule. And they notified me the oooooooold fashioned way...by snail mail. I'm not sure a change of three minutes is worth the trouble, but, hey, at least they notified me!
And when I was on the horn to the Amtrak agent, it dawned on me she knew my name and my reservation number without my having to tell her who I was. I guess she trusted I was the one making the phone call. As I have a wad of Amtrak reservations for this trip and for another one in August, she also thanked me profusely for traveling on Amtrak so much. Never had one so glad I chose to travel Amtrak!!! Would it be that more Amtrak employees were grateful for their customers.
And when I was on the horn to the Amtrak agent, it dawned on me she knew my name and my reservation number without my having to tell her who I was. I guess she trusted I was the one making the phone call.
As I have a wad of Amtrak reservations for this trip and for another one in August, she also thanked me profusely for traveling on Amtrak so much. Never had one so glad I chose to travel Amtrak!!! Would it be that more Amtrak employees were grateful for their customers.
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Looks ominous if you are connecting from/to 21/22 to 1/2 in SAS. With all the downpours in Texas, flooding is getting worse as the water flows south. Don't see any relief in the near future for the Sunset Limited.
fillyjonk
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Al Capone's gang shipping bootleg gin on the train....
wdscott
Train Attendant
The next person to mention 'shenanigans' gets pistol whipped!
Ryan
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capltd29
Lead Service Attendant
As a side question... it seems like this work has been going on for years now... and it has. When are we going to see more than just 18 miles of 110mph trackage? I have searched for an actual timeline without success,
Thirdrail7
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Metra Electric Rider
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I was waiting for the South Park version....
I don't know about 110mph, but when I traveled Chicago-Springfield on April 21, there seemed to be a lot of double-tracking, or at least really long sidings, in the midst of construction. In several places, the train passed stacks of prefabricated track sections (rails with concrete ties, looking like model-railroad track sections except life-sized
) and I saw at least a couple of work crews installing them.
MisterUptempo
Lead Service Attendant
While IDOT doesn't provide a specific answer, browsing through a number of online articles would indicate that one could expect 110-MPH max speed available on the Lincoln Service, from Joliet to Alton, anyway (save for Springfield), to begin in Fall, 2017.
In addition to the track work, there is also bridge work (the Kankakee River bridge in Wilmington comes to mind), and many at-grade crossings that require upgrading, along with quad gates and perimeter fencing.
There are a number of stops along the line that are receiving new stations or upgrades to current facilities. New stations are being constructed in Dwight (to be completed Fall, 2016), Pontiac (to be completed Fall, 2017), and Alton (Good luck, Alton. They received a $14 million TIGER grant in 2011 for the station. The money must be spent by December 31, 2016, and I don't believe brick one has been laid.). Joliet should have the rail portion of its multi-modal station completed by Fall, 2017. Lincoln restored its historic depot to its original footprint and Iowa Pacific removed several vintage rail cars to de-clutter the area. Lincoln officials are finalizing details on enhancing the depot and passenger amenities; completion is expected Spring, 2017. Normal is in the process of adding a second platform and some improvements to its waiting room, to be complete by March, 2017. Springfield's station is due for some unspecified improvements. Carlinville has plans for a new depot, but no money at the moment to put those plans into action.
Delivery of the Siemens Charger locomotives are scheduled for 2017. The new Nippon Sharyo bi-level rail cars were scheduled for 2017 delivery as well; of course, we all know how THAT has been turning out.
So, adding all that together, it seems as if IDOT's strategy has been to flip a switch, so to speak, in Fall, 2017, providing what is hoped to be a greatly improved rail experience all at once, as opposed to less noticeable incremental improvements.
Unfortunately, progress on the Tier 2 EIS reports for both the Chicago-Joliet and Granite City-St. Louis segments are currently on hold, possibly enjoying the same "under review" development hell that Rauner has placed the Rockford and Quad Cities corridors. If November's elections provide the nation with a more rail-friendly President and Congress, IDOT won't be ready to stand in line for the cash.
Everydaymatters
Engineer
Reading that Pontiac is getting a new station makes me happy. Hopefully, it will have a restroom. The last time I looked into it, pax were told to use the restroom in the park across the street.
Last October I was on the Ambus from CHI to BNL, but got off in Pontiac because the time worked out better for someone to pick me up. It was in the evening. Not sure of the time, but it was dark out. I stood outside the adjoining tavern as the station and the entire parking lot was dark. I don't suppose it will have an agent as there aren't many passengers, but it will be nice to have something - anything - better than what is there now.
Last October I was on the Ambus from CHI to BNL, but got off in Pontiac because the time worked out better for someone to pick me up. It was in the evening. Not sure of the time, but it was dark out. I stood outside the adjoining tavern as the station and the entire parking lot was dark. I don't suppose it will have an agent as there aren't many passengers, but it will be nice to have something - anything - better than what is there now.
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