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lapradem
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Why did #30 leave Chicago 4 hours late yesterday? I am on this one (friday night departure) in two weeks and need to make the connection in WAS....
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Aren't the Thursday and Friday departures the ones that aren't threatened with busing?
Still doesn't help with a connection in WAS.
Acela150
Super Buff
Yes. He's now almost 5 hours late.
the_traveler
Engineer
Maybe because #29 arrived very late?
(I didn't look at the status, so I don't know), Or the western trains were very late, and had many connecting passengers, and Amtrak decided not to provide 250 rooms?
True - don't have to worry about the bus, just the connection (not really that much of a worry, but with 3 kids nicer to get home when planned!) Only curious why the really later departure if anyone knows - haven't seen it leave this late in a while.
Amtrak will hold an outbound train if Amtrak knows an inbound train is late and has many passengers who are scheduled to transfer to that outbound train. This is especially true with the Capitol Limited. If the Capitol Limited were to leave on time, every time, then Amtrak would have to make overnight lodging and transportation arrangements for passengers on late inbound trains. This spring when my wife and I traveled Empire Builder with a connection to Capitol Limited in Chicago, Amtrak held Capitol Limited in Chicago for almost 3 hours because Empire Builder was arriving very late. Amtrak told the Capitol Limited passengers the reason for the hold was for "maintenance," when the real reason was Empire Builder had 12 passengers transferring to Capitol Limited. Amtrak didn't want to make, and pay for, overnight lodging arrangements for us 12 in Chicago.
The other reason for holding Capitol Limited is rail construction in Pennsylvania to increase tunnel height. Amtrak has to time its arrival at the tunnel sites to avoid the blasting schedule for the tunnels. Capitol Limited conductor said this when we traveled on Capitol Limited.
The other reason for holding Capitol Limited is rail construction in Pennsylvania to increase tunnel height. Amtrak has to time its arrival at the tunnel sites to avoid the blasting schedule for the tunnels. Capitol Limited conductor said this when we traveled on Capitol Limited.
AudenHoggart
Service Attendant
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The five days per week when there's construction (in Maryland, I think, not Pennsylvania) there's a very good reason for the CL NOT to leave late from Chicago. They'd be faced with a messy bus substitution and cancellation of some passenger trips.
#30 arrived about 4 hours late. Would have missed my scheduled connection but could have changed to a later train as long as it was not sold out. Still wondering exactly WHY they left CHI 4 hours late. Ready to enjoy my upcoming family trip to Chicago!
eee
Train Attendant
I was on that train friday night. The reason for it's late departure from chicago, according to the south bend station manager, was because 60 or so people were connecting from the late empire builder to the capitol limited.
AudenHoggart
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Are they treating holds for connecting trains in Chicago differently on days when it would trigger the bus substitution from Pittsburgh?
Acela150
Super Buff
Amtrak has stated that they will not delay the departure of the CL on days of track work. So far they haven't really stuck true to that word. But it has left within half an hour late and has made the time frame. So honestly I wouldn't worry about the busing.
jis
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Apparenly they are, since notwithstanding what the Builder did they have not had any bus substitution so far.
Gathering what I could from passengers from misconnecting Builder of the previous day that were on the Cap that I was on, Coach passengers were generally being offered accommodation on the LSL to which they were adding an extra coach on an as available basis. If the Builder came in even later than even delayed departure of the LSL then of course everyone was out of luck and had to wait for the next day.
Sleeper passengers to NEC locations were being offered coach on the LSL the same day with connection through New York or Boston, if that connection could be made, together with refund of the sleeper charge for that segment. If they wanted to stay in Sleeper they were being accommodated on an as available basis either on the LSL the same day (very unlikely since LSL is perpetually sold out), or on the trains the following day. There were about 10 people on that Cap who had misconnected the previous day and were accommodated on the Cap that day.
Mind you, this is my reconstruction based on what I heard from people who were involved, so ones mileage on the accuracy of this might vary.
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