Cardinal 50 Delays

[awebb]

Does anyone know why #50 is running behind almost 6.5 hours? This line typically runs late but not that late. I didn't know if there was flooding going on or what.

 

[Acela150]

Left CHI 3 Hrs 30 Mins late. Lost time afterwards. Due into NYP after 3AM! :help:

 

[Stellar1]

My husband is on that train. He got on in Indianapolis. From what they told him in Indianapolis, the train left Chicago, but had some kind of problem with one of the coaches, so they went back to Chicago, everyone got off the train and they had to take the bad car off and put a new car on. Then they left Chicago very late. He said the entire way from Indianpolis to Newark, they had to keep stopping for freight trains. It's due into Newark at 3:42 AM (schedule was for 9:35 PM).

 

[Shanghai]

Left CHI 3 Hrs 30 Mins late. Lost time afterwards. Due into NYP after 3AM! :help:

That happened to me a couple of years ago. I had to sit in the waiting room in NYP

until 6:00am until the NJT trains started running so I could get home.

That trip was better than the day the Cardinal only ran to Huntington, WV and stopped

due to heavy snow. No alternatives offered. Fun in Huntington in the snow???

 

[awebb]

Thank you for the information Stellar1! I know that route is particularly susceptible to freight delays and averages over an hour late, but it is unfortunate to hear of this delay in particular.

Shanghai, I am on a temporary assignment and currently live in Huntington, WV. It isn't a fun location snow or shine.

 

[JackieTakestheTrain]

Hi -- similar thread. My mother received a phone call from Amtrak *today* for her upcoming trip on the Cardinal from CIN to CHI on Thursday. The Amtak person just told her to expect delays and that they would call her with more information. Apparently, something was going on between Manassas and Culpepper. My mom did not specify.

She is very anxious because she has 2 connections -- CHI to WAS via the Capitol Limited on Friday and then taking one of the regional trains up to RTE on Friday night. While she does have a bit of time between each connection, she (and I ) fear that even a few hours may toss everything off. The reason we decided to take her this route was because of busing on the LSL from Albany to Boston.

I am not sure what to advise her at this point. A part of me thinks she should take the Cardinal out of CIN to WAS on Friday a.m., spend the night in WAS, and take a Northesst train on Saturday morning. That way, if the Cardinal is late or a complete cancellation, she is at least stuck in her hometown. She doesn't like to stay overnight in hotels in big cities so that is why we didn't do this originally.

Anyone have every been in a situation like this one -- when you know the train is late, but it is difficult to gauge how late? Also, are the chances pretty high that the train might be cancelled altogether OR she just might barely make it to Chicago to catch the Capitol Limited?

Also, also --what is Amtrak's responsibility for getting her there? Would it be better for her to try to change her ticket now?

Much thanks!

-- Jackie

 

[Trogdor]

It's a guaranteed connection, so Amtrak will accommodate her to her destination. That said, I wouldn't expect the train to be so late that it would miss the Capitol Limited. The train may be 3 hours late, but it would need to be over 8 hours late to miss the Capitol.