I saw another post in a different thread that asked about DST and what happens. It made me inquire as to when DST begins and I find out that it will begin while I am on the SWC pulling into LAX. I will be connecting to the NB CS. Will DST shorten my connection time to one hour? How does AMTRAK deal will DST where connections are concerned? Should I be worried? Thanks.
Daylight Savings Time 2012 question
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Tracktwentynine
OBS Chief
Amtrak trains are constrained by the departure times shown in the timetable (local time). They cannot depart before the time shown.
In the Fall, what that means is that a train that is perfectly on time will sit for 1 hour at the first station it encounters after 2AM (because 1:59:59AM is followed by 1:00:00AM (again)).
In the Spring, a train that is perfectly on time will automatically become 1 hour late one second after 1:59:59AM (because the next second is 3:00:00AM).
In the Fall, what that means is that a train that is perfectly on time will sit for 1 hour at the first station it encounters after 2AM (because 1:59:59AM is followed by 1:00:00AM (again)).
In the Spring, a train that is perfectly on time will automatically become 1 hour late one second after 1:59:59AM (because the next second is 3:00:00AM).
G
guest
Guest
Well, if the SWC is on time in to LAUS (and often it is early), you will still have about an hour before the northbound CS departs. There is substantial padding the schedule between Fullerton and Los Angeles, so the chances are you will be OK.
IF the SWC is running late, however, what Amtrak would do is put you on the bus-rail San Joaquin route up to Martinez or Sacramento, where you would then connect with the CS. That means you'd miss all the beautiful Pacific Ocean and Salinas Valley scenery, a real downer.
the_traveler
Engineer
As said, there is a lot of padding between Fullerton and LAUS. Also the SWC travels thru Arizona (as does the SL), which stays on standard time year round. This means that after the time change, AZ and CA are effectively in the same time zone in the summer! Thus you will have from the NM/AZ border to make up that 1 hour!
As said, there is a lot of padding between Fullerton and LAUS. Also the SWC travels thru Arizona (as does the SL), which stays on standard time year round. This means that after the time change, AZ and CA are effectively in the same time zone in the summer! Thus you will have from the NM/AZ border to make up that 1 hour!
I'm still unclear :blink: So Arizona does not observe DST but California does and that makes them on the same time begining March 11th? In looking at the schedule, DST won't start until we are in California, so I still lose an hour in California but it looks like there is an hour padding built in between Fullerton and LAUS so I still should be okay with my CS connection? We are sleepers to SFC and I don't want to be bussed instead of running on the CS, if at all possible.
The Davy Crockett
Engineer
Nobody here can guarantee you will make the connection. If things go as they usually do, and #3 is pretty much on time, you should be fine. They will hold trains, and I suspect they might be more willing to do so, because of the time change, in this case. However, Amtrak's obligation, if you were able to book the connection, will be to either bus you or to put you up for the night and put you on the next day's train with the room you booked on the previous day's train, if one is available.As said, there is a lot of padding between Fullerton and LAUS. Also the SWC travels thru Arizona (as does the SL), which stays on standard time year round. This means that after the time change, AZ and CA are effectively in the same time zone in the summer! Thus you will have from the NM/AZ border to make up that 1 hour!
I'm still unclear :blink: So Arizona does not observe DST but California does and that makes them on the same time begining March 11th? In looking at the schedule, DST won't start until we are in California, so I still lose an hour in California but it looks like there is an hour padding built in between Fullerton and LAUS so I still should be okay with my CS connection? We are sleepers to SFC and I don't want to be bussed instead of running on the CS, if at all possible.
Personally, I almost always give myself at least a night in a conneccting city so that, in most cases, I don't have to worry about missing my connection. It creates less stress, plus I get to have a regular shower, a bigger bed and a meal or two that is not from the diner.
Now all the above said, you should be fine, but there is always that chance... Heck there is always that chance even if you give yourself 24 hours... :unsure:
johnny.menhennet
Conductor
Yes. In the summer/spring, Arizona and California are on the same time. In fall/winter, they are one hour apart.As said, there is a lot of padding between Fullerton and LAUS. Also the SWC travels thru Arizona (as does the SL), which stays on standard time year round. This means that after the time change, AZ and CA are effectively in the same time zone in the summer! Thus you will have from the NM/AZ border to make up that 1 hour!
I'm still unclear :blink: So Arizona does not observe DST but California does and that makes them on the same time begining March 11th? In looking at the schedule, DST won't start until we are in California, so I still lose an hour in California but it looks like there is an hour padding built in between Fullerton and LAUS so I still should be okay with my CS connection? We are sleepers to SFC and I don't want to be bussed instead of running on the CS, if at all possible.
At least on the SWC, I believe that if the train is in AZ, it's sort of "outside" the effects of DST. WB, I think this happens (assuming an on-time train) somewhere around Williams Junction. EB, it occurs somewhere before Flagstaff. So the train should be "protected" from the change.
Tracktwentynine
OBS Chief
Look closely at the schedule. For all of the departure times for stations in Arizona, there is a footnote (#69) that indicates the train leaves 1 hour earlier than the time shown beginning March 11. That's because all of those cities are effectively in the Pacific Time Zone starting March 11.As said, there is a lot of padding between Fullerton and LAUS. Also the SWC travels thru Arizona (as does the SL), which stays on standard time year round. This means that after the time change, AZ and CA are effectively in the same time zone in the summer! Thus you will have from the NM/AZ border to make up that 1 hour!
I'm still unclear :blink: So Arizona does not observe DST but California does and that makes them on the same time begining March 11th? In looking at the schedule, DST won't start until we are in California, so I still lose an hour in California but it looks like there is an hour padding built in between Fullerton and LAUS so I still should be okay with my CS connection? We are sleepers to SFC and I don't want to be bussed instead of running on the CS, if at all possible.
So, you're correct. Daylight Savings Time does not start until you get into California, but when California is on DST, clocks in Los Angeles show the same time as clocks in Phoenix. So it's a distinction without a difference.
So as The Traveler mentioned above, the time change occurs for you at the New Mexico/Arizona border, not the Arizona/California border. And that means you have an entire state to make up the hour "delay".
the_traveler
Engineer
As I said, Arizona stays on Mountain STANDARD Time year round. Because of this non-changing of time, Arizona is the same time as Pacific DAYLIGHT SAVING Time (CA & NV) during the summer (with 1 hour time difference from NM), and the same time as Mountain STANDARD Time (NM) during the winter (with 1 hour time difference from CA & NV)!
It's a lot of fun when you live in NV, work in AZ and have your main offcie (where you have to go once a month) in NV!
I did that for over 2 years!
It's a lot of fun when you live in NV, work in AZ and have your main offcie (where you have to go once a month) in NV!
A train running through Arizona during the spring time change becomes an hour late just as any other train running through the spring time change.
If you think about it, it would be logically impossible for a train to be "protected" from a time change unless it operated entirely within the state of Arizona (which no intercity passenger trains do, so that point is nugatory).
If you think about it, it would be logically impossible for a train to be "protected" from a time change unless it operated entirely within the state of Arizona (which no intercity passenger trains do, so that point is nugatory).
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
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International Airlines issue special timetables for the days around time change in any of the countries that the flight lands at or takes off from over the period. Things get really goofy because e.g. Europe, US and Israel change from DST to ST and vice versa on different dates.
ALC Rail Writer
Engineer
So my friend and I are tonight's 30 boarding at CLE at 2:20AM, is that before or after DST is applied? Does 30 wait in CLE for an hour after we board?
the_traveler
Engineer
Correct, it can not depart it's next scheduled stop until the correct local time. Because it departs at 2:20 am, it must wait 1 hour more until 2:20 comes around. The next second after 1:59:59 is 1:00:00 am!
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