Unfortunately, the freight companies control the tracks, not Amtrak. If something happens down the line, the freight company radios Amtrak, and Amtrak adjusts accordingly. This can be anything from a shipping delay on their part throwing the schedule off and forcing Amtrak into a siding for an hour until the other train passes (there are only so many sidings), or there could be an accident with a vehicle at a crossing, which can delay things considerably. There are also times they'll encounter a broken switch, a tree on the tracks, or some other issue.
One that comes to mind is a power outage in Battle Creek that meant they had to flag each crossing as we passed through town. We progressed at approx. 10 mph and then had to stop for two hours while crews removed a tree from the tracks. In that case, though, the conductors did make announcements.
Fortunately, Amtrak "pads" their schedule to allow for the minor mishaps (that's why Amtrak arrives as much as a half-hour early to some stops), but it doesn't always cover the major delays.
I am sorry they are not communicating the reason for the delay, though. They kill power to the train if they know it's going to be a while, just like some people put their car in park and turn it off if they're stuck in gridlock for an hour without any movement. No sense in wasting fuel.
Your app would go crazy with updates if they communicated every minor delay, so that's why they added "Train Status" as an option. I check it an hour before we leave and then again a half-hour beforehand.
Amtrak has its quirks, just like the airline industry. Alexandria Nick made an excellent comparison. When there is a storm in Chicago, it can delay/cancel flights out of Denver, and you'll see a bunch of people in Denver flipping out because it affects so many connections down the line. The customers get just as angry and post on forums about it, just like you are. Unfortunately, just like Amtrak, the air traffic controllers have to adjust for every blip across the network, and sometimes that means things get delayed. That's why it baffles me when people cut things close, whether they are driving, taking a train, or flying. To me, delays are one of the risks you run when you travel, but I do agree communication is key. If I know why we're delayed, I can blame the cause for the delay (stupid storm!) instead of sitting there annoyed and confused.
