EB delays decreasing? trackwork getting completed?

[montana mike]

BNSF is privately held by Berkshire Hathaway, but you can get a decent idea how well they are doing by looking at how BH breaks down the contributions from each one of their sectors. The local BNSF folks have said the railroad is very busy and bonuses should be pretty good this year if that is any indication. The comments about freight traffic are, for the most part accurate, as my local BNSF guy has said--lots of traffic on the hi-line. Interesting observation: While the construction did indeed slow things down this summer, the increasing freight traffic may have played at least an equal roll in the delays, looking at the current state of the delays without very much construction going on. I have asked him about the possible people issues and will let you know what he says. Sounds somewhat serious doesn't it.

I guess that is why #8 in MN is AGAIN 4+ hours late having come thru the very slow gauntlet in ND last night. Bummer.

 

[PaulM]

Thanks for the info, Mike! They have us booked to connect on a 5:15 Lincoln Service. Plan B is the 7pm Lincoln, and Plan C is dinner with Chicago Nephew and an overnight on Amtrak's dime, leaving on the 7am Lincoln the next morning,

If you miss the last Lincoln Service, odds are they will put you in a van.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Thanks for the info, Mike! They have us booked to connect on a 5:15 Lincoln Service. Plan B is the 7pm Lincoln, and Plan C is dinner with Chicago Nephew and an overnight on Amtrak's dime, leaving on the 7am Lincoln the next morning,

If you miss the last Lincoln Service, odds are they will put you in a van.

Well, I just hope we make it in time, then! I ride a van/small bus between BND and the CS at CMO, and it's always the part of the trip I just try to endure. That's the worst part of the EB's lateness, how it takes everyone OFF trains (which after all is what they are traveling Amtrak for) and puts them ON the road in buses and vans.

 

[CHamilton]

Train 27 arrived PDX shortly before 1 PM. Passengers report that the EB was running late for most of the trip from Chicago, apparently due to a freight derailment. The folks I talked to were unclear of the details.

 

[Phil S]

But, in general, things do seem to be getting better, especially west bound.

 

[montana mike]

Well, perhaps better westbound (except todays #7 arrived 1 hr 41 minutes late into SEA), but Eastbound has been terrible the past two weeks. With 3-4 hour arrival delays common. A few days saw arrivals less than 2 hours beyond schedule, but many days continue at more than 3 hours late (today's #8-4 hours and 14 minutes late e.g.). #8 currently in Western MT is over 3 hours behind and not even thru the delay zone. Even my BNSF guy is a little puzzled on the continuing 3-5 hour delays, saying almost all of the construction has wrapped up-and while freight traffic has been heavy, this factor should have amounted to only around 1-2 hour delays in MT and ND going east.

Oh well……it will be interesting if Amtrak acknowledges these continuing challenges or just ignores the situation. It's OK I guess for most folks if your trip ends in CHI to be 3 or 4 hours late in arriving, but connections remain problematic unless one allows 4 hours or more.

 

[ScottRu]

Arrived in Portland on Tuesday after a marvelous trip on the EB. Lots of time on sidings waiting for LONG freights, and up to 2 1/2 hours late in Montana. But when all was said and done we pulled in about 20 minutes late. (Joe, our SCA, was terrific )

 

[montana mike]

Do you have to go back eastbound? Glad to hear the service was great--as it usually is on the EB!

 

[dlagrua]

EB arriving in Chicago today about 4 hours late! Doesn't look like the delays have been eliminated. What is Amtrak going to do with the passengers going East and connecting with the CL and CDL??? Perhaps a cab fare, hotel, and breakfast? But how does Amtrak accommodate those who were ticketed for sleepers when they are scarce? On our last trip from CHI on the CL we faced this exact scenario but Amtrak was able to bring up another superliner sleeper to accommodate the connecting passengers. With the severe shortage of equipment who knows if Amtrak can do this with regularity.

 

[Ispolkom]

Arrived in Portland on Tuesday after a marvelous trip on the EB. Lots of time on sidings waiting for LONG freights, and up to 2 1/2 hours late in Montana. But when all was said and done we pulled in about 20 minutes late. (Joe, our SCA, was terrific )

He is, isn't he? I'm always happy to see him when I ride the Hi Line.

 

[zephyr17]

EB arriving in Chicago today about 4 hours late! Doesn't look like the delays have been eliminated. What is Amtrak going to do with the passengers going East and connecting with the CL and CDL??? Perhaps a cab fare, hotel, and breakfast? But how does Amtrak accommodate those who were ticketed for sleepers when they are scarce? On our last trip from CHI on the CL we faced this exact scenario but Amtrak was able to bring up another superliner sleeper to accommodate the connecting passengers. With the severe shortage of equipment who knows if Amtrak can do this with regularity.

Puts them in any available sleeping accomodation if possible. If not possible they downgrade them to coach and give a refund.

 

[Phil S]

So do they put ticketed roomette passengers in bedrooms if that's the only space available? At the original roomette rate? Seems reasonable to me. No reason the passenger should have to pay for the upgrade. Doesn't really cost Amtrak anything either.

 

[Ryan]

Yes.

 

[Phil S]

Cool. Wondered about that for a long time but never got around to asking and, fortunately, have never had to deal with it. From the west I always arrive cHi a day early, hotel on my buck. Missing the connection to #50 is just too awful to contemplate.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

If you missed the CL going to WAS could they put you on 48 and send you down the corridor the next day?

 

[Ryan]

Yes, but that doesn't help if you're going to West Virginia (or CIN, or somewhere else that is only served by 50).

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Yes, but that doesn't help if you're going to West Virginia (or CIN, or somewhere else that is only served by 50).

Yes I'm aware of 50's schedule. My question applied to 30 and 48, and WAS. I referenced no other stations or routes because my question was specific.

 

[Phil S]

If you missed the CL going to WAS could they put you on 48 and send you down the corridor the next day?

Sleeper on 48, then put me up in NYC for the night on their nickel? I'd like that. LSL is one of the maybe 5 Amtrak LDs I haven't ever ridden. I'd certainly ask for it if I ever find myself missing the Card connection eastbound.

 

[Ryan]

Yes, but that doesn't help if you're going to West Virginia (or CIN, or somewhere else that is only served by 50).

Yes I'm aware of 50's schedule. My question applied to 30 and 48, and WAS. I referenced no other stations or routes because my question was specific.

I'm sorry, I thought that you were responding to the poster above you that was talking about his connection to 50.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

If you missed the CL going to WAS could they put you on 48 and send you down the corridor the next day?

Sleeper on 48, then put me up in NYC for the night on their nickel? I'd like that. LSL is one of the maybe 5 Amtrak LDs I haven't ever ridden. I'd certainly ask for it if I ever find myself missing the Card connection eastbound.

No you wouldn't get a night in New York, by "next day" I meant the day the LSL arrives. There are plenty of departures on the NEC after the 48 arrives from CHI.

 

[ScottRu]

"Do you have to go back eastbound? Glad to hear the service was great--as it usually is on the EB!"

No - flying back. Wish we had the time to take the train back - many of the great vistas are passed at night when traveling East-West.

 

[montana mike]

My BNSF guy just told me that other than "unscheduled and local" items the main track work for the Hi-line is finished for the season. He said delays going forward should be traffic and weather related thru the next 5 months and the BNSF estimates are 1-2 hour delays thru the ND/MT area all winter, which should be an improvement over what has transpired over the past 6 months (which he said averaged just under 4 hours during the summer months). I personally don't think we will see very many east bound EBs on time in CHI this winter, but hopefully most days their tardiness should at least be reasonably manageable and most connections made.

Time will tell!!

 

[oregon pioneer]

My BNSF guy just told me that other than "unscheduled and local" items the main track work for the Hi-line is finished for the season. He said delays going forward should be traffic and weather related thru the next 5 months and the BNSF estimates are 1-2 hour delays thru the ND/MT area all winter, which should be an improvement over what has transpired over the past 6 months (which he said averaged just under 4 hours during the summer months). I personally don't think we will see very many east bound EBs on time in CHI this winter, but hopefully most days their tardiness should at least be reasonably manageable and most connections made.

Time will tell!!

Thank you so much, for all the updates, Mike. Your info is most helpful to those of us planning to take the EB, as we develop our Plan B and Plan C!

 

[stan]

While we have all been talking about the ND/MT area lately, the EB has gained an hour at MSP only to loose it again on its way heading east towards red wing.

Not sure why it looses time in that area.

Stan

 

[zephyr17]

When I was on the EB last December we were 8 hours late into MSP. That was largely not BNSF's fault, we lost 6 hours because the train couldn't get to Everett to load because a mudslide that occurred after the consist had left Seattle, and then lost another 2 hours on Stevens Pass due to downed trees. After Spokane, we didn't gain any time, but didn't lost any either, and BNSF handled it well.

Once on the CP, it was a entirely different story. We were put in the hole for EVERYTHING, we lost an additional 4 hours between MSP and CHI. I vote for CP dispatching as the reason it loses time once it gets out of MSP.