Empire Builder busing 11/24 to CHI from MSP. I have questions

[PennCentralFan]

I am on the Empire Builder for Wed. 11-24 from MSP to CHI. I got a call from Amtrak saying that I'll be taking the bus from Saint Paul to Union Station. The EB is running five hours late. I'm disappointed in that I wanted to be on the train, but hopefully we'll in on time since I'm taking the 6:00 pm wolverine to Michigan. Now I have a question about services on the bus.

How nice are they? Are they like a greyhound? What about meals? Will there be stops to get food somewhere? I'm going back on Sunday so I'll be on the empire builder Sunday.

But do I get any freebies or any extras from amtrak if I ask since I am being inconvenienced by no diner car or snack bar or lounge car. I love amtrak so I'll continue to support it but what else is being done to keep me happy?

 

[Exiled in Express]

No answers but more questions.

Seems to be an unusual move on Amtrak's part. The worst I have encountered is 3 hours down and I have read much worse here. Is this to keep Thanksgiving traffic moving and avoid Chicago overnight horror stories or is the "not quite a blizzard" expected to put the Builder further behind?

 

[Ispolkom]

When the eastbound Empire Builder is late Amtrak often buses passengers from MSP east. There can be several buses, with one going straight from St. Paul to Chicago, and others making the intermediate stops. That means those passengers can make connections, and perhaps the Empire Builder can make up some time, with shorter stops. Seattle was hit by a heck of a storm yesterday, which probably explains why the train left Seattle almost 3.5 hours late.

I've never actually been bustituted, so I can't tell you what will happen.

Mrs. Ispolkom and I are on the westbound #8 tomorrow, and there are winter storm warnings out on the Hi Line. Minot expects 6-9" of new snow, and wind chills down to -35, while further west Cut Bank is expecting air temperatures of -20 to -25. I imagine that our train will be late into Minot, and am packing my heavy winter boots and Bronco Nagurski long underwear. At least we'll have snow shoveling to work off our Thanksgiving dinner.

 

[tim]

I have done the bus thing with the EB from TOH to CHI and we stopped at WDL and at POG to pick up passengers before heading SE for CHI. I believe a separate bus was used for the remaining stops. No meals were served on the bus.

I also have done the bus thing on the Pere Marquette both from CHI to HOM and vice versa. This bus stopped at all stops where the train would have, again no meals served.

 

[Trogdor]

Mrs. Ispolkom and I are on the westbound #8 tomorrow

If you're on #8 going westbound, then we're all in serious trouble!

 

[the_traveler]

If you are in a sleeper, they will refund your accommodation fare. Contact Customer Service after your trip to see what they offer as compensation - maybe a refund, a voucher or additional AGR points. (Keep any receipts of extra costs you incur also - such as if there is a rest stop and you buy food.)

Amtrak does a bus-titution between MSP and CHI sometimes - because it is actually faster to drive between the 2 than take the train between the 2. Thus, you may have MORE time for the layover until the Cardinal's departure!

 

[Donctor]

Mrs. Ispolkom and I are on the westbound #8 tomorrow

If you're on #8 going westbound, then we're all in serious trouble!

East of Milwaukee, they'll be going southbound. Or eastbound.

 

[Tracktwentynine]

Last month, I was scheduled to be on 8/28 from Portland to Chicago. I found out when I checked in at the Metropolitan Lounge at Portland that the Builder would be terminating at LaCrosse, Wisconsin due to trackwork.

When we arrived at LaCrosse, all passengers were loaded onto 4 buses. 2 buses were express buses to Chicago. 1 bus was an express bus to Milwaukee. The remaining bus made all station stops from LaCrosse to Milwaukee. Passengers for Glenview, IL had to take the Milwaukee or Chicago buses and connect via Hiawatha or Metra services.

All 4 of the buses stopped at the Burger King at Wisconsin Dells (at the same time) where all passengers were given $5 in meal vouchers. Amtrak staff at the location said that that particular Burger King was the only place in the area authorized to do this Amtrak meal voucher stuff.

We were on time into LaCrosse, but the bus got into Chicago an hour after the train's scheduled arrival.

After getting home, I contacted Amtrak to complain about the bustitution. I used AGR points for the trip, but the other first-class passengers received refunds, so I contacted AGR. They connected me to Amtrak Customer Service, and I got a voucher for future travel.

 

[saxman]

It sucks to be put on a bus. If you really want to take the train just show up at the station about 6 hours late and you probably still could, but you would miss your connection in Chicago. Amtrak MAY put you in a hotel for the next morning or you would have take a bus from Chicago to your stop in Michigan late that night.

This sort of thing happened to me and my dad back in 2004. I was boarding no. 8 in Grand Forks and my dad flew up to MSP to meet me on the train there and ride to Chicago and connect to the Lake Shore. Well the Builder was about 5 hours late in GFK, so I told my dad not to show up to the station in MSP so early. Well since he didn't do that, they ended up busing everyone from MSP to Chicago they at least they could make their connections. But since I was in constant contact with my dad, he nor I knew about the busing. He ended up meeting about noon when we finally got to MSP and boarded there. Amtrak came through and gave us meal and hotel vouchers for BOTH of us. Keep in mind we were on two different reservations too. And we had the entire day to spend in Chicago for the next days Lake Shore.

 

[AC4400]

I am on the Empire Builder for Wed. 11-24 from MSP to CHI. I got a call from Amtrak saying that I'll be taking the bus from Saint Paul to Union Station. The EB is running five hours late. I'm disappointed in that I wanted to be on the train, but hopefully we'll in on time since I'm taking the 6:00 pm wolverine to Michigan. Now I have a question about services on the bus.

How nice are they? Are they like a greyhound? What about meals? Will there be stops to get food somewhere? I'm going back on Sunday so I'll be on the empire builder Sunday.

But do I get any freebies or any extras from amtrak if I ask since I am being inconvenienced by no diner car or snack bar or lounge car. I love amtrak so I'll continue to support it but what else is being done to keep me happy?

It seems the Builder has bad on time performance in winter days.

 

[PRR 60]

The eastbound Empire Builder out of Seattle on Monday left Havre MT over 13 hours late, and at last report is still in Montana. Poor old 8(22) is going to be a little late into the windy city (if it makes it at all). The westbound out of Chicago on Monday [7(22)] is also still in Montana and is running about 10 hours late. Must be nice up there along the northern trans-con. My daughter sent a text from Sidney MT (near Williston ND) - "Brrrr."

 

[EB_OBS]

The eastbound Empire Builder out of Seattle on Monday left Havre MT over 13 hours late, and at last report is still in Montana. Poor old 8(22) is going to be a little late into the windy city (if it makes it at all). The westbound out of Chicago on Monday [7(22)] is also still in Montana and is running about 10 hours late. Must be nice up there along the northern trans-con. My daughter sent a text from Sidney MT (near Williston ND) - "Brrrr."

The eastbound 8(22) had locomotive power issues near the mountain summit, at which time it was already 5 hours late. The westbound 7(22) had three locomotives and Amtrak and the BNSF decided it would be best to take an engine off of #7 to put on #8. This all happened between Teton and Dunkirk which are at Shelby, MT. Unfortunately, there was also heavy freight congestion in the area and #7 had to wait more than 4 hours for it to clear and move the lead unit into Shelby. Then of course #8 has to do the hook-up and required FRA brake tests before it can leave. All this with an ambient air temp of -15. The wind just made it nearly unbearable.

The next few days it's supposed to get a little warmer out here, even up to around 40 on Friday. Hopefully the after Thanksgiving weather will be a little less harsh on the Empire Builder.

 

[rtabern]

I've run into the bus thing several times while doing Trails & Rails between Chicago and St. Paul/Winona the past 5 years.

I don't know what the cut-off is, but whenever #8 is running more than 3-4 hours late, Amtrak likes to do the "on time" bus thing between Minneapolis and Chicago.

This is how it worked the 3 times I've been bused from from Minnesota:

4 buses going MSP-CHI

*1 bus runs "express" MSP to CHI -- with the only stop being for lunch at Wisconsin Dells

*1 bus stopped MSP-RDW-WIN and then ran "express" to Chicago with stop at WDL for lunch

*1 bus stopped MSP-RDW-WIN and then ran "express" to Milwaukee with stop at WDL for lunch

*1 bus made ALL stops (RDW, WIN, LSE, TOH, WDL, POG, CBS) and terminated in Milwaukee.

(folks going to GLN took the express bus to Chicago and were put on the Hiawatha or Metra)

Not saying this is how it happens every time, just the times I've been on it.

The buses were okay... I mean they were nice like your typical motor coach... but they were a bus where you had to stay in your seat most of the way.

The thing passengers got pissed about was the lunch... regardless of whether you're coach or sleeper... Amtrak covers $5.00 of your meal at the Burger King they stop at in the Dells. If you order more than that - you have to pay the difference. That lead to quite a few sleeper folks being upset that they should be given more than $5.

Anyway, after the few run-ins with the buses -- I decided just to wait for the very late #8 to roll through. That is an option anyone has by the way -- and should be something to consider if you dont have connections or dont have a tight schedule. The phone call from Amtrak says you will be bused - but if you tell them, you want to wait for the train... they still say "okay"...

RT

 

[Guest]

This is how it worked the 3 times I've been bused from from Minnesota:

4 buses going MSP-CHI

*1 bus runs "express" MSP to CHI -- with the only stop being for lunch at Wisconsin Dells

*1 bus stopped MSP-RDW-WIN and then ran "express" to Chicago with stop at WDL for lunch

*1 bus stopped MSP-RDW-WIN and then ran "express" to Milwaukee with stop at WDL for lunch

*1 bus made ALL stops (RDW, WIN, LSE, TOH, WDL, POG, CBS) and terminated in Milwaukee.

(folks going to GLN took the express bus to Chicago and were put on the Hiawatha or Metra)

What about passengers going from RDW, WIN, LSE, TOH, WDL, POG, CBS, MKE to Chicago? Seems they have to transfer at MKE for the Hiawatha?