My wife and I just completed a trip to Washington D.C. on the Empire Builder (EB) connecting with Capitol Limited (CL) in Chicago to Washington D.C. We boarded at Malta, MT, 18 May going and detrained at Malta coming back. EB loses 3 hours through North Dakota due to freight congestion around Stanley, rough tracks between Rugby and Grand Forks, and high waters still at Churchs Ferry bridge. EB slowed to an absolute crawl crossing Churchs Ferry bridge going and coming. High waters there still astonished me. Piled rocks along the track's north side keep water waves from spilling over the tracks at Churchs Ferry. The water is just a couple of inches shy of covering the tracks. EB never made up lost time. We lost even more time in Chicago when we got behind commuter trains. Luckily Amtrak held the Capitol Limited in Chicago so the 12 passengers holding sleeping car accommodations could make the connection. CL never made up the lost time and we arrived in Washington D.C. about 3 hours late.
We also found out why CL departs Chicago 1/2 hour earlier. Construction crews are blasting tunnels in Pennsylvania to allow for high profile freight cars to pass through the tunnels. If trains do not get through the tunnels on time, then they have to wait for the demolition and debris clearing to take place.
Returned on Capitol Limited we lost 3 hours waiting again for commuter trains in front of us in Washington D.C. CL never made up the lost time and we arrived in Chicago 4 hours late, but just enough time to get on Empire Builder. EB was on time all the way to Grand Forks, but again, lost 3 hours in North Dakota because of situations I've mentioned. We finally arrived in Malta 3 hours late. EB is a hard luck line through no fault of its own, but the situation at Churchs Ferry bridge will decide the future of the line through northern North Dakota. The switch to the Surrey Cutoff just east of Minot (eastbound) won't be the golden apple, however, as all the freight traffic takes the Surrey cutoff; Amtrak is not the priority and will sit on a lot of sidings waiting for the freighters to pass on the Surrey cutoff.
We also found out why CL departs Chicago 1/2 hour earlier. Construction crews are blasting tunnels in Pennsylvania to allow for high profile freight cars to pass through the tunnels. If trains do not get through the tunnels on time, then they have to wait for the demolition and debris clearing to take place.
Returned on Capitol Limited we lost 3 hours waiting again for commuter trains in front of us in Washington D.C. CL never made up the lost time and we arrived in Chicago 4 hours late, but just enough time to get on Empire Builder. EB was on time all the way to Grand Forks, but again, lost 3 hours in North Dakota because of situations I've mentioned. We finally arrived in Malta 3 hours late. EB is a hard luck line through no fault of its own, but the situation at Churchs Ferry bridge will decide the future of the line through northern North Dakota. The switch to the Surrey Cutoff just east of Minot (eastbound) won't be the golden apple, however, as all the freight traffic takes the Surrey cutoff; Amtrak is not the priority and will sit on a lot of sidings waiting for the freighters to pass on the Surrey cutoff.
