Hurricane Sandy and Amtrak.

[pennyk]

I just heard on the news that New York is not planning to cancel the marathon scheduled for this Sunday. I have several friends that are/were planning to run the race, but are not quite sure if they can get there.

 

[jhjr]

Limited long distance service tomorrow - the Crescent and Silver Meteor are running out of Washington instead of Penn Station.

http://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news_times/news/article_c75be072-22d8-11e2-b868-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[the_traveler]

I just heard on the news that New York is not planning to cancel the marathon scheduled for this Sunday. I have several friends that are/were planning to run the race, but are not quite sure if they can get there.

Now if it was a triathlon, the swimming portion could be done easily!

 

[the_traveler]

Not Amtrak or train related but an interesting pic nevertheless-

Ladies and gentlemen, your plane ship will soon be arriving at Gate C34 at La Guardia airport!

Perhaps PanAm Railways is considering reestablishment of Clipper Air Boat service at LGA?

Or maybe ARK service!

 

[Trogdor]

Gives a whole new meaning to the Marine Air Terminal.

 

[me_little_me]

I just heard on the news that New York is not planning to cancel the marathon scheduled for this Sunday. I have several friends that are/were planning to run the race, but are not quite sure if they can get there.

Could they swim?

 

[CHamilton]

AMTRAK SERVICE RESTORATION PLAN

by Amtrak on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 3:48pm ·

Modified Northeast Regional service from Newark, N.J., to points south, some Downeaster service and Keystone service to operate; overnight train service restoration also underway

Amtrak will provide modified Northeast Regional service between Newark, N.J., and points south, on Wednesday, October 31, including restoring Virginia service to Lynchburg, Richmond and Newport News. Amtrak will also operate Keystone Service trains between Harrisburg, Penn., and Philadelphia, and modified Downeaster service trains between Boston and Portland, Maine, along with some overnight services to and from the Northeast.

However, as in the case of other tunnel owners and operators in New York City, Amtrak is removing water and making repairs to track, signal and power systems within its tunnels under the Hudson and East rivers. The amount of water intrusion into the tunnels is unprecedented – as was the storm itself – so a date for restoration of Amtrak service directly to/from New York Penn Station from either the north or south is not available at this time.

Therefore, there will be no Northeast Regional service between Newark and Boston and noAcela Express service for the length of the Northeast Corridor on Wednesday, October 31. Also, at Newark Penn Station, there will be no connecting service to New York City and no elevator or escalator service. Service to the Newark Liberty Airport rail station is suspended due to a lack of connecting services.

Also canceled on Wednesday, October 31, is the Empire Service between New York City and Buffalo/Niagara Falls, the Adirondack to and from Montreal, Québec, Canada, and theEthan Allen Express to and from Rutland, Vt., due to track damage south of Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y.

Other service plans, full and partial service, for Wednesday, October 31:

• Crescent (Trains 19 & 20) will operate only between Washington D.C. and New Orleans
  
• Cardinal (Train 51) will operate only between Indianapolis and Chicago
  
• Auto Train (Train 52) will operate as schedule as scheduled between Sanford, Fla., and Lorton, Va.
  
• Maple Leaf (Trains 63 & 64) will operate only between Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Albany-Rensselaer
  
• Carolinian (Trains 79 & 80) will operate only between Philadelphia and Charlotte
  
• Silver Star (Trains 91 & 92) will only operate between Miami and Jacksonville, Fla.
  
• Silver Meteor (Trains 97 & 98) will operate between Washington D.C. and Miami
  
• Lake Shore Limited (Trains 448 & 449) will operate normally between Chicago and Boston, with no (Trains 48 & 49) service to points south of Albany-Rensselaer.
  

The following trains are also canceled for Wednesday, October 31:

• Shuttle trains, Springfield, Mass.-New Haven, Conn.
  
• Capitol Limited (Trains 29 & 30), Chicago-Washington, D.C.
  
• Pennsylvanian (Trains 42 & 43), Pittsburgh-New York City
  
• Auto Train (Train 53), Lorton, Va.-Sanford, Fla.
  
• Vermonter (Trains 55 & 56), St. Albans, Vt.-Washington, D.C.
  
• Palmetto (Trains 89 & 90), New York-Savannah
  

Customers are encouraged to monitor Amtrak.com/alerts and those Northeast Corridor passengers on Acela Express, Northeast Regional or Keystone Service trains can follow @AmtrakNEC on Twitter to be notified when updates are posted on Amtrak.com. Amtrak will also be providing updates on its Facebook.com/Amtrak and Twitter.com/Amtrak pages.

Amtrak will update this statement by Wednesday evening, October 31.

Passengers who have paid but choose not to travel due to this service disruption can receive a refund or a voucher for future travel. Some tickets booked online that have not yet been printed can be modified or canceled on Amtrak.com or by using the free Amtrak mobile app.

To be notified of major service disruptions resulting in delays of 60 minutes or more to multiple trains on the Northeast Corridor, follow @AmtrakNEC on Twitter.

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visitAmtrak.com/alerts for Service Alerts and Passenger Notices. Schedule information and train status updates are available at the Amtrak.com home page.

 

[Anderson]

Ok, I'm stumped...why is the Auto Train cancelled SB? Equipment move needed (i.e. both sets got stuck in FL)? I know that's partly behind the Star only operating in FL (I think enough sets are stuck in New York) while the Meteor operates MIA-WAS (they truncated the last one before the storm at WAS for this reason).

 

[the_traveler]

Rail cars on NJ Turnpike.

New type of service offered by NJ Transit? :giggle:

 

[AlanB]

Ok, I'm stumped...why is the Auto Train cancelled SB? Equipment move needed (i.e. both sets got stuck in FL)? I know that's partly behind the Star only operating in FL (I think enough sets are stuck in New York) while the Meteor operates MIA-WAS (they truncated the last one before the storm at WAS for this reason).

Because the day before the storm hit, they only ran the southbound train to get the equipment out of harms way as at that point the cone of danger was still way too close to that area. So they didn't run a northbound that day, and therefore they ended up with both consists in Florida.

So they have no consist in Virginia to run south, until today's northbound reaches Lorton in the morning.

 

[jhjr]

Kudos to Amtrak. I'm booked on GRO-WAS-FTL tomorrow and I can't believe I'm going. Granted, the refund would have made my nephew's christmas a little more lucrative.

 

[amamba]

So the MBTA tracks between BOS - PVD were flooded at some point south of RTE last night. The water has gone down and those tracks are now open between PVD - BOS, allowing MBTA service between the two cities. I also read in the Providence Journal that in fact the shore line is safe and operational between PVD and NHV, but they are not going to be running any amtrak service to NHV at this point. I wonder if we will get an "inland routing" train again like we did in the spring of 2010 when we had the historic floods in RI/PVD so that service coudl be provided between BOS - NYP?

Do you all think the trains will be up and running again into NYP by the 20th? That is when I have my silver meteor trip booked!

 

[amamba]

Whoops, here is the link to to the ProJo story?

http://news.providencejournal.com/breaking-news/2012/10/amtrak-to-restore-service-south-of-newark-nj-wednesday-but-not-north-of-nyc.html

 

[NE933]

This immense disaster has made it's way in may life. I was doing a Fall trip to Lancaster, while Sandy moved up, then in. Mercifully, Lancaster PA had surprisingly very little, as far as I know, bad things happen, save for spotty power outage. This is an area with valleys and a spider web of streams and creaks, which so far, has not flooded. Pennsylvania was in a drought this summer, and the dry ground helped tremendously in holding the 5 inches of rain.

Now, the bad news is I can't go back to NYC because the Hudson River tunnels are under water. Likely a friend who lives in Jersey will pick me up as far as one can get, which now Amtrak says is Newark, NJ (the Penn station, NOT the airport, though that can change). All of Lower and Midtown Manhattan is without power, many places no phones. No power means no water. Buildings up to six floors get water from gravity from the upstate reservoirs, anything higher needs electrical pumps. I can not reach my parents, hope that a compassionate Creator by whatever name we call him will act with kindness. I never thought my family and friends would have so many routes of connection severed like this. If anyone of us had a medical strike befall, whether its the age and physical stuff of my mother and father, and even my friends, or the cranial issues of me and many others, I've had lots and lots and lots of time to wonder how we handle such news, esp. with no goodbye or anything.

And yet as I type this in my hotel here in Amish country, these harrowing stories are legion all around: 80 houses in Queens burned up by Hurrican winds fanning flames and embers, a hospital, NYU, losing generators once the floods came in, tens of thousands in New Jersey where the Atlantic smashed homes then buried with sand, levies failing in central NJ even though needless sports arenas get priority funding. My thoughts and prayers to all out there, and especially the hard work of rail and engineer workers who get us intact and who figure out a better way ahead.

 

[CHamilton]

NE933, I (and, I'm sure, the rest of us here of AU) wish you, your parents, and everyone else affected by the storm, the best wishes.

 

[SubwayNut]

My big question about tomorrow's regional service is if Amtrak will be using diesel locomotives to enter Newark? Is the catenary on the NEC in New Jersey damaged? SEPTA has announced full Regional Rail Service for Wednesday so the wires from Trenton to Wilmington must be back on line along with Marc announcing all train service tomorrow.

NJT is fully closed tomorrow (I've read about washouts and damage particularly on the North Jersey Coast and Atlantic City Lines), buses too except for routes in Camden (the city directly across from Philly), no River Line either. Sounds like the NEC is undamaged enough that they could run service from Trenton to Newark. I wonder why there not at least running limited service?

In New York (Me and my family escaped totally unscathed living at the highest point in Manhattan) we did get bus service back this evening (free of charge), saw one in service on the Bx36 at 5:30. The subway is going to be a few days. Transit will be quite interesting.

Edit: NE933, I started typing my post and got distracted before I noticed yours. Good luck with you and your family. I know its not Amtrak but you might want to try a bus service from Philly, MegaBus for example says on their website there restoring service to New York City after noon.

 

[CHamilton]

For those of us who were just there for the Gathering, seeing an empty 30th Street Station is pretty shocking.

 

[Nathanael]

Sounds like the NEC is undamaged enough that they could run service from Trenton to Newark. I wonder why there not at least running limited service?

Good question. Perhaps the trains are trapped in the wrong location. Apparently NJT's operations center was flooded, destroying everything, so if the trains are in a yard controlled by NJT dispatch, they can't be gotten out. Nasty. I think NJT was building a backup operations center, but apparently that's not done yet...

Press release including the information about the operations center:

http://www.njtransit...RELEASE_ID=2801

Another question is why Amtrak isn't operating from New Haven to Boston or New Haven to Springfield, if Shore Line East is actually operating on Wednesday. I'm not sure Shore Line East is operating, however; the Providence Journal may be wrong, as there is nothing about it on SLE's website.

 

[AlanB]

Sounds like the NEC is undamaged enough that they could run service from Trenton to Newark. I wonder why there not at least running limited service?

Good question. Perhaps the trains are trapped in the wrong location. Apparently NJT's operations center was flooded, destroying everything, so if the trains are in a yard controlled by NJT dispatch, they can't be gotten out. Nasty. I think NJT was building a backup operations center, but apparently that's not done yet...

My guess is simply because NJT's primary purpose is to get people to NY City. Dropping them in Newark does not accomplish that purpose. And with PATH out, they're stranded in Newark. It could also be in part that Amtrak doesn't have the corridor fully in service, not to mention that there isn't a huge capacity to turn trains around in Newark.

Another question is why Amtrak isn't operating from New Haven to Boston or New Haven to Springfield, if Shore Line East is actually operating on Wednesday. I'm not sure Shore Line East is operating, however; the Providence Journal may be wrong, as there is nothing about it on SLE's website.

Because it serves no real purpose, as people want to go to NY; not New Haven. Additionally, at least report, Metro North had no power at all on the entire New Haven line. So Amtrak trains would have to coast into New Haven where they'd then be trapped unless hauled back to Amtrak territory by a diesel engine.

We also don't know if Amtrak has power on between New Haven & Providence either. Remember, both the MBTA & Shoreline East are both diesel hauled services.

 

[Nathanael]

Because it serves no real purpose, as people want to go to NY; not New Haven.

People in New Haven do go to Boston, you know!

Additionally, at least report, Metro North had no power at all on the entire New Haven line. So Amtrak trains would have to coast into New Haven where they'd then be trapped unless hauled back to Amtrak territory by a diesel engine.
We also don't know if Amtrak has power on between New Haven & Providence either. Remember, both the MBTA & Shoreline East are both diesel hauled services.

Ah, right. That's probably the reason. Amtrak certainly doesn't have extra diesels lying around north of NY.

 

[the_traveler]

I heard from Shanghai this am, and he said he's fine! I hope all members are accounted for and OK!

 

[the_traveler]

Because it serves no real purpose, as people want to go to NY; not New Haven.

People in New Haven do go to Boston, you know!

But without any train sets in NHV, how would they make up trains? The only cars kept there are a couple for the Shuttle to HFD and SPG. And there is no way to turn the train at NHV, so the train would have to run backwards between BOS and NHV or the other way!

 

[CHamilton]

This morning, traffic looks to be the biggest problem in NYC. And

The South Ferry subway station remained completely flooded, though it appeared that the water had receded a few feet at some of the station entrances.

The Batter Parky underpass also remained completely underwater, though it too appeared to have receded a few feet; the top of the cab of a Department of Transportation dump truck, which on Tuesday was completely submerged, poking through the surface of the murky green-grey river water.

[Typos in original too good to fix.]

 

[amamba]

Sounds like the NEC is undamaged enough that they could run service from Trenton to Newark. I wonder why there not at least running limited service?

Good question. Perhaps the trains are trapped in the wrong location. Apparently NJT's operations center was flooded, destroying everything, so if the trains are in a yard controlled by NJT dispatch, they can't be gotten out. Nasty. I think NJT was building a backup operations center, but apparently that's not done yet...

My guess is simply because NJT's primary purpose is to get people to NY City. Dropping them in Newark does not accomplish that purpose. And with PATH out, they're stranded in Newark. It could also be in part that Amtrak doesn't have the corridor fully in service, not to mention that there isn't a huge capacity to turn trains around in Newark.

Another question is why Amtrak isn't operating from New Haven to Boston or New Haven to Springfield, if Shore Line East is actually operating on Wednesday. I'm not sure Shore Line East is operating, however; the Providence Journal may be wrong, as there is nothing about it on SLE's website.

Because it serves no real purpose, as people want to go to NY; not New Haven. Additionally, at least report, Metro North had no power at all on the entire New Haven line. So Amtrak trains would have to coast into New Haven where they'd then be trapped unless hauled back to Amtrak territory by a diesel engine.

We also don't know if Amtrak has power on between New Haven & Providence either. Remember, both the MBTA & Shoreline East are both diesel hauled services.

I would like to go to New Haven or Boston via amtrak right now, but that is a good point about the power. Doesn't amtrak keep some sets up in BOS, though? So if they really wanted to and the lines had power, could they theoretically run the a NEC set between BOS & NHV?

 

[jis]

Only after New Haven station opens. AFAIK right now it is not open.

If you really need to go, drive. That is how we are getting around here in NJ for the time being.