Overnight Between Trains

[printman2000]

If I select to go from Fort Worth to Washington DC, I would change trains in Chicago from the Texas Eagle to the Capitol Limited. The Eagle is scheduled to arrive at 3:20pm one day and the CL leaves at 5:35pm the next.

I would assume I am responsible for finding a hotel for that overnight, correct?

When I was little, we always got to stay in the same sleeper car from Houston overnight in New Orleans and they would hook our sleeper car up to the Cresent. That is the only reason I ask.

Thanks

 

[trainboy325]

Technically, you should be able to "run through" Chicago the same day you arrive. However, if you don't want to bank on a connection due to poor on-time performance of the Texas Eagle into CHI, you're on your own for a hotel in CHI. Unless specifically listed by Amtrak in the timetable, you are not given the opportunity to stay on-board any equipment when connecting en-route, even if the equipment is scheduled by the Mechanical division as "run through". For example, the Texas Eagle arrives into CHI and "runs through" as the City of New Orleans that evening. However, if a passenger had tickets off the Eagle and then on the City, you and your baggage can't remain on-board. This is due to the fact that changes are made without notice with equipment and OTP may cause the need to make up a new trainset at the last minute at CHI.

 

[AlanB]

Yes, you will have to find a hotel on your own with that itinerary.

Now that said, Amtrak does guarentee a same day connection between those two trains, such that you in theory would not have to overnight. However, it is a close connection, so any serious delays could find you getting put on a bus; put on the Lake Shore Limited to NY, then connecting to DC; offered a plane ticket; or a hotel room with a seat on the next day's Capital Limited

Sadly the day of the thru cars is long gone. However in this case even if it wasn't, the thru cars from the Eagle would be of no help to you, since you'd wake up to find yourself on the way to New Orleans.

 

[MontanaJim]

do passengers have a choice if they miss their connection? could i insist on getting a paid hotel room to take the next days train?

 

[trainboy325]

Amtrak makes connections at their discretion (Amtrak Terms of Transportation). Generally, Amtrak will put you up in a hotel if a connection can't be completed without any other option, like connecting bus, van or flight. Customer Service in CHI has by far the largest staff dealing with connections. They have hundreds of pre-arranged options that deal with the most common missed connection issues. For coach passengers, the overnight hotel is almost non existant because they try to bus passengers to their destination or connecting station. Every situation is different as Amtrak doesn't have any specific rule or policy that deals with missed connections. For example, when I worked out of JAX and in the coaches, coach passengers on 92 connecting to 29 in WAS were almost always detrained at RVR and bused to PGH. Passengers traveling on 29 east of PGH went to WAS and were taken by a Greyhound shuttle van to their destination as most 29 passenger were bound for the CHI area. Sleepers were given the option of a hotel or the bus, but no guarantee of a room the next day. I've only seen Amtrak provide overnight options to First Class passengers because they will most likely not have a sleeper on the next train segment because of the likely issue of all sleepers on the next train being already sold out. I'm under the impression that Amtrak isn't bound by the same laws that require airlines to provide passenger benefits for missed and cancelled connections. The lack of consistancy by Amtrak on this issue makes me believe this is true. <_< :blink:

 

[AmtrakFan]

You would never make the Eagle Connection to 30. 22 runs over 5 Hours late just about every day I would recomeend a Motel Room.

 

[saxman]

Why pay for a hotel, when you can have Amtrak pay for it or put you on 48. Not sure though why the Eagle has been so late. It goes thru phases of being almost always on time. Probably one of the better UP treated routes as compared to the Sunset, CZ, and Starlight.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

If I select to go from Fort Worth to Washington DC, I would change trains in Chicago from the Texas Eagle to the Capitol Limited. The Eagle is scheduled to arrive at 3:20pm one day and the CL leaves at 5:35pm the next.
I would assume I am responsible for finding a hotel for that overnight, correct?

When I was little, we always got to stay in the same sleeper car from Houston overnight in New Orleans and they would hook our sleeper car up to the Cresent. That is the only reason I ask.

Thanks

Printman, the thing you remember about occupying your car overnight in NOL. That not only does not happen today, it was really quite rare even back when it was happening.

Back in the 50's there were perhaps seven or eight ways to cross the country by through sleeping car (but not involving staying overnight in the cars) , but when you think about how many trains operated back then that was a drop in the bucket percentage wise.

And that thing about occupying a car the whole night, I really just remember that heppening with the Crescent/Sunset Limited or other trains on that route. If it happened anywhere else in the country (spending the whlle night standiing still, that is) I do not remember it.

Of course some of the exchanges between the TE and the SL at San Antonio have come close to that as the schedule has flipped-flopped back and forth through the years.

I envy you the experience, though.....that is one, just one, of the many things I wish I had done way back when.