Service Disruption Again........

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Amtrak OBS Gone Freight

OBS Chief
Joined
May 20, 2005
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Well, just in time for the Easter holiday rush we are faced with some train annullments here in the East. Got word today there is a bridge that was pulled out of service around the RMT area. Seems as if it failed a safety inspection. Auto Train, Silver Services, Palmetto, and possibly the Carolinian are all affected. Todays trains #98 and #92 of the 12th are being terminated at JAX with the equipment returning to MIA, and #91 and #97 of the 12th are terminating in RVR and WAS and returning the equipment back to SSY in NYC. If my source is correct the trains returning their equipment are still offering service back to the beginnig point for those passengers affected already on the train. The passengers were give the chance to detrain and make alternate plans at RVR and JAX that I know of. No actual word on what is up with Auto Train and the Carolinian and Palmetto. I am sure the Piedmont train won't be affected at all, though.

Oh boy, missing another trip......... again.......... but I guess it is good in the name of safety. I will provide more as I can, however, if anyone reading this has travel plans tomm on the 13th, be sure to call ahead as most likely those of us here in the East won't have a train tomm (04/13th), unless a "bus bridge" is implemented for some or all the trains. OBS...
 
OBS, according to my sources 89 hit a semi which caused the issue. It was originally supposed to take it out of service for 6-8 hours, but now it won't be til Saturday. The Auto Train was backed up to JAX, wyed, and sent back to SFA. The consists of 98 & 92 are being combined to run south as 97. PAX's for LAK & TPA will board buses at ORL.
 
It should be noted that 73/74 are running as scheduled since their route is not effected by the accident.
 
battalion51 said:
It should be noted that 73/74 are running as scheduled since their route is not effected by the accident.
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That was already noted in the first post, but thanks. And thanks for the info regarding the semi collision. That makes a lot of sense. Right there near SSM there is a grade crossing with a bridge close by. I can't remember the name of that little town. OBS...
 
from Amtrak:

Service Alert: Service on Trains Between the Northeast and North Carolina, Georgia and Florida Will be Restored Friday, April 14
April 13, 2006, 3:30 pm EDT

   * Auto Train, Trains 52 & 53

   * Silver Star, Trains 91 & 92

   * Silver Meteor, Trains 97 & 98

   * Carolinian, Trains 79 & 80

   * Palmetto , Trains 89 & 90

All Amtrak service between the Northeast and Florida will be restored on Friday, April 14. A bridge owned by CSX Transportation, 10 miles north of Selma, North Carolina, has been repaired and the railroad will be reopened to passenger trains on Friday. A routine inspection of this bridge by CSX resulted in its closure on Wednesday, April 12, to make needed repairs.

Amtrak regrets this service disruption and worked closely with CSX Transportation to restore service in time for the holiday weekend.

Full service by the New York-Miami Silver Star (Trains 91 & 92) and Silver Meteor (Trains 97 & 98) and the Lorton, Va.-Sanford, Fla. Auto Train (Trains 52 & 53), will resume in both directions on Friday, April 14. Amtrak is adding extra capacity, as available, on these trains in order to reaccommodate additional passengers from trains that were canceled on Wednesday, April 12, and Thursday, April 13.

The northbound Charlotte-New York Carolinian (Train 80) and the northbound Savannah-New York Palmetto (Train 90) will operate only between Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and New York on Friday, April 13. Chartered motorcoach transportation, representing the northbound trains, will be provided between Charlotte or Savannah and Rocky Mount. The southbound New York-Charlotte Carolinian (Train 79) and the southbound New York-Savannah (Train 89) will operate normally to their destinations on Friday, April 13

Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit a staffed Amtrak station to be accommodated. See Amtrak.com for schedule information and train status updates. The track outage in North Carolina might cause delays due to freight train backlogs.

Other Amtrak services on the Northeast Corridor, between Richmond, Va., and Boston, were not affected by this temporary service disruption in North Carolina.
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CSX did a good job of getting the bridge back in service and avoided more cancellations and lost revenue during a very busy and potentially good money making time for Amtrak.
 
When they say extra capacity, any idea how much they can muster up?

The timing on this one is really bad, and I wouldn't go anywhere near Lorton when everyone starts arriving tomorrow!

Best of luck to anyone traveling (or working) through this mess
 
~Guest~ said:
When they say extra capacity, any idea how much they can muster up?
The timing on this one is really bad, and I wouldn't go anywhere near Lorton when everyone starts arriving tomorrow!

Best of luck to anyone traveling (or working) through this mess
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Well train #91 leaves NYP tomm with supposedly seven coaches instead of the usual four. I was told they may put an additional sleeper on #97 as well as another coach or two as well. I do know for sure they are operating the dining car at least out of NYC as the full service and stalling SDS at least tomm (Fri) on train #97 (as they were supposed to go SDS). I am not sure of Sat, though. Train #92 for tomm (Fri) I think still comes out of MIA with SDS, though. My source will let me know, and I expect to get a trip real soon now, thank goodness. OBS....
 
battalion51 said:
$20 says they don't put an extra TA on any of the longer trains.
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Well bat51, I'll PM you an address where you can send me that $20 in the form of a check or money order! Because I just got off the phone with the extra TA on #91 out of NYC tomm (FRI). Now I am not sure of the other trains, though. But you did say "any of the longer trains!" :lol: :D OBS....
 
If that bridge had been out of commission for an extended period, could they have added to or multiplied the consist of the Crescent north/west of that bridge, cutting it apart once they were south of there? It wouldn't work for Auto-Train, I don't guess, but for the pure passenger trains wouldn't that work to re-connect all the Silver service south of the bridge up to WAS and points north? Or was that bridge south of the cross-over to the west where Crescent runs?
 
AmtrakWPK said:
If that bridge had been out of commission for an extended period, could they have added to or multiplied the consist of the Crescent north/west of that bridge, cutting it apart once they were south of there? It wouldn't work for Auto-Train, I don't guess, but for the pure passenger trains wouldn't that work to re-connect all the Silver service south of the bridge up to WAS and points north? Or was that bridge south of the cross-over to the west where Crescent runs?
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The Crescent cuts off towards the Southwest just below ALX on the NS trackage. The bridge on the CSX mainline is down there just above the SSM area. If this ordeal had happened South of SSM, then all the Amtrak's could have used the "Star" route through RGH, but alas it just had to be north in that little "choke" area!!

There is actually a way to reroute the trains, but it is way out of the way and it involves two freights both of which are highly congested lines. And with a reroute there are still those issues which go along with them such as qualified crews, operations, etc. And as bat51 stated, apparently CSX was expecting the bridge to be out of service for about eight hours or so.

OBS...
 
Not letting me sign in today, but anyway I meant to add the reroute option for a long term period would be the "Crescent" route down to CHL and back over to CLB from there to rejoin the "Star" route to SAV. OBS...
 
haolerider said:
CSX did a good job of getting the bridge back in service and avoided more cancellations and lost revenue during a very busy and potentially good money making time for Amtrak.
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CSX did a bad job in basic maintenance on the bridge that would have avoided any cancellations and lost revenue during a very busy and potentially good money making time for Amtrak....
 
sechs said:
haolerider said:
CSX did a good job of getting the bridge back in service and avoided more cancellations and lost revenue during a very busy and potentially good money making time for Amtrak.
Click to expand...
CSX did a bad job in basic maintenance on the bridge that would have avoided any cancellations and lost revenue during a very busy and potentially good money making time for Amtrak....
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Ok now, so it seems as you were there during or before the routine inspection, and know what condition the bridge was in, weren't you?

<_<

A structure such as that can remain in solid condition for a long time before defects ever begin to show up. I would say they most likely found nothing defective during the last inspection. I have seen trackage and other infrastructure worthy to pass inspection today, and as early as tommorrow be in a condition it can't pass. In CSX's defense, remember that line hosts multiple freight service, and they are hauling heavy payload all up and down that line. Stuff is bound to tear up with that kind of physical beating the infrastructure takes.

So personally I don't believe "maintainence" had really anything to do with it overall (other than possibly a little bit). If the bridge was never broke before now, then why should they fix it? Anyway, I think CSX did a great job in getting the bridge at least open and back in service. It is "band aided" for now, and will recieve extensive repairs at a later date. The trains will simply run slower speeds over it for the time being. And yes, knowing CSX for a good while! LOL... At least we're back in business in time for the holiday, and didn't suffer too long of a service disruption. And farthermore before we get so critical of CSX's decision to close it down, I would rather them do that rather than to end up on the ground in a derailment. That very train that goes on the ground could be the one you might be on, and then how would you be talking if that were the case? You strike me as the type who would scream CSX caused it by not inspecting their infrastructure periodically!! I don't think CSX is gonna be in a situation as they were in 2002 (we won't go there on that one)! :rolleyes:

Trust me when I say this, you DO NOT want to be in a train wreck! So I say thanks to CSX for taking the safe course of action!! OBS...
 
Amtrak OBS Employee said:
And BTW gang, for information purposes, the bridge we are talking about is the bridge over the "New River" there at Kenly, NC. OBS...
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There's more than one New River! I thought there was only the Beautiful New River just south of FTL.
 
Amtrak -- you never know when you're going to be thrown off the train.

To everyone who is congratulating themselves that Amtrak handled this well, sorry to shock you into reality: The service interruption turned into a real fiasco. I am still steaming mad, even though it is now Sunday and it was Wednesday night when this happened.

I was on the northbound Silver Star, # 92, boarded at Kissimmee, going home to New York from a computer users' conference. Instead of flying, I took the train, because of all the obvious benefits. Couldn't afford a sleeperette, but it was still okay. Great food!

About 7:30 I overheard the conductor telling the crew in the cafe car about the bridge out in North Carolina. 15 minutes later, he announced the problem to the entire train.

Then he also announced this: Amtrak was terminating the train at Jacksonville, and besides refunding our money, no further help was available. The passengers -- many of whom were elderly -- were in a panic. I had to take my panic medication to avoid an attack, which in the past required hospitalization. It's not nice to see little old ladies with tears in their eyes, asking, What were they going to do? Where were they going to go?

The conductor said that in all of his 33 years with Amtrak, he had never seen anything like this. Not a single passenger was given one bit of help to get to their destinations north of Jacksonville Florida.

(If you think that this whole scene is overdone, or that I've gotten something wrong, I have photos and video/audio of portions of this. It was so unbelievable, I documented it. It was like a Twilight Zone episode.)

Many of us with cell phones called friends and relatives for assistance. One of my sons got me information on Greyhound, and I passed it on to other people also.

When we got to the station, it turned out that the northbound train before us, # 98, had been in the station for 2 hours already, and the same offer was made to them: Your money back, no further help to get to your destination. Those people were still in line to get their refund. I stood in line for another hour and a half before I got my refund. For a while there, I thought that we were going to have a riot on our hands, right there in the station.

The Amtrak personnel at the station, and the crew of the Silver Star #92, were fabulous. They really could not have been nicer. They made the best of a bad situation, and were very tolerant of our irritation and occasional outbursts of anger. There was nothing further that they could do for us, since the decision to cut the passengers loose and save money by not forwarding passengers by bus must have been made at a higher level within Amtrak.

Eventually, we passengers went 4 different ways. Some people put up in local hotels; some took a plane; some went back south on the Silver Star; and some of us (I included) took a taxi or city bus over to the Greyhound station. By the time I finished paying for my bus ticket to New York, I had about $3. dollars left between my wallet and my bank account. (Credit card refunds take 2 or 3 days.)

I am still boiling mad about this experience. My trip down had been fine, except for being 4.5 hours late due to a missing locomotive in Washington. But the way that I and all of the other passengers were treated in Jacksonville was absolutely beyond the pale.

In these days of superhighways and quick air travel, people take public transportation like Amtrak or Greyhound by choice. There is an implied social contract to this: The passengers give the carrier money, and the carrier accepts the responsibility to get the passengers to their destination. Greyhound has recognized this with their slogan, "Leave the driving to us."

Whoever made the decision to simply refund the tickets saved Amtrak money, but by not making arrangements for their passengers to get to their destinations, they broke the social contract. Many of the people standing in line at the station were so upset about this that they said, they'll never ride Amtrak again.

And can you blame them? They were thrown off the train because Amtrak had a problem. This wasn't a CSX problem, because Amtrak has bussed passengers past impassible track before. How can passengers ever trust Amtrak to deliver them to their destination if any little problem with service could strand them somewhere they've never been before? In the long run, this fear will cost Amtrak much more money in lost passenger revenue.

The next thing I have to do is to contain my fury enough to write an impassioned but reasonable letter to my representatives in Congress, notifying them of this abuse of passengers; and, I must write a letter to Amtrak, asking that at least the manager who decided to save Amtrak some money be terminated immediately, and that they send a letter of apology to all of the passengers affected.
 
The White House wants to kill Amtrak. They can't quite get Congress to agree to this, since the Congress, at least, still listens at least a little to the voters, who do NOT want Amtrak killed. Congress still occasionally listens to us voters, and not simply to rich cronies and all the politician-bribing lobbyists.

Undoubtedly Amtrak management, who have the Administration's orders, and not the welfare or survival of the company, in mind, are on a mission to kill Amtrak. What better way to do that than to alienate as much of the Loyal Amtrak passengers as they possibly can, and what better vehicle for that, in turn, than what you describe. It's all part of the plan. The Board are probably toasting each other about it and congratulating the company officials that decreed that action. And they all probably got a congratulatory (like "Brownie, you're doin ' a heck of a job!!") telephone call from the White House as follow-up. It's completely disgusting.
 
Amtrak OBS Employee Posted on Fri, Apr 14, 2006, 09:45 PM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And BTW gang, for information purposes, the bridge we are talking about is the bridge over the "New River" there at Kenly, NC. OBS...

bridge is actually over little river in micro, nc

ryan
 
Milo said:
Amtrak -- you never know when you're going to be thrown off the train.
To everyone who is congratulating themselves that Amtrak handled this well, sorry to shock you into reality: The service interruption turned into a real fiasco. I am still steaming mad, even though it is now Sunday and it was Wednesday night when this happened...
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The fact is that Amtrak exists and has existed for years in a regulatory void. They are not a government agency, so they have no direct agency oversight. They are not a private company in regulated environment, so there are no rules in place to govern their behavior and no regulatory oversight. So, they make up their own rules and standards of conduct answer to no one. This “service disruption with no alternate transportation” nonsense predates this management and goes back to David Gunn and before. If an airline pulled this stunt, there would be lots of trouble and the DOT would be all over them. But this is Amtrak, so touch luck passengers.

I suggest you do this. Write to Amtrak President David Hughes and copy Amtrak Board Chairman David Laney (60 Massachusetts Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002). Describe to them exactly what happened in the detail you described it to us. And copy your Congressperson: ultimately he or she has the financial clout. See what happens. Amtrak operations people need to be held accountable for their actions, and sadly the only way you can do this is to hit them where they live.
 
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