Service Disruptions

[ArchBishop]

I guess I have a few questions, based on service disruptions. In looking at the Amtrak Status Maps today (12/17) I see train 5 that left Chicago on 12/16 has a service disruption somewhere between Fort Morgan and Denver.

1. How can you find out what happened? I could not find anything on Amtrak site other than service disruption on the status page.

2. Is it possible the train is just delayed, but will continue on late? (As of this writing the train was 2:10 late leaving Fort Morgan)

3. If the train cannot continue on and a passenger is heading farther west (California) what happens to them?

 

[zephyr17]

1. If you want to know the status of train, like when it will arrive at a given station when listed in a service disruption, call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL and speak to an agent. An agent will have the information. Julie won't, as she has the same information as the website. If you want to know what happened to cause the delay, look at boards like this, Trainorders.com, Altamont Press, Trainnews,etc.

2. Many times a train is "just" delayed, although usually in conjunction with some other event when it shows "service disruption" and it is major-league delayed. Other times a train just cannot get through, a major derailment, mudslide, flood, etc.

3. If it can, the train will continue on, delayed. If it can't they'll "bustitute" to the destination, or do a "bus bridge" where they turn each train on either side of the problem and bus passengers in between. They won't leave enroute passengers stranded.

 

[zephyr17]

According to posts in Trainorders, Amtrak 5 itself had a slow speed derailment at crossovers in Denver and 1 1/2 cars are on the ground.

 

[Blackwolf]

According to posts in Trainorders, Amtrak 5 itself had a slow speed derailment at crossovers in Denver and 1 1/2 cars are on the ground.

Yeah, been there before. In February 2008, just as I was getting off #6 at Denver after traveling from Sacramento, I heard a tremendous BANG-CRASH-HISS/SQUEAL OF BRAKES while walking through the passenger tunnel into the station. I had taken my sweet time de-training, walked the platform to grab photos of the locomotives in the midst of a snowstorm with lightning and thunder, and was finally retrieved by a station security guard who instructed me to "Get Inside!"

The guard turned 180 degrees and ran back up to the platform to investigate, and I quietly ventured up to be nosy (since I was no longer being escorted.) On the platform, I caught the conductor stepping off from the third sleeper, just ahead of the SSL, and promptly throwing his hat on the snow-covered cement while screaming into the radio. The baggage had derailed its first truck, and had pulled the first axle of its second truck from the rails as well while pulling from the station and through a set of switches. The CZ had effectively 'dropped anchor' in Denver and would not be going anywhere for some time.

My understanding is, though I quickly left the station with my friends that evening, that the #6 was some 13 hours late getting into Chicago after they got the baggage back on the rails, did their safety inspections, and cleared the train to continue.

 

[jacorbett70]

The latest Service Disruption is 50/51 with 51 (16) "falling off the radar" before Huntington WV.

50 (17) is reported between Rensselaer and Lafayette IN and per a Twitter report will terminate in Indianapolis with a bus bridge to at least Cincinnati.

 

[JackieTakestheTrain]

The latest Service Disruption is 50/51 with 51 (16) "falling off the radar" before Huntington WV.

50 (17) is reported between Rensselaer and Lafayette IN and per a Twitter report will terminate in Indianapolis with a bus bridge to at least Cincinnati.

Any idea what happened to the Cardinal?

Edited post: I called Amtrak and was told there was a freight derailment and they were busing people between Huntington and Indianapolis and today between Indianapolis and Huntington.

I sure hope they get that fixed before I come through on Friday or it won't be a very good holiday for me as I suspect a lot of folks who are hoping to get to their destinations by Sunday.

 

[gn2276]

CSX had a car derail and go through a switch 23 miles west of Marysville KY with major damage to the switch and track.