Time tables and Daylight Savings Time

[R Johnson]

Just curious.

When a long distance train begins its journey the day before the switch back and forth with Daylight Savings Time, how are the arrival/departure times handled when time changes at midnight? Looking at the Cardinal this morning, it is shown on time at Connersville (1:21 AM) but almost two hours late at Cincy. Obviously there was some problem because if it was only time change, the train would only be one hour late. But it seems that when times change the train will have to be at least an hour late for most of the run. Except of course in the fall when it gets to go into Warp Factor 8 and get to Connersville a few minutes after leaving Indianapolis and be at least an hour early all the way to New York.

 

[Ryan]

In the spring, yes. You suddenly become an hour late, and can work to make up that time as you reach the end point.

In the fall, you get an hour earlier, magically making up time if you're late, or sitting for an hour if you're on time.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Except of course in the fall when it gets to go into Warp Factor 8 and get to Connersville a few minutes after leaving Indianapolis and be at least an hour early all the way to New York

It won't be an hour early all the way to NY. As Ryan stated above, it will wait at the first station it reaches after the time change, which changes at 2 am, not midnight, and wait till the timetable departure time to depart.

 

[lo2e]

Haha, I'm so glad I looked at this thread.... I woke up and checked Track a Train and found the image below and nearly had a heart attack! Was wondering what on earth would cause so many trains to be late this morning.

:help: :blink:

 

[the_traveler]

Just FYI - The reason you may see a train number like "1003" near the time change date is due to the arrival/departure times at stations along the route. If one train has a scheduled time of (say) 11:37 pm, because of a time change durIng the run it becomes 12:37 am, but the next train is at 11:37 pm that same day, which train is yours? :huh: So to differentiate them, one is #3 (the normal train #) and the other is #1003.

 

[RalphCT]

I was on the Capitol Limited (30) one Halloween night when Halloween was on Saturday, the night we turned the clocks back. The Cap remained at Cleveland for an hour and departed there at the scheduled time which was then Daylight Savings time. Got an nice hours sleep with no train movement.

 

[tomfuller]

Once arrived in Barstow 20 minutes "late" and waited 40 minutes and then left on time on a November trip.

 

[willem]

Just FYI - The reason you may see a train number like "1003" near the time change date is due to the arrival/departure times at stations along the route.

Thanks. I was wondering.

 

[Acela150]

In the spring, yes. You suddenly become an hour late, and can work to make up that time as you reach the end point.

In the fall, you get an hour earlier, magically making up time if you're late, or sitting for an hour if you're on time.

And be really delayed in the block! Lol!

 

[chakk]

Possible exception to the rule are Amtrak trains in Arizona (a state that does not observe DST). At these station the timetable changes in summer versus winter

 

[railiner]

What was really confusing was when Amtrak commenced their sometimes semi-annual schedule changes, concurrently with the time change. And if a transcontinental started out and its schedule changed while enroute, did it follow its origin day schedule to completion, or attempt to change to the new schedule enroute? :huh:

 

[fairviewroad]

Just don't make the mistake of assuming that a LD train will run an hour late for the rest of its route when clocks are set forward. Many of them have so much padding that they can make up the entire hour (provided everything else goes smoothly). That was the case with both the Builders and the Starlights (both ways) over the weekend, which easily reached their endpoints on time. It just goes to show how pessimistic Amtrak and the host railroads are when they calculate the regular timetable.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Just don't make the mistake of assuming that a LD train will run an hour late for the rest of its route when clocks are set forward. Many of them have so much padding that they can make up the entire hour (provided everything else goes smoothly). That was the case with both the Builders and the Starlights (both ways) over the weekend, which easily reached their endpoints on time. It just goes to show how pessimistic Amtrak and the host railroads are when they calculate the regular timetable.

They won't run an hour late(r than however they're running at 1:59 am) because they'll hold at the next station until the departure time in the timetable.

 

[Thirdrail7]

It just goes to show how pessimistic Amtrak and the host railroads are when they calculate the regular timetable.

Pessimistic or realistic?

 

[andersone]

Where are the Chambers Brothers when we need them?

 

[Ryan]

Just don't make the mistake of assuming that a LD train will run an hour late for the rest of its route when clocks are set forward. Many of them have so much padding that they can make up the entire hour (provided everything else goes smoothly). That was the case with both the Builders and the Starlights (both ways) over the weekend, which easily reached their endpoints on time. It just goes to show how pessimistic Amtrak and the host railroads are when they calculate the regular timetable.

They won't run an hour late(r than however they're running at 1:59 am) because they'll hold at the next station until the departure time in the timetable.

If they're running late, there is no holding at stations, since they are trying to make up time.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Just don't make the mistake of assuming that a LD train will run an hour late for the rest of its route when clocks are set forward. Many of them have so much padding that they can make up the entire hour (provided everything else goes smoothly). That was the case with both the Builders and the Starlights (both ways) over the weekend, which easily reached their endpoints on time. It just goes to show how pessimistic Amtrak and the host railroads are when they calculate the regular timetable.

They won't run an hour late(r than however they're running at 1:59 am) because they'll hold at the next station until the departure time in the timetable.

If they're running late, there is no holding at stations, since they are trying to make up time.

Well, I certainly did not mean they'd wait till the next days departure time. Of course, if they arrive at the next station past the departure time they'd leave when ready.

 

[fairviewroad]

Just don't make the mistake of assuming that a LD train will run an hour late for the rest of its route when clocks are set forward. Many of them have so much padding that they can make up the entire hour (provided everything else goes smoothly). That was the case with both the Builders and the Starlights (both ways) over the weekend, which easily reached their endpoints on time. It just goes to show how pessimistic Amtrak and the host railroads are when they calculate the regular timetable.

They won't run an hour late(r than however they're running at 1:59 am) because they'll hold at the next station until the departure time in the timetable.

That's true for the fall when clocks are turned back. My comment referred to when clocks are set forward.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Just don't make the mistake of assuming that a LD train will run an hour late for the rest of its route when clocks are set forward. Many of them have so much padding that they can make up the entire hour (provided everything else goes smoothly). That was the case with both the Builders and the Starlights (both ways) over the weekend, which easily reached their endpoints on time. It just goes to show how pessimistic Amtrak and the host railroads are when they calculate the regular timetable.

They won't run an hour late(r than however they're running at 1:59 am) because they'll hold at the next station until the departure time in the timetable.

That's true for the fall when clocks are turned back. My comment referred to when clocks are set forward.

Oops.