Yearly Crescent trackwork truncation to Atlanta 2014

[Ryan]

This has been happening for years.

The train can't run, the tracks are closed.

The short notice is likely due to NS not setting their schedule until now.

 

[henryj]

Greyhound shows four departures in each direction so Amtrak could easily run a connecting thruway bus as it has on many other routes on many other occasions.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I don't care how little ridership is between those two points. The train should continue to run. I think it is a slippery slope to allow this portion of the Amtrak system to shut down. It is going to set a precedence and quite possibly allow the portion of this route to be terminated indefinably.

I for one,am Happy that NS continues to do Trackwork on their Routes to Improve and Maintain their Tracks so Amtrak doesn't have to run the Crescent on Slow Orders/Reduced Speeds all the way from ATL-NOL like happens on so many other Routes and Roads!

I Also Think that Amtrak could do a Much Better Job when it comes to Customer Notifications when Situations like this arise and also Possibly Provide Bustittutions M-TH from NOL-ATL/ATL-NOL (Since it's a Day Trip) when the Crescents are Running NYP-ATL Only!

If the Problem of Where to Store Cut Out Cars in ATL can be Solved Look for Amtrak to Start Dropping @ Least a Sleeper and Possibly the Diner and a Coach during Slow Periods! This is Because of a Shortage of Money and Low Ridership between NOL and ATL! In Effect the Crescent Would become a Stub Train between NOL-ATL during these Slow Periods! The Ridership between ATL and NYP is Much Stronger, Most Days it is Cheaper to Ride NOL-NYP than it is ATL-NYP!!! :huh:

 

[Ryan]

Greyhound shows four departures in each direction so Amtrak could easily run a connecting thruway bus as it has on many other routes on many other occasions.

The post I responded to said nothing about buses. If Amtrak can work them out, great.

But "just run the train" and "this means that the route will be truncated to ATL" are not valid.

 

[haolerider]

I don't care how little ridership is between those two points. The train should continue to run. I think it is a slippery slope to allow this portion of the Amtrak system to shut down. It is going to set a precedence and quite possibly allow the portion of this route to be terminated indefinably.

I for one,am Happy that NS continues to do Trackwork on their Routes to Improve and Maintain their Tracks so Amtrak doesn't have to run the Crescent on Slow Orders/Reduced Speeds all the way from ATL-NOL like happens on so many other Routes and Roads!
I Also Think that Amtrak could do a Much Better Job when it comes to Customer Notifications when Situations like this arise and also Possibly Provide Bustittutions M-TH from NOL-ATL/ATL-NOL (Since it's a Day Trip) when the Crescents are Running NYP-ATL Only!

If the Problem of Where to Store Cut Out Cars in ATL can be Solved Look for Amtrak to Start Dropping @ Least a Sleeper and Possibly the Diner and a Coach during Slow Periods! This is Because of a Shortage of Money and Low Ridership between NOL and ATL! In Effect the Crescent Would become a Stub Train between NOL-ATL during these Slow Periods! The Ridership between ATL and NYP is Much Stronger, Most Days it is Cheaper to Ride NOL-NYP than it is ATL-NYP!!! :huh:

Actually, Amtrak dropped cars in ATL in years past, based on low ridership, so that is already part of the history of the route. The cost of uncoupling, having an engine and engineer made this a very costly practice, plus there is no track space. It was possible in the past since Amtrak carried mail and the post office came to,the storage track to pick up mail and a coach cleaner attended to,the dropped cars. That track space is no longer available.

The NS work has been going on for the past 7-8 years so it is not a new process. I am surprised that this has generated so many comments, since it has not been an issue previously!

 

[cassie225]

Well if we got on the bus it would be shorter-since NOL to ATL is about 6-7 hours. But the bus is not as comfy as the train-cramped seats,underwear falling on your head from overhead luggage storage(it happened)and people touching people they don't know-bus driver had to make an announcement about that. And I was only going from Orlando to Lakeland,Fla. it took me all of 4 hours. I could have drove it in 1 hour-but wanted that bus experience.My only complaint on this NOL to ATL route is driving from Birmingham to ATL is approx. 2 hours-why is it 6 on the train. But an enjoyable 6-I eat,watch movies,sleep,have wine,entertaining conversation and enjoy the experience once I come to grips with the fact that I will be on the train for over 20 hours. So if its truncated for maintenance and I have other options,so be it.Just a side question here-whats the longest wait time sitting on a runway waiting to take off?

 

[Nathanael]

Are there really so few railroad tracks that it's impossible to route trains around these issues?

Yes, unfortunately. The US railroad network has been stripped down waaaaay too much since the 1950s and there's almost no detour routes, except in a few places like Chicago.

 

[Nathanael]

Just a side question here-whats the longest wait time sitting on a runway waiting to take off?

I remember sitting for over 6 hours on a runway waiting to take off, for an international flight. JFK was really really backed up. The plane had to get out of the queue to refuel.

 

[Nathanael]

Sadly, the solution to the problems Atlanta-Birmingham would have been to run the train over the ex-SAL -- a far better-built route than NS. The Southern Crescent sometimes detoured over the ex-SAL and arrived early. CSX abandoned much of the route in 1988.

And if this were North Carolina and Virginia, there would be a big plan to rebuild the ex-SAL route as a passenger-exclusive high speed route... http://www.sehsr.org/ But this is Georgia and Mississippi, so there isn't.

 

[Nathanael]

Greyhound shows four departures in each direction so Amtrak could easily run a connecting thruway bus as it has on many other routes on many other occasions.

It's true, setting up connecting bus service is the right thing to do. Especially since the buses will be faster than the train.

 

[Nathanael]

Sadly, the solution to the problems Atlanta-Birmingham would have been to run the train over the ex-SAL -- a far better-built route than NS. The Southern Crescent sometimes detoured over the ex-SAL and arrived early. CSX abandoned much of the route in 1988.

Out of curiosity, is the the route through Raglan, Mississippi, which is operated by a short line from there as far as Birmingham? Or some other route?

 

[xyzzy]

I don't know where Raglan, Miss. is and I can't find it. But the answer is No. Going west, the SAL ended at Birmingham.

 

[Guest]

I will say one thing NS and Amtrak may agree to cancel the Crescent during track work but the intermodals and other highpriority freight trains are still running. Usually the crews work until enough freight backs up around the work site then stop to allow the freight through.

As far as the problem south of ATL, set the train up like the Lakeshore limited where you have 1 sleeper, 1 cafe and X coaches. Then at ATL block off all but the sleeper, cafe, coaches section for reservations. Then tow the ATL-NYP section to Birmingham to wait for the northbound to pick it back up. The train could be cleaned between ATL and BHM and the Sleepers and diners prepared BHM to ATL to start taking on passengers. While in BHM supplies could be loaded and unloaded, trash dumped, sewage dumped, etc. Some things like potable water, sewage system, etc would be required, but would be much easier and cheaper than constructing new track and facilities in ATL.

 

[Ryan]

ATL needs a new station anyways.

 

[xyzzy]

ATL will get one, I think. Hope I live long enough to see it. Should solve the problem of disrupting the main line, but I don't know that it will provide a house track for car storage or maintenance.

 

[haolerider]

I will say one thing NS and Amtrak may agree to cancel the Crescent during track work but the intermodals and other highpriority freight trains are still running. Usually the crews work until enough freight backs up around the work site then stop to allow the freight through.

As far as the problem south of ATL, set the train up like the Lakeshore limited where you have 1 sleeper, 1 cafe and X coaches. Then at ATL block off all but the sleeper, cafe, coaches section for reservations. Then tow the ATL-NYP section to Birmingham to wait for the northbound to pick it back up. The train could be cleaned between ATL and BHM and the Sleepers and diners prepared BHM to ATL to start taking on passengers. While in BHM supplies could be loaded and unloaded, trash dumped, sewage dumped, etc. Some things like potable water, sewage system, etc would be required, but would be much easier and cheaper than constructing new track and facilities in ATL.

As mentioned before, to drop cars and resupply, clean, etc you need crews, an engine mechanical crews to dump the sewage, service the cars and a commissary to restock the diner,plus you need the time to reconnect the dropped cars. This all adds additional expense. ATL does not have this capability, nor does BHM. It all sounds good on paper, but when you do a financial analysis, it makes no sense at all. NOL has mechanical crews, a commissary and the space to take care of all the details.

 

[jphjaxfl]

I believe I heard that it was more cost effective to run the Crescent daily from Atlanta to New Orleans than to maintain a crew base in Atlanta when the train ran thrice weekly to New Orleans. I lived in Atlanta when that was happening and used to see the Crescent cars in Atlanta when I would go by on Marta. They had a trailer that was the crew base for the cleaning crew. Atlanta needs more passenger train service - not less. A good portion of the Atlanta population does not know that Amtrak exists or where the train station is.