#5 (11) Held up by flooding in Colorado

[maxiwess]

I am a first time traveler on Amtrak also. We are scheduled to leave Lincoln at 12:00 AM Sunday to travel to Reno. How will they route us? Any ideas?

 

[eblkheart]

RIght now I they can't do a bus bridge unless it goes through another way out in the rural areas. Parts of HWY 85 is closed to commercial traffic as well. The interstate is shutdown both ways because of flooding and flooding over took parts of the interstate. Here's the current closings of the interstate closings for the N/S I-25:

[SIZE=10pt]• I-25 southbound from Wyoming border to SH 402
• I-25 northbound from State Highway (SH) 7 to SH 14
• I-25 northbound /southbound ramps to State Highway 119[/SIZE]

This is all what I can tell you on the conditions around here.

Just saw this from Train Magazine, which backs up what I just said:

Eastbound and westbound sections of Amtrak’s California Zephyr continue to be diverted around much of the deluged area between Salt Lake City and Cheyenne, using Union Pacific’s Overland Route. Observers say a bus bridge between Cheyenne and Denver for Zephyr passengers remains doubtful because Interstate 25, which connects the cities, has also been shuttered by flood waters.

 

[Nathanael]

Apparently, according to something I found somewhere, the "Brush Line" (BNSF from Denver eastward) has flooding as well. I would love to know what Amtrak is actually doing. Running east from Cheyenne on UP to Omaha, perhaps?

 

[Kay]

I am traveling out of Denver to Chicago tonight and was told by Amtrak that there was not a rerouting through Cheyenne that will occur for eastboud travelers (only westbound travelers affected). Is that because Train 5 that was halted here and could not go any further west and is being turned around and departing for Chicago from Denver? Getting any good answers from Amtrak website has proved to be impossible and travelers are not being kept up to date. Thanks much.

 

[eblkheart]

Thanks for the update. Makes me wonder if they are stopping at Denver for now. It's a mess out here.

 

[getbent]

The roads are all closed from Colorado to Cheyenne. There is flooding on I-25, preventing a bus from even getting to Cheyenne.

http://www.reporterherald.com/news/colorado/ci_24087174/interstate-25-is-closed-loveland-and-fort-collins

I'll second the statement- it's a mess out here!

 

[Kay]

I just got off the train from Amtrak and was told that the train leaving out of Denver tonight to Chicago will not be impacted by the flooding. It is the travelers that need to get to Denver by being routed around because that are going to experience disruptions.

 

[Kay]

Good grief. Should have proofed my posting before hitting Reply. What I meant to say was:

I just got off the phone with Amtrak and was told that the train leaving out of Denver tonight to Chicago will not be impacted by the flooding. It is the travelers that need to get to Denver by being routed around because of the flooding that are going to experience disruptions. I was assured that there were no disruptions with Train 6 California Zephyr leaving Denver tonight.

 

[eblkheart]

Trains Magazine has an update in regards to Amtrak (And Colorado as a whole):

As of 11 a.m. Friday, Amtrak is detouring both the eastbound and westbound California Zephyr via Union Pacific’s Overland Route through Green River, Wyo., and Ogden, Utah, but is accepting reservations for Saturday and later over the regular route through the Moffat Tunnel.

The detour began Thursday, but owing to a Union Pacific track outage north of Denver, passengers from westbound train No. 5 were bussed to Cheyenne, Wyo., where the equipment of eastbound train No. 6 was turned to accept passengers as train No. 5. That westbound Zephyr departed Salt Lake City this morning more than 7 hours late, but is set to continue to Emeryville so it can be properly serviced.

Source article updated moment ago

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

5 (11) is a disaster! The train is over 6 hours late! It won't get into EMY until about 10:00 PM! The CZ has really been running into a slew of delays recently.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

With more rain forecast for the impacted area through at least Sunday (9/15) it could be a few days before things start to return to some sort of normalcy.

 

[jis]

Actually some would consider the 5(11) is lucky to be getting to EMY at all!

 

[zephyr17]

5 (11) is a disaster! The train is over 6 hours late! It won't get into EMY until about 10:00 PM! The CZ has really been running into a slew of delays recently.

6 hours is actually pretty good considering what's going on. I've been on more than my share of trains that are 10-14 hours late. You learn to like Dinty Moore.

 

[eblkheart]

With some of the damage I have seen on the rail system here, it's going to be awhile before anything near normal.

 

[chakk]

I am traveling out of Denver to Chicago tonight and was told by Amtrak that there was not a rerouting through Cheyenne that will occur for eastboud travelers (only westbound travelers affected). Is that because Train 5 that was halted here and could not go any further west and is being turned around and departing for Chicago from Denver? Getting any good answers from Amtrak website has proved to be impossible and travelers are not being kept up to date. Thanks much.

I think you are correct. The westbound train that went to Denver could neither go west through Colorado or north to Cheyenne, then west to California, due to track damage from rockslides and flooding. So its equipment will now go east from Denver back to Chicago.

 

[pdxjim]

My cousin was bussed from Denver to Cheyenne, got to see the old Cheyenne depot (had never been to Wyoming). He is having a blast and doesn't care if there is a six hour delay. He is connecting in Sacramento to the Coast Starlight and if you have ever done that connection, it is usually a 10 1/2 hour wait.

A soccer team bailed in Denver and flew out and about 50 people threw up their hands and left the train saying "never again".

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

5 (11) is a disaster! The train is over 6 hours late! It won't get into EMY until about 10:00 PM! The CZ has really been running into a slew of delays recently.

6 hours is actually pretty good considering what's going on. I've been on more than my share of trains that are 10-14 hours late. You learn to like Dinty Moore.

You bet I've been on massive delays too! But 6 hours is quite a lot of the CZ, which is usually on-time or close to it.

A possibility might be to try a US Route 85 bustitute to get to Cheyenne a bit further east from Boulder. If all else fails, Amtrak could try bustituting along US 34 from FMG then US 85 north from Greeley to get to Cheyenne. Sure, it'll miss DEN, but it's better than nothing!

That is, if the flooding gets worse and no trains can take the Wyoming route at all.

 

[Mary Ann]

I'm in Truckee, California. The CZ that was due to arrive at 9:37 AM pulled in about 4 PM. Amtrak 800 staff say the disruption is over now and they expect tomorrow's CZ to arrive in Truckee early.

 

[EB Young]

The damage between Denver and Cheyenne is astounding - and is getting worse as the water from the mountains hits the bridges on I-25. The railroads are taking an enormous hit - we're talking more rain in a day than these areas typically have in a year - and the water from the South Platte river is still rising. Those of you on the Zephyr should be patient. I ride the train several times each year and I know that delays are very frustrating, but your delay is a very small thing compared to what is going on in the foothills. Those of you who have ridden the Zephyr west out of Denver know what the climb is like toward the Moffat tunnel and how many creeks and rivers it crosses. Imagine those areas with more water rushing through them than anyone alive has ever seen. That's the situation. If you can get to a computer and want an aerial view of part of your route, try http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/flood-devastation-in-weld-county

 

[Mary Ann]

The damage between Denver and Cheyenne is astounding - and is getting worse as the water from the mountains hits the bridges on I-25. The railroads are taking an enormous hit - we're talking more rain in a day than these areas typically have in a year - and the water from the South Platte river is still rising. Those of you on the Zephyr should be patient. I ride the train several times each year and I know that delays are very frustrating, but your delay is a very small thing compared to what is going on in the foothills. Those of you who have ridden the Zephyr west out of Denver know what the climb is like toward the Moffat tunnel and how many creeks and rivers it crosses. Imagine those areas with more water rushing through them than anyone alive has ever seen. That's the situation. If you can get to a computer and want an aerial view of part of your route, try http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/flood-devastation-in-weld-county

Good points re all the creeks and rivers west of Denver, and keeping it all in perspective. Delays are a minor inconvenience compared to drowning.

 

[pianocat]

I watched the video supplied by EB Young above, and am absolutely ASTOUNDED by the overwhelming devastation due to the floods in Colorado. That footage really makes it clear how massive this event is! I had to stop watching once I saw the closeup of the tethered horse that would surely by now have been swept away by the moving waters. Aside from the inconvenience of being stranded, please try to remember that it could have been much, much more disastrous for pax if CZ had been out IN the mountains when the slides began. I am so, so sorry for anyone affected by this natural disaster and wonder if there is any sort of fund to contribute to, similar to Storm Sandy last year. All be safe, and my thoughts are with people in the affected areas!!!

 

[The Davy Crockett]

...about 50 people threw up their hands and left the train saying "never again".

In light of the devastation that folks have pointed out so clearly in the above posts, the pax saying 'never again' and seemingly blaming Amtrak for this terrible event, which is quite obviously COMPLETELY out of Amtrak's control, makes those pax look... well... :wacko: :wacko: :wacko:

Unfortunately, such are the times we live in.

While I agree that Amtrak could probably have done a better job with communicating, a problem Amtrak seems to struggle with a lot, it sounds to me like Amtrak - and UP - have done a pretty darn good job under the circumstances!

 

[Guest_flaatlander]

From Colorado DOT "members of the public and media in Boulder, Larimer, Jefferson and Clear Creek Counties are recommended to avoid all travel on state highways and bridges unless absolutely essential."

"And media" -- seems that the county sherrifs and National Guard are using the few roads that aren't washed out - and every helicopter and boat they can find. Might explain the relative lack of national news stories. Weld county deputies - "no way to get to them" says Denver Post --

More rain likely through Sunday.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

Unfortunately, rains and flooding like this media-wise don't really reach the vast majority of this country. How many of you were aware or cared when Nashville and Middle Tennessee received similar record devastating rainfall, 100 year flooding, massive damage and lost of life in May 2010? Of course, Amtrak does not serve Nashville so obviously it wasn't discussed on this forum. I sympathize with the thousands of home owners, businesses, and others in the Boulder areas because lives are changed forever and the recovery take years. In Nashville, it was two years after the May 2010 flooding before many businesses reopened including the huge Opry Mills Shopping Center. Even Opryland Hotel took eight months to rebuild and open for business.

 

[NW cannonball]

Two things --

Amtrak and the UP - seem to have missed the worst of the disaster - partly because of the UP tracks not being in the worst of the flooding and washouts and landslides. Was that just luck or were the track design engineers a century and more ago more scared of floods and landslides? Built higher and safer? (I have no clue about track profiles and land profiles in Colorado) About Amtrak communication skills -- a fair to poor record, but seems they got passengers to where they wanted to be despite the floods - delayed, yes - drowned by falling into some gorge, no.

The floods - the danger was predicted well before it happened by the NWS-NOAA. The rain started early in the week. Colorado was warned and heeded the warnings. Without that advance warning of record-setting rains, flash floods and all there would be many more than the four fatalities so far. Gov Hickenlooper declared statewide disaster emergency Thursday Sep 12 morning, and the Feds followed later in the day.

The national media didn't notice much -- and maybe that was a good thing -- ( *$@ blathering -- idiots - bias bias bias - ambulance-chasing *$)% -- sorry) -- but it seems that Colorado was well-prepared for what turned out to be totally unprecedented rainfall -- like - a year's rain in two days some places. Seems that the counties and their National Guard and local volunteers are barely keeping up. Bless em.

There will be and already are thousands of families out of their homes and likely have to rebuild before they can return.

Repeat - this a major and unprecedented disaster for Colorado. Way far above any record rainfall in the last hundred years.