Amtrak cancellations and delays 2025

[MARC Rider]

The highs for Minot, ND for the 18th and 19th are forecast to be -11F and -12F.

I rode through Minot on the Empire Builder in 2007, and the temperature was -11 F. We were running on time, no problem, below zero weather all the way into Havre.

 

[MARC Rider]

The P- 42

IMO the many loco failures are not being disclosed for whatever reason. Brightline does seem to have fewer failures, but the engine cycles of the diesel are probably much less due to track mostly level without many slow sections. As well, maybe not as much time for prime movers operating at max HP?

Also note the Brightline operates in Florida, where it very, very rarely goes below freezing.

 

[Rasputin]

Link to a commentary on Amtrak cancellations and issues in Railway Age written by a retired professional railroader:

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/amtrak-cancellations-more-than-just-weather/

 

[Steve's Wanderlust]

Link to a commentary on Amtrak cancellations and issues in Railway Age written by a retired professional railroader:

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/amtrak-cancellations-more-than-just-weather/

While ultimately speculative that conmentary illuminates the situation well. I'm only 41 years old, but I consider Amtrak's reaction here to be a degradation of the general view of our human possibilities in winter. Though I see a lot more folks up here in MN wearing light to no coats & certainly rare are hats/gloves for a great many these days. Seems many average folk living in the upper midwest are too distracted in their daily lives to protect themselves from the cold. Amtrak avoids liability in many cases, it could be these folks are part of it.

 

[Boa]

40 running 8 hours late leaving Jacksonville. I’m really hoping it’s not 301 having issues.

 

[diesteldorf]

I rode through Minot on the Empire Builder in 2007, and the temperature was -11 F. We were running on time, no problem, below zero weather all the way into Havre.

Forgive my ignorance, because I've probably ridden the Empire Builder 100+ times and the new Borealis around 10, but is the engine(s) on the Borealis very different than the Siemens charger on the EB?

I am assuming the equipment on the Borealis is newer and the temperatures are not as cold in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois as they are in Montana or North Dakota.

Are they more reluctant to cancel the Borealis since it is the shiny new train....?

 

[John Bredin]

The linked article doesn't make the slightest acknowledgement of the different PR/media environment.

40 years ago, if something went wrong with a passenger train due to the weather, it would possibly make the newspapers, maybe as a wire-service paragraph in most papers outside the affected communities. Even if there were deaths or significant injuries, or the matter lasted days instead of hours, it was unlikely to be more than a blurb on television news because there wouldn't be any eye-catching video of the train at issue, only stock footage of trains and weather.

40 years ago, nobody was calling their families or friends from stranded trains to give live descriptions of worsening washrooms and food supplies or dwindling fuel for heat. After they got to safety, they may have called their friends and families very briefly on a payphone to say they were OK now.

40 years ago, an incident might lead to an official investigation if, again, there were deaths or significant injuries or the incident stretched on unduly. And while some politicians have always grandstanded, they were unlikely then to come into an investigation with a particular axe to grind. We hadn't yet gotten to the point where freight railroads vs. Amtrak was a political parable of capitalism vs. socialism, or busy ants vs. lazy grasshoppers, or the like.

(Of which the linked article has definite undertones: the author can imagine various reasons why Amtrak is the sole cause of weather cancellations but makes no mention of hosting freight railroads "rationalizing" their workforces and maintenance resources in the last 40 years.)

Now, if something goes wrong with a passenger train for any reason, almost everyone will call or text their friends and relatives unless they're in a signal-less area. Some will send pictures of litter-strewn washrooms, or their cup of Amstew, or passengers in winter gear inside the cars.

And a couple of dozen passengers will post lurid social media posts to their followers before an Amtrak spokesperson in Washington or Chicago can put on his jacket to meet with the media. Regardless of the weather, it will be Amtrak's fault in their accounts.

And those social media posts will be gleefully reposted by politicians and social media figures who hold up Amtrak as an example of everything wrong with government.