Amtrak delays 2023 H2 - 2024

[west point]

A similar incident took place in the same area a few years back involving utility power line falling on the catenary which shut down the NEC for a while, until the mess was cleared. I wonder if this occurred at the same location.

You may be referring to the incident where a vehicle hit a utility pole. The pole was on the east side of the NEC and was supporting a commercial power line crossing the NEC over the CAT. The pole did not have any guy wires to keep it from leaning toward the tracks. The utility line(s) sagged and shorted out the CAT, Several posts mentioned that Amtrak should require all utility lines whether electrical . telephone, cable be required to bury their cables under the NEC tracks. There was some speculation that PRR, PC, or CR might have let the utilities to string above the CAT.

 

[west point]

Separate post:
Amtrak for some reason which is not yet clear had a failure of power to the SSY CAT at sometime after about 1330h on Monday. Here is a list of Crescent delays for which is schedule to leave NYP at 1415h. Another black eye on Amtrak. Wonder if it was the static inverter for 25 hZ or a commercial power failure?
_
_ 08/05/24 2:20pm EDT
_ Delay Notification: As of 2:19 PM ET Crescent Train 19 scheduled
_ to depart New York (NYP) on 8/5 is delayed departing New
_ York (NYP) due to a power outage in the train yard which
_ has delayed the arrival of the train into the station. We
_ will provide updates as information becomes available.
_
_ 08/05/24 4:45pm EDT
_ Service Update: As of 4:35 PM ET Crescent Train 19 scheduled
_ to depart New York (NYP) on 8/5 remains delayed due to the
_ late release of equipment from the train yard stemming from
_ an earlier power outage that has been resolved. We sincerely
_ appreciate your continued patience and will provide updates
_ as information becomes available.
_
_ 08/05/24 5:26pm EDT
_ Service Update: As of 5:22 PM ET Crescent Train 19 scheduled
_ to depart New York (NYP) on 8/5 remains delayed due to the
_ late release of equipment from the train yard stemming from
_ an earlier power outage that has been resolved. A 6:00 PM
_ departure is anticipated. This time is subject to change.
_ We sincerely appreciate your continued patience and will
_ provide updates as information becomes available.
_
_ 08/05/24 6:20pm EDT
_ Service Update: As of 6:12 PM ET Crescent Train 19 scheduled
_ to depart New York (NYP) on 8/5 has departed operating approx.3hrs
_ 40mins late. We sincerely appreciate your continued patience
_ and apologize for the lengthy delay incurred during your
_ travels.
_
_ 08/05/24 7:14pm EDT
_ Service Update: As of 7:07 PM ET Crescent Train 19 scheduled
_ to depart New York (NYP) on 8/5 will hold in Trenton (TRE)
_ to account for new crew members that are scheduled to arrive
_ at approx. 7:30 PM. We appreciate your continued patience
_ and will provide updates as information becomes available.
_
_ 08/05/24 7:58pm EDT
_ Service Update: As of 7:48 PM ET Crescent Train 19 scheduled
_ to depart New York (NYP) on 8/5 continues to hold in Trenton
_ (TRE) to account for a new crew member that is scheduled
_ to arrive at approx. 8:15 PM. We appreciate your continued
_ patience and will provide updates as information becomes
_ available.
_
_ 08/05/24 8:27pm EDT
_ Service Update: As of 8:20 PM ET Crescent Train 19 scheduled
_ to depart New York (NYP) on 8/5 continues to hold in Trenton
_ (TRE) to account for a new crew member that is scheduled
_ to arrive at approx. 8:40 PM. We appreciate your continued
_ patience and will provide updates as information becomes
_ available.
_
_ 08/05/24 8:57pm EDT
_ Service Resumption: As of 8:55 PM ET the crew member is
_ accounted for and Crescent Train 19 which departed New York
_ (NYP) on 8/5 is now operating approx.5hrs 30mins late. We
_ sincerely appreciate your continued patience and apologize
_ for the lengthy delay incurred during your travels.

 

[Sauve850]

Sitting in Metropolitan Lounge at CUS. My train is Cap Limited later this evening. So far as of 2pm train 21 Eagle, 5 CZ and 3 Chief are all delayed with no explanations?? A packed lounge of unhappy people.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Oh dear let’s hope it’s not another computer glitch. They have been at least two times when the PTC system would fail to log in and the FRA preexisting policy is the PTC must be working prior to leaving terminal.

 

[frequentflyer]

3,5 and 21 are on the move about an hour or later late.

 

[WWW]

All 3 trains delayed due to late release from yard - - -


_ 09/05/24 3:43pm EDT
_ As of 2:36 PM CT Service Update: Southwest Chief Train 3
_ scheduled to depart Chicago (CHI) on 9/5 will be delayed
_ departing Chicago (CHI) due to the late release of equipment
_ from the train yard. A 2:55 departure is anticipated. This
_ time is subject to change. We appreciate your patience and
_ will provide updates as information becomes available.



_
_ 09/05/24 4:16pm EDT
_ As of 3:06 PM CT Service Update: California Zephyr Train
_ 5 scheduled to depart Chicago (CHI) on 9/5 is delayed departing
_ Chicago (CHI) due to the late release of equipment from
_ the train yard. A 3:30 departure time is anticipated. This
_ time is subject to change. We appreciate your patience and
_ will provide updates as information becomes available.




_ 09/05/24 3:42pm EDT
_ As of 2:41 PM CT Service Update: Texas Eagle Train 21 scheduled
_ to depart Chicago (CHI) on 9/5 is delayed departing Chicago
_ (CHI) due to the late release of equipment from the train
_ yard. A 3:00 departure time is anticipated. This time is
_ subject to change. We appreciate your patience and will
_ provide updates as information becomes available.

 

[Harmon Shay]

These Amtrak delay explanations really need to be more forthcoming. The fact that some of them tell long-distance passengers that Amtrak appreciates their patience during their "commute" is a pretty strong sign that the folks writing the explanations don't know enough about trains.

 

[WWW]

All 3 trains delayed due to late release from yard - - -


_ 09/05/24 3:43pm EDT
_ As of 2:36 PM CT Service Update: Southwest Chief Train 3
_ scheduled to depart Chicago (CHI) on 9/5 will be delayed
_ departing Chicago (CHI) due to the late release of equipment
_ from the train yard. A 2:55 departure is anticipated. This
_ time is subject to change. We appreciate your patience and
_ will provide updates as information becomes available.



_
_ 09/05/24 4:16pm EDT
_ As of 3:06 PM CT Service Update: California Zephyr Train
_ 5 scheduled to depart Chicago (CHI) on 9/5 is delayed departing
_ Chicago (CHI) due to the late release of equipment from
_ the train yard. A 3:30 departure time is anticipated. This
_ time is subject to change. We appreciate your patience and
_ will provide updates as information becomes available.




_ 09/05/24 3:42pm EDT
_ As of 2:41 PM CT Service Update: Texas Eagle Train 21 scheduled
_ to depart Chicago (CHI) on 9/5 is delayed departing Chicago
_ (CHI) due to the late release of equipment from the train
_ yard. A 3:00 departure time is anticipated. This time is
_ subject to change. We appreciate your patience and will
_ provide updates as information becomes available.

I found the info about these trains from:

http://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/getmap.pl?mapname=West

Note the geographic area is mainly in the West - - -
In the upper right corner find an image of the lower 48
Click on the area of your search - - -

Then click on the train number for more details - - -
You will be presented with 3 options:

Map - click on this for location status of your train - zoom in/out for more detail
if there is a delay schedule fault - schroll to the bottom for any delay information about that delay service disruption and of course the customary apology innuendo #%&*

Details - click on this for time data information

Unformatted detail - a different way of expressing time/data

The website uses color coded - green on time - yellow late - red very late and
black you don't want to be on that train !

 

[JuniusLivonius]

Yesterday morning and afternoon (9/25) sure sounded fun.


https://asm.transitdocs.com/train/2024/09/25/A/51

Amtrak #51 broke its pantographs near Rahway at 7:15AM... a few interesting radio things I recorded...

6:56AM - #3818 inspected pantograph at Metropark and reported chips in the carbon strip on the rear pantograph. Engineer reported the last pantograph inspection at Metuchen so it seemed like they only made a determination at Metropark after taking another look.

(#3818 departs Trenton at 6:11AM so I doubt this is related to anything else but it was 20 minutes before everything else)

6:59AM - #3708 told to inspect catenary Metuchen - Metropark

I believe #3710 comes in as X375 (employee deadhead from NY - scheduled arrival at County/Jersey Ave at 7:01AM)
X375 passes Union at 6:25AM by schedule, however extra NJ Transit trains have unpredictable schedule adherence and are often padded.

7:00AM - #3710 to NJT County mechanical - car 1516 "middle of the train" is dead

7:10AM - #3710 ready off the branch, 12 multiple units (Jersey Ave)

7:14AM - #3708 reports no exceptions to catenary

The above information is speculatively relevant. I don't ultimately know if it's related but it seems interesting, especially with X375-#3710.

7:15AM - Amtrak #51 tries contacting CETC-9 (2 or 3 times)

7:15:45AM - Amtrak #51 reports broken pantograph alarm coming through Union track 3 (Rahway)

7:17:00AM - Amtrak #51 reports train stopped (can't hear location)

7:17:30AM - #3708 ordered to stop

7:18AM - #3708 told to inspect catenary on track 3 (from 1)

7:19AM - #51 reports pantograph ripped in half

7:22AM - #51 reports other pantograph broken and says they're just east of Roads

7:22:30AM - NJT #3505 reports "something on track 3 hanging below the contact wire around 18.75"

7:27AM - X377 ordered to operate AMT-2 2.601 between Elmora and Iselin

7:26AM - X377 to rescue passengers from #51 track 3 to 4

7:44AM - KN720 (daily, morning maintenance train from Adams Yard) is ready to depart / "[interference] you're [who?] not going to be doing the passenger transfer off of 51"

7:45AM - KN720 will be rescuing #51 but will be held until ET (Electric Traction) approval (although they left a minute later anyway)

7:59AM - Passenger transfer complete

I don't care to sort the rest of radio communications as I was only interested how it started. I'm not trying to analyze the delay itself unless someone is curious.

So was this actually another Arrow III disaster but nobody realized it? I wonder why #3710 had a "dead car" and whether X375 is the same trainset coming in. Pantograph damage (by rule?) is supposed to be followed up by some sort of lookback into the territory which the train had covered and into all trains that had previously traveled through there. I don't think #3710 reported pantograph damage.







https://asm.transitdocs.com/train/2024/09/25/A/133

Amtrak 133 derailed leaving Track 10 at Penn Station - transitdocs states it departed 1:57PM (sourced from Amtrak data) and a location point also appeared at 3:50PM in Sunnyside. I have no idea why there's a location point in New Jersey when the train shouldn't have gotten that far.

 

[west point]

Despite all the rain Amtrak # 20(28) left NOL on time and only had one station arrival at 13 minutes late. Arrived early at ATL. However it is waiting probably for a crew due to no # 19 arrived ATL SAturday.

 

[west point]

Once again Amtrak says screw the passengers. NS Pearl rive draw has failed an inspection. Between Slidell and Picayune. Trains 19 (19/30) terminated at Meridian. Took 4 buses to carry passengers to New Orleans. Why Amtrak just cancelled 19 and 20 south of Atlanta. Now why not bus passengers and OBS from NOL to MEI and originate 20 at MEI? Maintenance and cleaning crews could have been sent to MEI to turn the equipment. Run 19 to MEI as well.

Have no idea what NS is going to do with freight to / from NOL.

 

[west point]

Fire department delays on NEC today Oct 14.

Delays between Philadelphia 30th st (PHL) and Wilmington (WIL)

October 14, 2024 05:30 PM

Trains traveling between Philadelphia 30th st (PHL) and Wilmington (WIL) are experiencing delays due to fire department activity. Authorities have placed a hold on all tracks in the area. We are on standby, awaiting crews and authorities to determine an estimated time for operations to resume. Customers traveling in the impacted area should expect delays of at least 60 minutes. This delay time has the potential to increase as we are awaiting additional details from the scene. We will post updates as they become available. We appreciate your patience as we work through this unforeseen service disruption.
Customers with reservations on affected trains will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day. Amtrak will waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling our reservation center at 1-800-USA-RAIL or utilizing our self-service options.
Follow us on X for real-time service information:
• @AmtrakNECAlerts for service information in the Northeast Corridor (Acela, Northeast Regional, and other corridor services).
• @AmtrakAlerts for service information outside the Northeast Corridor.
Subscribe at Amtrak.com/DelayAlerts to receive automated email or text message notifications if Amtrak trains are behind schedule at specific stations.
This information is correct as of the time and date above. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant.

 

[Cal]

11 (18) was delayed for 90 minutes south of SLO due to a rocket launch. That's the first time I've seen that.

 

[Bob Dylan]

11 (18) was delayed for 90 minutes south of SLO due to a rocket launch. That's the first time I've seen that.

Doesn't happen aa much as it used to due to all the New Launches going on @ other places!

 

[west point]

These airline penalties could almost be written word for word tp apply to Amtrak and bus companies.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/ne...&cvid=7d2825047de942099f21ff6d5582b977&ei=115

 

[JuniusLivonius]

New Jersey elected officials, transit leaders address Amtrak repairs
Shared October 23, 2024


New Jersey elected officials, transit leaders address Amtrak repairs
Shared October 23, 2024


Amtrak and NJ Transit discuss service improvements with NJ lawmakers
Shared October 23, 2024


NJ Spotlight News: October 24, 2024
Shared October 24, 2024


I eagerly await the November report on catenary issues. Or signal issues. Or something else, who knows until it's out?

 

[alanh]

3(1) had this delay notification.

Delay Notification: As of 2:38 PM MT Train 3 is currently experiencing a delay west of Las Vegas (LSV) due to rail congestion in the area.

I thought Amtrak is the only one using the Raton line.

 

[Harmon Shay]

Unless there's maybe some kind of local freight or work train up there that broke down on the single track. That would cause rail congestion, I guess. Train 4 should have been long gone by then, I think. That would be the only other thing to cause congestion. I just wish the folks that wrote these delay notifications knew more about trains. And I wish they'd stop with the rather overdone apologies.

 

[west point]

Hell Gate line shut down again this time a substation fire.

Service Disruption on the Northeast Corridor
November 12, 2024 11:00 PM


Amtrak service between New York Penn Station (NYP) and New Haven (NHV) remains suspended in both directions due to a previous fire east of New York Penn Station (NYP). Amtrak personnel are currently assessing and repairing damages done to the tracks. The estimated time for normal operations to resume is 11/13/2024 at approximately 2 pm. Amtrak is communicating directly with impacted customers about this service interruption and offering options for rebooking their travel plans. Check the Amtrak.com Train Status page for specific train details.

Customers traveling between New York and New Haven are encouraged to utilize Metro-North Railroad services as they are honoring Amtrak tickets due to the current service disruption. Customers will need to board Metro-North Railroad services at New York Grand Central Station. Unfortunately, customers will need to find their means of transportation from New York Penn Station (NYP) to New York Grand Central Station.

New York Grand Central Station is located at 89 E 42nd Street, New York City, NY 10017-5503.

Customers with reservations on affected trains will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day. Amtrak will waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling our reservation center at 1-800-USA-RAIL.

Follow us on X for real-time service information:
• @AmtrakNECAlerts for service information in the Northeast Corridor (Acela, Northeast Regional, and other corridor services).
• @AmtrakAlerts for service information outside the Northeast Corridor.

Subscribe at Amtrak.com/DelayAlerts to receive automated email or text message notifications if Amtrak trains are behind schedule at specific stations.

This information is correct as of the time and date above. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant.

 

[MARC Rider]

Hell Gate line shut down again this time a substation fire.

Service Disruption on the Northeast Corridor
November 12, 2024 11:00 PM


Amtrak service between New York Penn Station (NYP) and New Haven (NHV) remains suspended in both directions due to a previous fire east of New York Penn Station (NYP). Amtrak personnel are currently assessing and repairing damages done to the tracks. The estimated time for normal operations to resume is 11/13/2024 at approximately 2 pm. Amtrak is communicating directly with impacted customers about this service interruption and offering options for rebooking their travel plans. Check the Amtrak.com Train Status page for specific train details.

Customers traveling between New York and New Haven are encouraged to utilize Metro-North Railroad services as they are honoring Amtrak tickets due to the current service disruption. Customers will need to board Metro-North Railroad services at New York Grand Central Station. Unfortunately, customers will need to find their means of transportation from New York Penn Station (NYP) to New York Grand Central Station.

New York Grand Central Station is located at 89 E 42nd Street, New York City, NY 10017-5503.

Customers with reservations on affected trains will typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day. Amtrak will waive additional charges for customers looking to change their reservation during the modified schedule by calling our reservation center at 1-800-USA-RAIL.

Follow us on X for real-time service information:
• @AmtrakNECAlerts for service information in the Northeast Corridor (Acela, Northeast Regional, and other corridor services).
• @AmtrakAlerts for service information outside the Northeast Corridor.

Subscribe at Amtrak.com/DelayAlerts to receive automated email or text message notifications if Amtrak trains are behind schedule at specific stations.

This information is correct as of the time and date above. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant.

Does this mean they will be running trains between New Haven and Boston? If you're taking a through train, will you be able to get off at NY Penn, get over to Grand Central, take Metro-North to New Haven, and then get on Amtrak to Boston? Will you need to check in with somebody at New York Penn to let the people in New Haven know you're on the way, or do you just show up at New Haven?

 

[B&Ofan]

It looks like they will have things open again at 2pm today (Wednesday Nov 13). I'm glad as I am heading into NYP tomorrow.

 

[PRR 60]

Pretty spectacular explosion. Whenever there is a hissing noise coming from a power substation, something bad is about to happen.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Does this mean they will be running trains between New Haven and Boston? If you're taking a through train, will you be able to get off at NY Penn, get over to Grand Central, take Metro-North to New Haven, and then get on Amtrak to Boston? Will you need to check in with somebody at New York Penn to let the people in New Haven know you're on the way, or do you just show up at New Haven?

They were running trains between BOS & NHV