Amtrak delays

[Bob Dylan]

Thanks, PaTrainFan, for the reply and comment and you make a good point in your final sentence. I obviously do not know at what time 4(1) will ultimately arrive in CHI tomorrow morning in the AM, but if it were 3AM or 4AM or 5AM, would it not be good customer service to allow occupancy--if desired to 6 or 7AM or whatever--you get my drift. If you are a sleeping car passenger from LAX-CHI you have probably paid $1000 for your ticket and a perk like longer occupancy to soften the blow of a very late arrival would be, I think, reasonably good customer service and customer relations for the inconsistency. I make this statement to beg the question: Do you think Amtrak operations would consider an offering of this nature?? I am not going to attempt to answer my own inquiry.

Not with the current State of Amtraks Mismanagement !

 

[OBS]

Not with the current State of Amtraks Mismanagement !

Considering the equipment is going to turn for train 3 that afternoon, it is not going to happen.

 

[Bonser]

Amtrak hasn't shown the inclination to do so and likely would not, largely due to equipment and crew issues.

But when I was young and my family was on a very late original CZ (Burlington/Rio Grande/Western Pacific) we had a similar situation, arriving into Oakland in the wee morning hours and were permitted to stay on the train for a few extra hours.

Such considerate service no longer exists, evidently.

As noted before, it's not really practical in Emeryville.

 

[Asher]

Thanks, PaTrainFan, for the reply and comment and you make a good point in your final sentence. I obviously do not know at what time 4(1) will ultimately arrive in CHI tomorrow morning in the AM, but if it were 3AM or 4AM or 5AM, would it not be good customer service to allow occupancy--if desired to 6 or 7AM or whatever--you get my drift. If you are a sleeping car passenger from LAX-CHI you have probably paid $1000 for your ticket and a perk like longer occupancy to soften the blow of a very late arrival would be, I think, reasonably good customer service and customer relations for the inconsistency. I make this statement to beg the question: Do you think Amtrak operations would consider an offering of this nature?? I am not going to attempt to answer my own inquiry.

Sorry to say, rude as it is getting off loaded in the dark of the night, it would just compound the problem shutting things down so passengers can sleep in.
It’s unfortunate, for quite awhile when one books a trip on Amtrak, schedules have been fluctuating. The price of the tickets means nothing, you can’t buy time.

 

[Rasputin]

Years ago I was on a 12 hour late Zephyr into Emeryville. It was unfortnate because we missed the Rockies in daylight but saw the Great Salt Lake. Hey, I'm not against seeing the usually unseen countryside, even if it is unspectacular. The bad part was the Dinty Moore beef stew and arriving in Emeryville at 4 a.m. It is a shame they couldn't have allowed us to stay in our rooms for a couple more hours, but I realize they had to get the conist into the yard and clear the tracks and clock out the crew.

Obviously, culinary tastes are different but I voluntarily consume Dinty Moore beef stew several times a year at home and I have had it on a late Zephyr so it was just like being home. I certainly don't prefer it over the entrees on the western trains but on my 2019 trip on the Lake Shore under contemporary dining, I would have jumped at the chance to have the beef stew over the then breakfast and lunch entrees. I am told that flex dining food has since improved.

Do you recall if there was any Amtrak employee on duty at Emeryville at 4 a.m. to assist passengers? I recall arriving on a late Eastbound Zephyr at Denver at 2 a.m. once and I didn't see anyone there to assist passengers. Same with several 2 a.m. late arrivals of the eastbound Lake Shore at Boston. It's every person for themselves.

And I wonder if the coach cleaners were really waiting trackside at Oakland yard for your train at 4 a.m.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Obviously, culinary tastes are different but I voluntarily consume Dinty Moore beef stew several times a year at home and I have had it on a late Zephyr so it was just like being home. I certainly don't prefer it over the entrees on the western trains but on my 2019 trip on the Lake Shore under contemporary dining, I would have jumped at the chance to have the beef stew over the then breakfast and lunch entrees. I am told that flex dining food has since improved.

Do you recall if there was any Amtrak employee on duty at Emeryville at 4 a.m. to assist passengers? I recall arriving on a late Eastbound Zephyr at Denver at 2 a.m. once and I didn't see anyone there to assist passengers. Same with several 2 a.m. late arrivals of the eastbound Lake Shore at Boston. It's every person for themselves.

And I wonder if the coach cleaners were really waiting trackside at Oakland yard for your train at 4 a.m.

I honestly do not remember if there was staff in the station itself, but we high tailed it to the Ambus to take us to San Francisco. Fortunately, at the time there was a stop within a block of my favored hotel. Unfortunately, that stop does no longer exists. I am guessing that Amtrak was eager to get the crew off the clock when it arrived, never mind the fact they had been through the same wringer as us. I know the train was gone before the bus even left the station. I get that at many stations there may be logistical issues in allowing passengers to stay onboard. Just lamenting that is the case.

 

[trimetbusfan]

Looks like 5 (6) is making some amazing time. Just left Sacramento nearly an hour early. I think it’s been months since a zephyr has left Sacramento that early.

 

[JP1822]

Years ago I was on a 12 hour late Zephyr into Emeryville. It was unfortnate because we missed the Rockies in daylight but saw the Great Salt Lake. Hey, I'm not against seeing the usually unseen countryside, even if it is unspectacular. The bad part was the Dinty Moore beef stew and arriving in Emeryville at 4 a.m. It is a shame they couldn't have allowed us to stay in our rooms for a couple more hours, but I realize they had to get the conist into the yard and clear the tracks and clock out the crew.

It's largely known that if the westbound VIA Rail Canadian arrives into Vancouver, BC early (say 3AM, 4AM, 5AM, etc.) passengers are allowed to stay onboard and even have a sit-down breakfast in the Diner before disembarking. Course the onboard service assignments and even the T&E crew is vastly different if comparing Amtrak LD trains to VIA Rail LD trains.... Being on a 14+hour late eastbound Empire Builder earlier this year (by the time we pulled into Chicago), most sleeping car passengers (by Grand Forks, ND) bound for Chicago were hoping the train would either arrive by 11PM, or after 6AM. No one wanted to be dropped in at the original projected arrival of 3AM or 4AM, and hoped they would allow us to stay onboard till say 6 or 7AM if we did. Connections were missed and "what to do" and "what services would be provided at the hour of arrival" remained a mystery. Most were thankful we pulled in at 7AM, and thankfully red caps and baggage service met our train. We did get an abbreviated extra dinner onboard, but some snacks I had stuffed away also came in handy, including a bagel and granola bar to have for breakfast. Missed connections? Amtrak did their best to re-ticket us the day before for those that were continuing on east or south. I was shocked that this was done so proactively and conveniently by Fargo, ND.

 

[Bob Dylan]

It's largely known that if the westbound VIA Rail Canadian arrives into Vancouver, BC early (say 3AM, 4AM, 5AM, etc.) passengers are allowed to stay onboard and even have a sit-down breakfast in the Diner before disembarking. Course the onboard service assignments and even the T&E crew is vastly different if comparing Amtrak LD trains to VIA Rail LD trains.... Being on a 14+hour late eastbound Empire Builder earlier this year (by the time we pulled into Chicago), most sleeping car passengers (by Grand Forks, ND) bound for Chicago were hoping the train would either arrive by 11PM, or after 6AM. No one wanted to be dropped in at the original projected arrival of 3AM or 4AM, and hoped they would allow us to stay onboard till say 6 or 7AM if we did. Connections were missed and "what to do" and "what services would be provided at the hour of arrival" remained a mystery. Most were thankful we pulled in at 7AM, and thankfully red caps and baggage service met our train. We did get an abbreviated extra dinner onboard, but some snacks I had stuffed away also came in handy, including a bagel and granola bar to have for breakfast. Missed connections? Amtrak did their best to re-ticket us the day before for those that were continuing on east or south. I was shocked that this was done so proactively and conveniently by Fargo, ND.

This is because Amtrak Chicago has plenty of Practice with Late Trains and Missed Connections, almost a Daily Occurence !

 

[zephyr17]

This is because Amtrak Chicago has plenty of Practice with Late Trains and Missed Connections, almost a Daily Occurence !

Yeah, Chicago Passenger Services has it down, with much practice. Have been the involuntary beneficiary of their services more times than I can count.

Though, unfortunately, all those experiences involved arrivals between 2 am and 4 am. And, no, you don't stay on the train. You get hustled off as fast as the train crew can move you.

 

[n3rdg1rl]

Maybe I've missed something somewhere. Amtrak by law has the right of way over freight regardless of who owns the track. Correct? Then why isn't there an uproar from Amtrak execs about constantly being hours and hours late due to freight? How is Amtrak benefiting by running late consistantly due to freight traffic? I can only imagine the reason there isn't a huge ruckus somewhere is because they somehow make money from the situation. I know we all hate management right now and can blame the lack of rolling stock and food issues on them, but usually the worst managers are the ones who make the loudest noise trying to point fingers at someone else, so the blame is off them. This group of suits say nothing at all and that's very strange to me.

 

[zephyr17]

Maybe I've missed something somewhere. Amtrak by law has the right of way over freight regardless of who owns the track. Correct? Then why isn't there an uproar from Amtrak execs about constantly being hours and hours late due to freight? How is Amtrak benefiting by running late consistantly due to freight traffic? I can only imagine the reason there isn't a huge ruckus somewhere is because they somehow make money from the situation. I know we all hate management right now and can blame the lack of rolling stock and food issues on them, but usually the worst managers are the ones who make the loudest noise trying to point fingers at someone else, so the blame is off them. This group of suits say nothing at all and that's very strange to me.

The statute (Rail Passenger Act of 1970) demands priority for Amtrak trains on any railroad that agreed to join Amtrak in order to relieve itself of its common carrier requirement to provide passenger service. However, that Act also included no effective mechanism for enforcing that rule. The only option was for Amtrak to to request the DoJ to bring suit. That happened, Amtrak requesting, and DoJ agreeing and actually bringing suit, once. Yes, one time.

Amtrak could not even ask the regulator (first the ICC, then the STB) directly for relief. DoJ suit or nothing.

It was a rule with no practical way to enforce it or sanctions stemming from violating it. So the railroads violated it wholesale with no repercussion.

In theory that changed with the passage of the PRIIA Act of 2008, which stated Amtrak could set delay metrics that could be enforced by the STB and FRA. The railroads fought it and initially won. The Supreme Court ruled that Amtrak couldn't set the metrics itself. Congress amended the law (forget the year it did so) so that the STB set the metrics. The railroads fought that up to the Supreme Court as well, but lost that one. Finally, after 12 years of legislation and litigation, the STB was able to issue the final Passenger Delay Metrics rule in December 2020.

Implementation of the rule required the railroads and Amtrak negotiate schedules in light of the published metrics before enforcement action could be taken. This is why several schedules have changed over the past couple years, notably the Crescent, but also including the SW Chief, the Coast Starlight and the Empire Builder to my knowledge.

With the rules and measurements in place there have only been 2 or 3 quarters when the official, enforceable measurements have now been in the record. Since the STB cannot take consider enforcement action unless there have been two consecutive quarters of failing the the standards on a given route, it is only been in the last couple months that complaints to the STB for enforcement action could even be filed. Amtrak, or even individual passengers can bring complaints to the STB to request enforcement action.

So, through the entire 51 year history of Amtrak, the rule has only gained any potential teeth in last few months.

It remains to be seen if Amtrak will bring complaints to the STB for enforcement, now that it can. It is a new power. One indicator, though, may be the the new contract Amtrak has proposed to NS. It calls for Amtrak to be able to take over dispatching for any line with passenger on time performance falling below 80% per the metrics for four consecutive quarters. NS filed a 400 page, semi-hysterical response to that.

In short, it is easy to say Amtrak had priority by law. Yes it had. It was also virtually impossible to enforce until very, very recently.

Amtrak does not gain by lateness, but has never had much control over it. It imposes great costs on Amtrak in staff overtime, passenger accommodation expenses as well as a big passenger experience black eye. It remains to be seen how well they leverage the new ability to bring complaints before the STB (although the NS contract proposal indicates to me at least some appetite to play some hardball). In the meantime, Amtrak management would be well served to focus on things that have always been wholly within its control and have usually been ignored, like OBS quality and consistency.

 

[n3rdg1rl]

Thank you so much for that reply. I had no idea that it wasn't enforceable before!

 

[zephyr17]

Thank you so much for that reply. I had no idea that it wasn't enforceable before!

They threatened a DoJ suit a couple of other times, like when UP got really out of hand during George W. Bush's administration. Many are of the opinion that UP may have thought they might be able to drive Amtrak out of business by egregiously bad train handling combined with a friendly (to UP) administration. That threat did have some effect, especially after Obama came in, and UP did clean up their act a bit. But both railroad and Amtrak execs knew it was an extreme threat and hard to do, so Amtrak had to not be bluffing when it brought that out. It was also an action that very much angered the host railroads and they had to maintain day to day relations with them in order to operate, so unless things got very, very bad, Amtrak wound up taking a go along to get along stance. A lawsuit or threat of lawsuit grinds along for years. The STB can take pretty expeditious actions in areas where they are legislatively authorized, which they are now for passenger delay, and the railroads are somewhat afraid of the STB generally.

 

[joelkfla]

The statute (Rail Passenger Act of 1970) demands priority for Amtrak trains on any railroad that agreed to join Amtrak in order to relieve itself of its common carrier requirement to provide passenger service. However, that Act also included no effective mechanism for enforcing that rule. The only option was for Amtrak to to request the DoJ to bring suit. That happened, Amtrak requesting, and DoJ agreeing and actually bringing suit, once. Yes, one time.

Amtrak could not even ask the regulator (first the ICC, then the STB) directly for relief. DoJ suit or nothing.

It was a rule with no practical way to enforce it or sanctions stemming from violating it. So the railroads violated it wholesale with no repercussion.

In theory that changed with the passage of the PRIIA Act of 2008, which stated Amtrak could set delay metrics that could be enforced by the STB and FRA. The railroads fought it and initially won. The Supreme Court ruled that Amtrak couldn't set the metrics itself. Congress amended the law (forget the year it did so) so that the STB set the metrics. The railroads fought that up to the Supreme Court as well, but lost that one. Finally, after 12 years of legislation and litigation, the STB was able to issue the final Passenger Delay Metrics rule in December 2020.

Implementation of the rule required the railroads and Amtrak negotiate schedules in light of the published metrics before enforcement action could be taken. This is why several schedules have changed over the past couple years, notably the Crescent, but also including the SW Chief, the Coast Starlight and the Empire Builder to my knowledge.

With the rules and measurements in place there have only been 2 or 3 quarters when the official, enforceable measurements have now been in the record. Since the STB cannot take consider enforcement action unless there have been two consecutive quarters of failing the the standards on a given route, it is only been in the last couple months that complaints to the STB for enforcement action could even be filed. Amtrak, or even individual passengers can bring complaints to the STB to request enforcement action.

So, through the entire 51 year history of Amtrak, the rule has only gained any potential teeth in last few months.

It remains to be seen if Amtrak will bring complaints to the STB for enforcement, now that it can. It is a new power. One indicator, though, may be the the new contract Amtrak has proposed to NS. It calls for Amtrak to be able to take over dispatching for any line with passenger on time performance falling below 80% per the metrics for four consecutive quarters. NS filed a 400 page, semi-hysterical response to that.

In short, it is easy to say Amtrak had priority by law. Yes it had. It was also virtually impossible to enforce until very, very recently.

Amtrak does not gain by lateness, but has never had much control over it. It imposes great costs on Amtrak in staff overtime, passenger accommodation expenses as well as a big passenger experience black eye. It remains to be seen how well they leverage the new ability to bring complaints before the STB (although the NS contract proposal indicates to me at least some appetite to play some hardball). In the meantime, Amtrak management would be well served to focus on things that have always been wholly within its control and have usually been ignored, like OBS quality and consistency.

Excellent summary!

I usually skim over overly long posts, but this was well worth the reading.

 

[Bonser]

The statute (Rail Passenger Act of 1970) demands priority for Amtrak trains on any railroad that agreed to join Amtrak in order to relieve itself of its common carrier requirement to provide passenger service. However, that Act also included no effective mechanism for enforcing that rule. The only option was for Amtrak to to request the DoJ to bring suit. That happened, Amtrak requesting, and DoJ agreeing and actually bringing suit, once. Yes, one time.

Amtrak could not even ask the regulator (first the ICC, then the STB) directly for relief. DoJ suit or nothing.

It was a rule with no practical way to enforce it or sanctions stemming from violating it. So the railroads violated it wholesale with no repercussion.

In theory that changed with the passage of the PRIIA Act of 2008, which stated Amtrak could set delay metrics that could be enforced by the STB and FRA. The railroads fought it and initially won. The Supreme Court ruled that Amtrak couldn't set the metrics itself. Congress amended the law (forget the year it did so) so that the STB set the metrics. The railroads fought that up to the Supreme Court as well, but lost that one. Finally, after 12 years of legislation and litigation, the STB was able to issue the final Passenger Delay Metrics rule in December 2020.

Implementation of the rule required the railroads and Amtrak negotiate schedules in light of the published metrics before enforcement action could be taken. This is why several schedules have changed over the past couple years, notably the Crescent, but also including the SW Chief, the Coast Starlight and the Empire Builder to my knowledge.

With the rules and measurements in place there have only been 2 or 3 quarters when the official, enforceable measurements have now been in the record. Since the STB cannot take consider enforcement action unless there have been two consecutive quarters of failing the the standards on a given route, it is only been in the last couple months that complaints to the STB for enforcement action could even be filed. Amtrak, or even individual passengers can bring complaints to the STB to request enforcement action.

So, through the entire 51 year history of Amtrak, the rule has only gained any potential teeth in last few months.

It remains to be seen if Amtrak will bring complaints to the STB for enforcement, now that it can. It is a new power. One indicator, though, may be the the new contract Amtrak has proposed to NS. It calls for Amtrak to be able to take over dispatching for any line with passenger on time performance falling below 80% per the metrics for four consecutive quarters. NS filed a 400 page, semi-hysterical response to that.

In short, it is easy to say Amtrak had priority by law. Yes it had. It was also virtually impossible to enforce until very, very recently.

Amtrak does not gain by lateness, but has never had much control over it. It imposes great costs on Amtrak in staff overtime, passenger accommodation expenses as well as a big passenger experience black eye. It remains to be seen how well they leverage the new ability to bring complaints before the STB (although the NS contract proposal indicates to me at least some appetite to play some hardball). In the meantime, Amtrak management would be well served to focus on things that have always been wholly within its control and have usually been ignored, like OBS quality and consistency.

This is the best summation of Amtrak train delays I've ever read. Clear, concise and to the point. Thank you

 

[Railspike]

I see where #2 was canceled yesterday from Palm Springs to San Antonio due to a derailment ahead. With #2 only 100+ miles from LAX and shortly after midnight the train is canceled. What course of action would Amtrak take with the passengers? Turn the train and return to LAX? Bus passengers back to LAX? Even though Amtrak wasn't at fault, Amtrak Trip Roulette continues.

 

[Amtrak709]

The statute (Rail Passenger Act of 1970) demands priority for Amtrak trains on any railroad that agreed to join Amtrak in order to relieve itself of its common carrier requirement to provide passenger service. However, that Act also included no effective mechanism for enforcing that rule. The only option was for Amtrak to to request the DoJ to bring suit. That happened, Amtrak requesting, and DoJ agreeing and actually bringing suit, once. Yes, one time.

Amtrak could not even ask the regulator (first the ICC, then the STB) directly for relief. DoJ suit or nothing.

It was a rule with no practical way to enforce it or sanctions stemming from violating it. So the railroads violated it wholesale with no repercussion.

In theory that changed with the passage of the PRIIA Act of 2008, which stated Amtrak could set delay metrics that could be enforced by the STB and FRA. The railroads fought it and initially won. The Supreme Court ruled that Amtrak couldn't set the metrics itself. Congress amended the law (forget the year it did so) so that the STB set the metrics. The railroads fought that up to the Supreme Court as well, but lost that one. Finally, after 12 years of legislation and litigation, the STB was able to issue the final Passenger Delay Metrics rule in December 2020.

Implementation of the rule required the railroads and Amtrak negotiate schedules in light of the published metrics before enforcement action could be taken. This is why several schedules have changed over the past couple years, notably the Crescent, but also including the SW Chief, the Coast Starlight and the Empire Builder to my knowledge.

With the rules and measurements in place there have only been 2 or 3 quarters when the official, enforceable measurements have now been in the record. Since the STB cannot take consider enforcement action unless there have been two consecutive quarters of failing the the standards on a given route, it is only been in the last couple months that complaints to the STB for enforcement action could even be filed. Amtrak, or even individual passengers can bring complaints to the STB to request enforcement action.

So, through the entire 51 year history of Amtrak, the rule has only gained any potential teeth in last few months.

It remains to be seen if Amtrak will bring complaints to the STB for enforcement, now that it can. It is a new power. One indicator, though, may be the the new contract Amtrak has proposed to NS. It calls for Amtrak to be able to take over dispatching for any line with passenger on time performance falling below 80% per the metrics for four consecutive quarters. NS filed a 400 page, semi-hysterical response to that.

In short, it is easy to say Amtrak had priority by law. Yes it had. It was also virtually impossible to enforce until very, very recently.

Amtrak does not gain by lateness, but has never had much control over it. It imposes great costs on Amtrak in staff overtime, passenger accommodation expenses as well as a big passenger experience black eye. It remains to be seen how well they leverage the new ability to bring complaints before the STB (although the NS contract proposal indicates to me at least some appetite to play some hardball). In the meantime, Amtrak management would be well served to focus on things that have always been wholly within its control and have usually been ignored, like OBS quality and consistency.

I concur that this narrative by zephyr17 is the best summary explanation I have read. Thank You!

 

[west point]

Knowing the whole history of Amtrak OTP enforcement certainly helps.

BTW I have noticed that most mechanical departures from CHI for the last couple weeks have been on time. If any mechanical delays then it usually is 48 or 50. Now there have been a few mechanical delays not long after leaving CHI. I am not counting the equipment cancellations that must mean major mechanical problems that makes CHI not look good.

 

[Eric in East County]

Although we had to postpone our September-October trip to Ohio due to Amtrak not being able to honor our bedroom reservations, we none-the-less tracked the on-time performances of the trains we had reservations for, just to see how we would have made out. Here are the results:

September 20th

Pacific Surfliner 777 departed San Diego OT at 12:01 p.m. and arrived in Los Angeles at 2:50 p.m., 7 minutes early.

Southwest Chief No. 4 departed Los Angeles at 5:57 p.m., two minutes late.

September 22nd

Southwest Chief No. 4 arrived in Chicago at 3:31 p.m., 41 minutes late.

Capitol Limited No. 30 departed Chicago at OT at 6:40 p.m. and arrived in Toledo at 11:37 p.m., 2 minutes early.

October 3rd

Capitol Limited No. 29 departed from Toledo at 5:25 a.m. (3 minutes late) and arrived in Chicago at 8:39 a.m., 5 minutes early.

Southwest Chief No. 3 departed Chicago OT at 2:50 p.m.

October 5th

Southwest Chief arrived at Los Angeles Union Station at 7:44 a.m., 16 minutes early.

Pacific Surfliner 770 departed OT at 10:10 a.m. and arrived in Irvine at 11:10 a.m., 1 minute early.

Due to emergency track work, southbound passengers had to transfer to an Amtrak bus at Irvine which departed at 11:25 a.m. and arrived at Oceanside at 12:21 p.m., 4 minutes early.

In Oceanside southbound passengers transferred to Pacific Surfliner train 1770, which departed at 12:35 p.m., 1 minute late. It arrived at the San Diego Old Town Transportation Center (our final destination) at 1:18 p.m., 2 minutes early.

All in all, the On Time performances of the trains we were supposed to have been on were better than what we expected them to be. If the trains we’ll be on when we make this trip in 2023 perform as well, we’ll be more than satisfied.

 

[pennyk]

Apparently there was a major delay on Wolverine 351 to Chicago.

https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/10/...ng-19-hour-ride-from-michigan-to-chicago.html

Passengers stuck on an Amtrak train say there was no electricity, heat, bathrooms or food during a roughly 19-hour journey from Pontiac to Chicago.

Wolverine Train 351 first left Michigan around 6 a.m. Friday for the scheduled 5½ hour trek to Chicago. It didn’t arrive until after midnight Central Standard Time.

 

[Rasputin]

First time I have heard a locomotive failure described as a circumstance beyond Amtrak's control.

These passengers should be presented with vouchers good for no less than round trips on the Wolverine.

 

[NSC1109]

First time I have heard a locomotive failure described as a circumstance beyond Amtrak's control.

These passengers should be presented with vouchers good for no less than round trips on the Wolverine.

pretty sure they were talking about the medical emergency, NS dispatching incompetency, and the crew timing out as being “out of their control”…

 

[Eric in East County]

Apparently there was a major delay on Wolverine 351 to Chicago.

https://www.mlive.com/news/2022/10/...ng-19-hour-ride-from-michigan-to-chicago.html

This certainly was a rail journey from Hell and one that could happen to almost anyone who travels on an Amtrak train.

In view of the fact that there was no power and no working sanitary facilities, I’m surprised that Amtrak didn’t rush in a fleet of buses to get the passengers off the train ASAP. (This was something that should have been within their control.)

It would appear that those people with legit anxiety issues have grounds for bringing legal action against Amtrak for being placed in this situation. (Perhaps some of them already have.)

We recently learned of a product called TravelJohn, a resealable disposable urinal bag that can be used by men, women, and children. If Amtrak had had a supply of these onboard to pass out to passengers, that might have helped the bathroom situation somewhat. (We plan to pack a few of these along with us on future trips.)

 

[moosejunky99]

Hello,

Train derailment today.

https://www.wtol.com/article/news/l...usky/512-0d6d17dc-b33a-4a61-a4b3-a4d8d8abae1b

Looks like all the trains on that route.. 30/29/48/448/49/449 are all going on the detoured route.



thanks mods for moving i probably should have figured it should go here