Amtrak evacuation train heading towards NOL

[Viewliner]

Here's the consist as posted from Mike Palmieri to the Yahoo! Amtrak Group

<Sunday>
Here is a summary of Amtrak's hurricane evacuation operations over the past few days.  Since I am now I North Texas, all of this is based on second-hand information!

Thursday 1 Sep. - Amtrak deadheaded a train into Avondale, LA at the west end of the Huey Long Bridge.  The train consisted of three P42's (182, 3, 63) and about twelve cars.  This may have been equipment that was previously moved from New Orleans to McComb, MS to escape the storm. It came down the CN main line from the north, ran over the CN Baton Rouge Branch from Hammond, LA to Baton Rouge, crossed the Mississippi River, and than ran over the UP (ex-MP/T&P) to Avondale.

Friday 2 Sep. - Amtrak ran P42 22, a sleeper and a diner (38004?) from Houston to Lafayette, LA over the UP/BNSF Sunset Route to use as a command center.

Saturday 3 Sep. - Amtrak ran an 11-car evacuation train from Avondale to Lafayette:

182 P42

3 P42

64 P42

------------

33006 lounge

34032 coach

31590 coach-smoker

34020 coach

33008 loounge

34012 coach

33023 lounge

38022 diner

31020 coach-baggage

38008 diner

34079 coach

After the train got to Lafayette, the 64 was placed on the east end of the consist, so the train could operate in both directions.  Later on Saturday, all additional trips were cancelled until at least Tuesday so that government officials could resolve "destination problem" for the passengers.

Sunday 4 Sep. - Amtrak is dead-heading a train from San Antonio to Lafayette.  It has P42's 130 and 71 with seven cars, and is supposed to arrive in Lafayette around midnight.

There is also a possibility that this equipment could be used to provide commuter service at the New Orleans.

Mike

Michael M. Palmieri - formerly from New Orleans, Louisiana

All of my web sites are now athttp://www.railstuff.net

 

[capltd29]

The train later headed back to New Orleans to pick up more of the 600 people at the New Orleans Amtrak station on Poydras Street, said Maj. Dan Hudson of the Louisiana State Police.

The station is in service?

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

only 90 people were on the 1 train that ran out of Avondale LA

 

[jccollins]

only 90 people were on the 1 train that ran out of Avondale LA

Only NINETY (90) on an eleven car EVACUATION passenger train!!! Only 90!!! What a sad, pathetic story. Why does Amtrak even bother trying if they are only going to haul 90 people (less than two buses worth) away from the City?

While droves of buses and aircraft continue to haul THOUSANDS of people away, the trains (with the most potential of hauling a large capacity of passengers) sit idle waiting for "meetings" to take place tomorrow after hauling just a handful of people away. No wonder Amtrak has so many critics. What a JOKE!

:angry:

 

[AlanB]

only 90 people were on the 1 train that ran out of Avondale LA

Only NINETY (90) on an eleven car EVACUATION passenger train!!! Only 90!!! What a sad, pathetic story. Why does Amtrak even bother trying if they are only going to haul 90 people (less than two buses worth) away from the City?

While droves of buses and aircraft continue to haul THOUSANDS of people away, the trains (with the most potential of hauling a large capacity of passengers) sit idle waiting for "meetings" to take place tomorrow after hauling just a handful of people away. No wonder Amtrak has so many critics. What a JOKE!

:angry:

It wasn't Amtrak's fault, it was FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security that screwed up. They didn't get the people to the train.

 

[The Chief]

Viewliner / Mike Palmieri, thanks for posting the consist. That's interesting.

re: evacuee passenger forecast -- Bloomberg News report had this quote:

"The Amtrak system is up and running, so they're expecting to move as many as 15,000 people a day by train,'' Sergeant Nicholas Stahl from the Louisiana State Emergency Operations Centre in Baton Rouge, said."

Storylink: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=100...BqFt2Q&refer=us

 

[AmtrakWPK]

If Amtrak played a large and successful role in the rescue, then the Administration's position vis-a-vis the viability and usefulness of Amtrak goes down the tubes, so I don't expect to see Amtrak having a role if the Administration can find a way to prevent it. "Meetings" sounds like a good way to scuttle it.

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

The equipment is on hold for good 1 more set of equipment is headed for Lafayette LA we will have 3 sets of equipment in the BNSF Lafayette Yard until further notice there having a meeting on Tue 9-6-2005 there trying to figure out where to start hauling the people to and from what citys.

 

[Midland Valley]

The official US DOT webpage latest news lists everything the DOT is doing for Katrina relief. They speak of all the planes, busses, trucks, and ships they have gotten into help evacuees. There is not one word about Amtrak in any of it. That is as of today. :angry:

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

thats why i keep adding information to this topic Amtrak needs a lot of credit for what there trying to do

 

[AmtrakWPK]

I wouldn't expect to see any mention of Amtrak there, either, even if they do manage to get around the political roadblocks and rescue a whole lot of people.

Sort of like how Global Warming is officially a myth, except to the rest of the World, of course.

 

[Midland Valley]

That's sorta what I was thinking.

 

[Midland Valley]

The official US DOT webpage latest news lists everything the DOT is doing for Katrina relief. They speak of all the planes, busses, trucks, and ships they have gotten into help evacuees. There is not one word about Amtrak in any of it. That is as of today. :angry:

Don't you hate it when people quote themselves? I am wrong on this. There is a statement about using Amtrak and freight railroads to move people from New Orleans, you just have have to be dilligent to look for it. on the main news release, (which says nothing about Amtrak) click on the briefing room and there it is, sorta hidden, but there.