Amtrak long term service cancellations and restorations (2022-2023H1)

[Amtrak25]

< lay over in West Quincy from about 10:30PM until about 5:30PM >

Sounds like terrible equipment uitilization. Do any of these run through to Grand Rapids or Port Huron ?

 

[BrianR]

Today’s expected resumption of 350 and 355 (pushed back from yesterday last week) was cancelled with only a few hours notice to those boarding 350 in CHI. No details as to why this happened - wondering if the staff/equipment needed for the resumption was not available in time. If I was booked on tomorrow’s 350 or 355, I’d definitely be a bit worried they’d do the same to me…

Sorry if I'm a bit late to this game but I just now came across this post. I was booked on that morning's (10/25) #350 out of Chicago. AMTRAK sent out an email about the cancellation around midnight Chicago time, long after I'd gone to bed intending to get up early to catch 6:50 train. I had a business class ticket on the #350 and was able to get a business class seat on the following #352 train. So all worked out well in the end, but I was none too pleased about the extremely late notification.

 

[thully]

350 was cancelled because 355 was terminated in Kalamazoo due to a trespasser incident. Given the timing of that, I figure the call to cancel 350 was probably made after midnight - which is horrible timing, but might be unavoidable in the situation…

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Saw on FB, from a reliable source, that the CZ is back to two sleepers (31 & 32) starting with today's #5.

 

[Amtrak25]

Thanksgiving ?

 

[joelkfla]

Saw on FB, from a reliable source, that the CZ is back to two sleepers (31 & 32) starting with today's #5.

Confirmed on GBB railcam @17:02:25:

• Baggage
• Transition dorm
• 2 Sleepers
• Food Service car
• SSL
• 2 Coaches

(Nice sunset, too)

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Thanksgiving ?

https://media.amtrak.com/2022/11/travel-with-ease-this-thanksgiving-on-amtrak/
"To accommodate more in-person events and same-day travel, Amtrak is adding more service on Thanksgiving morning and will increase the number of trains operating from Nov.18 – 28. Customers can also take advantage of additional service in the Northeast, Virginia, and between Portland, Ore., and Seattle – plus newly restored service for those traveling to and from Vancouver and Toronto."

 

[daybeers]

I miss the days of the special NEC Thanksgiving timetables. And if you didn't buy your tickets months in advance, lol good luck trying to find a fare that doesn't burn a hole through your wallet, let alone any seat at all.

 

[Willbridge]

https://media.amtrak.com/2022/11/travel-with-ease-this-thanksgiving-on-amtrak/
"To accommodate more in-person events and same-day travel, Amtrak is adding more service on Thanksgiving morning and will increase the number of trains operating from Nov.18 – 28. Customers can also take advantage of additional service in the Northeast, Virginia, and between Portland, Ore., and Seattle – plus newly restored service for those traveling to and from Vancouver and Toronto."

The PDX<>SEA turn that was added must have been a last-minute addition, as publicity about it did not come out until it was already sold out.

 

[Shanson]

Adirondack returning...some time in 2023.



https://montrealgazette.com/news/lo...me-montreal-new-york-city-train-in-the-spring

 

[jis]

https://www.wgem.com/2023/01/16/morning-amtrak-service-resumes-between-quincy-chicago/

 

[AmtrakBlue]

There’s a class of engineers due to be certified (fully qualified) this year, so that’s probably why they’re able to add more trains.

 

[west point]

Will passenger demand really meet this enlarged capacity ? ?? Or is this just to use capacity on the NEC instead of LD ???

 

[dwebarts]

I suppose a New Haven - Boston stub train is not worth their while.

Do many people get on DC or New Carrollton at 3:15/3:30am ?

When the Adirondack was running to Montreal, I left DC at that hour to make the connection at NYP.

 

[jis]

MODERATOR'S NOTE: Now that it has been established that the cancellation of 65/66/67 North/East of New York is short term let us please stop discussing it any further in this thread which is about long term cancellations as happened in the pandemic period and following up from it due to staff shortage.

A new thread has been created for discussing "overnight and late evening service on the NEC" at:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/nec-overnight-and-late-evening-service.84577/#post-991540
About a dozen posts have been moved to this new thread from this thread. Please post discussion of those including 65/66/67 in this new thread.

Thank you for you understanding, cooperation and participation.

 

[Mainline421]

Adirondack will finally resume in full on 3 April. Amtrak's Adirondack train line will resume service in early April

 

[demonizedwater]

When you search Amtrak's website for trains between NYP and MTR in late April, it says "no travel options available between the two stations entered."

Does this have to be booked manually at a station after showing a passport since it's an international train?

 

[Amtrak25]

No. They simply haven't placed it in the reservation system yet. You do need to enter your birth date and passport # when you make the reservation.

 

[demonizedwater]

So in April, they added a few NEC trains from NYC to DC past 8:00pm.

But they also cut the Boston <-> NYC parts of 65/66/67 due to work on the Hell Gate line.

This all makes sense. What doesn't make sense is that train 179 (the 6:45pm from Boston) isn't running on weekdays from April until July. It was showing up in the April schedules until last week! This leaves the newly-added 5:35 pm train (177) from Boston to DC as the last weekday train out of Boston until July.

179 is running on weekENDS as 169, just not on weekDAYS. I suspect that someone got too ambitious with restoring pre-COVID schedules, and there isn't the staffing (yet) to do so.

 

[west point]

This shutdown of the Hell Gate route is expected to happen several times until the work is complete. That has not gotten any publicity as the back lash when it finally happens will be severe. BOS is getting the royal shaft.

If Amtrak had the equipment, it could initiate a night owl from GCT. Leaving before the GCT closes and arriving there as well and leaving after. But that cannot happen with present equipment. Times would be best for 2 round trips.

A M-9 type EMU would probably be best but the occasional shut downs of CAT make them unlikely to happen. ALCEs might work ??

 

[AmtrakBlue]

So in April, they added a few NEC trains from NYC to DC past 8:00pm.

But they also cut the Boston <-> NYC parts of 65/66/67 due to work on the Hell Gate line.

This all makes sense. What doesn't make sense is that train 179 (the 6:45pm from Boston) isn't running on weekdays from April until July. It was showing up in the April schedules until last week! This leaves the newly-added 5:35 pm train (177) from Boston to DC as the last weekday train out of Boston until July.

179 is running on weekENDS as 169, just not on weekDAYS. I suspect that someone got too ambitious with restoring pre-COVID schedules, and there isn't the staffing (yet) to do so.

From a reliable source

Not enough manpower. They had to cut 190/179 and 182/129 three days a week, and 134/187 (was to be two days a week) because a class won’t be ready til June or July

 

[Amtrak25]

This shutdown of the Hell Gate route is expected to happen several times until the work is complete. That has not gotten any publicity as the back lash when it finally happens will be severe. BOS is getting the royal shaft.

If Amtrak had the equipment, it could initiate a night owl from GCT. Leaving before the GCT closes and arriving there as well and leaving after. But that cannot happen with present equipment. Times would be best for 2 round trips.

A M-9 type EMU would probably be best but the occasional shut downs of CAT make them unlikely to happen. ALCEs might work ??

Getting MN to run a special M8 train in the middle of the night would be easier said than done. There is still the disconnect between GCT and NYP. Amtrak P32DM's are spoken for and in short supply for the Empire Corridor.

They should run a 3 car stub train for 65/66 at least 6 days a week between New Haven and Boston. There is local shoreline business east of New Haven.

 

[demonizedwater]

From a reliable source

Not enough manpower. They had to cut 190/179 and 182/129 three days a week, and 134/187 (was to be two days a week) because a class won’t be ready til June or July

That doesn't make a lot of sense, since 179 isn't running at all on weekdays until the second week of June - it's not 3 days per week. Other than 65/6/7, there's the same amount of service from Boston-NYC, just the newly-added 177 (at 5:35pm) replaces 179 until June, after which both run again (as pre-COVID, except that 179 runs to DC all days of the week, doesn't end in Philly).

This helps DC and NYC, since 177 runs all the way down the Corridor allowing for service from NYC-DC past 8pm, but shortchanges Boston. But if they're still short-staffed, why did they add NYC to DC service?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

That doesn't make a lot of sense, since 179 isn't running at all on weekdays until the second week of June - it's not 3 days per week. Other than 65/6/7, there's the same amount of service from Boston-NYC, just the newly-added 177 (at 5:35pm) replaces 179 until June, after which both run again (as pre-COVID, except that 179 runs to DC all days of the week, doesn't end in Philly).

This helps DC and NYC, since 177 runs all the way down the Corridor allowing for service from NYC-DC past 8pm, but shortchanges Boston. But if they're still short-staffed, why did they add NYC to DC service?

Maybe 179's crew is now crewing 177??

What time does 179 hit Hells Gate Bridge? What time does the work on Hells Gate Bridge shut down the tracks?

 

[daybeers]

not sure how we're supposed to know the timeline of work. I don't really get why PSA is going to take so long with 24/7 years-long single-tracking plus ~8 hours of complete shutdown every night.

179 gets into NYP at 10:57, so I imagine it would clear the work area around 10:45.