Superliner Diner
Conductor
An Emergency "Message to Riders" from the Managing Director of the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority:
What happened last night and this morning (January 28 and 29)??
After working with Amtrak and Union Pacific to get train #540 to run on schedule consistently (well, we had three days of it), everything went to pieces last night and this morning. Following a derailment of a California Northern freight train (CN is a short line freight railroad in the Solano-Yolo Davis area), early Tuesday evening, both of the Union Pacific mainline tracks were blocked, forcing a cessation of all rail service between Davis and Sacramento.
Amtrak made arrangements to get passengers home on Tuesday night, although almost all passengers on trains #542, #544, #546, #549 and #551 were delayed. This was the best we could do under the circumstances.
Union Pacific forces were on the scene and worked throughout the night to clear at least one main track and have it ready for operation this morning (Wednesday). This was accomplished by about 4 am, with the second track reopened by 7am. While it would be expected that there may be some minor passenger train delays into and out of Sacramento in the morning, what happened to this morning's passenger train service was an operating disaster for passengers.
For reasons that I have yet to come to understand, Union Pacific dispatchers allowed several freight trains on to the railroad towards the derailment area resulting in a queue of freight trains heading east at the most congested time in the morning for passenger trains. Dispatchers also released passenger trains from Sacramento on their scheduled time (#521, #523, #525) and then left them for more than one hour on Yolo Causeway, with no advance warning to Amtrak crews that this was their intention. Obviously, if passengers had known in advance before departing Sacramento that they would sit for more than an hour, while at least three freight trains were allowed to pass by heading East, they could have made other arrangements. This is not the policy of Union Pacific, at least as it has been stated repeatedly to us (both to the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority staff and to Amtrak staff).
As I write this, I still cannot understand the explanation from Union Pacific about the deployment of trains this morning. I do know that there was plenty of time to establish an 'alternate operating plan' which would have allowed most Capitol Corridor trains to operate on or near schedule, but such a plan was apparently neither formulated nor implemented. I do not know if today's operating delays were the result of a communications problem within Union Pacific, or if there was simply no thought given to how all these trains would operate through the derailment area. I will say that I do not believe this morning's disruption to passenger trains was intentional , but I sure am having trouble understanding the decisions that were made by Union Pacific, when there were available options to minimize the disruption.
Sincere apologies are extended to all riders caught in the aftermath of the derailment. I know the last few weeks have been pretty painful in terms of reliability and on-time performance of some well patronized trains. Knowing 'that the railroad can be run reliably and on-time' even when scheduled track maintenance is taking place (as it is between Martinez and Richmond mid-day) makes acceptance of this morning's situation even more difficult to fathom. No one can predict or plan for a train derailment or an accident. Just like on the highways, there will be accidents and disruption on occasion. How the situation is dealt with is the issue here. This morning, passenger trains were NOT handled well, especially given all the advance preparation time available before the passenger trains started to move at 4.25am.
Again, you have my apology. Since so many of you are loyal, regular riders, I felt you needed both an explanation of what happened and where we are in trying to minimize adverse impacts to riders when such situations occur in the future.
I will keep you posted on further developments.
Sincerely,
Eugene K. Skoropowski, AIA
Managing Director, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority
What happened last night and this morning (January 28 and 29)??
After working with Amtrak and Union Pacific to get train #540 to run on schedule consistently (well, we had three days of it), everything went to pieces last night and this morning. Following a derailment of a California Northern freight train (CN is a short line freight railroad in the Solano-Yolo Davis area), early Tuesday evening, both of the Union Pacific mainline tracks were blocked, forcing a cessation of all rail service between Davis and Sacramento.
Amtrak made arrangements to get passengers home on Tuesday night, although almost all passengers on trains #542, #544, #546, #549 and #551 were delayed. This was the best we could do under the circumstances.
Union Pacific forces were on the scene and worked throughout the night to clear at least one main track and have it ready for operation this morning (Wednesday). This was accomplished by about 4 am, with the second track reopened by 7am. While it would be expected that there may be some minor passenger train delays into and out of Sacramento in the morning, what happened to this morning's passenger train service was an operating disaster for passengers.
For reasons that I have yet to come to understand, Union Pacific dispatchers allowed several freight trains on to the railroad towards the derailment area resulting in a queue of freight trains heading east at the most congested time in the morning for passenger trains. Dispatchers also released passenger trains from Sacramento on their scheduled time (#521, #523, #525) and then left them for more than one hour on Yolo Causeway, with no advance warning to Amtrak crews that this was their intention. Obviously, if passengers had known in advance before departing Sacramento that they would sit for more than an hour, while at least three freight trains were allowed to pass by heading East, they could have made other arrangements. This is not the policy of Union Pacific, at least as it has been stated repeatedly to us (both to the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority staff and to Amtrak staff).
As I write this, I still cannot understand the explanation from Union Pacific about the deployment of trains this morning. I do know that there was plenty of time to establish an 'alternate operating plan' which would have allowed most Capitol Corridor trains to operate on or near schedule, but such a plan was apparently neither formulated nor implemented. I do not know if today's operating delays were the result of a communications problem within Union Pacific, or if there was simply no thought given to how all these trains would operate through the derailment area. I will say that I do not believe this morning's disruption to passenger trains was intentional , but I sure am having trouble understanding the decisions that were made by Union Pacific, when there were available options to minimize the disruption.
Sincere apologies are extended to all riders caught in the aftermath of the derailment. I know the last few weeks have been pretty painful in terms of reliability and on-time performance of some well patronized trains. Knowing 'that the railroad can be run reliably and on-time' even when scheduled track maintenance is taking place (as it is between Martinez and Richmond mid-day) makes acceptance of this morning's situation even more difficult to fathom. No one can predict or plan for a train derailment or an accident. Just like on the highways, there will be accidents and disruption on occasion. How the situation is dealt with is the issue here. This morning, passenger trains were NOT handled well, especially given all the advance preparation time available before the passenger trains started to move at 4.25am.
Again, you have my apology. Since so many of you are loyal, regular riders, I felt you needed both an explanation of what happened and where we are in trying to minimize adverse impacts to riders when such situations occur in the future.
I will keep you posted on further developments.
Sincerely,
Eugene K. Skoropowski, AIA
Managing Director, Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority
