Capitol Limited delays/track work near Cumberland MD

[nora_roan]

I am seeing an alert on the Amtrak website advising of delays for the Capitol Limited eastbound #30 pretty much through July 4th due to track work in the Cumberland MD area. I am also seeing an alert for the westbound Capitol Limited #29, although when you click on the alert it does not mention the West Bound at all. However I would assume if the one is affected so would the other (both east and west), and I will be traveling via both trains roundtrip. They are warning of major delays without much notice, possible cancellations without much warning at all, etc. I have never traveled by train before and am now considering just cancelling the entire trip. I do NOT want to be stranded somewhere with no other way to get home, or miss a train due to all this. Anyone with any advice or tips on what I should do would be greatly appreciated. I could change my departure/return stop to Pittsburgh, but from what I gather all stations from Washington DC to Cleveland OH will be affected by this, possibly both ways. Again, any advice and info would be appreciated. I have no idea what to do at this point, my trip is scheduled for less than 2 weeks from now. Perhaps I should just cancel and find another way to get to where I am going. Here is what the alert says:

Possible Service Disruption, Capitol Limited Train 30 Effective Select Dates March 1 - July 4, 2013

• Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 1, 2, and 3
• Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, March 12, 13, and 14
• Sunday through Thursday, March 17 through July 4

On the dates listed above, CSX will perform track work near Cumberland, MD, that may affect eastbound Train 30.

Train 30 is scheduled to depart Cleveland at 1:08 am. If the train is delayed and departs Cleveland after 3:30 am, the following service changes will take place:

Passengers Boarding at Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, and RockvilleIf Train 30 departs Cleveland after 3:30 am, service will be cancelled at Connellsville, Cumberland, Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, Rockville, and Washington and passengers will not be able to board at these stations. While alternate transportation will not be provided,other travel options may be available. Contact Amtrak for details.

If the train is cancelled, passengers boarding at these stations will be contacted by phone early in the morning (after midnight) on the day of their scheduled train departure.

Passengers Destined for Connellsville, Martinsburg, Cumberland, Harpers Ferry, Rockville and WashingtonIf Train 30 departs Cleveland after 3:30 am, passengers on board the train who are traveling to Martinsburg, Harpers Ferry, Rockville and Washington, will detrain at Pittsburgh, where bus service will be provided to their destination. Please note: The busses will only stop at these stations to discharge passengers.

Passengers should contact Amtrak to check the train's departure times before going to the station. The most up-to-date arrival and departure times are available on Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps and at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak. We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience you may experience.

PSN 0213-37

 

[AmtrakBlue]

IF your train is affected by the construction, you will be out on a bus to your destination.

 

[afigg]

Where are you getting on and going to on the Capital Limited? This advisory only affects the eastbound CL on specific dates and only if the CL is running quite late. The eastbound CL operated under a similiar constraint last year and people were bused from PIttsburgh to DC only a few times.

 

[nora_roan]

I am supposed to depart from Cumberland MD and travel to Chicago on Capitol Limited #29 (westbound). On the return trip I will be taking the Capitol limited #30 back to Cumberland (eastbound). Now I know the advisory says delays will only gonna effect Eastbound #30, but they also have the advisory under my schedule for the westbound #29 (even though #29 is not specifically mentioned). I would assume that since both trains (going east/west) travel the same tracks they would both be affected. I could change my departure/return location to Pittsburgh but I don't see why that wouldn't be delayed as well because of Cumberland. I will be driving two hrs just to get to a train station in the first place (I live in West Virginia, no train stations anywhere closer) and this is gonna be a total pain if there are delays and such. I hate to sound negative, but I have half a mind to just cancel.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

As mentioned in the advisory, only 30 ( east bound) is affected (29 westbound goes through the area at night when they're not working).

Though it's unclear in the advisory, I think you'd be bussed from Pittsburg to Cumberland if the train misses the window to get by the construction area.

 

[nora_roan]

OK, I get it now. Duh... Westbound departs Cumberland around 7:30 in the evening, after work crews are done for the day. Eastbound rolls in around 8:30am and is likely to be delayed by work crews starting early in the morning. Still don't understand why I get the alert for westbound #29 on my schedule though. *shrugs* Anyway, worst case scenerio for me then is that I get stuck in Pittsburgh and my husband can just pick me up there instead of in Cumberland. I can deal with that...

 

[Tracktwentynine]

Your husband will NOT have to pick you up in Pittsburgh. If the Capitol Limited is severely late departing Cleveland, when the train gets to Pittsburgh, everyone aboard will be put on buses. One of those buses will take passengers to Cumberland.

However, in all likelihood, you won't be affected. The Cap is rarely that late leaving Cleveland. It's not impossible, but it's unlikely.

Regardless, Amtrak will not strand you anywhere.

Also, I suspect the reason that the advisory is posted for 29 is because Amtrak's website is not configured to account for only one direction of a train. Or it could be that some worker accidentally tagged 29 in addition to 30 for the advisory.

 

[nora_roan]

Thank you all for the info and advice, it is greatly appreciated. I am not worried too much now after hearing from more experienced Amtrak riders. Also, from where I live in WV the Pittsburgh station is only about half an hour longer driving distance than Cumberland. Even if my eastbound train did get delayed (as the alert warns) and I was expected to board a bus in Pittsburgh, chances are I would know a couple hours ahead of time and it would be quicker anyway to call my husband in advance and just have him pick me up in Pittsburgh. Either way its nice to know I will not be stranded.

 

[Ryan]

Hi Nora,

Glad you got it worked out. You'll definitely know if you're going to be impacted by the time you leave Cleveland - if you're out of there before 3:30, you'll be fine. If it's 3:30 and you haven't left Cleveland yet, you can make the call and just get picked up in Pittsburgh.

 

[AlanB]

Nora,

If I remember things correctly from last year's notices, you'll be good no matter what. It's only passengers going further east than you that get the bus any way. The train continues to Cumberland after most people get off at Pittsburgh. At Cumberland, or some point after that, the train then comes to a halt and just sits there until the construction stops for the day, and then it runs empty to DC since they still need those cars for the next day's run. Note the fact that in the press release you quoted, no mention is made of Cumberland in regard to people getting off in Pittsburgh.

Amtrak does the busing because most people wouldn't be happy with just sitting on the train for hours on end going nowhere. And again, this only happens if the train is so late that it hits the construction area after the start of the work day.

 

[nora_roan]

Thanks again to all those who posted helpful advice. This will be my first train trip so I am kinda nervous about it all. But I think I'll be fine.