Cardinal?

[dn4192]

Yeah, I get that. I guess I buried the criticism of the airlines too deep on that one.

Buying a plane ticket doesn't necessarily mean that you have to cancel the Amtrak reservation. If only the airlines had decent cancellation policies (I'm sure that a fully refundable plane ticket would be a heck of a lot more than $101) you'd have more options.

Amtrak ticket monies paid for the airplane ticket. Nope airline ticket is non refundable, so I do give HUGE props to Amtrak, they also got my funds back to me in 2 business days.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Stopped by ALX today, the ticket agent said the first date he could book #51 was Wednesday, 7/18, and that only two seats remained to CHI.

 

[Linda T]

Stopped by ALX today, the ticket agent said the first date he could book #51 was Wednesday, 7/18, and that only two seats remained to CHI.

Funny, I just called their 800 number and talked to an agent and she said 50/51 are running. Hmm... Anyone know the truth? Is it that the agent can't book the 51 because it's sold out (as the website says), or is it not running yet? My agent here in HUN said they were in hopes of having it up and running tomorrow, but that was a few days ago.

 

[Trogdor]

As of now, 50 is planned to run through tonight.

 

[Linda T]

As of now, 50 is planned to run through tonight.

So it should be just leaving CHI about now. Oops, central time, so I guess that's in an hour?

 

[afigg]

As of now, 50 is planned to run through tonight.

So it should be just leaving CHI about now. Oops, central time, so I guess that's in an hour?

#50 (7/10) is showing up on Amtrak Status Map as having departed CHI 10 minutes late at 5:55 PM CT. It showed up on the reservation system with coach seats available when I tried Lafayette, IN to Charlottesville. So it looks like it will be running all the way to NYP.

If #50(7/10) does make it through, anyone want to guess how late it will be to NYP?

 

[nybatt]

YES! I woke up this morning to see #51 has departed from NYP!!

Please excuse my excitement, but as I mentioned before the start of my 2-week cross country trip on amtrak begins with the Cardinal this Sunday.. Breathing a huge sigh of relief... no matter how late the 50/51 run at least I will be able to board in 4 days!

 

[dn4192]

Saw the 50 left Chicago last night and was already 2 hours late getting into Indianapolis...I am now even more glad I switched to flight for my trip out, the 50 is just not dependable to keep even reasonable on time arrival. From my tracking my return on the Penn/CL into Chicago is much more dependable. With the Cardinal already 2+ hours late as of Indy, I am betting it will be at least 4+ hours late upon arrival into NYC....

 

[The Davy Crockett]

...the 50 is just not dependable to keep even reasonable on time arrival.

While this first run of 50, after restoration of service, is likely be even later than average, 50 being late is nothing new. If you worry about OTP, you are better off flying than taking 50 or 51.

From my experience, with the exception of corridor services, it is best to sit back and relax on Amtrak, rather than fixating on one's adherance to the schedule. When riding Amtrak, I look at time the way one looks at time while attending a Nationals baseball game: The clock is really not important, and that's a wonderful thing.

 

[dn4192]

...the 50 is just not dependable to keep even reasonable on time arrival.

While this first run of 50, after restoration of service, is likely be even later than average, 50 being late is nothing new. If you worry about OTP, you are better off flying than taking 50 or 51.

From my experience, with the exception of corridor services, it is best to sit back and relax on Amtrak, rather than fixating on one's adherance to the schedule. When riding Amtrak, I look at time the way one looks at time while attending a Nationals baseball game: The clock is really not important, and that's a wonderful thing.

Which is why my return trip remained train, I am in rush to get back, but going out putting the burden on my friend to have to possibly have to wait up till 12-2am to pick me up a hour and a half from his house was a bit much to ask...

 

[OBS]

Train 50 (10) arrived NYP 4'41 late...Not bad, all things considered...

 

[dn4192]

Train 50 (10) arrived NYP 4'41 late...Not bad, all things considered...

If that is "not" bad what is? I'm sorry but that is unacceptable, it was almost 2 hours late before it even hit it's 4 stop and ends up over 4 hours late. I can deal with an hour or so late but anything over 2.5 hours late to me is unacceptable and Amtrak either needs to fix this issue (there continual running 2+ hours late) or change that route to avoid that much delays.

 

[afigg]

Train 50 (10) arrived NYP 4'41 late...Not bad, all things considered...

I suspect those arriving at NYP at 2:37 AM might not enthusiastically agree. On the other hand, NYC is the city that never sleeps, so those who stayed on #50 all the way to NYP could still take the subway or find bars that are just getting started. :lol: The Amtrak status Map history for the #50(7/10 is here.

The train got to 3 hours late by Ashland, KY; a few minutes better by Clifton Forge; then down 4:43 when it got to Culpepper so no help from the Buckingham Branch; departed WAS 4:15 late. Must have been some work going on the NEC because you would think the Cardinal could fly up on the NEC late at night. But, no it went 4:15 late leaving WAS to 4:41 late arriving at NYP.

At least #51 (11) looks it will get to CHI not all that late.

 

[PegB]

The 51 seems to have made it to Chicago OK this morning - so, I just cancelled the backup reservation I had made on the Capital Limited for July 20. That should jinx it!

 

[OBS]

Train 50 (10) arrived NYP 4'41 late...Not bad, all things considered...

If that is "not" bad what is? I'm sorry but that is unacceptable, it was almost 2 hours late before it even hit it's 4 stop and ends up over 4 hours late. I can deal with an hour or so late but anything over 2.5 hours late to me is unacceptable and Amtrak either needs to fix this issue (there continual running 2+ hours late) or change that route to avoid that much delays.

What I meant by not bad is that since it is first passenger train operating thru an area that was presumably out of service for almost two weeks, you have to assume there will be some residual delays thru the area...

In regards to "fixing this issue" , I don't think it is all that easy, because it is not one consistent problem causing the delays...

 

[jis]

The train got to 3 hours late by Ashland, KY; a few minutes better by Clifton Forge; then down 4:43 when it got to Culpepper so no help from the Buckingham Branch; departed WAS 4:15 late. Must have been some work going on the NEC because you would think the Cardinal could fly up on the NEC late at night. But, no it went 4:15 late leaving WAS to 4:41 late arriving at NYP.

Nothing flies down the NEC in the middle of the night. Most nights significant parts of it are out of service for maintenance.

 

[user 1215]

66/67?

 

[The Davy Crockett]

Train 50 (10) arrived NYP 4'41 late...Not bad, all things considered...

anything over 2.5 hours late to me is unacceptable and Amtrak either needs to fix this issue (there continual running 2+ hours late) or change that route to avoid that much delays.

Fix the issue? Please enlighten us.

Change the route? Do tell.

 

[Ispolkom]

I can deal with an hour or so late but anything over 2.5 hours late to me is unacceptable and Amtrak either needs to fix this issue (there continual running 2+ hours late) or change that route to avoid that much delays.

I always assume the Cardinal will be 3 hours late, and have never been disappointed. Surely "fixing the route" would mean canceling the train. That sort of cuts off the nose to spite the face.

 

[George Harris]

66/67?

3 hr 57 min southbound

3 hr 50 min northbound

Taht compares to about 3 hr 30 min for a couple of midday Norhteast reagionals picked at random. Yes middle of the night is slower, and 66/67 are in the schedule so their persence would be plugged into the maintenance work plan. The Cardinal's off sechdule would not be in the plan, so it would much more likely be delayed.

 

[dn4192]

Train 50 (10) arrived NYP 4'41 late...Not bad, all things considered...

anything over 2.5 hours late to me is unacceptable and Amtrak either needs to fix this issue (there continual running 2+ hours late) or change that route to avoid that much delays.

Fix the issue? Please enlighten us.

Change the route? Do tell.

Well first thing I would look into is changing the "time" the train runs. I have to think that there might be a better time for the 50 to run east where it won't hit the traffic in the same spot it seems to hit now. I was told there is a stretch where it has to sit due to coal traffic going westbound. Why not make sure to go through that area at a better time when less traffic is headed west?

 

[MikefromCrete]

Train 50 (10) arrived NYP 4'41 late...Not bad, all things considered...

anything over 2.5 hours late to me is unacceptable and Amtrak either needs to fix this issue (there continual running 2+ hours late) or change that route to avoid that much delays.

Fix the issue? Please enlighten us.

Change the route? Do tell.

Well first thing I would look into is changing the "time" the train runs. I have to think that there might be a better time for the 50 to run east where it won't hit the traffic in the same spot it seems to hit now. I was told there is a stretch where it has to sit due to coal traffic going westbound. Why not make sure to go through that area at a better time when less traffic is headed west?

I doubt if the empty coal trains run on any kind of reliable schedule, so any time you send the Cardinal through the Buckingham Branch gauntlet, you'll have some kind of trouble. There's too much traffic and too little railroad.

 

[Ryan]

Not to mention if you move the departure time later, you'll end up with unacceptable calling times on the Eastern end. If you move the time earlier, you start breaking connections.

 

[rtabern]

Train 50 (10) arrived NYP 4'41 late...Not bad, all things considered...

anything over 2.5 hours late to me is unacceptable and Amtrak either needs to fix this issue (there continual running 2+ hours late) or change that route to avoid that much delays.

Fix the issue? Please enlighten us.

Change the route? Do tell.

Well first thing I would look into is changing the "time" the train runs. I have to think that there might be a better time for the 50 to run east where it won't hit the traffic in the same spot it seems to hit now. I was told there is a stretch where it has to sit due to coal traffic going westbound. Why not make sure to go through that area at a better time when less traffic is headed west?

I think the Cardinal is in a very tight spot and Amtrak really can't have its schedule juggled too much.

If you move it to leave Chicago earlier than its current departure time, you're going to break the connections with #4, #6, #8, and #22. As it is, the 5:45PM departure puts the Cardinal in as the earliest east coast train to leave Chicago and most likely to miss connections with the western trains.

If you move it any later out of Chicago, you're looking at getting in New York-Penn at an unreasonable hour. It's already schedule to get in at 10PM... which is late... and throw in delays... and you're already getting in during the wee hours of the morning.

The only options would be to leave Chicago later, but then cut it back to WAS from NYP... OR... make it a 2 night train and leave Chicago late and build in a lot of padding along the way so it arrives on the east coast in the early morning hours of the following day... neither of which I'm sure Amtrak wants to do do really.

 

[TML]

If the Cardinal were to leave Chicago later (i.e. after 8 pm), it would either have to be trucated to Washington DC or extended to Boston in order for final arrival times to be acceptable. The former option breaks major sources of revenue for passengers traveling to/from the NEC, while the latter option will result in a very long ride and could require open-door service within the NEC, potentially causing local NEC passengers to "crowd out" passengers traveling to/from south/west of Washington, DC.