Commuter train interference by Utica, NY?

[Lonnie]

"Train 123 is running 33 minutes late because of a meet at milepost 567.4 of the Spoonerville Subdivision with freight train ABX-PHT43 which was running 35 mph due to a speed restriction related to special equipment in its consist, which cost the train 26 minutes; and then further delayed running on approach signals near CP Junction just outside the Albany station.”

OMG! I just read that aloud to my husband and it made both my day and his! That was *fabulous*! (Language nerd train buffs we.) Your point is well taken. Income tax filing instructions should be cleaned up similarly, but that would mean making the tax code comprehensible. With trains, there's the motivation of large objects running into each other to keep communications clear and to the point.

 

[MARC Rider]

From Amtrak Alerts Twitter:
"Empire Service Train 283 is currently operating approx. 30min late due to earlier commuter train interference east of Utica (UCA)."

I'm sorry, but am I right in thinking that there is no commuter rail service east of Utica (or even anywhere north of Poughekeepsie)?

Thirty minutes late? For Amtrak, that's on time!

 

[neroden]

When Amtrak says it was due to commuter interference, one can rest assured that the delay was charged to MNRR

That's more true in general than you probably meant! Metro-North accounts for far more commuter interference than any other commuter railroad which interacts with Amtrak.

 

[Seaboard92]

Utica is railroad direction west of MNRR territory. Geographically it is more like northwest.

Trains from New York to Albany, even though they travel north, are numbered as if they are traveling west, because Albany is railroad direction west from New York, being part of the Water Level Route to Chicago, which is an east-west route.

That is a relic of the old New York Central services because even though it is a north/south line to Albany the New York Central lumped it in with the Albany-Chicago portion which is mostly westbound so that is how we got that one little exception to the train number rule.