Crescent Annulled (South of Atlanta) - Trackwork?

[Hytec]

Apparently Amtrak has annulled the Crescent south of Atlanta, at least for January, possibly longer. I assume this due to NS' annual maintenance in that area. I'm surprised there is no mention of this on the Amtrak website. The website merely returns "Sold Out" when I try to book a trip. Anybody aware of this?

 

[cpotisch]

I find it surprising that a service disruption this significant would not be posted on the Service Alerts page, but I’m seeing the exact same thing on the booking page. :unsure:

 

[Acela150]

Apparently Amtrak has annulled the Crescent south of Atlanta, at least for January, possibly longer. I assume this due to NS' annual maintenance in that area. I'm surprised there is no mention of this on the Amtrak website. The website merely returns "Sold Out" when I try to book a trip. Anybody aware of this?

Correct. It's an annual thing. 

 

[cpotisch]

Correct. It's an annual thing. 

If it's an annual thing, why doesn't Amtrak mark it as sold out south of ATL in advance, so that they don't end up screwing over tons of passengers?

 

[Acela150]

If it's an annual thing, why doesn't Amtrak mark it as sold out south of ATL in advance, so that they don't end up screwing over tons of passengers?

It already is.  See the OP.  

 

[Hytec]

It's illogical to list it as "Sold Out" when in fact this is an annual service disruption for a legitimate reason, and has been for the past four or five years. I wonder if this approach may be the result of Anderson's new marketing team trying to show "how popular the Crescent is". Why don't they just tell the truth..

It will take a totally different marketing and operations approach to overcome the Crescent's abysmal schedule keeping. For example today's #20 is estimated 6:45 down into WAS. Obviously it'll be worse than that, because according to the ATK Status board #20 should have arrived 30 minutes ago, but it hasn't yet been posted.

 

[cpotisch]

It's illogical to list it as "Sold Out" when in fact this is an annual service disruption for a legitimate reason, and has been for the past four or five years. I wonder if this approach may be the result of Anderson's new marketing team trying to show "how popular the Crescent is". Why don't they just tell the truth..

It will take a totally different marketing and operations approach to overcome the Crescent's abysmal schedule keeping. For example today's #20 is estimated 6:45 down into WAS. Obviously it'll be worse than that, because according to the ATK Status board #20 should have arrived 30 minutes ago, but it hasn't yet been posted.

Amtrak always marks service disruptions like this as being “sold out”. It’s just a simple, though inaccurate, way of indicating that you can’t take the train then. It doesn’t really make any practical difference, so while it’s somewhat confusing, I don’t think it’s particularly problematic.

 

[Hytec]

I agree with you.  My disappointment is with current ATK operations and schedule keeping. We all recognize that ATK is an orphan step-child outside of the NEC. There appears no individual or organization willing, or being allowed to take freight railroads to task, either by direct frontal negotiations between CEOs, or by rewriting the toothless law that established ATK. Of course both these approaches require a strong  leadership approach, which ATK is not allowed to have due to being controlled by career politicians and government appointed board of directors.

 

[tricia]

Has Amtrak just recently started listing these trains as "sold out"? If so, the effect on passengers who have already, days or months ago, booked travel on these trains is a gross and (since this is a predictable annual event) entirely avoidable inconvenience.

 

[cpotisch]

Has Amtrak just recently started listing these trains as "sold out"? If so, the effect on passengers who have already, days or months ago, booked travel on these trains is a gross and (since this is a predictable annual event) entirely avoidable inconvenience.

I am pretty sure they have only just started listing them this way. Over the past couple weeks I've been checking pricing between NYP and NOL for various months, and I'm pretty certain that it didn't give me any issues when looking at January. :angry:

 

[Hytec]

Tricia, if memory serves, ATK used to return "Service Not Available" in cases like these.

I rode the Crescent regularly between SDL and ALX every few months starting in the '80's before I retired. Service was excellent with schedule keeping spot-on to the extent that I'd arrive ALX or SDL within minutes of the advertised. One exception. The Monday after a Super Bowl in NOL, forget which year, we had five private ex-Santa Fe cars tagged on our rear. Took 45 minutes to hook them up before #20 could leave NOL. Yes, we missed our slot all the way, but we still were only 45 minutes down into ALX. That was service I could set my watch to, the way railroad passenger service should be run.

Update on #20 into WAS today, a few minutes ago showing "Status Unavailable". Apparently #20 never made it into WAS across the Potomac River after leaving ALX 6:43 late.

 

[NativeSon5859]

While the work is going on, 19/20 will serve NOL on Fr/Sa/Su only.

Mo/Tu/We/Th the endpoint will be ATL.

Last year they ran a bus NOL-ATL. Not sure if that’s in the cards again or not.

 

[Hytec]

While the work is going on, 19/20 will serve NOL on Fr/Sa/Su only.

Mo/Tu/We/Th the endpoint will be ATL.

Last year they ran a bus NOL-ATL. Not sure if that’s in the cards again or not.

You make my point. This is a perfect opportunity to offer that information to prospective customers, rather than a non-informative "Sold Out". Might as well say "Get Lost, We Don't Want Your Business".

I'm beginning to suspect that Anderson was given marching orders to destroy LD routes by making them unattractive to riders. He appears to be bringing airline service to LD trains which is why we left airlines to ride LD trains in the first place. 

 

[LookingGlassTie]

Is this trackwork annual maintenance or is it a series of improvement projects?

 

[Hytec]

Is this trackwork annual maintenance or is it a series of improvement projects?

I'll take a look when I'm on 20 in late December. Looks like NS was makig a few more passing sidings between MEI and BHM earlier this year.

 

[Thirdrail7]

They've used sold out for years. I'm pretty sure we've had this discussion more than a few times....the ol'  canceled vs sold out debate.

At any rate, sold out is generally since in these kind of cases because there is a hold on all space while an operating plan is being made. Once the plan is confirmed, the space is released. In the meantime,  all the website can see is there is no space....so it states it is sold out.  While NS generally performs annual maintenance on this line, it is not confirmed until they confirm and send dates.

Of all the things you can take a railroad to task for, attempting to maintain their infrastructure probably shouldn't be one of them.

 

[me_little_me]

Bad news is I can't get to NOL.

Good news is no delays in ALA and MIS so it should be on time arrival heading north.

 

[Trogdor]

It's illogical to list it as "Sold Out" when in fact this is an annual service disruption for a legitimate reason, and has been for the past four or five years. I wonder if this approach may be the result of Anderson's new marketing team trying to show "how popular the Crescent is". Why don't they just tell the truth.

I agree.  It's all Anderson's fault.  I can't believe he started doing this years before he even took over Amtrak.  That just goes to show how absolutely cruel he is, going back in time and changing the past.

 

[cpotisch]

I agree.  It's all Anderson's fault.  I can't believe he started doing this years before he even took over Amtrak.  That just goes to show how absolutely cruel he is, going back in time and changing the past.

Dying.  :giggle:

 

[JayPea]

Dying.  :giggle:

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Acela150]

I agree.  It's all Anderson's fault.  I can't believe he started doing this years before he even took over Amtrak.  That just goes to show how absolutely cruel he is, going back in time and changing the past.

Thank goodness I didn't have a drink in my mouth. My boss wouldn't be happy that my computer would need a new keyboard. :lol:  

 

[Thirdrail7]

At any rate, sold out is generally since in these kind of cases because there is a hold on all space while an operating plan is being made. Once the plan is confirmed, the space is released. In the meantime,  all the website can see is there is no space....so it states it is sold out. 

While the work is going on, 19/20 will serve NOL on Fr/Sa/Su only.

Mo/Tu/We/Th the endpoint will be ATL.

Last year they ran a bus NOL-ATL. Not sure if that’s in the cards again or not.

Plans have been finalized. They are running a bus between ATL-NOL this year and it shows the thruway connection on the website.   I guess this is Mr. Anderson's plot to get people used to buses for future bus bridge operations? -_-

 

[railiner]

Wouldn't it be nice if they could reroute it over the CSX via Montgomery and Mobile during that period?  Just a pipe dream...no need to ridicule the idea...