EB - Lateness Problems This Summer

[Mackensen]

As I understand it heat-related slow orders remain a problem; in many places speed is restricted to 60 MPH instead of the usual 79 MPH. That's your systemic lateness right there. Beyond that, random bad things still happen. 8(27) lost an hour at Fargo because some moron parked a truck on or near the tracks and it lost an hour which it never got back.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

As I understand it heat-related slow orders remain a problem; in many places speed is restricted to 60 MPH instead of the usual 79 MPH. That's your systemic lateness right there. Beyond that, random bad things still happen. 8(27) lost an hour at Fargo because some moron parked a truck on or near the tracks and it lost an hour which it never got back.

Heat restrictions? Weather reports state that the temperatures don't get above 100 degrees F. So why heat restrictions?

Also, heat restrictions don't explain why some trains departed from the origin already late.

 

[johnny.menhennet]

As I understand it heat-related slow orders remain a problem; in many places speed is restricted to 60 MPH instead of the usual 79 MPH. That's your systemic lateness right there. Beyond that, random bad things still happen. 8(27) lost an hour at Fargo because some moron parked a truck on or near the tracks and it lost an hour which it never got back.

Heat restrictions? Weather reports state that the temperatures don't get above 100 degrees F. So why heat restrictions?

Also, heat restrictions don't explain why some trains departed from the origin already late.

I believe there was a post a few pages back that said the Hi-Line heat restrictions were lowered from the usual 90 degree limit down to 85. So not hitting 100 plays no factor in this. If it even gets to the mid-80's, then we got a problem.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

As I understand it heat-related slow orders remain a problem; in many places speed is restricted to 60 MPH instead of the usual 79 MPH. That's your systemic lateness right there. Beyond that, random bad things still happen. 8(27) lost an hour at Fargo because some moron parked a truck on or near the tracks and it lost an hour which it never got back.

Heat restrictions? Weather reports state that the temperatures don't get above 100 degrees F. So why heat restrictions?

Also, heat restrictions don't explain why some trains departed from the origin already late.

I believe there was a post a few pages back that said the Hi-Line heat restrictions were lowered from the usual 90 degree limit down to 85. So not hitting 100 plays no factor in this. If it even gets to the mid-80's, then we got a problem.

Then it's going to be really bad for the EB, because Glasgow is still at 93 degrees F! :excl:

Still dosen't explain the origin delays.

 

[yarrow]

ok, maybe i have ocd regarding the eb because we live along its route, maybe it's because we have a mid-september trip connecting to the cl or maybe it is something else. but, what is going on? i look at trains on the eb route today: 7 left chi over 2 hours late, 8 is 3 hours late arriving. 7 and 27 are over 5 hours late and not yet to sea/pdx. yesterday's 8 is 3 hours late and yesterday's 7 (the star of the group)is only an hour and a half late. this is not new. it has been going on at least since may. fires, freight congestion, freight derailmets, broken equipment, crews running out of time and on and on. but the eb schedule still says it will get you there on time. is smilin' joe boardman aware? when is amtrak going to let people know they can't operate this train at anything like its published schedule?

Probably about the same time BNSF admits it can't safely operate freight trains on the Hi Line. Look back through this thread and it's a catalog of BNSF derailments.

so, from your reply, bnsf can't safely operate on the hi-line and neither can amtrak?

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

ok, maybe i have ocd regarding the eb because we live along its route, maybe it's because we have a mid-september trip connecting to the cl or maybe it is something else. but, what is going on? i look at trains on the eb route today: 7 left chi over 2 hours late, 8 is 3 hours late arriving. 7 and 27 are over 5 hours late and not yet to sea/pdx. yesterday's 8 is 3 hours late and yesterday's 7 (the star of the group)is only an hour and a half late. this is not new. it has been going on at least since may. fires, freight congestion, freight derailmets, broken equipment, crews running out of time and on and on. but the eb schedule still says it will get you there on time. is smilin' joe boardman aware? when is amtrak going to let people know they can't operate this train at anything like its published schedule?

Probably about the same time BNSF admits it can't safely operate freight trains on the Hi Line. Look back through this thread and it's a catalog of BNSF derailments.

so, from your reply, bnsf can't safely operate on the hi-line and neither can amtrak?

I think that what's more important is the cause of the derailments.

edit: Sorry, I meant derailments, not delays.

 

[Mackensen]

ok, maybe i have ocd regarding the eb because we live along its route, maybe it's because we have a mid-september trip connecting to the cl or maybe it is something else. but, what is going on? i look at trains on the eb route today: 7 left chi over 2 hours late, 8 is 3 hours late arriving. 7 and 27 are over 5 hours late and not yet to sea/pdx. yesterday's 8 is 3 hours late and yesterday's 7 (the star of the group)is only an hour and a half late. this is not new. it has been going on at least since may. fires, freight congestion, freight derailmets, broken equipment, crews running out of time and on and on. but the eb schedule still says it will get you there on time. is smilin' joe boardman aware? when is amtrak going to let people know they can't operate this train at anything like its published schedule?

Probably about the same time BNSF admits it can't safely operate freight trains on the Hi Line. Look back through this thread and it's a catalog of BNSF derailments.

so, from your reply, bnsf can't safely operate on the hi-line and neither can amtrak?

I think that what's more important is the cause of the delays.

The heat restrictions explain everything, actually. The equipment set that arrives in Seattle (and Portland) from Chicago has to be turned the same day. There's a finite amount of time to work with. If it arrives late enough on the west coast it won't get turned in time and will leave late. The equipment has to be cleaned and serviced. Amtrak doesn't have an additional equipment set that can layover to obviate that need.

 

[NY Penn]

How about today's 7 that departed CHI 2+ hours late? Or 7(26) that also departed CHI 2+ late?

 

[Mackensen]

How about today's 7 that departed CHI 2+ hours late? Or 7(26) that also departed CHI 2+ late?

I don't know, and on the whole it doesn't much matter, does it? The most important fact here is that no matter what happens in Chicago it's going to be late until these record temperatures subside and BNSF can rescind the slow orders on the Hi Line. The Builder doesn't have a chance if its top speed is reduced by 19 MPH.

Maybe it was an equipment problem. I was delayed once on the Builder out of Chicago by a bad-ordered dining car. That was a two-hour delay. These things do happen, independent of this structural lateness. Maybe someone threw themselves on the tracks in Chicago. Maybe Amtrak's really short on Superliners right now, and had to use the equipment set from the West Coast which arrived late because of the above problem.

Broadly, it doesn't make much sense to me for Amtrak to issue a new timetable based on a situation that's likely to go away on its own. Last year it was floods. This year it's heat. I suppose next year it'll be locusts.

 

[EB_OBS]

Much of the High-line is single track too. Heat restrictions reduce passenger train speed to 60MPH, but it lowers freight trains down to 40MPH.

And, yes, BNSF lowered the usual kick-in for heat restrictions from 90 to 85 degrees. It's 85 degrees or more normally everyday in Montana in July and August, so.

Plus the BNSF track gangs and track supervisors and the FRA are out watching the condition of the track very closely right now.

 

[George Harris]

Last year it was floods. This year it's heat. I suppose next year it'll be locusts.

And then darkness?

 

[yarrow]

The heat restrictions explain everything, actually.

are there no heat restrictions elsewhere in the country where the ld trains are pretty much on time? heat restrictions in past warmer summers have not played havoc with the eb. but my main question is still: why doesn't amtrak let people know that if they are traveling the eb and expect anything like an on-time arrival that they have a problem?

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

The heat restrictions explain everything, actually.

are there no heat restrictions elsewhere in the country where the ld trains are pretty much on time? heat restrictions in past warmer summers have not played havoc with the eb. but my main question is still: why doesn't amtrak let people know that if they are traveling the eb and expect anything like an on-time arrival that they have a problem?

Communication with passengers about delays and service disruptions seems to be something Amtrak utterly fails at.

 

[RRUserious]

Last year it was floods. This year it's heat. I suppose next year it'll be locusts.

And then darkness?

When do the rivers run with blood. And the plague of toads?

 

[montana mike]

Looking at the past week the 3-5 hour arrival delays for the EB in Chicago appear to be the norm now---sadly

 

[Mackensen]

The heat restrictions explain everything, actually.

are there no heat restrictions elsewhere in the country where the ld trains are pretty much on time? heat restrictions in past warmer summers have not played havoc with the eb. but my main question is still: why doesn't amtrak let people know that if they are traveling the eb and expect anything like an on-time arrival that they have a problem?

Communication with passengers about delays and service disruptions seems to be something Amtrak utterly fails at.

Nonsense. I've been contacted by phone every time I've been subject to one.

 

[PRR 60]

I should also add that traffic on the BNSF High Line is as heavy as it has been in many years, and maybe ever. Between the fracking sand heading in and the Bakken oil heading out (and empties the other way), that railroad is choked with trains. That creates congestion on the single-track line, and more trains means there is a greater likelihood that trains will break down. The traffic volume and tonnage also increases the need to do work to repair the heavily used tracks. In some ways the BNSF High Line is like the UP's Sunset Route back in the economic boom times. It is a single-track line operating at or near capacity. That is not a good situation for moving a passenger train on schedule.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

The heat restrictions explain everything, actually.

are there no heat restrictions elsewhere in the country where the ld trains are pretty much on time? heat restrictions in past warmer summers have not played havoc with the eb. but my main question is still: why doesn't amtrak let people know that if they are traveling the eb and expect anything like an on-time arrival that they have a problem?

Communication with passengers about delays and service disruptions seems to be something Amtrak utterly fails at.

Nonsense. I've been contacted by phone every time I've been subject to one.

I've always had a hit and miss experience with this.

 

[yarrow]

The heat restrictions explain everything, actually.

are there no heat restrictions elsewhere in the country where the ld trains are pretty much on time? heat restrictions in past warmer summers have not played havoc with the eb. but my main question is still: why doesn't amtrak let people know that if they are traveling the eb and expect anything like an on-time arrival that they have a problem?

Communication with passengers about delays and service disruptions seems to be something Amtrak utterly fails at.

Nonsense. I've been contacted by phone every time I've been subject to one.

I've always had a hit and miss experience with this.

me too. much more miss than hit

 

[EB_OBS]

I'm frequently on conference calls involving extremely late trains, bustitution and other disruptions. Customer Service and the Res center are always on these calls as well. It's not uncommon, especially during peak-season, for there to be many many hundreds of passengers to notify, what Amtrak calls "call-backs." I don't believe any organization could manage this 100% with consistency unless you could absolutely ensure that every single reservation gave Amtrak good and reliable means to contact you.

I'm not making excuses, I for one would love for the general consensus be that "Amtrak does a good job notifying passengers of disruptions". My own experience and observations tell me though that that isn't the case. I'm just saying that I personally do believe that Amtrak does make a good faith effort to contact as many people as possible. I would hope that means every person who've given Amtrak a good phone number and/or email address.

Bear in mind that I'm not involved in operations of trains outside the NW and I'm predominately only concerned with the EB and it's connecting trains and connections. I can't vouch for the other divisions. One would think though, that the process at the corporate level is SOP for a service disruption no matter which train or service it is.

If you are one that is consistently NOT notified of schedule disruptions, the first thing I would do is to ensure that Amtrak has a reliable means of contacting you.

 

[WiCruiseDreamer]

I must admit, this thread has been an interesting read for me as a new Amtrak rider. I have learned things but have questions now as well.

 

I am taking the EB to Chicago where I will be boarding the CONO, seems simple enough. However, from what I am reading there is now an issue as to whether the EB will be in Chicago in time for me to catch the CONO, is this true? Oh, it may help to know that I am taking this trip at the end of October.

 

What happens if the EB is over 4 hours late into Chicago?

 

Excuse me for possibly hijacking this thread.

 

[yarrow]

I must admit, this thread has been an interesting read for me as a new Amtrak rider. I have learned things but have questions now as well.

 

I am taking the EB to Chicago where I will be boarding the CONO, seems simple enough. However, from what I am reading there is now an issue as to whether the EB will be in Chicago in time for me to catch the CONO, is this true? Oh, it may help to know that I am taking this trip at the end of October.

 

What happens if the EB is over 4 hours late into Chicago?

 

Excuse me for possibly hijacking this thread.

hopefully by the end of october things (heat restrictions, maybe freight congestion, summer track work) will be better. that being said, the past couple years connections of the eb to trains leaving chicago are not the most reliable. if the eb is within an hour of making the connection to the cono they may hold it for you. amtrak may lodge you in chicago and put you on the next day's train if you miss the connection. it's up to amtrak.

 

[JayPea]

Last year it was floods. This year it's heat. I suppose next year it'll be locusts.

And then darkness?

When do the rivers run with blood. And the plague of toads?

I think it's about to the point with the EB that passengers might want to start thinking about putting lamb's blood on all the doorposts of the train. :wacko:

 

[yarrow]

Last year it was floods. This year it's heat. I suppose next year it'll be locusts.

And then darkness?

When do the rivers run with blood. And the plague of toads?

I think it's about to the point with the EB that passengers might want to start thinking about putting lamb's blood on all the doorposts of the train. :wacko:

lamb's blood, huh? if it has a chance of working i'll try it

 

[WiCruiseDreamer]

I must admit, this thread has been an interesting read for me as a new Amtrak rider. I have learned things but have questions now as well.

 

I am taking the EB to Chicago where I will be boarding the CONO, seems simple enough. However, from what I am reading there is now an issue as to whether the EB will be in Chicago in time for me to catch the CONO, is this true? Oh, it may help to know that I am taking this trip at the end of October.

 

What happens if the EB is over 4 hours late into Chicago?

 

Excuse me for possibly hijacking this thread.

hopefully by the end of october things (heat restrictions, maybe freight congestion, summer track work) will be better. that being said, the past couple years connections of the eb to trains leaving chicago are not the most reliable. if the eb is within an hour of making the connection to the cono they may hold it for you. amtrak may lodge you in chicago and put you on the next day's train if you miss the connection. it's up to amtrak.

 

If they put me on the next day's train, that would not work to make the connection I have in New Orleans. I may have to start thinking of going a day earlier then planned.