EB - Lateness Problems This Summer

[montana mike]

The EB has been full all summer. Partly due to seasonal tourism, but now more than ever from increased ridership due to the energy activities in ND and MT. The Williston ND station is a sight to behold now! I would strongly suggest for anyone planning on making connections in CHI that they allow a minimum of 6 hours or an overnight stay.

I have taken the EB several times this summer and have not arrived less than 4 hours late and usually around 5 to 6 hours behind schedule.

Perhaps indeed BNSF will be thru with it's track maintenance and repairs by October and that may help some, but the significant increase in freight traffic from MT to the east especially will not go away.

 

[amamba]

Question about train running late and rescheduling. I realize that things may change before the end of October, but I am a worrier and a planner and want to know what options I may have to look at.



If the EB is still running late in October, I will need to do 1 of 2 things, either move the entire reservation up 1 day or move just the EB portion up 1 day and spend the night in Chicago. How would it work to do that and what recourse do I have if there is a significant difference in price?

Hi WiCruiseDreamer - to change your reservation, you would need to call amtrak or stop by a station and make the change at a ticket window. You would need to pay any difference in fare.

Honestly, I would probably hold off any changes just yet as there is a chance that the cooler weather in October will ease the heat restrictions.

 

[montana mike]

I have been following the EB closely this past week and watching the times between stations, especially in MT. Something isn't adding up. In most cases they are losing almost an hour between EACH one of the last three stations in MT every day. That does not equate to 60 mph speeds, but rather somewhere much closer to 35-40 mph, which is what I experienced last week on the westbound EB. The significant losses of time in areas where they used to actually make up time I believe may be due more to the increased traffic on this single track stretch than heat. I recall we waited for several grain trains, an intermodal and even a tanker train in this stretch, sitting on sidings for 10-15 minutes each time while we let them pass. Even if BNSF slowed the EB down to 60 mph during this period of time between these stations the time lost should be less than half of what is occurring. Look what happened to #8 tonight, still not even to Milwaukee and now almost 9 hours late! A 50 hour ride from SEA to CHI equates to an average speed of 38 mph--pokey.

Bummer.

 

[yarrow]

I have been following the EB closely this past week and watching the times between stations, especially in MT. Something isn't adding up. In most cases they are losing almost an hour between EACH one of the last three stations in MT every day. That does not equate to 60 mph speeds, but rather somewhere much closer to 35-40 mph, which is what I experienced last week on the westbound EB. The significant losses of time in areas where they used to actually make up time I believe may be due more to the increased traffic on this single track stretch than heat. I recall we waited for several grain trains, an intermodal and even a tanker train in this stretch, sitting on sidings for 10-15 minutes each time while we let them pass. Even if BNSF slowed the EB down to 60 mph during this period of time between these stations the time lost should be less than half of what is occurring. Look what happened to #8 tonight, still not even to Milwaukee and now almost 9 hours late! A 50 hour ride from SEA to CHI equates to an average speed of 38 mph--pokey.

Bummer.

i've noticed that also. it used to be union pacific would put amtrak on a siding for any other traffic and bnsf had the reputation of getting amtrak through and out of their hair. increased bnsf traffic and maybe a change in their philosophy regarding amtrak. could also be some sidings aren't long enough for the bnsf trains thus mandating amtrak take the siding

 

[montana mike]

The EB conductors did mention that some of the BNSF trains we were waiting for were too long for the particular siding we were stopped at-one was a tanker train and the other was a grain train.

I have been following the EB closely this past week and watching the times between stations, especially in MT. Something isn't adding up. In most cases they are losing almost an hour between EACH one of the last three stations in MT every day. That does not equate to 60 mph speeds, but rather somewhere much closer to 35-40 mph, which is what I experienced last week on the westbound EB. The significant losses of time in areas where they used to actually make up time I believe may be due more to the increased traffic on this single track stretch than heat. I recall we waited for several grain trains, an intermodal and even a tanker train in this stretch, sitting on sidings for 10-15 minutes each time while we let them pass. Even if BNSF slowed the EB down to 60 mph during this period of time between these stations the time lost should be less than half of what is occurring. Look what happened to #8 tonight, still not even to Milwaukee and now almost 9 hours late! A 50 hour ride from SEA to CHI equates to an average speed of 38 mph--pokey.

Bummer.

i've noticed that also. it used to be union pacific would put amtrak on a siding for any other traffic and bnsf had the reputation of getting amtrak through and out of their hair. increased bnsf traffic and maybe a change in their philosophy regarding amtrak. could also be some sidings aren't long enough for the bnsf trains thus mandating amtrak take the siding

 

[montana mike]

Shall we assume that the BNSF derailment east of Miles city, MT on 8-5 did not effect the EB, since this stretch of track is south east of where the EB travels?

 

[PRR 60]

Shall we assume that the BNSF derailment east of Miles city, MT on 8-5 did not effect the EB, since this stretch of track is south east of where the EB travels?

Yes. That is the former Northern Pacific line. The Empire Builder uses the former Great Northern line.

 

[Ispolkom]

Yes. That is the former Northern Pacific line.

Actually, it's the former Milwaukee Road line. The Northern Pacific goes further north, through Glendive, more or less where I-94 is.

 

[PRR 60]

Yes. That is the former Northern Pacific line.

Actually, it's the former Milwaukee Road line. The Northern Pacific goes further north, through Glendive, more or less where I-94 is.

Thanks for the correction. Typical New Jersey view of Montana rail history.

 

[Ispolkom]

Thanks for the correction. Typical New Jersey view of Montana rail history.

No, I should apologize for my obsession with the minutiae of northwestern railroading. Your answer was correct in all important respects.

 

[yarrow]

eb 8 arriving in chi this afternoon has left msp and is only running around 90 minutes late. the best for a long time. n dakota temps are forecast low 70's for the week. have heat restrictions been lifted? is there just less freight traffic on weekends? good to see, whatever the reason

 

[Pat Harper]

We were on the westbound EB on 8/3 & 8/4. It was about an hour late getting into Seattle, which I think is pretty good considering all the troubles that train has had lately. We even were fortunate enough to make our connection to the Cascades, as they waiting for the EB to arrive.

Upon our return to Chicago on the EB, however, it was a different story. We were over 5-1/2 hours late, and therefore we missed our connection to the CONO by 1-1/2 hours. Amtrak came through and rebooked us for a roomette on the next train out, put us up in a hotel for the night, gave us cab fare and food money.

 

[JayPea]

eb 8 arriving in chi this afternoon has left msp and is only running around 90 minutes late. the best for a long time. n dakota temps are forecast low 70's for the week. have heat restrictions been lifted? is there just less freight traffic on weekends? good to see, whatever the reason

As Yogi Berra might say, it's the earliest the EB has been late in a long time. :lol:

 

[yarrow]

:help:

eb 8 arriving in chi this afternoon has left msp and is only running around 90 minutes late. the best for a long time. n dakota temps are forecast low 70's for the week. have heat restrictions been lifted? is there just less freight traffic on weekends? good to see, whatever the reason

As Yogi Berra might say, it's the earliest the EB has been late in a long time. :lol:

good one :lol:

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Yes. That is the former Northern Pacific line.

Actually, it's the former Milwaukee Road line. The Northern Pacific goes further north, through Glendive, more or less where I-94 is.

Doesn't the U.S. 12 follow the Milwaukee Road line?

 

[Ispolkom]

Doesn't the U.S. 12 follow the Milwaukee Road line?

In western South Dakota and most of Montana, generally, yes. My knowledge of Milwaukee Road Lines West is vague outside of those areas.

 

[montana mike]

EB #8 arrived 2 hours and 38 minutes late into CHI--better, but still not great. I am currently on the EB #8 in ND-running 1 hour and 28 minutes late now in Williston. we went across all of MT at normal track speed a good part of the way (temps in the 70's the entire way), BUT there were slow downs due to the heavy freight traffic. It's that time of the year for the grain trains and now the oil trains are added to the mix, along with several lonnnng inter models.

I left WFH on time this AM, so losing less than 90 minutes riding thru the "gauntlet" I guess wasn't too bad. Now we shall see how much time we lose overnight going thru ND and MN. There is much construction in eastern ND, especially from Devils Lake to almost Grand Forks. Last time I was on the EB we lost another 30-40 minutes thru that area.

All in all it was good to see the EB travel at normal speed at least a good part of the time

eb 8 arriving in chi this afternoon has left msp and is only running around 90 minutes late. the best for a long time. n dakota temps are forecast low 70's for the week. have heat restrictions been lifted? is there just less freight traffic on weekends? good to see, whatever the reason

 

[NW cannonball]

EB #8 arrived 2 hours and 38 minutes late into CHI--better, but still not great. I am currently on the EB #8 in ND-running 1 hour and 28 minutes late now in Williston. we went across all of MT at normal track speed a good part of the way (temps in the 70's the entire way), BUT there were slow downs due to the heavy freight traffic. It's that time of the year for the grain trains and now the oil trains are added to the mix, along with several lonnnng inter models.

I left WFH on time this AM, so losing less than 90 minutes riding thru the "gauntlet" I guess wasn't too bad. Now we shall see how much time we lose overnight going thru ND and MN. There is much construction in eastern ND, especially from Devils Lake to almost Grand Forks. Last time I was on the EB we lost another 30-40 minutes thru that area.

All in all it was good to see the EB travel at normal speed at least a good part of the time

eb 8 arriving in chi this afternoon has left msp and is only running around 90 minutes late. the best for a long time. n dakota temps are forecast low 70's for the week. have heat restrictions been lifted? is there just less freight traffic on weekends? good to see, whatever the reason

Good to hear it seems to be getting a bit better. Here in MSP the EB is the only train there is -- of course it's the same for every other station on the HI-line.

I live within sound of the station here - hearing the double whistle when the EB starts up after throwing the switch into the station - mostly for the last many years this would be early morning - but this summer the sound has been midday at best.

Maybe last year was worse with the floods and total cancellation of many trips.

Hope the EB gets back to more normal on-time performance -- maybe all that track work will help BNSF with the increased traffic in ND. Just hoping.

 

[EB_OBS]

Just when you thought things were looking better;

BNSF derailment

 

[EB_OBS]

Just an FYI, there will be on-time buses to Seattle and Portland departing Tuesday, Aug 14th, at 2:15am and 2:45am respectively.

At this time, due to the additional equipment being used, it's expected that #7 and #27 will go through no matter how late they are.

 

[yarrow]

Just when you thought things were looking better;

BNSF derailment

good grief

 

[montana mike]

Good Grief is right--another intermodal. I went by the mess still sitting besides the tracks in eastern MT yesterday and now another one on the other side of the border. They certainly can't blame the heat--the temps are actually slightly below normal in ND today.

:-(((

Just when you thought things were looking better;

BNSF derailment

 

[PRR 60]

Good Grief is right--another intermodal. I went by the mess still sitting besides the tracks in eastern MT yesterday and now another one on the other side of the border. They certainly can't blame the heat--the temps are actually slightly below normal in ND today.

:-(((

Just when you thought things were looking better;

BNSF derailment

It was a grade crossing incident. The BNSF train struck a loaded gravel truck at a crossing.

 

[Eric S]

I'm currently on 8 (12), stopped just east of Havre. As announced on the train, the plan is to eventually proceed to Williston and bus us there to Minot, where 7 will be turned.

 

[montana mike]

Interesting bit of history: an Intermodal derailed at almost the exact same spot in 2005--hmmmm, one would think BNSF would look into the situation. I take the EB quite a bit and the track in that area is definitely not the smoothest ride.

Bummer. This will disrupt things for a couple days at least.

:-((