Empire Builder Summer Blues Started Early this year

[montana mike]

#8 in WI is just under 4 hours behind-as would be expected for a weekday. My BNSF guy updated me on their track work schedule thru this Fall. Most of the 2013 maintenance/improvements should wrap up around 10/28 on the hi-line, except for one project, which runs thru the second week of November. This is the person who gave me the original delay estimates for this summer, which have been almost exactly right on the mark (unfortunately). So we should hope to see some additional improvement (not elimination-remember the additional freight traffic is a permanent change) of timekeeping after these projects are suspended for the winter.

Glad to see that Amtrak tries to hold other trains to make connections when the EB is not horrendously late, but sorry to see these trains late for their schedules. Oh, well.....

 

[CHamilton]

BNSF budgets $335 million for capex projects in Montana, North Dakota

BNSF Railway Co. yesterday announced the portions of its record $4.3 billion capital spending budget for 2013 that are allocated for key projects in two states.

The Class I plans to spend $220 million to improve and expand rail capacity in North Dakota. Planned work includes constructing three sidings west of Minot near Manitou, Tioga, and Palermo, extending sidings near Glen Ullin and Hillsboro, and improving six sidings between Minot and Grand Forks.

The railroad also plans to raise 10 miles of track over Devils Lake by one to five feet to keep track above any rising water; upgrade a line between Berthold and Northgate on the Canadian border; install Centralized Traffic Control signal systems on three sidings near Devils Lake, Hillsboro and Towner; construct a new double crossover track east of Williston; and lengthen existing tracks or add new tracks at yards in Mandan, Minot and Williston.

In addition, BNSF expects to surface and/or undercut about 1,900 miles of track, replace 315 miles of rail and 415,000 ties, and complete signal upgrades for positive train control (PTC) implementation.

The railroad also announced it will spend $115 million on maintenance and rail capacity expansion projects in Montana. Planned work includes constructing three new unit-train staging tracks about three miles east of Glasgow; adding machine vision technology at Miles City to help detect damaged equipment; surfacing more than 2,300 miles of track and performing undercutting work; replacing nearly 100 miles of rail and about 310,000 ties; and completing signal upgrades for PTC.

 

[montana mike]

Seems to confirm what my local BNSF guys have been telling me--that this is a lonnnnnnnnng term project and that BNSF is planning on the energy boom in MT and ND being around for many decades. You don't spend over $4 billion on a short term project.

My local guys also just told me that some of the work will even continue thru parts of the winter--yup. They can do a lot of the siding work (grading, hauling in fill and base materials, etc...) until the temps get really, really cold, so there is clearly some urgency in their efforts.

I also see now why they will be working well into November on some projects. Seeing the continuing delays in CHI and now even SEA this past week EB travelers will need to be prepared for a trip with a fair number of "slow orders" for many, many months to come.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

They should consider double-tracking the most congested segments and increasing passenger train speed to 90 mph. This crush of capacity is turning the High Line to the railroad version of Harbor Freeway.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Look, 8 (16) is actually on-time! Only two minutes late out of WPT! It made up a delay of up to 1:35.

http://dixielandsoftware.net/cgi-bin/gettrain.pl?seltrain=8&selyear=2013&selmonth=08&selday=16

Good job, EB!

 

[tonys96]

We are on 8 right now. Between wolf point and Williston and are damned near on time!

Had a great wine and cheese, then our Portland sleeper pulled a prank on one of our fellow pax that was hilarious.

 

[Ryan]

then our Portland sleeper pulled a prank on one of our fellow pax that was hilarious.

Details, man!

 

[AmtrakBlue]

We are on 8 right now. Between wolf point and Williston and are damned near on time!
Had a great wine and cheese, then our Portland sleeper pulled a prank on one of our fellow pax that was hilarious.

Do tell!

 

[tonys96]

About an hour and half late into Shelby.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

About an hour and half late into Shelby.

Something bad happened between WTN and STN.

 

[montana mike]

Looking at #8 trekking thru MN/WI this AM, pretty much the usual couple hours delays for the weekend traffic-nothing remarkable yet!. Has a decent shot to actually arrive in CHI just under 2 hours behind. The westbound 7/27 trains in OR and WA are running considerably behind their normal pace though (#7 is almost 3 hours late). Looks like they may arrive in SEA and PDX a couple hours late.

 

[amamba]

We are on 8 right now. Between wolf point and Williston and are damned near on time! Had a great wine and cheese, then our Portland sleeper pulled a prank on one of our fellow pax that was hilarious.

What did you do?! Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Updates: Right now 8 (17) is almost on-time again. Right now 20 minutes late going through GGW.

7 (17) is 3 hours late with Heritage 184, and 8 (16) looks like it will arrive Chicago around the same time as the 6, about 6:00 PM. Don't know what delayed the 6.

 

[Nathanael]

Seems to confirm what my local BNSF guys have been telling me--that this is a lonnnnnnnnng term project and that BNSF is planning on the energy boom in MT and ND being around for many decades. You don't spend over $4 billion on a short term project.

Bad bet. Sigh. Oh well, businesses make such bad bets all the time.

 

[George Harris]

They should consider double-tracking the most congested segments and increasing passenger train speed to 90 mph. This crush of capacity is turning the High Line to the railroad version of Harbor Freeway.

Double tracking, yes, at least starting with something like an alternating double-single-double-single-etc project. Unless you get many miles of continuous 90 mph running, you really get very little out of it. Plus, that would mean a complete upgrade to the signal system beyond that currently needed and in place for 79 mph running. Both of these require lots of money.

 

[montana mike]

Seems to confirm what my local BNSF guys have been telling me--that this is a lonnnnnnnnng term project and that BNSF is planning on the energy boom in MT and ND being around for many decades. You don't spend over $4 billion on a short term project.

Bad bet. Sigh. Oh well, businesses make such bad bets all the time.

Not sure why you would make that statement. ALL of the firms who are in ND are planning on many decades in this region. I again spoke with my neighbor (just this weekend), who owns an oil service company, and he reiterated that Bakken will be around for over 100 years, with BOTH Natural gas and oil. WB doesn't plunk down billions on poorly estimated "bets". I have seen first hand now, several times, what they are doing in this region and it is like nothing I have seen before. BTW--BNSF, thru a leasing company has also ordered a record number of tankers to be delivered thru 2020.

Footnote: The ND Govt folks estimated this past month that only about 8% of the wells that are to be developed in the initial pause of Bakken have been completed and that it will take over 10 years before they complete the first phase of the remaining development. Further, it will be beyond 2025 before the maximum capacity of these efforts are achieved. This report was a product of both the ND, MT and USCGS resources.

 

[RRUserious]

They have "double track". Where do you think Amtrak sits and waits for the BNSF to pass by? Oh, sorry, you mean so Amtrak doesn't have to sit and wait. Yeh, that's a pretty good idea. Must be fun juggling the freight trains traveling both directions, too.

 

[montana mike]

Anyone know why #7 is just pulling into SEA now--over 4 hours behind? Ouch, that will almost surely cause a big departure delay for todays #8 out of SEA. #8 coming into CHI this evening has a good shot to stay under 3 hours behind. Not terrible for a Monday!

 

[Ryan]

They have "double track". Where do you think Amtrak sits and waits for the BNSF to pass by?

Passing sidings, which aren't "double track".

 

[Steve4031]

Anyone know why #7 is just pulling into SEA now--over 4 hours behind? Ouch, that will almost surely cause a big departure delay for todays #8 out of SEA. #8 coming into CHI this evening has a good shot to stay under 3 hours behind. Not terrible for a Monday!

I have a friend departing on 8. He's at the station now. How late do you think 7 will be.

 

[yarrow]

Anyone know why #7 is just pulling into SEA now--over 4 hours behind? Ouch, that will almost surely cause a big departure delay for todays #8 out of SEA. #8 coming into CHI this evening has a good shot to stay under 3 hours behind. Not terrible for a Monday!

I have a friend departing on 8. He's at the station now. How late do you think 7 will be.

8 is supposed to depart sea about 2 hrs late but that's just a drop in the bucket compared to the usual delays on down the line

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Anyone know why #7 is just pulling into SEA now--over 4 hours behind? Ouch, that will almost surely cause a big departure delay for todays #8 out of SEA. #8 coming into CHI this evening has a good shot to stay under 3 hours behind. Not terrible for a Monday!

I have a friend departing on 8. He's at the station now. How late do you think 7 will be.

8 is supposed to depart sea about 2 hrs late but that's just a drop in the bucket compared to the usual delays on down the line

You might be right. The 8 still hasn't departed, and shows "Overdue" on the Status Maps. Hopefully it can board passengers and get going soon.

 

[tonys96]

We are on 8 right now. Between wolf point and Williston and are damned near on time! Had a great wine and cheese, then our Portland sleeper pulled a prank on one of our fellow pax that was hilarious.

What did you do?! Inquiring minds want to know.

We arrived at MSP just about two and a half hours late Monday morning.

Will explain prank when I get home and have computer. Too much to type on iPad.

 

[yarrow]

status map back to the cheery all red for the eb this am. it shows 7 as stuck in spk. does this mean a bus trip from spk to sea/pdx today in order for an on-time 8/28 this evening after turning in spk?

 

[montana mike]

Look like a brutal day indeed for ALL of the Builders today. #7 chugging along in WA towards SEA is almost 5 1/2 hours behind, Yes, #27 shows a service disruption, so that likely means a bus trip for some folks (wonder why they let #7 go to SEA so late though). #8 in Western MT is already 2 hours behind this AM and they haven't even gotten into the slow orders region. meanwhile #8 left MSP this AM 3 1/2 hours behind while #7 chugging thru ND was 2 hours late (again, still to go thru most of the construction zones).

Not good at all. Plus, heat related slow orders also likely to go into effect today according to my BNSF guy--with temps well into the 90's thru much of MT and ND. This sucker just can't catch a break!!

:-(