Empire Builders are several hours late over the last few days

[pianocat]

Let's put it this way if we're still in North Dakota when I wake up in the morning that's not a good thing. I will report as I can.

 

[Montreal Ltd]

How about 8 (9) that left St Paul over 9 hours late today? Has dropped off both transit docs and Amtrak's status reports.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Yes, and the SWC too, though that one may have already arrived.

Juckins.net doesn't have it either.

 

[JayPea]

I read elsewhere that the #8 in question hit a trailer carrying a lawn mower and the engineer requested to be relieved. And so the saga continues.......

 

[montanamike]

Wow. Utterly amazing how many mishaps on this route! Amtrak shows #8 pulling into CHI just before 1 AM on the 12th. I bet those people will be very, very glad to get off that train!!!!

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

What's with people constantly getting hit by trains? Don't they ever learn? Hello? Would you walk in front of a big truck? Of course not. I see no difference in a train.

Indeed 8 got in at 12:50am, missing all connections for the 5th time in a row.

 

[NW cannonball]

One would certainly hope all of these incidents and delays are purely coincidental, one would hope........

It seems likely that yes, coincidental. Snowstorm, corpse on the tracks, mechanical problems with Private Vehicles, various collisions with trespassing vehicles.

As far as I can see, no Amtrak equipment failures, no freight (frack-bombs) interference.

A bad week, but, as far as I can see, not Amtrak nor BNSF fault. Meaning that neither Amtrak nor BNSF can do much about this weeks delays on the Eastbound, but unlikely the problems continue.

Eastbound connections at CHI are as chancy as they always have been the last 5 decades (except the really bad 3 years before this one)

 

[fredevad]

Could be a very late arrival (after midnight) in CHI-town. Bummer

Yes indeed it was, we arrived in Chicago at 12:50 local time. Amstew for everyone for dinner and those that missed their connections were given box lunches on arrival and were put up in sleeper cars (instead of hotels, which I thought was brilliant... and fun). Rested, I'm now heading out of Chicago. It's been an interesting experience and I did get some awesome snow footage through Glacier.

 

[pianocat]

Update on 8 (10) ...... at worst we were over 2 hrs late in Montana & ND but have made up time. In Columbus WI now with a prediction of only @ 30 min late. Guess I got lucky!

 

[montanamike]

Let us all hope these incidents and delays were just a couple week long rough patch and that the schedule keeping will get back to something closer to on time performance for the Empire Builder!

 

[fairviewroad]

It just goes to show how quickly things can turn around:

7(10) and 27(12) arrived early in SEA and PDX this morning.

7(11) just left Malta 11 minutes late.

7(12) just departed Glenview on time.

8(10) departed Columbus 62 minutes late

8(11) just arrived Havre 50 minutes late.

So, not perfect...but not too bad, either.

 

[norfolkwesternhenry]

how much would it cost to double track MSP-SEA/PDX, I know there are many single track tunnels on Stevens Pass, but keep those how they are. Somewhere around $10B?

 

[montanamike]

A number of single track tunnels on the Hi-Line in western Montana as the route winds its way between Glacier National Park and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. I honestly believe better train control and scheduling is the key to improving and maintaining timekeeping, with perhaps just modest additions to some current single track areas in Montana.

 

[CCC1007]

how much would it cost to double track MSP-SEA/PDX, I know there are many single track tunnels on Stevens Pass, but keep those how they are. Somewhere around $10B?

BNSF invested somewhere around $1.5B to double track from Glasgow, MT to the twin cities, which is the easiest part to double track. They could add additional double track to get as far as east glacier, but I don't think it's that big of a bottleneck yet.

 

[NW cannonball]

how much would it cost to double track MSP-SEA/PDX, I know there are many single track tunnels on Stevens Pass, but keep those how they are. Somewhere around $10B?

BNSF invested somewhere around $1.5B to double track from Glasgow, MT to the twin cities, which is the easiest part to double track. They could add additional double track to get as far as east glacier, but I don't think it's that big of a bottleneck yet.

There's still single track on the BNSF main (aside from tunnels and Marias and Stevens) , like here in Minnesota, between Little Falls and Staples. (seen it on the ground July, no sign of 2-tracking)

And for Amtrak route, between Fargo and GFK (the swampy frost-heaved secondary that did get two new passing sidings -yaay).

Question -- it's been two years since I rode that track -- but is the Amtrak on BNSF MOT-GFK still jointed clickity-clack rail?

Back to the topic -- don't worry the EB OTP it's much much better here in 2016 -- Eastbound connections at Chicago are still chancy. BNSF has stopped track upgrades because less frack-crude and intermodal --

Amtrak benefits from the last 3 years of BNSF double-tracking.

I expect that the Empire Builder on-time performance will be mostly good for a year or two. (There will be blizzards and trespassers (both human and mechanical))

 

[dlagrua]

At one time there were three routes directly from Chicago to Seattle: the Milwaukee Road, The Great Northern , and the Northern Pacific; all three routes crossed Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Today only one route from CHI to SEA remains. Is it any wonder why there is now a logjam?

 

[montanamike]

With the onslaught of very heavy rains forecasted for the Pacific NW I would fully expect to see mudslide issues for the EBs in Washington. Lets' hope the mitigation efforts done by BNSF will minimize this.

I had the good fortune to take the Northern Pacific and Great Northern routes when I was a teenager. Enjoyed them both!

 

[CCC1007]

At one time there were three routes directly from Chicago to Seattle: the Milwaukee Road, The Great Northern , and the Northern Pacific; all three routes crossed Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Today only one route from CHI to SEA remains. Is it any wonder why there is now a logjam?

I was unaware that MRL counted as "gone." They control the ex NP in Montana and Idaho.

 

[JayPea]

At one time there were three routes directly from Chicago to Seattle: the Milwaukee Road, The Great Northern , and the Northern Pacific; all three routes crossed Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Today only one route from CHI to SEA remains. Is it any wonder why there is now a logjam?

I was unaware that MRL counted as "gone." They control the ex NP in Montana and Idaho.

That was news to me too. And to the many thousands of passengers who take the EB to and from Portland. From Spokane to Pasco is also ex-NP. And the NP route from Pasco to Seattle is still very much in use.

 

[Palmetto]

At one time there were three routes directly from Chicago to Seattle: the Milwaukee Road, The Great Northern , and the Northern Pacific; all three routes crossed Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Today only one route from CHI to SEA remains. Is it any wonder why there is now a logjam?

Not entirely true. Between Fargo ND [well, KO Jct., actually] and Sandpoint, ID, you have the old Northern Pacific main line, and the BNSF has actually upgraded it and continues to do so. It does take some pressure off the most northern route. The problem right now seems to be in the Hauser / Spokane area

 

[TamarackTom]

http://www.gngoat.org/MILW2014.pdf

This is a very in depth article on why the Milwaukee Road Western Extension was likely doomed from the start. It still make one wonder if the line could have survived into the 90's and the UP and BNSF consolidations if the railroads would have invested in the line to keep it alive.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

Unfortunately, the delays remain, though not as bad as before.

#7 (13) is in western Montana, 4 hrs 49 mins late and #8 (13) is in eastern Montana, 5 hrs 25 mins late. Let's hope this delay doesn't increase too much.

 

[montanamike]

I saw this happen as well. Both trains went from about an hour late to between 4 and 5 hours late! The local BNSF folks have told me that some significant problems around Glasgow may be the issue for Amtrak. They did not elaborate other than to say these issues were continuing and there was no definite time estimate as to when normal service conditions would be restored.

PS: I just heard back from another BNSF person. Moderate to major flooding in the Glasgow area this past week damaged some tracks and BNSF has not been able to effect sufficient repairs. No ETC on any repairs until the waters recede (which are forecast to happen in several days). Some freight traffic is being rerouted.

 

[Montreal Ltd]

Train 8 (13) over 8 hours late again?

 

[montanamike]

Yup, and 7/27 approaching 7 hours behind now. Just as bad as earlier in the week. Local BNSF folks say that they are having a good deal of difficulty with traffic control on the Hi-line at the moment. No kidding...........