Freight Railroad Hall of Shame, list of recent delays to Amtrak by freight trains

[NSC1109]

I’m gonna save you some time now:

A3, A5, A382, and A383 are all held up at MP155 on the Mendota Subdivision for a broken rail. The repair crew is a few hours out and they’re not sure it’s in good enough shape to run trains so that’s gonna account for a few of your delays.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

I saw the Empire Builder from the High Line in MT about 10 days ago, waiting for a freight to pass. No idea how much this affected it.

 

[John Webb]

This post is intended to highlight illegal delays to Amtrak trains by freight railroads on a day to day basis. Here are some of the recent delays caused specifically, in whole or in part, by freight train interference as cited today (8-26-21) at 11:10 AM (PT) by Amtrak on Amtrak Alerts (amtrak.com):

#30 (8/25) 30 mins

#53 (8/25) 1 hr, 20 mins

#22 (8/25) 1 hr, 40 mins

#7 (8/25) 2 hrs, 40 mins

#51 (8/25) 1 hr, 40 mins

#29 (8/25) 1 hr, 45 mins

#354 45 mins

#508 50 mins

#505 30 mins

#79 1 hr, 35 mins

#311 1 hr

Notes to the above:

These delays have been reported by Amtrak on amtrak.com/amtrakalerts at 11:10 AM Pacific time, 8/26/21

I will attempt to update this post daily, however, due to personal schedules I may miss a random day or two.

Only trains specifically indicated by Amtrak Alerts as suffering from freight train delays are listed. Delays caused by weather, vehicle/pedestrian accidents, mechanical breakdowns to Amtrak equipment, etc. are not listed.

Delays for which Amtrak Alerts does not list a cause are not listed. No doubt some of these "cause not indicated" delays were caused by freight train interference, but without an assertion by Amtrak Alerts that that was the case they will not go on the list.

Trains can be delayed for multiple reasons in the course of their journeys. The times indicated are the total times of all delays (freight train caused and non-freight train caused), so, while some trains may have been partially delayed by non freight train interference factors some, if not all, of the delay was caused by freight train interference as reported by Amtrak. Amtrak Alerts does not specify which part of a delay was caused by freight train interference.

As we all know, the freight railroads have for decades routinely delayed Amtrak trains to give their freight trains preference in operation. This has resulted in often severe delays to hundreds of passengers daily. They do this in violation of federal law:

"United States Code Title 49. TRANSPORTATION Subtitle V. RAIL PROGRAMS Part C. PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION Chapter 243 AMTRAK Section 24308. Use of facilities and providing services to Amtrak... (c) Preference Over Freight Transportation.—Except in an emergency, intercity and commuter rail transportation provided by or for Amtrak has preference over freight transportation in using a rail line, junction, or crossing..."

There is a fix for this. As part of the infrastructure bill (that has cleared the Senate and is expected to pass a final House vote soon) is a structure that will put some effective teeth in the law and will result in hefty fines for the freight railroads when they fail to give Amtrak trains priority over freight trains in the future.

Join Rail Passengers Association (I am posting this as an individual not in any official capacity of RPA, altho I am a member) in calling on your congressional Representatives and tell their offices that the freight railroads are ignoring the law when they hold up Amtrak trains. Ask them to support the recent Senate approved Infrastructure Bill which includes Sen. Durbin's Preference Enforcement Amendment (Amendment No. 2190), which doesn't change the law but just gives Amtrak the right to go to court to protect your right to be on time.

 

[west point]

John: It may be conductor might be too busy to notify headquarters reason for delay due to being too busy handling passengers or a passenger might even have been cause of delay.

 

[zephyr17]

John: It may be conductor might be too busy to notify headquarters reason for delay due to being too busy handling passengers or a passenger might even have been cause of delay.

To my knowledge conductors are required to submit delay reports any time the scheduled running time and/or dwell times are exceeded. It may well be passenger caused delay, such as a large crowd causing excessive dwell or having to stop at a grade crossing to put a drunk into the hands of the county mounties. It can also be mechanical issue, signal failure, or the dreaded freight train interference. But delay must be accounted for and reported.

 

[John Webb]

John: It may be conductor might be too busy to notify headquarters reason for delay due to being too busy handling passengers or a passenger might even have been cause of delay.

Since I cannot be present at the site of each delay reported by Amtrak as caused by freight trains, I must take the word of Amtrak in their publicly released information. If additional information becomes available from other sources at the location (reports by crew and/or passengers) then I modify the information from Amtrak that I use on the Freight Railroad All of Shame posting.

 

[John Webb]

This post is intended to highlight illegal delays to Amtrak trains by freight railroads on a day to day basis. Here are some of the recent delays caused specifically, in whole or in part, by freight train interference as cited today (8-27-21) at 6:25 PM (PT) by Amtrak on Amtrak Alerts (amtrak.com):

#392 35 mins

#90 1 hr

#503 1 hr, 5 mins

#390 30 mins

#391 45 mins

#49/449 (8/26) 2 hrs

#30 (8/26) 1 hr, 25 mins

#52 (8/26) 1 hr, 20 mins

#20 (8/26) 1 hr, 30 mins

#505 25 mins

#508 30 mins

#392 30 mins

Notes to the above:

These delays have been reported by Amtrak on amtrak.com/amtrakalerts at 6:25 PM Pacific time, 8/27/21

I will attempt to update this post daily, however, due to personal schedules I may miss a random day or two.

Only trains specifically indicated by Amtrak Alerts as suffering from freight train delays are listed. Delays caused by weather, vehicle/pedestrian accidents, mechanical breakdowns to Amtrak equipment, etc. are not listed.

Delays for which Amtrak Alerts does not list a cause are not listed. No doubt some of these "cause not indicated" delays were caused by freight train interference, but without an assertion by Amtrak Alerts that that was the case they will not go on the list.

Trains can be delayed for multiple reasons in the course of their journeys. The times indicated are the total times of all delays (freight train caused and non-freight train caused), so, while some trains may have been partially delayed by non freight train interference factors some, if not all, of the delay was caused by freight train interference as reported by Amtrak. Amtrak Alerts does not specify which part of a delay was caused by freight train interference.

As we all know, the freight railroads have for decades routinely delayed Amtrak trains to give their freight trains preference in operation. This has resulted in often severe delays to hundreds of passengers daily. They do this in violation of federal law:

"United States Code Title 49. TRANSPORTATION Subtitle V. RAIL PROGRAMS Part C. PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION Chapter 243 AMTRAK Section 24308. Use of facilities and providing services to Amtrak... (c) Preference Over Freight Transportation.—Except in an emergency, intercity and commuter rail transportation provided by or for Amtrak has preference over freight transportation in using a rail line, junction, or crossing..."

There is a fix for this. As part of the infrastructure bill (that has cleared the Senate and is expected to pass a final House vote soon) is a structure that will put some effective teeth in the law and will result in hefty fines for the freight railroads when they fail to give Amtrak trains priority over freight trains in the future.

Join Rail Passengers Association (I am posting this as an individual not in any official capacity of RPA, altho I am a member) in calling on your congressional Representatives and tell their offices that the freight railroads are ignoring the law when they hold up Amtrak trains. Ask them to support the recent Senate approved Infrastructure Bill which includes Sen. Durbin's Preference Enforcement Amendment (Amendment No. 2190), which doesn't change the law but just gives Amtrak the right to go to court to protect your right to be on time.

 

[John Webb]

This post is intended to highlight illegal delays to Amtrak trains by freight railroads on a day to day basis. Here are some of the recent delays caused specifically, in whole or in part, by freight train interference as cited today (8-28-21) at 6:15 PM (PT) by Amtrak on Amtrak Alerts (amtrak.com):

#316 35 mins

#364 30 mins

#11 3 hrs

#503 40 mins

#500 30 mins

#2/422 (8/27) Delayed by freight train. No elapsed delay time reported.

#73 Delayed by freight train. No elapsed delay time reported.

#11 Annulled at Klamath Falls due to freight derailment.

#14 Annulled at Redding due to freight derailment.

#3 (8/26) 3 hrs, 20 mins

#508 5mins

#392 35 mins

Notes to the above:

These delays have been reported by Amtrak on amtrak.com/amtrakalerts at 6:15 PM (PT), 8/28/21

I will attempt to update this post daily, however, due to personal schedules I may miss a random day or two.

Only trains specifically indicated by Amtrak Alerts as suffering from freight train delays are listed. Delays caused by weather, vehicle/pedestrian accidents, mechanical breakdowns to Amtrak equipment, etc. are not listed.

Delays for which Amtrak Alerts does not list a cause are not listed. No doubt some of these "cause not indicated" delays were caused by freight train interference, but without an assertion by Amtrak Alerts that that was the case they will not go on the list.

Trains can be delayed for multiple reasons in the course of their journeys. The times indicated are the total times of all delays (freight train caused and non-freight train caused), so, while some trains may have been partially delayed by non freight train interference factors some, if not all, of the delay was caused by freight train interference as reported by Amtrak. Amtrak Alerts does not specify which part of a delay was caused by freight train interference.

As we all know, the freight railroads have for decades routinely delayed Amtrak trains to give their freight trains preference in operation. This has resulted in often severe delays to hundreds of passengers daily. They do this in violation of federal law:

"United States Code Title 49. TRANSPORTATION Subtitle V. RAIL PROGRAMS Part C. PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION Chapter 243 AMTRAK Section 24308. Use of facilities and providing services to Amtrak... (c) Preference Over Freight Transportation.—Except in an emergency, intercity and commuter rail transportation provided by or for Amtrak has preference over freight transportation in using a rail line, junction, or crossing..."

There is a fix for this. As part of the infrastructure bill (that has cleared the Senate and is expected to pass a final House vote soon) is a structure that will put some effective teeth in the law and will result in hefty fines for the freight railroads when they fail to give Amtrak trains priority over freight trains in the future.

Join Rail Passengers Association (I am posting this as an individual not in any official capacity of RPA, altho I am a member) in calling on your congressional Representatives and tell their offices that the freight railroads are ignoring the law when they hold up Amtrak trains. Ask them to support the recent Senate approved Infrastructure Bill which includes Sen. Durbin's Preference Enforcement Amendment (Amendment No. 2190), which doesn't change the law but just gives Amtrak the right to go to court to protect your right to be on time.

 

[amtrakp42]

If one checks #58 into Chicago last 30 days only 2 were late with one 3 minutes late and the other one 4hr50min late. Somewhere around 3 years ago #58 might be 2-4 hrs late quite often. Sen Durbin did an investigation of CN dispatching and discovered a dispatcher was intentionally running freights while holding Amtrak on siding. He then had a meeting with CN at Champaign, Il Amtrak station. Results of the meeting were that CN would terminate the dispatcher and not do it again. Then less than a year maybe, it was happening again. So Sen Durbin called for a meeting again in Champaign. Well CN did not show up. Then maybe 2-3 weeks later I was driving south of Champaign and observed a freight train stopped on the main track. And there were several persons with white coats apparently inspecting the freight and I was told by locals it sit there maybe over 3 hours. I guess Federal railroad agency was the investigators checking everything from top to bottom and end to end. Now only time Amtrak is late is when the unexpected things that happen from time to time. So in Illinois Sen Durbin used the bully pulpit and did not have to go to court or have a congressional hearing. So I assume CN is afraid to hold up Amtrak intentionally again as they don’t want a freight sitting on the main for over 3 hours! And this was all the result of an older Amtrak conductor getting tired of passengers complaining so he told them to call your Senator. I do understand Amtrak tried to fire this conductor unsuccessfully. Maybe Sen Durbin got involved in that one also, but don’t know that for sure. I would like to see the Senators from Nevada/Utah do the same thing say between Winnemucca and Salt Lake! Looks like they are holding Amtrak up to 4 hours sometimes.

 

[west point]

Where exactly was the UP derailment ? Any connections to fire damage ?

 

[John Webb]

I have not updated the Freight Railroad Hall of Shame (a daily report of delays caused by freight trains to Amtrak trains, as reported on Amtrak's Service Alerts page) because there hasn't been much to report. Amtrak has reported very few of it's trains as delayed by freight trains in the past few days.

Not sure why this is. I can think of a couple of hypothetical reasons: 1) now the the STB is acting like it is serious about monitoring (a public announcement designating a staff person to work full time on this), and potentially enforcing against these delays, the "freights" are cleaning up their act and are actually trying to run Amtrak on time. If this is the case then it is a victory for Amtrak passengers.

Or, 2) Tropical Storm Ida has swamped (sorry bad pun) everything. I would like to think it is the former, but who knows. Time will tell.

 

[Cal]

3) They just haven't updated them? I find that Amtrak twitter updates (especially for Pacific Surfliner) aren't very consistent on giving regular updates

 

[moosejunky99]

this is last one i saw on twitter... there was a disable freight train today though..

i got the twitter feed running to my discord channel...

 

[Cal]

i got the twitter feed running to my discord channel...

Wouldn't mind joining that..

 

[moosejunky99]

I'll work on a discord twitter feed... for amtrak alerts for all amtrak alerts on different rooms and i'll do a new post so everyone who wants to join...

 

[west point]

We have to remember that many freight caused delays in the east the last few days have been caused by IDA ! Especially water on rails, trees, signal problems

 

[John Webb]

3) They just haven't updated them? I find that Amtrak twitter updates (especially for Pacific Surfliner) aren't very consistent on giving regular updates

I suggest you re-read my post. I did not say say that Amtrak has not updated it's alerts. What I did say was that I had not updated the Freight Railroad Hall of Shame. This was due to Amtrak Alerts saying that almost no Amtrak trains being delayed by freight trains. Other Amtrak trains were delayed for other reasons. I only report freight train delays.

 

[Cal]

This was due to Amtrak Alerts saying that almost no Amtrak trains being delayed by freight trains.

I'm saying that some trains might have been delayed by freight trains, it just wasn't reported on Amtrak Alerts.

 

[John Webb]

I'm saying that some trains might have been delayed by freight trains, it just wasn't reported on Amtrak Alerts.

Yes, that is a distinct possibility.