Freight Traffic on Holidays

[jmbgeg]

Does freight traffic lighten substantially on Thanksgiving Day and Christams day or is it business as usual? Wondering about whether potential for traffic related delays abate?

 

[pennyk]

I traveled from ORL to WAS three years ago on Thanksgiving Day. There was no CSX freight traffic. I was told that CSX was required to pay triple time for Thanksgiving, so they did not run - I have no idea if that is correct.

Because there was no freight traffic, we were early at every station.

However, last year, either on Christmas of Thanksgiving, I did a points run and I recall seeing a freight train.

 

[jmbgeg]

I traveled from ORL to WAS three years ago on Thanksgiving Day. There was no CSX freight traffic. I was told that CSX was required to pay triple time for Thanksgiving, so they did not run - I have no idea if that is correct.

Because there was no freight traffic, we were early at every station.

However, last year, either on Christmas of Thanksgiving, I did a points run and I recall seeing a freight train.

I was to be traveling overnight early 11/24 to SEA on EB 7. The train is stuck in Havre diagnosing an engine problem, so I cancelled. I will try the holiday train thing again at Christmas.

 

[AlanB]

Some freight still does run, but the freight companies try to reduce things to a minimum for the major holidays. Typically only hotshots would still be running on a holiday. All local movements are typically suspended and any non-priority long distance as well.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

BNSF is still pushing quite a bit of freight through Norman this morning (Thursday).

 

[Festivus Traveler]

Years ago we Took the Three Rivers Christmas morning from Akron to Philly. Only saw two active CR engines the whole way (they were on the same freight).

This was the only time I rode this train that it wasn't hard to find a seat together. Possibly five peaple in coach, and we were the only ones in the sleeper, after an on board upgrade.

Now that same Christmas eavning we caught one of the silver trains (I think the Meteor) and were glad we already booked a room as it was full.

 

[dlagrua]

Freight Traffic should be light today but passenger traffic heavy. What trobles me is the Thanksgiving day fares. They have shot hrough the roof. In some cases the fares are 3X what a standard non peak fare is. Is there no limit to what Amtrak will charge? This is just terrible.

 

[CHamilton]

BNSF seems to be moving coal trains today. Have just been waiting for a freight north of CTL.

 

[JayPea]

I'm enjoying Thanksgiving at my sister

and brother-in-law's, who live in a small town southwest of Spokane, along a very busy BNSF route (the Spokane-Portland half of the EB runs through here) and I haven't heard any freights today.

 

[pennyk]

Freight Traffic should be light today but passenger traffic heavy. What trobles me is the Thanksgiving day fares. They have shot hrough the roof. In some cases the fares are 3X what a standard non peak fare is. Is there no limit to what Amtrak will charge? This is just terrible.

I did a points run on the Silver Meteor today and noticed that the passenger load was much greater than it was last year, which, in my opinion, is a good thing. I saw a TV news story that reported that the increase in rail fares over last year were much less than the increase in airline fares and gas prices.

With regard to freight traffic, I heard one freight train today.

 

[alanh]

My parents' house is near the BNSF line into Phoenix, and there were a couple of trains this afternoon.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Freight carriers will greatly reduce freight traffic around major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is partly to allow low-seniority employees a chance to visit with their families, but it's also done to more closely match the greatly reduced number of customers who are still active on those days. However, there is no day of the year when all freight traffic ceases to move. Fossil fuel energy generation plants and other high-priority routine shipment customers will still be serviced as needed.