LSL Service Change Soon & Connection Options to #421

[JC_620]

So, planning my trip still for out to Arizona at the end of March. Last night, I happened to be double checking my itinerary and so forth crossing my T's, and dotting my i's. As I looked over my Boston to Chicago portion for any fare changes on the website, I noticed that it said that #449/#49 for March 29 is canceled. I looked at Saturday March 28, and the train is canceled on that day as well. Called Amtrak and the agent tells me that for certain weekends coming up in March, charter buses will be provided for the Boston to Chicago leg due to track work. "Track work!? "...I thought to myself. I was planning on getting into Chicago a day early to avoid any missed connection issues to #421. This service disruption changes that. Not wanting to be stuck on a charter bus for that long of time, I have tentatively, booked myself from Providence into Washington on #195, then #29 on the Capitol Limited into Chicago which would still give me the buffer of a day to sightsee Chicago and not have to worry about making the connection to #421. I could just go out of Boston on #449 on that Monday and risk it, but if the LSL is significantly late into Chicago, I would miss my connection. Of course, if #195 is late into Washington, then I might not make the connection with #29!! Yikes!!

Any comments or thoughts on this? Also, I am in bedroom D in Car #2900 on #29, does anyone know where that might be located in the consist?

 

[Steve4031]

Car 2900 is next to the diner iirc.


I just checked and 49 is operating nyp to chi. 449 is canceled between bos and alb.

If you want a better connection you could take a regional to nyp and catch 49 out of nyp.

 

[pennyk]

Car 2900 is next to the diner iirc.

Yes, 2900 is next to the diner/sleeper lounge.

 

[JC_620]

Car 2900 is next to the diner iirc.


I just checked and 49 is operating nyp to chi. 449 is canceled between bos and alb.

If you want a better connection you could take a regional to nyp and catch 49 out of nyp.

Interesting .According to the Amtrak app, #449 is still being sold with coach, business class and sleeping accommodations for travel between Albany and Chicago on those dates..so the Boston section will apparently originate in Albany...my guess...odd

 

[Rasputin]

I assume the bustitution is between Boston and Albany, not between Boston and Chicago (I hope).

 

[F900ElCapitan]

I agree that it’s only the ALB-BOS section of 448/9 that will be truncated and bustituted. So now the decision to make is how to deal with that. The options seem to be 1) ride the 449 bus to ALB, 2) train to NYP and catch 49, 3) As you chose, train to WAS and ride 29, or 4) make your own way to ALB and catch 49/449 there.

Also, my guess is in March the CL will still only have one full sleeper, so you will be between the transition sleeper and the diner/lounge thingy.

 

[Rasputin]

Based on our experience I would recommend that passengers involved in a Boston-Albany bustitution should definitely bring a supply of their own food. In an Albany to Boston bustitution last May all we were given for dinner was a small package of peanuts and pretzels as I recall. Maybe the food on the westbound bustitution is better but I wouldn't count on it.

 

[andytiedye]

Do they refund any of the sleeping car accommodation charge when there is a bustitution for a significant part of the trip?

 

[jis]

Do they refund any of the sleeping car accommodation charge when there is a bustitution for a significant part of the trip?

I don't know what they do now, but in the past I have always gotten a refund or a voucher when there was bustitution for part of a sleeper service. There was also one time when I was allowed to cancel the trip and get a refund, and I flew instead.

 

[Rasputin]

Do they refund any of the sleeping car accommodation charge when there is a bustitution for a significant part of the trip?

Yes, normally they do but not always. I had a reservation in the Boston sleeping car from Boston to Chicago a few years ago and my sleeping car reservation was cancelled Boston to Albany and Amtrak ran a Boston - Albany stub train with no through cars. I requested compensation for the cancellation of my sleeping car reservation between Boston and Albany and was denied.

Last year on our trip from New Orleans to Boston via Chicago, we had sleeping car reservations for the entire trip but had two bustitutions. One was from New Orleans to Jackson, MIss. and the other was Albany to Boston. I asked for compensation for the two of us for the loss of our sleeping car accommodations and received $125 total ($62.50 each) which I did not think was much.

The New Orleans - Jackson bustitution was handled much better than Albany - Boston. In New Orleans Amtrak had two buses. One operated directly from New Orleans to Jackson (our bus) and the other bus took care of the intermediate points. Our bus was not overly crowded and the trip was pleasant.

At Albany, Amtrak only had one bus departing and did not operate a direct Albany to Boston bus. The bus was crowded and it was a tedious trip, stopping at most of the stations along the way. Some of these stations were a considerable distance from the Interstate.

I see that our trip this May is now scheduled to be bustituted between Boston and Albany and I wonder what measly compensation Amtrak will offer. At least we are flying back on Southwest so we won't have to worry about an unpleasant bustitution on the return.

 

[bms]

Just got the notice that #449 is replaced with a bus on Saturday, May 16. I didn't hear anything about #448 two days before. A similar thing happened last May, #449 was cancelled from Boston to Albany. Two other times I was downgraded from business to coach.

I love that train but booking it is a questionable decision when there's a big risk of a downgrade or cancellation, but there will now be a fee to change travel dates.

 

[Rasputin]

It is sad that 448 and 449 are the Rodney Dangerfield of the Amtrak system. They just get no respect. They seem to be cancelled or bustituted at the drop of a hat. We had to put up with a stub train between Boston and Albany for a couple of years and had sleeping car reservations continuously cancelled as the date for restoration of the Boston sleeping car kept getting pushed further into the future. The reason then was reconstruction of the yard at Albany - truly one of the most colossal and complicated construction projects in the history of mankind.

Now it seems that we go into track work and weeks of bustitutions each spring. It never seems to end.

The only positive note I have seen is that the on time performance of 448 seems to have been surprisingly good lately.

448 and 449 also remind me of a sign I saw in a bar in Nashville years ago "The man who drinks - last hired, first fired." Pretty soon I suspect 448 and 449 are going to disappear altogether and maybe no one will notice.

 

[JC_620]

Thanks for the replies. Yep, here is the official notice..,

https://m.amtrak.com/h5/r/www.amtrak.com/alert/lake-shore-limited-track-work.html

So it looks like 448 will terminate at Albany on Friday and Saturday nights and turn around and run as 449 sections from Albany to Chicago on Saturday and Sunday evenings respectively at their normal 7:05PM departure times.

I might just try and get to Albany somehow, some other way...but not on a bus...

 

[bms]

Thanks for the replies. Yep, here is the official notice..,

https://m.amtrak.com/h5/r/www.amtrak.com/alert/lake-shore-limited-track-work.html

So it looks like 448 will terminate at Albany on Friday and Saturday nights and turn around and run as 449 sections from Albany to Chicago on Saturday and Sunday evenings respectively at their normal 7:05PM departure times.

I might just try and get to Albany somehow, some other way...but not on a bus...

Thanks, I'm going to change my trip to June. Actually the bus went through some pretty interesting towns in western Massachusetts, but it was not nearly as glorious as 448/449 through the Berkshires.

 

[JRR]

Thanks, I'm going to change my trip to June. Actually the bus went through some pretty interesting towns in western Massachusetts, but it was not nearly as glorious as 448/449 through the Berkshires.

I would change likewise. When I take the train, I want to be on a train, not a bus!

 

[Rasputin]

A friend of mine has told me that he questions the need for Amtrak to cancel 448 and 449 due to this track work by MBTA.

He tells me that the MBTA track work is going to be done between Boston and Framingham. MBTA trains between Boston and Framingham will be replaced by buses. However, he says that MBTA will continue to operate its trains between Framingham and Worcester. So why can't Amtrak operate 448 and 449 between Framingham and Albany? There is, as I understand it, a wye at Framingham.

In addition, some years past I understand that 448 and 449 have operated on a detour between Boston and Framingham when there was track work being done on the mainline. Are any detours still available?

 

[lonewolfette9847]

If anything, I’d like to see more of the 448/9 LSL route. Once a day each direction is not enough for connections, especially if you’re trying to make a two-leg journey in one day.