Michigan trains late!

[NES28]

It's become pretty clear that we can never rely on freight rail owned tracks to support fast, frequent and reliable corridor service. The Chicago entry from the east is the classic example. Interestingly, there are two publicly-owned passenger railroads between Michigan City and Chicago that have ambitions to have fast, double-track routes: Amtrak and NICTD (South Shore). Maybe they should coordinate their planning. They could both use NICTD to Miller (soonto be double tracked), and new tracks to Grand Crossing in Chicago, where a new connection could be readily constructed with the CN tracks (which could be made passenger-only). There are plans for head-in connection to Union Station. NICTD could still run local trains from Miller to Chicago to serve their local stops.

 

[tim49424]

Amtrak didn't text or email you? That's pretty bad.

I think it was too late before they discovered the malfunction. I'm okay with it because I had other options. Oddly enough, after I'd booked on the Blue Water, a couple of guys approached me and said they'd rented a car to Chicago and wondered if I'd be interested in joining them.

The experience, to me, is an inconvenience and not a deal breaker. Could Amtrak have communicated this a bit better? Of course! Did it ruin my eventual trip to Seattle? Absolutely not! It turned out to be one of the greatest trips I'd ever had.

 

[tim49424]

I was scheduled on that one too but got on the morning NBU-CHI train - fortunate they had Bus Class available too!

I was in BC on the BW (first time ever on that train). I was shocked that they had a spot still open that late for a 10:30 train! I took the Wolverine (coach) back on Saturday and I had another huge surprise when I returned to KAL to pick up my car....$55 parking fees. Ugh. In between the two, a wonderful trip on the Empire Builder including what happened when I PM'ed you.

 

[wwchi]

I was in BC on the BW (first time ever on that train). I was shocked that they had a spot still open that late for a 10:30 train! I took the Wolverine (coach) back on Saturday and I had another huge surprise when I returned to KAL to pick up my car....$55 parking fees. Ugh. In between the two, a wonderful trip on the Empire Builder including what happened when I PM'ed you.

so you and I were both in Bus Class on that same train! I got on in New Buffalo...and yes I was surprised it was available too that morning once I knew the Pere Marquette wasn't running!

 

[tim49424]

so you and I were both in Bus Class on that same train! I got on in New Buffalo...and yes I was surprised it was available too that morning once I knew the Pere Marquette wasn't running!

Probably not the first time we were on the same train in the same section at the same time and I'd imagine it won't be the last. Crazy, eh?

 

[wwchi]

Probably not the first time we were on the same train in the same section at the same time and I'd imagine it won't be the last. Crazy, eh?

I would guess you're right! LOL!

 

[Pere Flyer]

How do the three Michigan Services compare in OTP? Media coverage that I’ve read has focused on the Wolverine’s performance (understandably, as it comprises 6 of the 10 daily trains and is the least on-time of the bunch) but what were the numbers from the Blue Water and Pere Marquette that went into the overall 43% OTP?

 

[PerRock]

In 2019 the Bluewater was on time 39% of the time; the Pere Marquette 62%; the Wolveriene 27% (the worst of all Corridor trains & tied for 2nd worst of all trains)

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...mtrak-2019-Host-Railroad-Report-Card-FAQs.pdf

peter

 

[west point]

PerRock: Yes NS is killing th Michigan trains. But the Crescent for the last few days is really dying. 10 southbound make CLT near or on time. and 20 north of CLT does not loose any more time. But south of CLT it is getting really bad. Weather may have something to do with the delays by messing up freight trains but Amtrak has not listed weather as a cause.