Southwest Chief discussion Q4 2023 - 2024

[Eric in East County]

3 and 4 are cancelled between Albuquerque and Kansas City today due to a freight derailment.

According to the Amtrak Train Status page, No. 3 departed from CHI today (7/30) on time and No. 4 departed from LAX 14 minutes late. Apparently, the derailment will be cleared and the tracks open by tomorrow when these two trains arrive there.

If this is the case, and for the sake of those passengers already on or expecting to be on the Nos. 3 & 4 that were cancelled, wouldn’t it have been better if those two trains had waited on a siding until the line was open again? True, they would have arrived 12 or more hours late, but at least passengers would have gotten to where they wanted to go rather than finding themselves stranded with no alternate transportation available. We’d gladly eat Amstew, pizza or KFC if we know that we’d eventually reach our destination.

 

[jshell]

I'm scheduled to be on the 4 on Thursday, Aug 1 out of LAX, trying to get to Kansas City. Should I be freaked the (unholy string of profanities) out? I'm going to a concert in KC on Sunday. I thought by scheduling a train to arrive on Saturday morning gave me more than enough time to get to there but (string of unholy profanities)!

 

[Cal]

I'm scheduled to be on the 4 on Thursday, Aug 1 out of LAX, trying to get to Kansas City. Should I be freaked the (unholy string of profanities) out? I'm going to a concert in KC on Sunday. I thought by scheduling a train to arrive on Saturday morning gave me more than enough time to get to there but (string of unholy profanities)!

Tracks should be re-open by then. But if they're not, plenty of time to get a flight instead. If your train is cancelled you should be able to get a refund.

 

[jshell]

Yeah it looks like they’ve got today’s (7/30) train 4 running out of LA but I’ve been adding a couple of contingencies to the contingency just in case. Seeing this happen a week ago put a bit of fear into me. Seeing it happen again within a week is really disconcerting.

 

[alanh]

If this is the case, and for the sake of those passengers already on or expecting to be on the Nos. 3 & 4 that were cancelled, wouldn’t it have been better if those two trains had waited on a siding until the line was open again? True, they would have arrived 12 or more hours late, but at least passengers would have gotten to where they wanted to go rather than finding themselves stranded with no alternate transportation available. We’d gladly eat Amstew, pizza or KFC if we know that we’d eventually reach our destination.

The issue is equipment and crews. Amtrak doesn't have a bunch of extra train sets so once one arrives too late to turn they get cascading delays, or have to do a cancellation later to catch up.

Operating crews have strict service and rest hours. When the train gets far off schedule they run out of hours and a crew has to be driven in, which eats into their hours. Sometimes it's easier to go back to a crew change point rather than getting them driven out to a remote location.

 

[west point]

IMO a partial solution might be possible for this derailment. Why not give passengers a choice of remaining on the car(s) or going back to origination station. Maybe one sleeper and one coach stays in each Kansas City and ABQ? Then the next day's Chief could pick up those cars and proceed to the original destination. Now wouldn't Amtrak have a spare coach and maybe sleeper at CHI and LAX to make up the short trains returning to their originations,?

Amtrak could ship in a non HOS employee to take care of these passengers including HEP, food, and other amenities.

 

[Cal]

Yesterday's cancelled #4 was trailing #3 (29) by about an hour into Los Angeles. Saw it last night on the Winslow railcam. It was operating as Amtrak 973

Edit:
-It came into Flagstaff at about 1:06 AM and appeared to have dropped off a few passengers.
-Arrived Kingman 4:13 AM, no seen passegers
-5:30 AM for Needles, not sure why they stopped as I didn't see any passengers get off

 

[railiner]

IMO a partial solution might be possible for this derailment. Why not give passengers a choice of remaining on the car(s) or going back to origination station. Maybe one sleeper and one coach stays in each Kansas City and ABQ? Then the next day's Chief could pick up those cars and proceed to the original destination. Now wouldn't Amtrak have a spare coach and maybe sleeper at CHI and LAX to make up the short trains returning to their originations,?

Amtrak could ship in a non HOS employee to take care of these passengers including HEP, food, and other amenities.

Interesting idea…I believe KCY has “house HEP”, as St. Louis trains layover there, but does ABQ? Perhaps for the “Roadrunner” trains?

 

[Cal]

Tonight's #4 has not left LAX yet at 7:30 PM (supposed to depart at 5:22 PM) due to issues with HVAC. So another equipment delay....

 

[Cal]

Tonight's #4 has not left LAX yet at 7:30 PM (supposed to depart at 5:22 PM) due to issues with HVAC. So another equipment delay....

Currently running 3 and a half hours late.

 

[Cal]

Tonight’s #4 is delayed due to…. this one is really hard to guess…. mechanical issues!!!! Currently at Fullerton, Amtrak just announced it online but no station announcement.

Edit: Station staff said PTC, the announcement said unknown. So not even Amtrak knows why

 

[Eternityroad]

I cancelled plans to use the Rail Pass on a trip from Vegas to New Hampshire this fall for two main reasons:

1. The exorbitant price of Hotels in four cities where I would be forced to stay over due to connections.

2. The shoddy service and equipment issues that seem to be causing more than the normal amounts of disruption.

 

[zephyr17]

Tonight’s #4 is delayed due to…. this one is really hard to guess…. mechanical issues!!!! Currently at Fullerton, Amtrak just announced it online but no station announcement.

Edit: Station staff said PTC, the announcement said unknown. So not even Amtrak knows why

1. Amtrak internal communications often are not very good.
2. Amtrak always prefers to be as vague as possible in their announcements. They almost never get into specifics. They could well know but aren't telling.

The station staff is probably correct, they're closer to it, plus PTC is often a problem.

 

[Cal]

1. Amtrak internal communications often are not very good.
2. Amtrak always prefers to be as vague as possible in their announcements. They almost never get into specifics. They could well know but aren't telling.

The station staff is probably correct, they're closer to it, plus PTC is often a problem.

Yeah I agree with all of that. It's just funny seeing the miscommunication on our end.

 

[bwaisanen1975]

I canceled my trip to visit Kansas City because of the stuff that I've seen this summer. The way there wasn't the problem, out of Chicago I was on the Lincoln Service/ Missouri River Runner. The way back though the only option to make a Hiawatha connection was the Southwest Chief. Will try again in a couple of months, maybe spring? Hoping it gets better.

 

[Eric in East County]

We have a SWC same day Guaranteed Connection question: if SWC No. 4 is running late and misses connecting with CL No. 30 in CHI, will passengers with guaranteed connections automatically be booked onto Lake Shore Limited No. 48, assuming that it is not sold out? Those without laptops or smart phones, such as the Amish folk, would obviously not be able to download a new ticket that could be scanned by the conductor. Would they have to stand in line at the ticket counter and be issued a new ticket or will their CL No. 30 ticket be accepted on No. 48?

 

[Bob Dylan]

We have a SWC same day Guaranteed Connection question: if SWC No. 4 is running late and misses connecting with CL No. 30 in CHI, will passengers with guaranteed connections automatically be booked onto Lake Shore Limited No. 48, assuming that it is not sold out? Those without laptops or smart phones, such as the Amish folk, would obviously not be able to download a new ticket that could be scanned by the conductor. Would they have to stand in line at the ticket counter and be issued a new ticket or will their CL No. 30 ticket be accepted on No. 48?

No automatic rebooking, everyone transferring will have to detrain, go into the Station,and have Amtrak staff rebook them on a Space available basis.

If enough spaces aren't available on #48/#448, you will be given a Voucher for Food which will be Cashed @ the Ticket Counter, Money for a Cab or booked on an AmBus, and a reservation @ some Hotel in the Greater Chicago are.

On a space available Basis ( Coach or Sleeper depending on your ticket)you will be rebooked on the next days #30 or #48/#448.( once I was even rebooked on the Cardinal to WAS when
#30 and #48 were both Sold Out!

 

[zephyr17]

No automatic rebooking, everyone transferring will have to detrain, go into the Station,and have Amtrak staff rebook them on a Space available basis.

If enough spaces aren't available on #48/#448, you will be given a Voucher for Food which will be Cashed @ the Ticket Counter, Money for a Cab or booked on an AmBus, and a reservation @ some Hotel in the Greater Chicago are.

On a space available Basis ( Coach or Sleeper depending on your ticket)you will be rebooked on the next days #30 or #48/#448.( once I was even rebooked on the Cardinal to WAS when
#30 and #48 were both Sold Out!

Hmm, it's been a few years since I've had a missed connection in Chicago. A few years ago, though, Chicago Passenger Services always had packets prepared for each passenger with revised itineraries already set. You had to queue up to get it, but once at the counter, they just looked up your name, found your packet and gave it to you with a bit of explanation. It was easy and pretty quick, no small thing when having to handle a train load of sleep deprived and irritable passengers at 3 am.

You still had to cash the vouchers at the ticket counter, though.

 

[Eric in East County]

No automatic rebooking, everyone transferring will have to detrain, go into the Station,and have Amtrak staff rebook them on a Space available basis.

If enough spaces aren't available on #48/#448, you will be given a Voucher for Food which will be Cashed @ the Ticket Counter, Money for a Cab or booked on an AmBus, and a reservation @ some Hotel in the Greater Chicago are.

On a space available Basis ( Coach or Sleeper depending on your ticket)you will be rebooked on the next days #30 or #48/#448.( once I was even rebooked on the Cardinal to WAS when
#30 and #48 were both Sold Out!

Thank you for this information.

The reason we asked this question is that, early next month, we’ll be making a same day connection with No. 30 in Chicago. Recently, we’ve been paying closer attention to SWC No. 4’s on-time performance. Due to heat-related speed restrictions and signal issues, it’s occasionally arriving in CHI too late to connect with No. 30 but early enough to connect with No. 48. (Today (8/12) it will be arriving almost five hours late.)

If we do miss No. 30 and are re-booked onto No. 48, we had no idea of how the process worked. Now we have a better understanding of what to expect.

The only time we missed connecting with No. 30, we were put up in a hotel for the night and sent out on the next day's No. 30, so we know how that works.

 

[west point]

Anyone booking thru CHI during the DNC had better hope they make the connections. There will be no hotel rooms.

 

[TrainOtter]

It's been awhile since I took the SWC from LAX. How soon before scheduled depature do they power up the sleeper cars? I'm currently on the disabled list and don't want to hobble out there only to hobble out and back again.

 

[zephyr17]

It's been awhile since I took the SWC from LAX. How soon before scheduled depature do they power up the sleeper cars? I'm currently on the disabled list and don't want to hobble out there only to hobble out and back again.

HEP is usually on when the train is opened for boarding. It may get interrupted occasionally for various reasons, but if the train is open it'll remain open even if they briefly lose HEP.

It is a long walk down the tunnel and an even longer walk from the Metropolitan Lounge on the other side of the ticket office. Since you are in a sleeper, wait in the Metropolitan Lounge and sign up for a Red Cap. They will take you on an electric cart from the back door of the Lounge straight out to the platform.

Personally, I always walk, though. The tunnel in an intrinsic part of the LAUS experience for me.

 

[TrainOtter]

Personally, I always walk, though. The tunnel in an intrinsic part of the LAUS experience for me.

It always has been for me, too. I used to arrive early and wander around as much of the station as I could. I hope to be able to do that again one of these eons.

Thanks for the tip. I knew one could get carried off in a cart. I just didn't know how to arrange it.

 

[MennoRoger]

We're planning a trip to Albuquerque on #3 with scheduled arrival around 3 pm. What's the easiest way to get anywhere from the Amtrak station in Albuquerque? Does anybody have any recent experience with motels or car rental agencies that will come pick up passengers? I've seen mixed responses and so far have not found any definite shuttle possibilities. So if nobody will come pick up Amtrak passengers, what's the easiest way to get to a hotel or car rental agency (with a couple of suitcases) from the Albuquerque Amtrak station? Thanks for any recent experience or advice.

 

[TinCan782]

We're planning a trip to Albuquerque on #3 with scheduled arrival around 3 pm. What's the easiest way to get anywhere from the Amtrak station in Albuquerque? Does anybody have any recent experience with motels or car rental agencies that will come pick up passengers? I've seen mixed responses and so far have not found any definite shuttle possibilities. So if nobody will come pick up Amtrak passengers, what's the easiest way to get to a hotel or car rental agency (with a couple of suitcases) from the Albuquerque Amtrak station? Thanks for any recent experience or advice.

Uber or Lyft, I suppose.