Southwest Chief discussion Q4 2023 - 2024

[zephyr17]

I did wonder why I've seen only two sleepers on the Southwest Chief #3 the last two nights. Is this also the case for train #4?

Why on earth would Amtrak do this if there continues to be demand for as much sleeper space as possible?

By the way, what is "AT?"

Yes, whatever is on 3 will be on 4, they're the same consists running different directions.

There is no plumbing the minds of Amtrak equipment planners. Hopefully when the sleeper was withdrawn at least they didn't boot out any passengers with reserved space as the geniuses did a wholesale for months across multiple trains a couple years ago. With that said, they are still short of equipment.

AT is Auto Train. The apple of executive management's eye, right next to the NEC.

 

[Cal]

Seems a bit early to go to the AT...the "season" is still month's away...

Well that's where they went according to the consist manager at Amtrak, per the article that told us of this change a few weeks (months?) ago.

 

[alanh]

#3 stops at Winslow after ABQ, so I'm confused about the timeline here.

#4 waited for #3 in ABQ. One of #3's engines was switched to #4, which left with it and a BNSF engine.

#3 went to Winslow with a single engine. A BNSF engine was added there.

 

[Palmland]

Trying to mentally escape a week of rain and humidity in Florida, I scanned some photos from a January 2007 trip on the SWC. That was an unusually bad winter and ranchers lost a lot of livestock. The crystal clear skies seemed to accentuate the cold. And yes I opened the window in the door to get the photo.

The freight you see was between Raton and Glorietta. If my memory is correct it was from the intermodal terminal in Albuquerque and contained many UPS trailers. It was waiting patiently in the siding. I also see that the configuration of the SSL appears to have changed over the years. And finally I certainly liked LA terminal without the various roped off areas it now has.

 

[Cal]

Trying to mentally escape a week of rain and humidity in Florida, I scanned some photos from a January 2007 trip on the SWC. That was an unusually bad winter and ranchers lost a lot of livestock. The crystal clear skies seemed to accentuate the cold. And yes I opened the window in the door to get the photo.

The freight you see was between Raton and Glorietta. If my memory is correct it was from the intermodal terminal in Albuquerque and contained many UPS trailers. It was waiting patiently in the siding. I also see that the configuration of the SSL appears to have changed over the years. And finally I certainly liked LA terminal without the various roped off areas it now has.

Awesome photos. The older quality adds to the aesthetic.

 

[Rasputin]

I understand that due to heavy snow in the Raton Pass area, No. 4 is being turned at Albuquerque today and will be returning to LA, and No. 3 is being turned at La Junta and will be returning to Chicago.

Corrections and additional information would be welcome.

 

[Steve4031]

What a crap show. Passengers can get out of Albuquerque. But getting out of La Junta is impossible.

 

[Keith1951]

I understand that due to heavy snow in the Raton Pass area, No. 4 is being turned at Albuquerque today and will be returning to LA, and No. 3 is being turned at La Junta and will be returning to Chicago.

Corrections and additional information would be welcome.

Will the passengers have the option of getting off to catch a flight to continue to their destination or stay on train to go back...or will the passengers be able to get a complete refund?

 

[Steve4031]

Dumping passengers at La Junta leaves them with no way of getting anywhere. There are no rental car places and no airport. At the minimum, Amtrak should allow them to remain on the train back to their original destination.

How long is the snowstorm going to last? A day? Then, maybe the train should be held until the storm clears, and then it should continue from Albuquerque and La Junta and proceed as usual.

 

[Rasputin]

Dumping passengers at La Junta leaves them with no way of getting anywhere. There are no rental car places and no airport. At the minimum, Amtrak should allow them to remain on the train back to their original destination.

How long is the snowstorm going to last? A day? Then, maybe the train should be held until the storm clears, and then it should continue from Albuquerque and La Junta and proceed as usual.

I believe passengers were allowed to remain on the trains as they returned to their stations of origin. The trains were turned but not terminated at Albuquerque and La Junta.

My understanding is that Las Vegas was expected to receive about 30 inches of snow over three days. Corrections would be welcome.

 

[Steve4031]

I checked the weather reports. Blizzard conditions. I understhe reasoning behind not sending the trains through. I wonder how long it would take to open the line up. Its not a key route like donner pass.

 

[Palmland]

Probably a good decision. Looks like I-25 is closed and Google does a roundabout routing on state roads. No chance of a bus bridge.

 

[tgstubbs1]

From what I remember them saying on TV, Trinidad could get up to three feet until the storm passes on Saturday.
I don't know if there is much freight traffic through Raton Pass, so I wonder when Amtrak will resume the SWC.

 

[John Santos]

On the westbound 3, forced to terminate/turn around at La Junta, will they let passengers who elect to return to Chicago (or wherever they originated) to get off at the first stop with an airport that is open, and book a flight to Albuquerque or LA?
Can sleeper passengers keep their rooms? (Assuming the turned-around 3 becomes the next day's 4 that is stuck in or turning around in Albuquerque, most of the booked rooms will be empty because most of them "belong" to passengers stuck in Albuquerque. I think the vast majority of sleeper passengers east-bound board in California and a few in Flagstaff or Albuquerque, and few board between La Junta and KC, so most of these rooms should be empty.)

P.S. It took 4 tries to get the spelling of Albuquerque correct, thank goodness for spell-check!

P.P.S. While there is a major blizzard in the southern Rockies, yesterday was the warmest November day in history in Boston. The official high was 82, at Logan Airport, which is on an island in the middle of the harbor and is always more moderate than downtown or the rest of Eastern Mass. The previous record was 76 set in 2022.

 

[Rasputin]

From what I remember them saying on TV, Trinidad could get up to three feet until the storm passes on Saturday.
I don't know if there is much freight traffic through Raton Pass, so I wonder when Amtrak will resume the SWC.

I think it would be more correct to say that there is no freight traffic through Raton Pass. A freight train on the line would be a great rarity.

 

[Amtrak25]

I don't think BNSF has any crews qualified on Raton Pass anymore. Their Office car train needs Amtrak pilot.

 

[MARC Rider]

If Amtrak expects Americans to take rail travel as a serious transportation alternative, they need to get serious about ensuring that passengers aboard trains affected by these sort of service disruptions get to their final destinations -- on Amtrak's dime. OK, they might arrive later than expected, but they shouldn't be dumped somewhere with no alternatives, or be forced to retrun to their origin. Sometimes Amtrak does it, but a lot of times they don't. If they truncated the train at a place like La Junta, they should either have bussed them to Denver and then flown them to Los Angeles, or given that getting buses for a couple of hundred people in La Junta might be a bit of a stretch, they should have returned the train to Kansas City, which has a large airport and lots of flights to Los Angeles (or Albuquerque, or whatever). What's the point of booking a train trip if you're not sure you're even going to arrive at your destination?

 

[railiner]

I don't think BNSF has any crews qualified on Raton Pass anymore. Their Office car train needs Amtrak pilot.

That is an amazing fact, considering the historic role of that route to the Santa Fe.
Wonder what John Reed would think, if he lived long enough…

 

[west point]

With no freight trains and all roads closed I would get off if the train was to continue. Too easily to strand train ala Donner pass.

 

[Willbridge]

If Amtrak expects Americans to take rail travel as a serious transportation alternative, they need to get serious about ensuring that passengers aboard trains affected by these sort of service disruptions get to their final destinations -- on Amtrak's dime. OK, they might arrive later than expected, but they shouldn't be dumped somewhere with no alternatives, or be forced to retrun to their origin. Sometimes Amtrak does it, but a lot of times they don't. If they truncated the train at a place like La Junta, they should either have bussed them to Denver and then flown them to Los Angeles, or given that getting buses for a couple of hundred people in La Junta might be a bit of a stretch, they should have returned the train to Kansas City, which has a large airport and lots of flights to Los Angeles (or Albuquerque, or whatever). What's the point of booking a train trip if you're not sure you're even going to arrive at your destination?

There aren't any charter buses in La Junta and the road to the Front Range cities is closed. Going back to KCY might work.

In the past, Amtrak trains have been rerouted via Amarillo when Raton Pass was closed by snow.

 

[railiner]

In the past, Amtrak trains have been rerouted via Amarillo when Raton Pass was closed by snow.

That would seem a much better solution. Too bad they wouldn't do that...

 

[Barb Stout]

That would seem a much better solution. Too bad they wouldn't do that...

The entire NE quadrant of NM was under blizzard conditions. Most of the schools in the entire state of NM were remote learning or closed. The winter storm started Wednesday and is forecasted to last to or through Saturday for the NW quadrant of NM and southern Colorado. Not sure about the Denver area. On Wednesday the only thing on the local news was 1) election, 2) winter storm, 3) election, 4) winter storm, etc. How far south is the rail line from Amarillo? I-40, the "natural" way to drive between Amarillo and Albuquerque is closed due to weather conditions on several sections between those two cities.

 

[BarneyMoped]

I'm now scheduled to be on westbound 3 train through the affected area on Sunday the 10th (delayed 2 days). From what the more experienced people here know, should I expect this to be fine and cleared by then or would it be better to reschedule out another day or two? I don't want to have to do a last minute change again if possible.
Thanks for any advice

 

[Rasputin]

I'm now scheduled to be on westbound 3 train through the affected area on Sunday the 10th (delayed 2 days). From what the more experienced people here know, should I expect this to be fine and cleared by then or would it be better to reschedule out another day or two? I don't want to have to do a last minute change again if possible.
Thanks for any advice

I don't know enough about the situation to give you much advice. I would probably try to reschedule a day or two later.

If going, I would suggest packing some extra food and some extra cash to be safe.

 

[tgstubbs1]

I'm now scheduled to be on westbound 3 train through the affected area on Sunday the 10th (delayed 2 days). From what the more experienced people here know, should I expect this to be fine and cleared by then or would it be better to reschedule out another day or two? I don't want to have to do a last minute change again if possible.
Thanks for any advice

I just finished shoveling my driveway, and it's all slush under the heavy snow. The temperatures around here and the Colorado plains are all above freezing and it might not freeze overnight in some places. There could be a rapid warm-up Sunday and Monday.
As far as the train, I wonder if there could be problems allocating cars and locomotives, as the schedule is now 'off the rails'. Maybe call Amtrak and discuss it with them?