STL Tornado

[OlympianHiawatha]

Hopefully Amtrak is getting every extra available car to STL to help folks get in and out since it looks like Lambert Field will be limited ops for several days. If Amtrak Marketing and Management is on the ball, they will lower every STL seat to low bucket for the duration of the crisis, showing they are there to help out and not gouge like the airlines do. This would be a good way to introduce many people to the train and let them know Amtrak is there working for them

Check me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing with this being Holiday weekend, UP has suspended the HSR work between STL and CHI, giving Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle a clear shot.

 

[Tumbleweed]

Good post! :hi:

 

[Bob Dylan]

Good post! :hi:

Yahoo Home Page has a Story that includes Quotes from Greyhound and Amtrak SpokesPersons that Both Carriers are Prepared to Help Pick Up the Slack ffrom the Airlines till things can be returned to Normal Ops. One of the Interesting Quotes says that Pax that Remained in the Terminal Overnite were Given Pillows and Blankets, wonder if Amtrak could do this in a Major Station, pretty sure NOT!Also Amswers the Question about the Late/Service Disruptions on the Texas Eagles I would Think???

Nothing mentioned about the Condition of the Light Rail Tracks or Equipment that Run from Downtown(actually Way out in Illinois!) to the Airport that We Rode last Oct. during the Gathering!

 

[PRR 60]

Hopefully Amtrak is getting every extra available car to STL to help folks get in and out since it looks like Lambert Field will be limited ops for several days. If Amtrak Marketing and Management is on the ball, they will lower every STL seat to low bucket for the duration of the crisis, showing they are there to help out and not gouge like the airlines do. This would be a good way to introduce many people to the train and let them know Amtrak is there working for them

Check me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing with this being Holiday weekend, UP has suspended the HSR work between STL and CHI, giving Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle a clear shot.

Amtrak service between CHI and STL is disrupted through Sunday, April 24. The Texas Eagle is detouring. Lincoln Service is using bus between Bloomington-Normal and St. Louis. Normal service will resume Monday, 4/25.

Damage at STL Airport was centered on Concourse C (with lesser damage at other concourses). With American Airlines downgrading of operations at STL, the now idle gates in Concourse B will be used by the carriers normally in Concourse C. The airport will reopen Sunday (4/24) with about 70% of flights operating. It is expected that full ops will resume mid-week.

 

[battalion51]

Gotta wonder if some of the carriers are pushing folks on to trains/buses to send them to Chicago or Kansas City to catch flights from those locations. In cases like those Amtrak is most likely going to be billing the airlines, not the passengers.

 

[stlouielady]

Very little has been mentioned on the television here about other transportation alternatives. Whether or not it has been mentioned to the passengers themselves by the airlines, I don't know. The scene from the airport looks pretty bad. But, as mentioned by PRR 60, the plan is to have airport operations at 70% by late in the day tomorrow, and at 100% by the middle of next week, dependant on power being restored there. Not all shops, etc may be open, but the flights will be able to operate at those levels.

As far as the light rail tracks, all trains have been stopped at the last station prior to (east of) the airport. All the debris has been cleared from the tracks, and they are okay, but they stopped the service to keep unneeded/unwanted people from the airport. I haven't heard anything about service into Illinois, but I think it is okay, as the storm was pretty far north of where they run. Bus service into the northern part of St Louis county is affected, due to the power lines, trees, debris, cars, etc all over the roads. Pretty bad devastation all over the area. I live about 4-5 miles from the airport, and am very familiar with the neighborhoods that basically were flattened. You can't help but feel for the people affected; I'm thankful that I had no damages.

 

[NE933]

Anyone get a picture of the funnel cloud?

 

[ACVitale]

Airport is officially back in operations. All airlines except American Airlines are resuming service tonight/tomorrow AM. American Airlines is expected to resume operations on Monday. Some flights that carry the American Airlines code but operated by other carriers are already flying (Trans States/Cape Air)

 

[stlouielady]

Airport is officially back in operations. All airlines except American Airlines are resuming service tonight/tomorrow AM. American Airlines is expected to resume operations on Monday. Some flights that carry the American Airlines code but operated by other carriers are already flying (Trans States/Cape Air)

Yep, they showed the first plane flying back in tonight. Open tonight for arrivals only, tomorrow for arrivals and departures. It appears that the main terminal, concourse C, will be closed for a LONG time, as that is where the majority of the damage was. The airlines that arrive and depart from that coucourse will be moving to the East terminal (terminal 2) and/or the other concourses in the Main terminal (Terminal 1).

 

[the_traveler]

I just saw a news report from WGN (Chicago) where they did a news story from Union Station about people who were to fly but took Amtrak instead!

However, toward the end of the story (this is not a direct quote, but almost) they said "... they are trying to determine the best way to get to their destinations, whether by driving or by bus ..." - nothing was said about "by train"! And this story was from the TRAIN STATION!

 

[GlobalistPotato]

I just saw a news report from WGN (Chicago) where they did a news story from Union Station about people who were to fly but took Amtrak instead!

However, toward the end of the story (this is not a direct quote, but almost) they said "... they are trying to determine the best way to get to their destinations, whether by driving or by bus ..." - nothing was said about "by train"! And this story was from the TRAIN STATION!

And you wonder why some railfans say that the news agencies have been bribed out by the oil companies and such...

But what was happening in this case was people either taking a train to Kansas City or Chicago to catch a PLANE there. It's not like they went there to book tickets on one of the long distance trains.

 

[NE933]

Update to my question, I saw on WCBS news yesterday on TV apparently the vortex came right over the waiting area; the rotation of inside the funnel was apparent, followed by all the windows gettting broken and then glass, luggage, lighting fixtures, and chairs flying down the hallway and ticket counter at a high rate of speed.

 

[stlouielady]

There are several pictures and videos of the storm, and the aftermath. Check on youtube, or just do a google search for '2011 St Louis tornado', and you should get multiple sites. If you would like some specific links, PM me, and I'll send you a few.

 

[the_traveler]

they said "... they are trying to determine the best way to get to their destinations, whether by driving or by bus ..." - nothing was said about "by train"! And this story was from the TRAIN STATION!

And you wonder why some railfans say that the news agencies have been bribed out by the oil companies and such...

But what was happening in this case was people either taking a train to Kansas City or Chicago to catch a PLANE there. It's not like they went there to book tickets on one of the long distance trains.

While what you are saying is true, if someone was catching a plane to like Detroit, Ft Wayne, Milwaukee, etc..., that may be an option. However, if someone was flying to LA, Portland, Seattle, Miami - or even New York, I would not be happy with being given the choice of driving or taking the 'dog!