SWC Misses Connection- Capitol Limited Sold Out -CHI-WAS on 6/5/13

[dlagrua]

On our trip back from Chicago yesterday we were surprised that the Capitol Limited was completely sold out. Apparently this is the result of the SWC arriving very late and passengers missing their connecting trains on 6/4 (the previous day).

To solve the problem every passenger on the SWC that missed the Eastern connection on 6/4, was given free deluxe hotel accommodations, cab fare, meals and upgraded to sleeper where possible for the CL the following day. To get everyone on-board, an extra sleeper car was added and a Chicago SCA was called into work. There were three or four sleepers, the first time that we have seen this on this train. We were in a bedroom so we did not get involved in the chaos but there were so many passengers that the food service team commandeered the sightseer lounge and kept it closed, using it only for meal service. To add insult to injury the standard diner car was out of service and was replaced with a converted CCC. Needless to say this necessitated the use of plastic plates instead of china. The crew did a good job dealing with the less than ideal conditions, the food service and quality was still very good, with the exception of the French Toast that was God awful. In summation Amtrak really took care of the stranded travelers.

I just wonder how many other trains were affected by the SWC coming in so late?

 

[Big Green Chauvanist]

The EB also arrived late into CUS on June 4. Would have been late in any event, but a medical emergency at MIL station held us up for an additional twenty minutes or so. Luckily for pax transferring to the CL and Cardinal, those two trains were held to accommodate--I think the Cardinal for some time. Perhaps they realized they would be paying out for the SWC pax and decided to lessen the burden by holding the trains at least until the EB arrived.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

To solve the problem every passenger on the SWC that missed the Eastern connection on 6/4, was given free deluxe hotel accommodations, cab fare, meals...

So how "deluxe" is the deluxe hotel Amtrak uses for pax who miss their connections? I've never had this happen on Amtrak, but flight delays from Delta have put me in a very crummy hotel in Atlanta a couple of times. Checking the bill, I noticed that Delta was charged just $28 for the room. I'm sure Delta got a volume discount, but still...

Just curious because I have to make an EB-CL connection in a few weeks, and it looks like the EB misses this connection about once a week (the eastbound EB has arrived after the CL's departure time 7 times in the last 28 days).

Secondly, do they ever put people on alternate routes? For example, everyone going to Cleveland or points west could be put on the LSL, assuming there's room.

 

[amamba]

When I was on my 30 hour late EB, we just barely made the LSL (of course, one day late). They put some folks on my EB that were originally ticketed on the CL onto that LSL that I rode.

 

[Dovecote]

To solve the problem every passenger on the SWC that missed the Eastern connection on 6/4, was given free deluxe hotel accommodations, cab fare, meals...

So how "deluxe" is the deluxe hotel Amtrak uses for pax who miss their connections? I've never had this happen on Amtrak, but flight delays from Delta have put me in a very crummy hotel in Atlanta a couple of times. Checking the bill, I noticed that Delta was charged just $28 for the room. I'm sure Delta got a volume discount, but still...

Just curious because I have to make an EB-CL connection in a few weeks, and it looks like the EB misses this connection about once a week (the eastbound EB has arrived after the CL's departure time 7 times in the last 28 days).

Secondly, do they ever put people on alternate routes? For example, everyone going to Cleveland or points west could be put on the LSL, assuming there's room.

In our missed EB>CL connection in 2011 we were put up at the Hyatt-McCormack Place. I considered the hotel deluxe. Can't answer your second question as the train was so late (after midnite on Jan1) that no one on the full train was able to catch another route out that night.

 

[DET63]

So how "deluxe" is the deluxe hotel Amtrak uses for pax who miss their connections? I've never had this happen on Amtrak, but flight delays from Delta have put me in a very crummy hotel in Atlanta a couple of times. Checking the bill, I noticed that Delta was charged just $28 for the room. I'm sure Delta got a volume discount, but still...

With numbers like that, I'd expect there to be a few hookers in the vicinity--not that I'd expect anyone here to avail themselves of their services, of course.

I take it nobody got "bustituted" to make the connection instead?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Last August when the CZ #5 hit a Heard of Cattle in Nebraska, and was 9 Hours late into CHI, we were put up in a Very Nice Hyatt, given Cab Fare and $64 for Meals (Breakfast was Included with the Room!! )They Booked us into a Bedroom on the TE#21 for the next Day (it was an AGR Award in a Roomette)since the Roomettes were SOLD OUT!

Last October when we were riding to PHL for the Gathering from CHI (we came in on the SWC from LAX)and AGR Booked us on the LSL#48 to NYP and Business Class on a Regional to PHL since the Rooms were all Sold OUT on the CL to WAS by a Bunch of those Darn AUers! :giggle:

 

[Anderson]

I got the Hyatt-McCormack Place a few years back on a missed connection between the LSL and the CZ at Christmas, as well as a nice meal/cab allowance.

 

[Linda T]

The EB also arrived late into CUS on June 4. Would have been late in any event, but a medical emergency at MIL station held us up for an additional twenty minutes or so. Luckily for pax transferring to the CL and Cardinal, those two trains were held to accommodate--I think the Cardinal for some time. Perhaps they realized they would be paying out for the SWC pax and decided to lessen the burden by holding the trains at least until the EB arrived.

I was on the June 4th Cardinal from Huntington to WSS and it was 52 minutes late just out of Chicago. I was talking to the crew and they said they were waiting for a western train. Then they ran into signal problems (I think they said in Indiana) and arrived at HUN about 3.5 hours late. It just kept snowballing. I had to de-train at WSS 4.5 hours late, in order to catch the 51. The two trains passed on the west side of CLF, so I'm glad I got off when I did.

In 2011 we were delayed on the Zephyr arriving into CHI 8 hours late, we were put up for TWO nights (next Cardinal out) at the Chicago South Loop Hotel, given $60 per person for two days worth of eating, and taxi fare to and from hotel/station. We had just completed our loop from CHI to LAX (SWC) to SEA and back on the CZ all in a bedroom. Our final piece to CIN was a roomette, which we managed to still get. The entire trip was an AGR redemption. Here's to hoping that my final leg this fall (EB from SEA to CHI) is late, got it all worked into my schedule this time.