This baffles me: When the freight trains aren't running (i.e. on Thanksgiving for example) the AMTRAK trains were running on time. Now that the freight trains will not run, AMTRAK is 'afraid' to drive them on the tracks owned by the freight lines? AMTRAK will probably run 'on time' and that's good! But, I suppose, there could be some yahoo out there that might believe, since the freight trains aren't running, no one else can use their track? Good grief.
Sigh. That is ridiculous....
Yes, it IS.
If the dispatchers, who are freight railroad employees outside the NEC and a few commuter lines, either strike or honor other rail workers' strike, Amtrak can't run on the freight lines even if there aren't any freight trains in Amtrak's way.
I got it all wrong. Its next Thursday the 22nd and the return is the 24th. But with this rail strike that is going on with the freight workers, Amtrak has begun canceling their own long-distance trains and mine is from CHI-NYC. Should I wait this out or just cancel m
Amtrak can’t run if there are no train dispatchers or if there are no signal and track personnel to fix issues in the field. They also can’t run if the host railroad can’t assist if a train breaks down. They also do not want people to be stranded for hours or days on a train stuck in the middle of nowhere.
You've got a week. If your (non-Amtrak) travel plans are flexible (change without penalty) you could probably ride it out.
Wait it out. Maybe put a Plan B in place.
In addition to dispatchers, this. The MOW people that do it will be out, too.
Some freight trains run on Thanksgiving.
So the Cap is going to hang out in Washington, not Chicago, it sounds like.
Looks like the Capitol Ltd left Washington on time at 4:05. Yet the LSL was canceled??
As I said in a prior post, today's trains were weird. All long distance departures for today were cancelled except for the Capitol Limited and the westbound Cardinal. I can sort of understand the Cardinal, equipment would have been out of position otherwise, since it isn't running daily.
Translation: "Never let a disaster go to waste when there's a score to be settled!"
This post reminds me of a word problem in math class where a relatively minor misunderstanding at the beginning snowballs into a string of increasingly severe miscalculations.
Going to be crazy to look at this map if there is no agreement by Friday. Most likely no service at all in the western half of the US.
The PDX<>EUG Thruway buses don't show on the map, but they are still to operate. Ditto the SEA<>SPK Thruway bus.
