The effect of the potential rail strike on Amtrak

[zephyr17]

If a strike and trains canceled, would the Amtrak offered trip insurance cover a room reservation that is not refundable. I'm on CS 9/16 Portland to Simi Valley 9/17 with room at Simi paid for and not refundable?

You need to look at the policy. Some travel insurance exclude losses caused by labor disputes.

 

[amy1277]

Worried now about my trip for this weekend. Hope we find out in enough time to redo all the hotel, plane and train aspects if needed.

I’m in the same predicament, my friend. I spent much of the day yesterday finding and booking a backup flight and hotel that I can cancel up to 24 hours before travel.
Now it’s just a waiting game!

 

[Widfara]

According to the news reports, the Southwest Chief, California Zephyr, and Empire Builder will be cancelled in both directions starting today to avoid stranding along the routes should the strike happen.
I don't find a notice of this on the Amtrak site.

 

[John Bobinyec]

If Amtrak cancels, you should be entitled to a refund.

Conversely, if YOU cancel, there may be penalties.

jb

 

[haroldo]

Conversely, if YOU cancel, there may be penalties.

jb

Yep. So now we wait.

 

[Barb Stout]

One of our local TV news stations reported that Amtrak canceled several long-distance trains including the SWC which goes through the city (Albuquerque) that the news team is based in and they indicated that it's due to a "worker strike". So now it will seem to folks who don't follow this issue that it's Amtrak employees who are striking. I'm thinking of calling the TV station to complain, but haven't done it yet.

 

[Palmland]

Saw this on Trains’ Newswire

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. senators have introduced a resolution that would require unions and railroads to accept recommendations made in August by the Presidential Emergency Board to settle their labor dispute and avert a strike or lockout.

 

[joelkfla]

Saw this on Trains’ Newswire

WASHINGTON — Two U.S. senators have introduced a resolution that would require unions and railroads to accept recommendations made in August by the Presidential Emergency Board to settle their labor dispute and avert a strike or lockout.

Maybe Amtrak will see a surge of applicants for engineer & conductor openings.

 

[Amtrak25]

Would Amtrak run between NYP and Albany - Ren ?

 

[jis]

Would Amtrak run between NYP and Albany - Ren ?

No reason not to. It is entirely an Amtrak operation involving no non-Amtrak personnel.

 

[PVD]

I think there is a MNRR segment, but that would be unaffected as well, so your point stands regardless.

 

[Amtrak25]

From Spuyten Duyvil to 2 miles north of Poughkeepsie is Metro North. Of course the occasional CSX freight train wouldn't be running either.

 

[jis]

From Spuyten Duyvil to 2 miles north of Poughkeepsie is Metro North. Of course the occasional CSX freight train wouldn't be running either.

AFAIK MNRR is not planning to go on strike. Whether CSX freight runs or not has no effect on Amtrak on an Amtrak and MNRR run railroad one would imagine.

NJT will potentially have a problem on the Raritan Valley Line and the River Line AFAICT. The rest should be fine.

 

[Amtrak25]

I think Amtrak is over-reacting. They could have run Tuesday's departing 2-night transcons. They also could have done partial runs to KC, St Paul, and Denver on Wednesday from Chicago and the West Coast. For the OBS crews stuck at the opposite side of the country from their homebase on Friday, fly them back. With minimialists consists and not a full dining crew, there aren't that many of them. Amtrak can afford it. Congress and the POTUS would likely legislate them back to work after a day or two anyway.

 

[jis]

What is the staffing situation in the Amtrak Contingencies Planning Department? All this is easier done in armchair quarterbacking mode than in reality perhaps?

 

[chubbycat]

AFAIK MNRR is not planning to go on strike. Whether CSX freight runs or not has no effect on Amtrak on an Amtrak and MNRR run railroad one would imagine.

NJT will potentially have a problem on the Raritan Valley Line and the River Line AFAICT. The rest should be fine.

Thanks for the info! Does AFAIK MNRR cover East or West routes?

 

[Amtrak25]

MNRR owns and runs the New Haven Line as far east as New Haven, which Amtrak uses east of New Rochelle. But it does not matter - MNRR is not going on strike.

It remains to be seen if Conrail Shares Assets will place managerial people on the Hunter - Aldene (west of Newark to east of Cranford) portion of the Lehigh Line to get NJT Raritan trains through, which bridges the NEC with the former CNJ.

 

[PVD]

Metro North is a NYC Metro Area Commuter Railroad operating mostly out of Grand Central up the Hudson as far as Poughkeepsie, along the Sound as far as New Haven CT, and the Harlem line runs North to Wassaic. It also has a West of the Hudson branch operated by NJT that runs to Secaucus junction with sone eqpt provided by them.

 

[PVD]

Notwithstanding the obvious question of where Amtrak folks may not cross a line, if M-O-W and signal folks are not available, because they don't cross, it is doubtful whether qualified mgt exists to guarantee safety and perform mandatory inspections.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

What is the staffing situation in the Amtrak Contingencies Planning Department? All this is easier done in armchair quarterbacking mode than in reality perhaps?

I was thinking the same thing. How everything looks easy to do…from a chair in a living room.

 

[jis]

Metro North is a NYC Metro Area Commuter Railroad operating mostly out of Grand Central up the Hudson as far as Poughkeepsie, along the Sound as far as New Haven CT, and the Harlem line runs North to Wassaic. It also has a West of the Hudson branch operated by NJT that runs to Secaucus junction with sone eqpt provided by them.

Actually the West of Hudson service runs to Hoboken with a stop at Secaucus on the way. So if NJT in general is not hampered by picket crossing issues then there should be no problem running the West of Hudson service at least upto Suffern and Pearl River. I am not quite sure who does what to whom between Suffern and Port Jervis, but probably it is still some combination of MNRR and NJT.

 

[zephyr17]

Thanks for the info! Does AFAIK MNRR cover East or West routes?

MNRR is New York's Metro North, which owns and operates the commuter lines north out of New York to the Hudson Valley and Connecticut. They own the Hudson Line as far as just past Poughkeepsie. Amtrak owns the Empire Connection between Penn Station and Spyuten Devil (Metro North runs out of GCT). North of Poughkeepsie to Albany I think the physical railroad is actually owned by CSX, IIRC, but is dispatched and maintained by Amtrak. As such, it probably won't be subject to labor action.

 

[pennyk]

I am looking forward to my first ever train trip, I am hoping it will take place this week.

Good Luck!

 

[jis]

MNRR is New York's Metro North, which owns and operates the commuter lines north out of New York to the Hudson Valley and Connecticut. They own the Hudson Line as far as just past Poughkeepsie. Amtrak owns the Empire Connection between Penn Station and Spyuten Devil (Metro North runs out of GCT). North of Poughkeepsie to Albany I think the physical railroad is actually owned by CSX, IIRC, but is dispatched and maintained by Amtrak. As such, it probably won't be subject to labor action.

It is owned by CSX but is under long term lease to NYDOT and Amtrak. Amtrak maintains and dispatches it, and it uses an Amtrak PTC system, not the CSX one. This is between Poughkeepsie and Hoffmans, west of Schenectady, where it joins the CSX line from Selkirk.

 

[zephyr17]

Notwithstanding the obvious question of where Amtrak folks may not cross a line, if M-O-W and signal folks are not available, because they don't cross, it is doubtful whether qualified mgt exists to guarantee safety and perform mandatory inspections.

Generally only one of the railroads at a crossing or junction is responsible for maintenance of it. If Amtrak or a commuter line has the responsibility, all good, maintenance and inspection will be carried out. If the freight railroad has the responsibility, not so good.