The effect of the potential rail strike on Amtrak

[joelkfla]

The alert is now on the “front page” of their website.

But aside from saying NEC and Empire Service are mostly unaffected, all it says is to visit Amtrak.com or monitor Twitter. There's no specific info about cancellations on Amtrak.com, and if it's on Twitter, it's buried amongst all the twits about the usual delays.

 

[haroldo]

But aside from saying NEC and Empire Service are mostly unaffected, all it says is to visit Amtrak.com or monitor Twitter. There's no specific info about cancellations on Amtrak.com, and if it's on Twitter, it's buried amongst all the twits about the usual delays.

The previous cancellations (yesterday's) were here:

Service Alerts & Notices | Amtrak

 

[coalman]

The alert is now on the “front page” of their website.

https://asm.transitdocs.com/Try this site for specific train alerts

 

[amy1277]

https://asm.transitdocs.com/Try this site for specific train alerts

Wow, this is great! Thanks for sharing.

 

[JC7648]

On the NB Coast Starlight right now, crew just got called into a meeting, seems like they're flying home to LA so im guessing Thurs. onwards is cancelled, which seems to line up with the news here.

 

[coalman]

On the NB Coast Starlight right now, crew just got called into a meeting, seems like they're flying home to LA so im guessing Thurs. onwards is cancelled, which seems to line up with the news here.

My CS last year was stopped by burned-out trestle. This year my CS Friday Sept 16 will probably be canceled. One of these years I'll get to see that famed CS coast.

 

[JC7648]

My CS last year was stopped by burned-out trestle. This year my CS Friday Sept 16 will probably be canceled. One of these years I'll get to see that famed CS coast.

Ill tell you it was nice to see but painful to have to ride by it, next time im def flying and renting a car so I can dip my feet in.

 

[haroldo]

We just received this concerning our Lake Shore Limited trip which was to start on Thursday.

We are reaching out to you regarding your upcoming trip.

Amtrak is closely monitoring ongoing freight rail management-labor contract negotiations. While these negotiations do not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce, many of our trains operate over freight railroad tracks. Because the parties have not yet reached a resolution, Amtrak has begun to make service adjustments in response to a possible freight railroad service interruption that could occur later this week. These service adjustments could impact your future travel plans and if your train is canceled, we will attempt to notify you at this email address at least 24 hours in advance with the opportunity to receive a full refund.

If your travel plans are flexible, we would be happy to change your reservation to another date at this time—as well as waive any difference in fare for departures through October 31. We can also offer you a full refund without cancelation fees. One of our Amtrak representatives would be happy to provide assistance by calling or texting 1-800-USA-RAIL.

We appreciate your patience and apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

We took the full refund. A very easy transaction.

 

[coalman]

We just received this concerning our Lake Shore Limited trip which was to start on Thursday.

We are reaching out to you regarding your upcoming trip.

Amtrak is closely monitoring ongoing freight rail management-labor contract negotiations. While these negotiations do not involve Amtrak or the Amtrak workforce, many of our trains operate over freight railroad tracks. Because the parties have not yet reached a resolution, Amtrak has begun to make service adjustments in response to a possible freight railroad service interruption that could occur later this week. These service adjustments could impact your future travel plans and if your train is canceled, we will attempt to notify you at this email address at least 24 hours in advance with the opportunity to receive a full refund.

If your travel plans are flexible, we would be happy to change your reservation to another date at this time—as well as waive any difference in fare for departures through October 31. We can also offer you a full refund without cancelation fees. One of our Amtrak representatives would be happy to provide assistance by calling or texting 1-800-USA-RAIL.

We appreciate your patience and apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

We took the full refund. A very easy transaction.

But what about the 40% discount. It's gone if you cancel.

 

[trimetbusfan]

But what about the 40% discount. It's gone if you cancel.

They offer the option to change to a later date..

 

[coalman]

Looks like Alliance Policy I got with Amtrak reservation covers union strike for trip interruption. But I bet there is a gotcha in there somewhere.
From Alliance Individual Travel Insurance Policy
The delay must be for at least the Minimum Required Delay listed in your Declarations and due to one of the following covered reasons:
1. A travel carrier delay;
2. A strike, unless threatened or announced prior to the purchase of your policy;
several more instances sited after these two.

 

[coalman]

They offer the option to change to a later date..

Yes, I think change the date is better than canceling, but the new travel date must be before October 31.

 

[librarian]

My 17 day Amtrak rail journey is supposed to begin September 16.........

I cancelled my trip and got a full refund.

 

[haroldo]

But what about the 40% discount. It's gone if you cancel.

What 40% discount? We paid a bundle many months ago and received exactly that bundle today after cancellation.

 

[trimetbusfan]

What 40% discount? We paid a bundle many months ago and received exactly that bundle today after cancellation.

Recent points sale.

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/40-off-offer-using-points.82934/

 

[Sauve850]

Ill put in for my refund in points after I get back home but it is costing me more to fly home so Im negative $ in this mess.

 

[haroldo]

Recent points sale.

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/40-off-offer-using-points.82934/

Thanks.

 

[MARC Rider]

Here's something from the Baltimore Sun regarding the MARC Brunswick and Camden Lines:

https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryla...0220912-z7xku3ab6rgrzep6xvua5s3y2e-story.html
In the article, it was mentioned that back 1991, the last rail strike, the CSX union engineers and conductors were willing to operate the MARC trains (this was when CSX operated those lines for the state), but CSX management told them they couldn't.

Here's the article from 1991:

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-04-17-1991107096-story.html
Here's a quote from the 1991 article that's interesting:

Spokesmen at the management organization, Association of American Railroads, and at the union group, Railway Labor Executives Association, said the cancellation of the MARC service was the only instance that they knew of in which a rail company shut down a line. Union members operated commuter lines in Chicago and passenger lines reportedly operated without incident in Boston and New York.

So apparently during the last strike, META and MBTA, and Metro-North/New Jersey Transit were able to operate during the strike. It doesn't say anything about whether Amtrak was able to operate anything on the affected railroads then.

 

[MARC Rider]

I went to the Amtrak app this morning (9/13) to get a ticket for my trip to Washington tomorrow, and they were still selling tickets for the Cardinal. I could have gotten a room for $167 for a 40 minute ride. Maybe I should have, because I do need to rack up some TQP if I expect to make Select Plus this year. I actually reserved for the Palmetto, which had more "reasonable" prices for coach and business class, and which is "90% full." This is for a ~9:30 AM arrival into Washington.

Yep, the Cardinal is running today.
Here's the station board at Baltimore.

 

[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.

Then the next day that same TV news station covered it again in more depth with accuracy in the verbiage and included an interview with a local man who works as a conductor on a freight train who emphasized the scheduling time off difficulties as apparently his main concern. However, all the images shown for that TV news piece were of Amtrak trains, not freight trains. I guess a train is a train?

 

[Billvasili]

Presumably all Amtrak services that are hosted on freight railroads that are struck will cease to run for the duration of the strike.

For some reason l read that the western Amtrak trains were going to be affected. l have not seen any cancellations for DC or NYC trains yet. Does anyone know if the eastern trains will be affected? l am scheduled to go out in about two weeks.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

For some reason l read that the western Amtrak trains were going to be affected. l have not seen any cancellations for DC or NYC trains yet. Does anyone know if the eastern trains will be affected? l am scheduled to go out in about two weeks.

Just the trains that leave the NEC (go south of DC, go west of DC/NYC/Boston, Vermonter, etc)

 

[John819]

The NEC is owned, maintained, and dispatched by Amtrak. No Class I Freight Railroads are involved. So it should run.

 

[fdaley]

We rode the Downeaster from Maine to Boston on Tuesday, then took 449 from Boston to Albany. There was a notice on the departure board at South Station that passengers taking the Lake Shore Limited should be aware there would be no connecting service west or south from Chicago. In the Metropolitan Lounge, there were several passengers stewing about how to rearrange their plans. One said he had just managed to book a flight for the remainder of his trip from Chicago to the Southwest.

 

[jimmrl]

Maybe they can park the diners somewhere near downtown and serve meals!

Many years ago a Harley group out of Michigan or somewhere like that chartered a full Amtrak train to haul them to the Sturgis rally in South Dakota. They parked in my home town of Newcastle Wyoming (only a 40 minute drive away). They put their bikes in baggage cars and the rest was mostly sleepers. This gave the bikers a built in hotel every night and a place for breakfast every morning.

So the diner was only going to be used for breakfast and I think dinner. Whoever set up the charter was smart and opened the diner for lunch for the locals every day. My parents went almost every day. Every day the menu changed (nothing was Amtrak normal). For those who have never been in Newcastle, it has only a dozen places to eat without any "specialty" food. It was a big hit for that week.