Transport Companys' handling of Daylight Saving Time

[Hans627]

We will be traveling overnight this coming Sat., 11/9, and that will be when DST ends. Someone will be picking us up in BAL. Will our arrival time as per the schedule be accurate (excluding any delays of course)?

Thx

 

[denmarks]

Since the clocks are turned back an hour the train will just hold for 1 hour at the nearest station during the change. This assumes that they are not already late. When clocks move forward they just try to make up the time and can be late at some stations.

 

[SubwayNut]

The train will sit for an hour in the middle of the night (if it's running on time) closest to 2:00am

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The arrival time on your ticket takes into consideration the time change.

 

[Danib62]

The train will sit for an hour in the middle of the night (if it's running on time) closest to 2:00am

This is the most insane thing I have ever heard.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

This is the most insane thing have ever heard.

The train cannot leave a station until its scheduled departure time. Scheduled departure times at and after 2 am are moved back an hour. So, what do you propose? My guess is not that many trains will have to wait a whole hour.

 

[Danib62]

You adjust the schedule for trains that night to reflect the clock change.

 

[Rasputin]

You adjust the schedule for trains that night to reflect the clock change.

That would confuse people who do not receive notice of the schedule change, including those of us who have been waiting to see the regular schedules promised in September.

 

[jis]

You adjust the schedule for trains that night to reflect the clock change.

Heck most of them are probably running late by some amount anyway. Even if they are not, the hassle of administering alternative timetable for a day is simply not worth it specially in the relatively lose scheduling used for LD trains in the first place anyway. It is really not a problem at all so it does not really need investment of resources for putting an unnecessary solution in place.

 

[Danib62]

Who needs notice? You just program the correct times into the schedule when you put the tickets on sale. The reservation should just always show the correct time. If anything the fact that there is no printed timetable anymore makes this easier to implement but even if there was a timetable you can easily fix this with a footnote that says "the scheduled train will depart an hour earlier than the scheduled time for all stops after XXX station on 11/7/2021."

Do you think airlines just have their planes circle for an hour that night in order to "stay on schedule"?

 

[Danib62]

Also I hate to be the bearer of bad news: as much as we all loved them (and I really do love my collection of national timetables) printed timetables are never coming back and no one outside of a few niche message boards on the internet cares.

 

[Rasputin]

Also I hate to be the bearer of bad news: as much as we all loved them (and I really do love my collection of national timetables) printed timetables are never coming back and no one outside of a few niche message boards on the internet cares.

Based on Amtrak's recent history, digital timetables are not coming back either.

 

[Danib62]

And even fewer people care about that.

 

[Ryan]

Creating bespoke schedules for a single day sounds like an awful lot of work for almost no return.

The real solution is to get rid of the stupid time change twice a year. Pick a schedule and stick with it.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

You adjust the schedule for trains that night to reflect the clock change.

Can you give an example of a problem your recommendation solves? So far as I am aware this is how it has always been done and it never seemed to be much of a problem during the 0.5% of the year that in-progress trains are affected.

This is the most insane thing I have ever heard.

I would give almost anything for this to be the most insane thing I had ever heard.

The real solution is to get rid of the stupid time change twice a year. Pick a schedule and stick with it.

A Real American solution is to launch a freedom war against clocks and government mandated timekeeping.

 

[Brian Battuello]

A Real American solution is to launch a freedom war against clocks and government mandated timekeeping.

I like it. Let's go back to when every town set noon by the sun over a convenient steeple or town hall. The railroads gaveth time zones and the railroads can taketh away.

BTW, pre-Amtrak the Santa Fe Hassayampa Flyer from Phoenix to Ash Fork/Williams happily left the station on Mountain Daylight Time in the summer, despite Arizona being on Mountain Standard Time. Santa Fe decided it was easier to keep the entire railroad on Daylight time. Caused more than a few (including me) to miss the train.

 

[caravanman]

This is the most insane thing I have ever heard.

I take it you have never watched Fox News then?

 

[jruff001]

This is the most insane thing I have ever heard.

You must live a pretty sheltered life.

 

[Cal]

You must live a pretty sheltered life.

It doesn't even break the top 20 of insane things Amtrak has done.

 

[yyy]

Since the clocks are turned back an hour the train will just hold for 1 hour at the nearest station during the change. This assumes that they are not already late. When clocks move forward they just try to make up the time and can be late at some stations.

So, all the train will be late for 1 hour when DST begins?

 

[CCC1007]

So, all the train will be late for 1 hour when DST begins?

Yes.

 

[Ryan]

Not really "late for 1 hour", more precisely it will become one hour later at the moment of the time change, where it may continue to lose or make up time for the rest of its journey.

 

[Bonser]

This is the most insane thing I have ever heard.

Railroads are responsible for time zones and standard times were created in the 19th century for railroad efficiency and safety. It makes perfect sense that they'd stop for an hour if running on time.

 

[Hans627]

Thanks to all for answering my question. I had no idea it would spawn so many interesting comments!

 

[Rasputin]

I was on an overnight VIA train some years ago at the change of time. At close to 2 a.m., the train made an extended stop at one station for about 45 minutes after which the train left and proceeded (perhaps at reduced speed -I can't recall) in order to arrive at the next station on time. there was no announcement made and most passengers were asleep and I assume did not notice the extended stop.