Trip to Austin Amtrak Station

[Bob Dylan]

After almost 2 years of drought and Phoenix like temps, Central Texas finally got some rain, lots of rain!!!

I was in downtown Austin last Friday, had finished up my business and it was close to the time for the TE #21 to arrive so I headed for the station which is not easy to get to in rush hour traffic! Due to the large amounts of rain, they had announced on the radio that Interstate 35 was closed north of Austin!

I called Julie and #21 was running on time!

When I got onto Lamar Blvd., the main N-S street in West Austin the traffic was backed up as usual but upon getting to the edge of the underpass where the station is located up on top of the road (the tracks cross a trestle here), there was a cop directing traffic away since flooding had made it impossible to go any farther! I have no idea whether or not the pax that got off in Austin when the Eagle arrived were able to get to their destination since no cabs or behicles could get into or out of the station till later that night when the water receeded!

It had been so long since any rain the ground was hard as cement and everything ran off, yesterday the flooding returned but it was down again by the time #21 came in, and as the station is closed on the weekend dont know if any more pax were affected or not?

This is a first as far as I know here, train station on top a hill marooned because of a usually dry creek! (We got 4-5 inches of much needed rain here, north of Austin they had as much as 14 inches!) (update: per the cab driver I know that regularly works the station, the train arrived 15 minutes late but it was after 9 PM before the water went down enough to open the road!There was no flooding sat or sunday during arrival/departure hours so no pax were inconvienced!!A one day wonder!)

 

[the_traveler]

If the road into the station was closed, and passengers were boarding (or as Jim mentioned, getting off) - what happens? :huh: Also, if the station is staffed, how does the agent get to the station? :huh:

I understand what would happen if that was for weeks at a time, but what if (like in this case) it was just for the afternoon? :huh:

 

[Bob Dylan]

Whats interesting is that the dim bulbs who bought the new condos right next to the tracks want the station moved (not in my neighborhood), they couldnt get in or out either! I t was just a few hours delay, I googled the local sights ,since the agents werent there they dont have any info, but it is very hard to get to/from the station in normal times due to its one way entrance/exit and being off the busiest road in downtown Austin! Guess the pax that got off had to wait or wade (LOL) and unless they went really early to the station (like me! LOL) they didnt catch 21 that night!The agents are there from 8 AM till after 21 departs @ night so they were stranded too, happens alot when the Eagle is really late which doesnt happen much lately!)