Why and how often are trains run completely backward?

[PVD]

People should keep in mind that the NEC trains generally run with a conductor and an a/c. They don't have car attendants. If the train is at an endpoint and going back out, a different set is likely taking the train, and leaving. I doubt that the cafe car attendant is onboard long enough before departure to do anything not cafe setup and inventory.

 

[VKurtB]

As a former daily rider on the Keystone (LNC - HAR), I had to get used to the occasional backward ride. It doesn't take as long as one would think.

 

[NEPATrainTraveler]

On all of the Hiawatha rides I have been on, the train ran backwards in both directions.

 

[Eric S]

On all of the Hiawatha rides I have been on, the train ran backwards in both directions.

I'm a little confused. The Hiawatha usually runs push-pull, with a locomotive at one end and either another locomotive or a cabbage at the other end, and with half of the seats facing one way and half facing another way - is that what you encountered? Or something altogether different?

 

[Acela150]

Sunday morning I rode the Northeast Regional from NYC to BAL. It was the 143, leaving NYP at 9:47 AM. As we left the station I was disappointed to see that we were riding backward. At first I thought it was just our car (business) but then they announced that the entire train was backward and apologized. I asked the snack attendant why they might have done this - like, did they not have the time or space to turn it around? But received no answer. At first I thought it was okay, and tried to enjoy the view, but about halfway through the ride, my companion and I both admitted we were feeling some motion sickness.

I have never encountered this. Why would they do this, and is this a common occurrence? I sure hope not.

IIRC 143 originates in SPG. The wye may not have been available to spin the train.

People should keep in mind that the NEC trains generally run with a conductor and an a/c. They don't have car attendants. If the train is at an endpoint and going back out, a different set is likely taking the train, and leaving. I doubt that the cafe car attendant is onboard long enough before departure to do anything not cafe setup and inventory.

Correct all around. It should also be noted that T&E and OBS crews are not able to "spin" the seats. That's a job that coach cleaners and mechanical do.

 

[Bob Dylan]

IIRC 143 originates in SPG. The wye may not have been available to spin the train.

Correct all around. It should also be noted that T&E and OBS crews are not able to "spin" the seats. That's a job that coach cleaners and mechanical do.

One time when I was riding in Coach on #421 from AUS to Alpine, we left the SA Station with the Seats all " Backwards" and a few of us that knew how turned all the Seats since we hadn't seen a New Coach Attendant since Boarding.( Crew changes in SAS)

When the Conductor came through checking Tickets and Seat Checks ( most of us had boarded before SAS) he wasnt happy that we had done it, but we told him we hadn't seen an Attendant since leaving SAS, and he said I'll look into this!)

We didn't see an Attendant until after daylight when stopping in Del Rio where the Coach filled up!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

It should also be noted that T&E and OBS crews are not able to "spin" the seats. That's a job that coach cleaners and mechanical do.

Are you saying there is an Amtrak rule that prohibits them from spinning the seats?

 

[user 14106]

, there's an Achilles Heel to the once daily (2x on weekends?) train that is the first (and only) full regional train from there.

Traditionally pre Covid it was 1 regional round trip on weekdays - 141 and 148 would run M-F. Two on weekends. 136 was an additional regional that would run on Fridays to get the trainset up there and then on Saturday you’d have 143/147 southbound and 140 and 146 northbound. On sundays you’d have 143 and 157 south and just 140 north. With Covid equipment shortage cuts they cut it back to one on weekends - just 147/157 and 140 on weekends. In June they brought back 136, 143 and 146 with 146 now both Saturday and Sunday’s and 136 now M-F. 141 was moved earlier and 125 was added as a second weekday southbound departure. So Springfield now has two through regional round trips every day.

 

[trimetbusfan]

IIRC 143 originates in SPG. The wye may not have been available to spin the train.

Correct all around. It should also be noted that T&E and OBS crews are not able to "spin" the seats. That's a job that coach cleaners and mechanical do.

Are you saying there is an Amtrak rule that prohibits them from spinning the seats?

Maybe that’s the case on the NEC. On the #421 coach the crews regularly flip the seats around en-Route because of the switching work done at San Antonio

 

[Brian Battuello]

I'm one of the few people that prefer riding backwards. I always take the rear-facing seat in a roomette. For some reason, I prefer to see scenery receding from me rather than rushing toward me.

Also, on commuter rail, the rear-facing seats are less likely to get a seatmate.

Speaking of the Downeaster, as noted the seats are fifty/fifty and not switched, but they do switch the Business class. Plus you get a free soda!

 

[tgstubbs1]

I'm one of the few people that prefer riding backwards. I always take the rear-facing seat in a roomette. For some reason, I prefer to see scenery receding from me rather than rushing toward me.

It might be safer to sit facing backwards in the case of a collision.
Either way you sit if you want scenery you need to look out away from the train so I don't see what difference it makes.

I think it's important for anyone riding at the front of the train to be facing forward. For the rest of us to look out we need a dome car to see straight ahead.

 

[joelkfla]

It might be safer to sit facing backwards in the case of a collision.
Either way you sit if you want scenery you need to look out away from the train so I don't see what difference it makes.

Big difference whether things are moving towards you or away from you when something catches your eye. I'm not sure which is better, but there's certainly a difference.

 

[Brian Battuello]

That's exactly the point for me. If I see something interesting, I usually have more time to study it as it recedes. But generally I find things moving away more relaxing.

Maybe I spent too much time in the station wagon wayback as a kid...

 

[fdaley]

When the Turboliners covered most of the Empire Service trains in the 1980s and early '90s, most of the coaches had half the seats facing one way and half the other. The trains had cabs at each end so could reverse direction without needing a wye. I got used to riding facing both directions. More people seemed to prefer facing forward, as those seats filled up faster. I slightly prefer facing forward but care more about seat placement relative to the window; a good window seat facing backward is definitely better in my book than a poorly placed forward-facing seat.

Currently the Ethan Allen reverses direction at Rutland, so if your seat faces forward from NYP to Rutland, it will be facing backward from there to Burlington and vice versa. The same was true on the Adirondack when it briefly ran through to/from Washington in the 1990s; I recall riding in Amfleet cars with half the seats facing each way and reversing direction at NYP. Also the Vermonter reversed direction at SPG and again at Palmer when it was still running via Amherst, with seats facing backward for the 20-minute run between Springfield and Palmer.

 

[railiner]

Big difference whether things are moving towards you or away from you when something catches your eye. I'm not sure which is better, but there's certainly a difference.

It's better to be facing forward. When something comes into view, you can see it getting closer and more visible, and then you can turn and watch it recede. If you are facing backwards, by the time something interesting comes into your view, you have passed it, and it rapidly recedes in the distance, before you get a good look...

 

[Trucker72]

We were on the Acela this past Saturday. We stopped less than a mile from the platform in Washington. There was a problem with the lead engine. The train was going to be limited to 75 mph. By the time we reached Philly we were about an hour and a half late and falling even more behind schedule. The dispatcher made the decision to turn the train around. It took almost a half an hour but from there we actually made up time. Ended up being about an hour and a quarter +/- late. We had 50 minutes to make the 1720 Downeaster. Phew.
Bottom line is we received an email yesterday saying that Amtrak was adding 2000 points to our account as an apology for the delay.

 

[Bob Dylan]

We were on the Acela this past Saturday. We stopped less than a mile from the platform in Washington. There was a problem with the lead engine. The train was going to be limited to 75 mph. By the time we reached Philly we were about an hour and a half late and falling even more behind schedule. The dispatcher made the decision to turn the train around. It took almost a half an hour but from there we actually made up time. Ended up being about an hour and a quarter +/- late. We had 50 minutes to make the 1720 Downeaster. Phew.
Bottom line is we received an email yesterday saying that Amtrak was adding 2000 points to our account as an apology for the delay.

Like most Amtrak equipment, the Acela Trainsets are falling apart due to age and poor maintenance as their replacements run an occasional test on the NEC, but mostly sit collecting dust in the yards !

 

[BlackDiamond]

The dispatcher made the decision to turn the train around. It took almost a half an hour but from there we actually made up time.

Would have been interesting to ride on that turn around. I assume they used the "New York to Pittsburgh subway" to do this?

 

[dlagrua]

My concern is not just running backwards but being able to find a place on the station platform that is convenient to board the NER business or Acela First Class Cars. Sometimes they are in the front while other times they are in the rear. On a May 2023 trip were were in the Philadelphia lounge and asked the attendant there where the business car would be. She said that it was in the rear. When the train came into the station the business car was in the front and we had to walk the length of the train quickly to find the car before the train left the station. When the final call for boarding was done, I yelled out to my wife just to get on. We both boarded coach cars and walked to the front through the train. There seems to be no way to tell these days.

 

[jis]

My concern is not just running backwards but being able to find a place on the station platform that is convenient to board the NER business or Acela First Class Cars. Sometimes they are in the front while other times they are in the rear. On a May 2023 trip were were in the Philadelphia lounge and asked the attendant there where the business car would be. She said that it was in the rear. When the train came into the station the business car was in the front and we had to walk the length of the train quickly to find the car before the train left the station. When the final call for boarding was done, I yelled out to my wife just to get on. We both boarded coach cars and walked to the front through the train. There seems to be no way to tell these days.

They should be making an announcement when there is variation from normal consist placement. Unfortunately American railroads seem to be culturally incapable of doing so since apparently it is not the tradition for the operations department to convey information that may be useful for the customer, to the commercial department, which deals with customers. So what can one do?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

They should be making an announcement when there is variation from normal consist placement. Unfortunately American railroads seem to be culturally incapable of doing so since apparently it is not the tradition for the operations department to convey information that may be useful for the customer, to the commercial department, which deals with customers. So what can one do?

I have noticed that the display boards at WIL will say, at least sometimes, where the business car is or sleepers. But since I'm rarely at the back of the train when boarding and because I board coach (BC on Acela), I don't pay attention to the overhead signage.