Work at New York Penn

[Thirdrail7]

The timetables are up. The NYG city code lives once again!!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Now all we need is for the 20th Century Ltd. ( aka the Lake Shore)to once again Roll out the Red Carpet.

 

[jis]

The Lake Shore is not going to Grand Central

 

[west point]

Amtrak is providing absolutely no service at NYG. No agents, ticket counters, TVMs, baggage. It will be up to the goodness of their hearts if MNRR personnel will help those persons ?

 

[John Bobinyec]

The trains which are being diverted to NYG don't carry baggage anyway. Tickets are all online now.

I'm wondering how people will find the proper track for the northbound trains. Will the display boards be updated? Will temporary signs be installed?

jb

 

[PVD]

Still lots of NYP to Albany and back service for anyone who needs service or assistance. And its only M-F.

 

[railiner]

IIRC, the last time an Amtrak train had to divert to NYG, the departure signs did have a means to list them....

And I'm fairly confident, Amtrak will send some usher's or supervision over from NYP to assist traveler's, and/or train crews there....

 

[PVD]

At minimum, a couple of folks to deal with handicapped/wheelchair assistance makes sense.

 

[Thirdrail7]

And I'm fairly confident, Amtrak will send some usher's or supervision over from NYP to assist traveler's, and/or train crews there....

At minimum, a couple of folks to deal with handicapped/wheelchair assistance makes sense.

It doesn't appear this will be the case:

Customer Assistance: Amtrak employees will not be available at Grand Central Terminal to assist customers. Amtrak conductors will assist customers getting on and off the train. Customers who need assistance are encouraged to use other Empire Service trains at New York Penn Station. Note that Grand Central Terminal is an accessible station.

They took the typical "commuter" trains and sent them to NYG. As I previously suggested, it is a self transfer station without services.

 

[MARC Rider]

Service alert for GCT reroutes: https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Alert_C&pagename=am/AM_Alert_C/Alerts_Popup&cid=1251653727006

No alerts issued for 63/69 being combined, which is reflected in ARROW. GCT is not bookable yet, nor are PDF timetables available.

pdf timetables are here:

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/537/512/Empire-Service-W08r-071017.pdf

 

[NY Penn]

Service alert for GCT reroutes: https://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Alert_C&pagename=am/AM_Alert_C/Alerts_Popup&cid=1251653727006

No alerts issued for 63/69 being combined, which is reflected in ARROW. GCT is not bookable yet, nor are PDF timetables available.

pdf timetables are here:

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/537/512/Empire-Service-W08r-071017.pdf

Interesting that NYG is shown as having a Quick Trak machine. That's probably a typo though...

 

[Dutchrailnut]

even Amtrak trains can call ahead and get red cap assistance from MN station service, no need to bring Amtrak people into foreign terminal, or time claims would ensue.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Reading reports on FB that a NJT derailed on Track 10 tonight. Just one car.

 

[railiner]

even Amtrak trains can call ahead and get red cap assistance from MN station service, no need to bring Amtrak people into foreign terminal, or time claims would ensue.

Not so sure about that last point.....Amtrak operated from NYG before Metro North even existed...and they did have their own ticket clerks, station supervisor's ,trainmaster's, commissary worker's, and mechanical personnel there, right up to the time of moving all operations to NYP.

 

[Acela150]

Reading reports on FB that a NJT derailed on Track 10 tonight. Just one car.

Track 11 according to an Amtrak engineer blocking part of the ladder as well.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Reading reports on FB that a NJT derailed on Track 10 tonight. Just one car.

Track 11 according to an Amtrak engineer blocking part of the ladder as well.

Yeah, now I remember someone corrected someone who.... 10 is close to 11, right?

 

[Acela150]

Ha! 10 is close to 11. Actually right next door.

 

[Acela150]

Wick Moorman appeared on CBS' This Morning Program to address the A Interlocking renewal.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amtrak-penn-station-new-york-renovations-mta-summer-of-hell/

 

[Thirdrail7]

With this lasting for two months it would be worth while to break up the 4th trainset for added capacity on other trains....

There's only so much that you can yield from breaking up the set. Remember, you've created an orphan set with no protection that travels to another area without protection. The diner situation is still critical so this will help alleviate some of the strain. Therefore, I expect to see a viewliner, an AM-2 and a diner left in WAS as protection. The rest can be dispersed throughout the system.

Not mentioned in Amtrak's press releases as far as I can tell: The Meteor, Star, and Cardinal are available for coach booking SB NYP-WAS (the Crescent is excluded for obvious reasons). Also not highlighted: The Crescent's timetable got shoved back by about 90 minutes (it now leaves WAS at 1955), something which is actually going to improve my trip to Atlanta for DragonCon slightly (if nothing else, I can relax more at breakfast). 97 is actually the Crescent's connection at WAS...but pax can only book a roomette starting at WAS (I have to presume that there will either be a very big dinner seating out of WAS or a bunch of seriously annoyed Crescent pax).

An interesting wrinkle with this shuffle: The Crescent now probably only needs three sets (I would sure hope that 20 could turn as 19 in 8 hours, and I suspect the later time out of WAS was to accommodate this), so that saves a diner, two Viewliners, and I suspect four LD Amfleets. Is there any discussion about where this equipment might show up? The Viewliners seem like candidates for the Cardinal, but considering the oft-mentioned booking issues on here I'd seriously consider the LSL to be a solid use of the stuff (even if the train could only run longer four days out of the week, that's got be better than idling the equipment).

As I previously suggested, by the time they add equipment to accommodate transferring and displaced travel, there isn't much left to disperse. This is particularly true when it comes to the extra long distance set. They actually had to come up with and EXTRA bag so they could transfer 20's bag to 176 or 94 and some of the coaches from the extra set are being used for connecting passengers.

 

[Acela150]

I was looking at Amtrak.com and they have some interesting things posted to help folks understand what's going on. First a diagram of Penn Station with tracks being labeled as well as platforms. As well as a "Railroad Terminology" file which may be of interest to some of you. I'll put both links here.

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/646/177/Penn-Station-Track-System.pdf

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/927/361/Guide-to-Key-Railroad-Terminology-Northeast-Corridor.pdf

 

[jis]

I was looking at Amtrak.com and they have some interesting things posted to help folks understand what's going on. First a diagram of Penn Station with tracks being labeled as well as platforms. As well as a "Railroad Terminology" file which may be of interest to some of you. I'll put both links here.

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/646/177/Penn-Station-Track-System.pdf

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/927/361/Guide-to-Key-Railroad-Terminology-Northeast-Corridor.pdf

Interesting that they identify the old "towers" as the interlockings. Of course, nothing much happens there anymore except that they are the control point "huts". Everything happens at PSCC.

The explanation on slides 5 and 8 are more accurate.

 

[Thirdrail7]

NYP is quite peaceful when all trains are on the rail and you divert 200 trains away from it.

 

[John Bobinyec]

NYP is quite peaceful when all trains are on the rail and you divert 200 trains away from it.

Let's see,

Empire Service = 6

Maple Leaf = 2 (combined with Adirondack)

NE Regional = 6

Keystone = 6

Crescent = 2

Total Amtrak = 22

What's the breakdown between LIRR and NJT?

jb

 

[John Bobinyec]

From one of my friends, Amtrak engine 95 is running between Grand Central and Albany. I thought that this engine was a straight diesel. Is this being used in protect service only?

jb

 

[jis]

NYP is quite peaceful when all trains are on the rail and you divert 200 trains away from it.

Let's see,

Empire Service = 6

Maple Leaf = 2 (combined with Adirondack)

NE Regional = 6

Keystone = 6

Crescent = 2

Total Amtrak = 22

What's the breakdown between LIRR and NJT?

jb

The Maple Leaf is combined with the Adirondack only northbound. Southbound they run as separate trains. This is to reduce slot and platform needs during the morning rush hours. In the evening they arrive way after the rush hours, so no slot/platform issues.

I think you forgot to count the other 179 LIRR and NJT trains that are not coming to Penn Station during this period. In terms of number of trains Amtrak is a small potatoes user of Penn Station when compared to NJT and LIRR.