Effect of Winter Storm Alejandra on Amtrak

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NW cannonball

Conductor
Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
1,594
Location
Minnesota
The weather forecast for eastern NoDak looks bad for the Empire Builder today through Friday, especially the route between Fargo and Grand Forks and west to Devil's Lake or Minot. Like Blizzard and Winter Storm warnings. Expect cancellation? Re-route by the KO Fargo to Minot?
 
Although the title of the article has the word "Detour" in it, there isn't anything in the article mentioning a detour.

What does KO mean? I assume that is another rail route, but what does it stand for and where does it run?
BNSF operating practice to utilize directional running in ND, running westbound trains on the KO sub, and eastbound trains on the Devil's Lake and Hillsboro Subs. The westbound Builder normally runs against this current of traffic over the Hillsboro and Devil's Lake subs to serve Grand Forks, Devil's Lake and Rugby.

During severe weather, BNSF routes the Builder per their standard operating practice so as to avoid possible additional problems. It is a "detour" because it is not the Builder's normal route. It also probably requires a BNSF pilot engineer since Amtrak crews would likely not be qualified on the KO Sub. I am not stating that definitively because, in some cases, Amtrak will maintain crew qualification over frequently used alternate routes and this detour happens with some regularity. It also requires some back up moves and use of a lightly used branch to get on it, since the Fargo station is on the Hillsboro Sub well past the split of the KO Sub.

I am not sure how KO got its name. It is also informally known as the Surrey Cutoff.
 
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BNSF operating practice to utilize directional running in ND, running westbound trains on the KO sub, and eastbound trains on the Devil's Lake and Hillsboro Subs. The westbound Builder normally runs against this current of traffic over the Hillsboro and Devil's Lake subs to serve Grand Forks, Devil's Lake and Rugby.

During severe weather, BNSF routes the Builder per their standard operating practice so as to avoid possible additional problems. It is a "detour" because it is not the Builder's normal route. It also probably requires a BNSF pilot engineer since Amtrak crews would likely not be qualified on the KO Sub. I am not stating that definitively because, in some cases, Amtrak will maintain crew qualification over frequently used alternate routes and this detour happens with some regularity. It also requires some back up moves and use of a lightly used branch to get on it, since the Fargo station is on the Hillsboro Sub well past the split of the KO Sub.

I am not sure how KO got its name. It is also informally known as the Surrey Cutoff.

Directional running is not the norm for BNSF in regular operating conditions. When operating conditions deteriorate, directional running is established as a way to help keep traffic flowing and reduce meets/passes to ensure crews make it to HTs or AFHTs on the train, especially when vans are off the road like they are now due to closures of 29 and 94. They will also deadhead personnel on Amtrak. But on good days, it’s bidirectional running on both sides.

It's both amusing and refreshing to see Dilworth in such big letters with no mention of Fargo and Bismarck, ND's biggest "cities". I love maps.

Appears to be an older BNSF map, so it’s unsurprising as Dilworth is the terminal, not Fargo. You would be surprised what gets included on these railroad maps and what doesn’t.
 
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