It's on time today heading into Reno for the first time in 2 weeks. Thanks for explanation - makes perfect underhanded sense for all the freight RR's on the CZ's route, particularly the Union Pacific. Yesterday there was another "disabled" UP freight train that delayed the CZ for over 2 hours outside SLC.
It is not clear to me what exactly is being claimed here. Is the claim that what Amtrak reports in its Host railroad Scorecard tries to give a pass to the host railroad? If that is the claim we would like to see more documented evidence than anecdotes in support of such. If not, well then I have no idea who is saying "disable freight" to whom, and how that matters in the bigger scheme of things.
That is puzzling as far as the official host railroad performance metrics go, since freight interference and disabled freight both are counted under host railroad caused delay minutes. So it would not matter what anyone says. As long it causes a delay it is the host railroad's responsibility.
But don’t the conductors and engineers know that it isn’t an actual disabled freight train? I don’t think the conductors and engineers of freight railroads have anything against Amtrak, only management.
I agree with you. But train movements are coming through dispatchers who report info to management who, in turn, report officially to Amtrak. And whatever conductors and engineers think may not fall into the reporting equation. At least that's my understanding. So there might be a little hedging going on as to whether a freight is disabled or is merely interfering and Amtrak might not be aggressive as it should be into probing this. Of course, this is only a theory but it would help explain how freight RR's aren't honoring Amtrak's right of way.
