Amtrak Cancels Service South Of DC

[AlanB]

While there is not an official press release from Amtrak, both MARC and VRE email lists are reporting that Amtrak will cancel all service south of DC in anticipation of Hurricane Isabel. Below is a snippet from VRE's Train Talk Newsletter.

Train TalkSeptember 15, 2003

2:15 pm

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This is being provided as a service to our Train Talk subscribers.

_______________________________

The following is in this edition of Train Talk:

1) Hurricane Isabel Comes to Town

2) Amtrak Makes Their Decision About Isabel

3) Train Equipment Changes Occur Today

4) "Meet the Management" at Rippon on Wednesday

5) This Week in Commuter Weekly

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Amtrak Makes Their Decision About Isabel

Amtrak has already made their decision about service as Hurricane Isabel approaches and will cancel all of their train service south of Washington, D.C. effective Wednesday evening (September 17).  Because of this, Amtrak trains will definitely not be running on Thursday, September 18.  In addition, due to concerns about overnight storage, Amtrak train #93 (departing Union Station at 5:45 pm) and #85 (departing Union Station at 7:00 pm) may also be cancelled for Wednesday evening.  As these decisions are made, VRE will be sure to inform you.  Again, stay tuned to Train Talk and our Isabel page on our website.

 

[jccollins]

Well, now it is official. Hot off the press from http://www.amtrak.com, a link on their home page links to:

A D V I S O R Y  INFORMATION FOR PASSENGERS CONCERNING HURRICANE ISABEL  

Amtrak continues to closely monitor Hurricane Isabel and maintain safe operations. For the most updated information, customers may  call 1-800-USA-RAIL. As of 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, Amtrak has made the following schedule modifications:

FLORIDA AND SOUTHEAST SERVICES:  Trains 92 (Silver Star) and 97 (Silver Meteor) originating on Sept. 17 are cancelled.  Train 90 (Palmetto) will operate from Miami to Jacksonville only.  Auto Train service (trains 52 and 53) will operate on Sept. 17, but will be cancelled on Sept. 18. 

NORTH CAROLINA SERVICES:  Trains 73 and 74 (Piedmont) and 79 and 80 (Carolinian) will operate as scheduled on Sept. 17. 

VIRGINIA TIDEWATER SERVICES:  On Sept. 17, Regional trains 85 and 93 will operate to Richmond as scheduled, but train 95 will terminate in Washington instead of Richmond. On Thursday, Sept. 18, Regional trains 84 and 86 will originate in Washington instead of Richmond, and trains 76, 77 and 94 will be cancelled between Newport News and Washington.

OTHER SERVICES:  On Sept. 17, train 30 (Capitol Limited) is cancelled between Chicago and Washington, and train 48 (Lake Shore Limited) from Chicago to New York City will terminate in Albany instead of New York.  For passengers scheduled on the Lake Shore Limited beyond Albany, alternate transportation will be provided on Empire service trains. Amtrak will continue to operate all other services as planned, including its Northeast Corridor trains.  

Amtrak may make additional schedule adjustments and cancellations as necessary. A new update on train service for Thursday, Sept. 18 is expected to be issued on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

 

[Amfleet]

While on the topic of Isabel, I'm curious as to how high of a wind speed the catenary wire on the NEC can take before it breaks?

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Well, from this it appears that the Crescent is safe, at least for the moment..Of course its route goes very, very inland once it leaves Alexandria.

Kind of wonder why the Capitol is cut due to this. Is this thing really expected to go that far inland?

 

[Viewliner]

Oops, made a post just now by accident, sorry.

 

[Amtrak Railfan]

Why is the Lake Shore Limited Train from Chicago IL need to end in Albany NY?

 

[battalion51]

Amtrak's concern is probably equipment in New York City. If the Hurrican heads towards NYC they want to make it an expeditious process in clearing out Sunnyside. Also, since other trains are available to serve NYC, Amtrak has a lesser threat of having one of the very valuable sleepeing cars riding out the storm in New York.

 

[PRR 60]

While on the topic of Isabel, I'm curious as to how high of a wind speed the catenary wire on the NEC can take before it breaks?

Amtrak (former PRR) catenary is designed for what by today's calculations would be about a 90mph wind. To put that in perspective, the fastest wind speed ever recorded in Philadelphia is a gust at 94mph during hurricane Hazel in 1953. That same storm produced a gust at 98mph in Wilmington, DE.

The original PRR structural design of the catenary system was for a wind pressure of 20 pounds per square foot. The calculation to convert wind pressure to speed has changed over the years, and even the measure of speed has changed (from the old measure of "fastest mile" to today's measure of "three second gust"). To further confound things, the catenary is also designed for ice and in most cases this is a more severe loading.

The biggest risk to the catenary during any windstorm is tree limbs and other stuff getting blown into it. Other than that, the catenary should get through the anything other than a truly epic hurricane unscathed.

 

[Viewliner]

Any word on what they're doing for alternate transportation?

 

[P40Power]

Heres another question, the advisory doesnt specifically mention train 448, is there a possiblity that the Boston Section will still continue on to Boston on the 18th?!

 

[battalion51]

I'd have to guess 448 is running as usual. I've sent a text messsage to my Albany source, hopefully he'll get back to me tonight. I'll also have an updated status on Silver Service tomorrow afternoon from my sources in JAX.

 

[AlanB]

Heres another question, the advisory doesnt specifically mention train 448, is there a possiblity that the Boston Section will still continue on to Boston on the 18th?!

I've heard nothing officially said about Boston. However, since they say that the train will run thru Albany and that only the NY section will stop there, I have to believe that the Boston section will run thru.

 

[AlanB]

Any word on what they're doing for alternate transportation?

My guess is absolutely nothing. If they are afraid to run the trains, I suspcet that Greyhound is probably going to cancel the buses too. Planes won't help, except for those at the end point stations.

So there really is no way to provide alternate transportation.

 

[Steve4031]

Doesn't the Capitol run on CSX. and doesnt CSX have stricter weather operations.

 

[battalion51]

Here's the lastest on canellations from Amtrak via Trains.com newswire:

Amtrak suspends service south of Washington, D.C. Thursday as Isabel nears
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amtrak continues to monitor the progress of Hurricane Isabel and has made modifications to its services.

In addition to previously announced adjustments to train schedules for today, Amtrak will make the following changes to train schedules on Thursday, September 18:

SERVICE SUSPENSION IN THE SOUTHEAST: Effectively, all Amtrak service south of Washington, D.C. has been cancelled for Thursday. Specific cancellations include the Silver Star (trains 91-92), Silver Meteor (trains 97-98), Palmetto (trains 89-90), Auto Train (trains 52-53), Crescent (trains 19-20), and Piedmont (trains 73-74). The Carolinian (trains 79-80) will operate only between New York and Washington, D.C., and all Regional service will be suspended between Newport News, Richmond, Va., and Washington, D.C. Auto Train between Lorton, Va., and Sanford, Fla., has also been cancelled on Friday, September 19.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR TRAVELERS IN FLORIDA: On Thursday, Amtrak will operate intrastate service, representing trains 90 and 97, between Miami and Jacksonville, Fla., only. The Orlando, Fla.-Los Angeles, Calif. Sunset Limited (trains 1-2) will operate as scheduled.

NORTHEAST TRAINS TO AND FROM POINTS WEST: The following trains have been cancelled for Thursday: Lake Shore Limited between Chicago, Boston, and New York (trains 48-49, 448-449), Capitol Limited between Chicago and Washington, D.C. (trains 29-30), Pennsylvanian between Pittsburgh and New York City (trains 43-44), and Three Rivers between Chicago and New York City (trains 40-41). In addition, the eastbound Cardinal (train 50) is cancelled Thursday between Chicago and Washington, D.C. On Friday, the westbound Cardinal (train 51) will operate between Indianapolis, Ind., and Chicago only.

NORTHEAST CORRIDOR: Amtrak plans to operate most trains on the Northeast Corridor between Washington and Boston Thursday on a normal schedule except for the following adjustments:

Acela Express trains 2173 and 2175 will terminate in New York instead of Washington. D.C.

Acela Express trains 2114 and 2118 are cancelled from Washington, D.C. to New York.

Regional train 84 is cancelled from Richmond, Va., to New York.

Metroliner 125 is cancelled New York to Washington, D.C.

The southbound Vermonter (train 55) from St. Albans, Vt., will terminate in New York instead of Washington, D.C.

Amtrak said it will make additional schedule adjustments and cancellations as necessary and will re-schedule passengers as services permit. The carrier will waive exchange and cancellation fees for customers ticketed on the affected trains.

Virginia Railway Express and MARC commuter agencies have not yet decided on their Thursday schedules.

The thing that caught my attention is this, why are they are running 90 and 97, which run over different routes. It would make more sense to run 97-92 which run the same route, and use the same crews. But wait...that makes sense so it wouldn't be Amtrak if they did that.

 

[AlanB]

Amtrak's Official Press Release can be found here.

It's basically the same as what Battalion posted from Trains.com, just formatted nicer.

 

[Viewliner]

I got an e-mail just now saying VRE Service is cancelled tomorrow.

Train TalkSeptember 17, 2003, 6:25 pm

VRE Passengers,

At this time, we have made the decision to cancel all VRE service for Thursday,

September 18, 2003.

We have been working with both railroads who have taken extraordinary measures,

provided us with candid advice, and given us all the tools we need to run our

trains on Thursday. They have told us that we can run and that they will support

any schedule we put forward. Both railroads have informed us that the final

decision on VRE service rests with us. VRE feels strongly that if we run service

in the morning and get you into work, we must get you home in the afternoon.

Given all that we have heard, our concern is: CAN we get you home safely? The

forecast of high winds starting in the afternoon is of greatest concern. We will

not put our passengers, our crews, and, potentially, CSX and Norfolk Southern

employees in danger. Ultimately, we feel that this is an unacceptable risk.

For those of you who will communicate with us about being overly cautious,

please consider the following: If the rain causes flood warnings we will

automatically be on restricted speeds of 15 mph, which will result in a

multi-hour trip home. If trees fall on the tracks, crews must be dispatched to

remove them. In addition, the potential for winds of 30 to 40 mph tomorrow

afternoon makes conditions unsafe. If the train gets stranded for any reason, we

would need buses to get you home. There is no realistic belief that this could

be done quickly or that it is even possible.

While we feel it is our public duty to get you to and from work, it is more

important that we do so safely. Given the expected weather conditions, we do not

believe that the risk to you or others can be justified. Thank you for your

understanding and your continued patronage. We will assess options for Friday

and notify you by 6:00p Thursday afternoon.

-

For the latest information, don't forget to check out the VRE web site at:

http://www.vre.org . If you would like to unsubscribe yourself from this

message service simply go to the VRE website under "Train Talk" and follow

the directions.

I agree with Battalion, they proably should run to Orlando both ways. Or, Why couldn't they Operate 89 and 92 (or) 98 as well?

 

[Viewliner]

Any word on what they're doing for alternate transportation?

My guess is absolutely nothing. If they are afraid to run the trains, I suspcet that Greyhound is probably going to cancel the buses too. Planes won't help, except for those at the end point stations.

So there really is no way to provide alternate transportation.

Found this at the end of the press release.

Amtrak will reaccommodate passengers as services permit and will waive exchange and cancellation fees for affected trains.

 

[battalion51]

They SHOULD run one round trip one each line with the service disruption. But again that WOULD MAKE SENSE! :blink: The decision to run 97-92 makes sense for this reason. On the Miami side out of JAX you have two sets of crews for the trains 91-98 and 97-92. On the Engine Service side you have an Engineer and Fireman that work up fron (either 91-98 four days a week three days off, or 92-97 two days on one off). On Conductor side you have seven sets of Conductors and AC's that work 97-92-91-98 four days a week, three off. So if you utilize 97-92 crews you will use all of your Trainmen in order, and your three sets of Engineers on that side, while your 91-98 Engineers stay home like their northern counterparts. Also, this gives you a period of 17 hours to turn the train over in JAX vs. 12 hours on Palmetto bug - 97. Also this way you will deadhead fewer crews (to/from Lakeland and from Miami). With the current system three crews have to deadhead to keep crews in the right position, no deadheading is necessary for 97-92, and everyone will have the proper FRA rest period. DUH! :blink:

 

[AlanB]

Other service cancellations will include both MARC Commuter rail and in a surprising move the entire DC Metro.

You can read the MARC update by clicking here.

The WMATA update can be found here.

Both are courtesy of On Track On Line.

 

[P40Power]

Why, Oh why is Amtrak cancelling 48/448 and 49/449 all together Thursday? I hear the storm may track into the Great Lakes area but by the time it gets there it will have fizzeled out alot, since Hurricanes get their strength from the ocean of course. I can see maybe cancelling the Cap and Cardinal, but I think they can run the Lake Shore.

 

[AlanB]

Why, Oh why is Amtrak cancelling 48/448 and 49/449 all together Thursday? I hear the storm may track into the Great Lakes area but by the time it gets there it will have fizzeled out alot, since Hurricanes get their strength from the ocean of course. I can see maybe cancelling the Cap and Cardinal, but I think they can run the Lake Shore.

Because while the winds will have died down by the time it reaches the Great Lakes, the rain may well not have died down. There could be extreme flooding in western NY State and Ohio.

This could cause washout and numerous other problems, so I think that Amtrak is just being cautious.

 

[battalion51]

I think the VRE statement says it best. If you get stuck somewhere we feel we have to get you to your destination once travel begins. If you are going 15 MPH for a thousand miles it will take days to get to New York. It is much better and safer to delay travel than to get stuck in flood conditions.

 

[AlanB]

Here's Amtrak's 6:00 PM update for Thursday:

SEPT. 18, AS OF 6:00 PM:
Amtrak continues to closely monitor Hurricane Isabel and to make modifications to its services in the interest of passenger safety.   For the most updated information, customers may call 1-800-USA-RAIL. Amtrak will reaccommodate passengers as services permit and will waive exchange and cancellation fees for affected trains.

In addition to previously announced adjustments to train schedules for today, Amtrak will make the following changes to train schedules on Thursday, Sept. 18 and Friday Sept. 19:

NORTHEAST CORRIDOR: Amtrak plans to maintain service on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, Philadelphia, New York and Boston on Thursday and Friday However, on Thursday afternoon, service between Washington and New York will be modified to reduce the number of trains on the railroad during the height of the storm.  

While subject to change, Amtrak Regional, Metroliner and Acela Express trains will generally operate on a normal schedule until 4:30 p.m. today.  Thereafter, northbound departures from Washington will be offered at 5:37 p.m., 6:25 p.m., 7:10 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.  Southbound trains from New York to Washington will be offered at 5:00 p.m., 5:09 p.m., 5:39 p.m., 6:20 p.m., 7:35 p.m., 9:35 p.m. and 2:35 a.m.  In addition, Clocker and Keystone service between New York, Philadelphia and Harrisburg will operate normally Thursday evening.

Specific Northeast Corridor schedule adjustments for Thursday are listed below.  

Acela Express trains 2171, 2173 and 2175 will terminate in New York instead of Washington.    

Acela Express trains 2112, 2114 and 2118 are cancelled from Washington to New York.    

Metroliner trains 117, 123 and 125 are cancelled New York to Washington.    

Metroliner trains 122 and 126 are cancelled Washington to New York.    

Regional trains 187 and 177 are cancelled from New York to Washington.    

Regional train 198 is cancelled from Washington to New York.    

The southbound Vermonter (train 55) from St. Albans, Vt. will terminate in New York instead of Washington.

SERVICE SUSPENSION IN THE SOUTHEAST:  All Amtrak service south of Washington, D.C., has been cancelled on Thursday, Sept. 18 and Friday, Sept. 19.  However, Amtrak will operate intra-Florida service representing trains 90 and 97 between Miami and Jacksonville only.  

NORTHEAST TRAINS TO/FROM POINTS WEST:  All trains between Chicago and points east are cancelled on Thursday, Sept. 18, including the Capitol Limited, Cardinal, Lake Shore Limited, and Three Rivers.

The full press release can be found here.

 

[battalion51]

And it continues with boneheaded decisions. I wish someone could explain the logic of running 90 and 97 to me, because it doesn't make sense to me.