Amtrak delays

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The delays seem to be old news but could they be related to the intense heatwave in the USA slowing down all rail traffic?
If they are old news they continue to be "new" old news. They've been happening for well over three months now on a daily basis. We've had a hot summer but not record breaking and anyway it's been going on since well before summer. As I opined before, Amtrak's LD network cannot be sustained with performances like this. It's demise will make most other topics discussed here moot.
 
The delays seem to be old news but could they be related to the intense heatwave in the USA slowing down all rail traffic?
Even the NEC is tasking heat delays. As well the hear restrictionsare not uniform.Some track is at a higher neutral temp than others. Then you have the PRR style CAT that has different speed restrictions at differntpoints. It is all a matter of what the local temp is . Different temps different allowed max speeds.
 
This past several weeks I've been on the Sunset Limited and Crescent.
#2(17) into NOL was 4:19 late...the ever popular freight interference; a "Traction Motor Support Bearing" alarm which proved false after two inspections are test runs*; heat restrictions between SAS and HOS; one "dead on the law" because of the aforementioned problems. Timekeeping went south around Maricopa (1.5 hrs+) and got deteriorated from there.
#20(21) was five hours late into Alexandria...freight interference; held by dispatcher in Alabama due to high winds; a short time later again held due to trees down ahead.
#19(01) was 1:31 late into NOL... freight interference (sat one mile outside Meridian for close to an hour); PTC caused "penalty brake application" with resulting conversations with dispatcher, inspection of train and restoring the air and restricted speed until next signal. PTC caused because a green signal dropped to dark right in front of our train which we had no way to stop in time!* Things went south around ATL.
#1(03) was 2:20 late into LAX (actually ok with us since that is our home station and that was a better arrival time than 0-dark-thirty. Things collapsed between SAS and DRT and continued to LA. In Bowie, AZ were put into a stub siding because of "freight congestion". Besides the wait, we then had to make a reverse move back out onto the main.

Regarding freight interference, the conductors and engineers were really proactive in recording freight engine numbers every time we encountered one, late or not. Info for Amtrak to include in their delay reports.*

* Regarding the traction motor support bearing alarm and the PTC penalty event and logging freight engine numbers, having a scanner on allowed me to learn what was going on. Interesting in both cases.
 
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Speaking of lateness this summer I've checked the arrival stats into Chicago of trains 4,6, and 8 for the period of 4/26/22 to 8/4/22 - a period of, I think, 100 days. #4 arrived on time ZERO times (0%) during this period. #6 arrived on time 2 times (2%) and #8 came into the Windy City on time a whopping 20 times (20%). Somebody else can check the other LD trains but I don't think they are much better.These arrival stats are beyond awful. Amtrak cannot survive with performances like these. Whether Amtrak, the Surface Transportation Board and/or Congress will mitigate this is a very important question. We can offer our opinions on food, attendants and the like all we want but without a vast improvement in timeliness Amtrak's long distance network will die. That's the number one function of any transport system - to go from point A to point B.
Since joining AU back in 2016, we have become much more aware of the less-than-stellar on-time performance record of Amtrak’s long-distance trains. We have also seen first-hand how a LD trip where everything is going fine can quickly fall apart due to the weather or because of human or structural failure. (2022 seems to have had more than its share of LD trains arriving late as a result of mischance or the elements.)

As seniors, long-distance trains still remain our best and least stressful means of traveling across country. (Many of the people who take LD trains on a regular basis undoubtedly feel the same way we do.)

Most of our LD train “survival skills” were gained from reading AU posts regarding how to deal with specific situations.

Now, whenever we travel, we assume that things aren’t going to go as expected and that we’ll probably be arriving late. This is why we try to stay flexible and have one or more back-up plans ready to fall back on.

As to whether or not the consistently poor on-time performance of Amtrak’s long-distance trains eventually brings about their demise remains to be seen. But it certainly could be a major contributing factor.
 
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The delays seem to be old news but could they be related to the intense heatwave in the USA slowing down all rail traffic?
Summer it's 6 degrees above the average, Fall wet leaves on the tracks, Winter cold and snow, Spring wind and rain. BTW, 91 Silver Star was over 3 hours late arriving in Miami yesterday.
 
Some delays are actually advantageous - such as an early morning scheduled arrival. Under no circumstances, though, would I plan a same day connection to anything from a long distance train. TO a LD train from a corridor service, or car/bus journey, yes. Flying in for a LD train I book a hotel overnight.
 
That's my point. How can Amtrak continue without providing reliable trains? It can't. These past three months have been horrific.
Well, timekeeping has been quite unreliable since at least the early 1990s. There was a multiple year long period in the 2000s that Starlight was routinely 8-14 hours late nearly every day. There was also about 3 years more recently during the height of the Bakken oil boom that the Empire Builder would also be frequently 8-12 hours late.

Not excusing it, but it really is nothing new and the last three months are nothing very far out of the ordinary of the last 30 years and Amtrak is still here. I would argue the current lack of equipment availability and stupid new tricks like less than daily service and throwing people out booked accommodations are more of a threat.
 
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Canadian Pacific seems the most reliable at dispatching an L.D. train, but what happens past St. Paul is out of their control. This issue will never be solved until there are severe financial penalties for the contracting roads for delaying these trains for any reason than an emergency with equipment or track conditions ahead. This does not include giving priorities to freight. CN has also ruined the "Canadian's" time keeping in Canada with the same type of behavior.
 
Anyone know why there is a delay on Amtrak Coast Starlight #14 near Chiloquin, Oreogon, today?
 
Hi everyone. I'm anticipating my 2nd Amtrak trip that was to leave LVW at 6:15 this evening. Currently, the train is 3 hrs behind in CBR and Amtrak anticipates arriving in LVW 20:09. Can it really make up an hour by the time it gets to us? Then it shows arriving in STL on time! The Amtrak agent said it was delayed due to a "police action." Our first trip this summer was delayed coming home by over 8 hours because it hit 4 cows. My advice to everyone. Don't book the Texas Eagle the end of October because I'm traveling again!
 
Hi everyone. I'm anticipating my 2nd Amtrak trip that was to leave LVW at 6:15 this evening. Currently, the train is 3 hrs behind in CBR and Amtrak anticipates arriving in LVW 20:09. Can it really make up an hour by the time it gets to us? Then it shows arriving in STL on time! The Amtrak agent said it was delayed due to a "police action." Our first trip this summer was delayed coming home by over 8 hours because it hit 4 cows. My advice to everyone. Don't book the Texas Eagle the end of October because I'm traveling again!
I just Googled up today's #22 and it's not being Shown on Amtraks Trak-a-Train Map at all!!!??

Amtrak Status Maps does show it arriving into Ft Worth @ 515pm, almost 4 Hours down, but no Departure time is shown..????

Earlier, as you said, it was running over 3 Hours Late between CBR and FTW , but no arrival time is Shown for FTW,DAL or Points East!!!!

Hope you catch your Train. But even if you do it'll be too Late to eat if you're in the Sleepers so you might want to grab a Meal in LWV!!!
 
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I just Googled up today's #22 and it's not being Shown on Amtraks Trak-a-Train Map at all!!!??

Amtrak Status Maps does show it arriving into Ft Worth @ 515pm, almost 4 Hours down, but no Departure time is shown..????

Earlier, as you said, it was running over 3 Hours Late between CBR and FTW , but no arrival time is Shown for FTW,DAL or Points East!!!!

Hope you catch your Train. But even if you do it'll be too Late to eat if you're in the Sleepers so you might want to grab a Meal in LWV!!!
Sitting at LVW, patiently waiting on 22. Should be here in about 30 minutes. Another lesson learned. If your train is delayed to LVW, get your checked luggage here early early. We got here at 7:30 and no one here to check it.
 
I wonder if this year’s delays besides weather and mechanical causes may be attributed to the labor shortages suffered almost universally?
All businesses and even government positions seem to be suffering.
I can’t understand why these formerly coveted jobs go unfulfilled…
 
Sitting at LVW, patiently waiting on 22. Should be here in about 30 minutes. Another lesson learned. If your train is delayed to LVW, get your checked luggage here early early. We got here at 7:30 and no one here to check it.
I asked an Amtrak phone agent, and they said the checked luggage cut-off is 30 or 45 minutes before the scheduled departure, not the actual departure, no matter how late the train may be.
 
Sitting at LVW, patiently waiting on 22. Should be here in about 30 minutes. Another lesson learned. If your train is delayed to LVW, get your checked luggage here early early. We got here at 7:30 and no one here to check it.
Happy to see that #22 made up some time after the Metroplex, but surprised about there not being anyone to check your Luggage 2 hours before Train Arrival.

The few times I've been @ the nicely Remodeled LVW Station, the Agents were friendly,helpful and handled Luggage efficiently!

The Eagles have been losing Time in all 4 States on the route, (especially Texas and Arkansas) mostly Due to Freight interference .
 
It's 7:18 in the morning and we're stopped again, waiting on another freighter. Between Peach Orchard and Knobel, Arkansas. I don't think we'll make our 7:30 arrival in St. Louis! There was a 4 hour delay around midnight due to a disabled freighter. Best sleep I got all night. Who thought it was a good idea to put the sleeper car right behind the engine???

The lady at LVW was very apologetic and said she kept the checked baggage open as long as she could.

It's all a learning opportunity. I would still rather be sitting here on a nice air conditioned train than on a hot tarmack on a plane where they keep turning the a/c off!

Current estimated time of arrival in STL, 11:56 a.m. 😳
 
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