Amtrak long term service cancellations and restorations (2022-2023)

[jis]

MODERATOR'S NOTES: A number of posts on On Time Performance have been moved to the OTP thread at:

On Time Performance (OTP)

I seem to recall once seeing a site where you could look up the OTP of each Amtrak train. I am planning a trip and trying to figure out if a connection from 67 to the Cardinal at WAS would work and wanting the OTP for 67. Does such a site exist or did I just imagine it?

www.amtraktrains.com

A number of posts on bridge fire related disruptions have been moved to the Bridge Fire thread at:

More bridge fire incidents affecting Amtrak

On the Barstow railcam, and someone mentioned a bridge burned in Colorado, disrupting Amtrak and BNSF service. Not sure what exactly is the issue but the SWC's are disrupted. Here's what Twitter has to say: "Southwest Chief Train 4, which departed Los Angeles on 4/21, will incur a delay west...

www.amtraktrains.com

Please direct all posts on those subject to those threads and reserve this thread for discussing long term cancellations and restoration and refrain from posting single or a few trip disruptions for a specific cause other than long term staff and equipment shortage.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

SWC downsized, CONO no SSL, Crescent no diner, among other points.
Maybe this all goes hand in hand with RPA sending out (4) separate emails this week saying the Board needs to be replaced after months of silence.

U.S., Amtrak: Your summer plans may not fit with Stephen Gardner’s summer plans; the war on passengers is in full swing even though passengers mean no harm

By J. Bruce Richardson, Corridor Rail Development Corporation; April 22, 2022 The making of and taking of a reservation is a promise by two parties to perform. When a reservation is made at a resta…

corridorrail.com

from earlier in week..

U.S., Amtrak: Stephen Gardner’s 2022 summer of discontent; intentionally not operating trains in the busiest travel season

By J. Bruce Richardson, Corridor Rail Development Corporation; April 18, 2022 More word has come that Amtrak chief Stephen Gardner is choosing not to run some trains in the summer of 2022. Since su…

corridorrail.com

 

[daybeers]

Not sure who this guy is, looks like he's written a couple articles for Railway Age as well, but this article is pretty on point. I've seen the initial steps of Amtrak's hiring processes up close and further ones by colleagues and it's all a horrible mess. They act like employees are going to come to them not the way the job market has been working for over 2.5 years now. They also act like there's no rush and that they're not severely understaffed. It's a joke.

I did notice they're offering sign-on bonuses for electricians in New Haven, but IMO it's too little, too late.

 

[JWM]

During Covid, with reduced demand, Amtrak had a chance to get its equipment in top notch shape. I have to wonder how many of these cuts in capacity and scheduling are due to staffing, lack of equipment or just plain stupidity. If past history is any indication, I'd wager it's the latter

 

[ShiningTimeStL]

Amtrak Announces Service Restoration as Part of Summer Schedule | Rail Passengers Association | Washington, DC

With demand for travel steadily returning, Amtrak announced today that it will return four long distance trains to daily service in May, return Northeast Regional frequencies to nearly 80% of pre-pandemic service levels, and restore additional service on two State-supported corridors. The...

www.railpassengers.org

 

[Sidney]

They are making it official? Thought this was a done deal a few weeks ago. Now,lets get the Adirondack back!

 

[billosborn]

Amtrak Announces Service Restoration as Part of Summer Schedule | Rail Passengers Association | Washington, DC

With demand for travel steadily returning, Amtrak announced today that it will return four long distance trains to daily service in May, return Northeast Regional frequencies to nearly 80% of pre-pandemic service levels, and restore additional service on two State-supported corridors. The...

www.railpassengers.org

Great news - I have a roomette reservation for late August from Chicago to Sacramento on the CZ , with a Sunday departure from Chicago. I wasn't worried about having to making a major change to the itinerary since it wasn't running on Sunday-Monday, since I figured they'd do their best to get the Zephyr and other LD trains back to daily by summertime, but it's still good to see that it is official.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Still nothing about 65/66/67 aka the Night Owl or Twilight Shoreliner or Federal take your pick . I wonder if it will ever come back

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Still nothing about 65/66/67 aka the Night Owl or Twilight Shoreliner or Federal take your pick . I wonder if it will ever come back

Tentatively coming back July 10th

 

[JWM]

Now about the return of dining car dining open to all passengers on those one night trains and to all on the two night out ones now.

 

[Northwestern]

I hope the Southwest Chief,California Zephyr and Empire Builder return to daily service by Memorial Day. It's peak season. We have reservations on one of the days the Zephyr is not running in July. As of now it is still bookable. I hope we hear something soon

***********************
Amtrak announced that the Empire Builder will return to daily service on May 23.

 

[Lana J C]

Oops, Sorry for the partial post! 313 will be suspended and replaced by 319 Lincoln Service, by the end of May, the way I understand it. I was ticketed on 313 and Amtrak reticketed me on 319.

 

[John Bredin]

It is possible this Lincoln Service run-through ekes out enough savings that Missouri restores trains 311 and 316?

 

[Tlcooper93]

Any updates on 65-67? I'd heard from someone that June was the selected restart for this train, but it seems the plug has been pulled on that.

Trying to catch a train from NYC to Boston (need to be downtown by 10am) but its looking like the flight is the only option, as NEC service is still sucky at best. Amtrak really needs to get it together. Its a real shame that they seem to be doing absolutely nothing despite being flush with cash.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

RE Cascades/Canada no service until late 2022

“WSDOT and ODOT expressed extreme dissatisfaction with this plan..”

see attached email

 

[daybeers]

smh. no motivation.

 

[Bob Dylan]

RE Cascades/Canada no service until late 2022

“WSDOT and ODOT expressed extreme dissatisfaction with this plan..”

see attached email

And now they're advertising for 18 Positions for Seattle. This is another example of pure incompetence and neglect on the part of Amtraks Management.

Who could have possibly known this would happen, and surely you have to blame the lazy people who just don't want to work, not the Suits??!!.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

And now they're advertising for 18 Positions for Seattle. This is another example of pure incompetence and neglect on the part of Amtraks Management.

Who could have possibly known this would happen, and surely you have to blame the lazy people who just don't want to work, not the Suits??!!.

Well, we do know of one person who left the Seattle Base (though he did not work on the Cascades).
You do know that some people who apply and get "hired" for any job will either quit or not "make the cut". And, yes, I have done that when the job turned out not to be a good fit for me.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Well, we do know of one person who left the Seattle Base (though he did not work on the Cascades).
You do know that some people who apply and get "hired" for any job will either quit or not "make the cut". And, yes, I have done that when the job turned out not to be a good fit for me.

True Betty. And hopefully yall will get to see said person when riding NEC and LD Trains up there in Yankee Land.

But Amtrak had enough OBS and other Employees for this area,( in fact were planning on increasing Service) till the "Brains" in DC decided they could Retire,Furlough and quit hiring employees, and blame it on COVID!

The NW is a desirable area in which to live, it shouldn't be that hard to start a crash program to hire and train needed Employees, especially if Relocation bonuses were offered along with increased Pay and Benefits!

 

[jis]

And now they're advertising for 18 Positions for Seattle. This is another example of pure incompetence and neglect on the part of Amtraks Management.

It may have been an over reaction at the edge of the abyss when no bridging support in the form of emergency funding had come about and revenue stream had dropped to below 10% run rate. It would have been better if that had not been allowed to happen, but at that point in time it is questionable whether the fiduciary act of preserving cash in a downsized state was an illogical or incompetent step.

And frankly, no one had guessed what was going to happen down the line. The entire transportation industry is suffering from this problem, and Amtrak is not at all unique in this regard. Even now airlines are busy downsizing their already announced summer plans due to staff shortage.

 

[Tlcooper93]

It may have been an over reaction at the edge of the abyss when no bridging support in the form of emergency funding had come about and revenue stream had dropped to below 10% run rate. It would have been better if that had not been allowed to happen, but at that point in time it is questionable whether the fiduciary act of preserving cash in a downsized state was an illogical or incompetent step.

And frankly, no one had guessed what was going to happen down the line. The entire transportation industry is suffering from this problem, and Amtrak is not at all unique in this regard. Even now airlines are busy downsizing their already announced summer plans due to staff shortage.

Perhaps this situation will make us question whether or not private enterprise (or quasi in Amtrak's state) has any place in the realm of public services.

 

[jis]

Perhaps this situation will make us question whether or not private enterprise (or quasi in Amtrak's state) has any place in the realm of public services.

I doubt it, since the story is not a cut and dried private enterprise problem at all. By now we are entirely in a speculative world as far as this goes. It is not clear that the IRS of Social Security Administration has managed things any better for example. Of course we could come to the conclusion that "Management" is a bad thing. But that of course is neither here, nor there.

 

[Tlcooper93]

I doubt it, since the story is not a cut and dried private enterprise problem at all. By now we are entirely in a speculative world as far as this goes. It is not clear that the IRS of Social Security Administration has managed things any better for example. Of course we could come to the conclusion that "Management" is a bad thing. But that of course is neither here, nor there.

Yes, my oversimplying this was rhetorical at best.

But I think this does hearken to a larger sociopolitical debate around whether or not private enterprise does a better job at providing public services. For example, Brightline not running trains for a year and a half in order to preserve cash.

Of course, this is all assuming that Amtrak truly needed to save cash flow by furloughing employees.

 

[Trogdor]

And now they're advertising for 18 Positions for Seattle. This is another example of pure incompetence and neglect on the part of Amtraks Management.

Wait…trying to hire people when they’re short-staffed is a sign of incompetence?

 

[Tlcooper93]

Wait…trying to hire people when they’re short-staffed is a sign of incompetence?

Maybe he's referring to them hiring only 18 people.