BNSF derailment disrupts the Builder

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WICT106

OBS Chief
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
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890
Location
Wisconsin
Due to a 30 car derailment in ND, west of Minot, Amtrak will make the following adjustment in service: eastbound Builder, train 8 (March 8) will terminate at Williston. Passengers will be held for 10 -12 hours, with meals, then bussed to Minot ND. Equipment will then be turned and become train 7 (March 9). Westbound train 7 (March 8) will terminate at Minot, with passengers to be held for several hours and the bussed to Williston, ND. Equipment will then be turned and become train 8 (March 9).

No word as to how quickly the derailment will be cleaned up.
 
I'm heading east on the Empire Builder on the 16th from Seattle. Hopefully the mess will be cleaned up by then. It should be since that is an important rail line. And it will hopefully be easier to fix in ND than if it happened back in the mountains. Got to wonder why they didn't just detour on other rail around the wreck.
 
I'm concerned as well. I'm going to be heading to FL from MN/WI on March 12. Hopefully amtrak will do what they've done in the past: stop the equipment and then turn it around at Minot for the next day's service. I've been planning this trip to FL for a few months, and its' one I've made in years past, however, when something like this happens it makes me feel a bit apprehensive.
 
panamaclipper said:
Got to wonder why they didn't just detour on other rail around the wreck.
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Unfortunately, it's not too easy to detour out there. The train that stops in Williston would have to backtrack about 20 miles to a little used line that runs to Glendive, MT, which would put them on the old NP mainline to Fargo. This would miss stops at Stanley, Minot, Rugby, Devils Lake, and Grand Forks. The other section would have to backtrack from Minot to the BNSF cutoff that runs direct from Minot to Fargo, then run along the NP mainline to Glendive. This would only miss Stanley and Williston. All this is assuming that BNSF would allow running on the line between Williston and Glendive.
 
And isn't this the second recent track outage on the Empire Builder?
 
The Empire Builder train status reports are making things sound like back to normal. I wonder if that is the case?
 
panamaclipper said:
The Empire Builder train status reports are making things sound like back to normal. I wonder if that is the case?
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Yeah, I'm sure that they are. First off Amtrak doesn't usually lie about this stuff.

Secondly all freight RR's respond pretty quickly to derailments. It may take them a few weeks to fully clean things up, but they quickly move the derailed cars out of the way. Then they drop in ready made sections of track to get the line back in business quickly.

The only time things may take longer is when there are fatalities, chemical spills, or fire.
 
Great to hear that. I guess I'll find out for myself on Tuesday when I board in Seattle. Have never written a trip report but will try and cook one up along the way. If I can send one while in Chicago between the Empire Builder and Texas Eagle legs I will.
 
As of this morning (march 11) the eastbound #8/28 that is expected to terminte in CHI on March 12 is on time - perhaps 5 minutes behind schedule. Looks like I'll be able to catch my train in Red Wing without delay. :)
 
WICT106---What a pain to have to go through....hope all does turn out well, and hope you enjoy your train trip all the more after having to sweat it out.
 
Apparently the EB has hit the congestion that resulted from the derailment. It is now indicated to be over 2 hrs late, and estimated to arrive into Red Wing 1 hr 20 minutes behind schedule. I sincerely hope that it makes up the time, as I don't want to miss my connection with the Capitol and # 91. Can't I take one springtime train trip without some drama? This happened last year as well.
 
I noticed that on March 2/3 The EBuilder was three hours late leaving Portland, and was nearly five hours late arriving in St Paul. Does anyone know the reason for that delay?
 
Eastbound Empire Builder now running 5 (!) hrs 36 minutes late. There go my connections in CHI. Damn. Anybody know if there are any other reasons for the EB becoming this late? :(

Edit: Right now I', hoping that I can get the connection to the Three Rivers, and then to FL. I'll be too late to make my connection to the Capitol Ltd. I'm going to see if amtrak is willing to allow me aboard the 3r's. havnhg anticipated this trip for over 2 months, I'd rather spend the night on the train going east than have a layover in CHI.
 
WICT106 said:
Eastbound Empire Builder now running 5 (!) hrs 36 minutes late.  There go my connections in CHI.  Damn.  Anybody know if there are any other reasons for the EB becoming this late?   :(
Edit:  Right now I', hoping that I can get the connection to the Three Rivers, and then to FL.  I'll be too late to make my connection to the Capitol Ltd.  I'm going to see if amtrak is willing to allow me aboard the 3r's.  havnhg anticipated this trip for over 2 months, I'd rather spend the night on the train going east than have a layover in CHI.
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It's a garanteed connection, so Amtrak has to get you to your final destination one way or another. I'm guessing one of two things will happen.

1. Amtrak puts you on the Three Rivers to Philadelphia where you will have to connection to the Silver Meteor to Florida. I'm guessing you were originally planning to catch the earlier Silver Star in Washington DC to Florida? If you were traveling in sleepers both legs of the trip you may be out on that as well as you will be taking two completely different trains to get to Florida than originally planned. Most likely sleeper space will be sold out on the Three Rivers and Silver Meteor.

2. Amtrak puts you on a plane to Washington DC to catch up with the Silver Star. Either they send you to Washington DC that night and you stay in a hotel there or you overnight in Chicago and catch a flight to Washington DC the next morning.
 
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