Chicago Delays

[OlympianHiawatha]

I just read on one of the news wires where CUS is all but shut down due to ice and way below zero temperatures. It said what few trains that are leaving are delayed by as much as 18 hours and many trains have been canceled. Pax are reported to be outraged. Can anyone report first hand?

 

[RRrich]

Not first hand but ....

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

We are having some flight delays here from the mainland weather, but my comment is they made a fuss about a few trains being delayed or canceled yet glanced over 250 flights in the same city canceled, and never gave a reason for lack of heat in the Station Building. Where would the expect blankets to come from if the station is cold. Another thing I have never had a blanket provided in the Airport from a weather delay. And this was in Toronto Canada, when the inbound flight from Atlanta was diverted around a Chicago storm.

 

[saxman]

This last week has been crazy weather and has affected all modes of transportation. Late last week snow hammered the Northeast and stranded many many passengers. Then snow in Southern California and yesterday the Pacific Northwest. And of course the Midwest has not been left out. I'm scheduled to fly into Chicago tomorrow on Christmas. Wonder if we'll make it. Today thought was at least a nice break in the Northeast thought. We were in and out of La Guardia like a flash. Normally you'd think Amtrak would be the mode to take in the winter time, when flights cancel. But apparently they are having trouble too.

 

[RRrich]

I want to know why Chicago Union Station was cold.

 

[AlanB]

I want to know why Chicago Union Station was cold.

For the same reason that it gets very hot in the station during the summer. Because the station relies on heat/AC from the office building on top of the station. When the office workers go home, the office building to cut expenses shuts down and/or at least greatly reduces the level of heat/AC in the building and as a consequence, CUS.

Thankfully when the redid the Metro Lounge about two-three years ago, they got smart and installed some individual AC units in the ceiling for those times when the building isn't supplying AC. This thankfully now keeps the lounge at a decent temp no matter what.

 

[saxman]

Just checked some status for Chicago. Empire Builder that was suppose to leave on 12/22 left over 23 hours late. 12/23's train looks to be cancelled. Wonder why just don't cancel yesterdays train and make it today train instead. Wonder if they have a few extra cars sitting around from cancelled trains to add to train that are actually running.

 

[hessjm]

According to Julie, the Pere Marquette is on its way to Grand Rapids, late, but on its way! This is good for me, I am supposed to be on it in the morning starting my GRR-CHI-WAS-NOL trip - that combined with my return on the CONO on 12/30 will give me 5130 rail points just under the wire. Since I live in the country and we are to get 5-10 inches of snow tonight, I'm packing now to go to a hotel in GR tonight!

 

[GG-1]

I want to know why Chicago Union Station was cold.

For the same reason that it gets very hot in the station during the summer. Because the station relies on heat/AC from the office building on top of the station. When the office workers go home, the office building to cut expenses shuts down and/or at least greatly reduces the level of heat/AC in the building and as a consequence, CUS.

Wow that is sad to think that with the extreme weather the building and Amtrak Station Management could not get together and make the wait better. And to think those who suffered think it is all Amtrak's fault.

 

[Shawn]

Pretty sad that the station itself doesn't have an independent heating/cooling system. This is something that needs to be rectified. I am sure the events of the last few days should at least bring out a meeting of the minds and discuss what can be done better. Communications to passengers, heating issues, what to do with stranded passengers, etc.

 

[rtabern]

I literally just got back to Chicago following a 5-day trip... Chicago-Truckee,CA-Chicago. (just 1 hour turn-around in Truckee... did the trip to see the snow through the mountains)

When I arrived at CUS tonight (12/23), it was just crazy.

I have never seen anything like it in the 6 years since I moved back to the area.

I guess the metropolitan lounge was opened until 4:30am this morning... closed for a few hours... and re-opened at 8:30am.

The Lakeshore Limited was out-right cancelled leaving more than 200 people wrapping a line around CUS heading into Customer Relations.

When I left the station at 8:00pm tonight, the Cardinal and 6PM Wolverine trains still were in the yards.

The Lincoln Service and another Michigan train were being represented by bus.

For the first time ever, I saw the Great Hall at near-capacity... I guess they "boarded" some trains from there because the other gates were being used for other trains.

As previously mentioned, #7 was almost 24 hours late.

I guess I'm lucky --- my #6 was just 3 hours late... and my Hiawtha upto my mom's condo in Glenview, IL (where I'm spending Christmas) was on-time.

 

[Everydaymatters]

I just read on one of the news wires where CUS is all but shut down due to ice and way below zero temperatures. It said what few trains that are leaving are delayed by as much as 18 hours and many trains have been canceled. Pax are reported to be outraged. Can anyone report first hand?

I had a reservation on the Lincoln Service. Amtrak called me 10 minutes before I was going to leave home and told me it had been "delayed" and said there might be another train I could book, etc. Fortunately, I can't give you a first hand report. Had Amtrak called a few minutes later, I would have been among those waiting up to 22 hours.

 

[MrFSS]

I just read on one of the news wires where CUS is all but shut down due to ice and way below zero temperatures. It said what few trains that are leaving are delayed by as much as 18 hours and many trains have been canceled. Pax are reported to be outraged. Can anyone report first hand?

I had a reservation on the Lincoln Service. Amtrak called me 10 minutes before I was going to leave home and told me it had been "delayed" and said there might be another train I could book, etc. Fortunately, I can't give you a first hand report. Had Amtrak called a few minutes later, I would have been among those waiting up to 22 hours.

Betty - as they say - There is no place like home for Christmas!

 

[Everydaymatters]

I just read on one of the news wires where CUS is all but shut down due to ice and way below zero temperatures. It said what few trains that are leaving are delayed by as much as 18 hours and many trains have been canceled. Pax are reported to be outraged. Can anyone report first hand?

I had a reservation on the Lincoln Service. Amtrak called me 10 minutes before I was going to leave home and told me it had been "delayed" and said there might be another train I could book, etc. Fortunately, I can't give you a first hand report. Had Amtrak called a few minutes later, I would have been among those waiting up to 22 hours.

Betty - as they say - There is no place like home for Christmas!

Tom, yesterday I was so depressed all day because I really wanted to get down to Bloomington. But this morning when I heard about all the problems at CUS, and realized I would have been there in the cold waiting for hours, I realized Someone was watching out for me. So as bad as I felt yesterday, I'm so very grateful today.

 

[Crescent Mark]

http://www.mlive.com/annarbornews/news/ind...icago_wait.html

Check that out and read the post from "MerrileeA".

 

[Everydaymatters]

http://www.mlive.com/annarbornews/news/ind...icago_wait.html
Check that out and read the post from "MerrileeA".

That's inexcusable. I'm not pointing fingers at any of the crew. They've probably been through this many times and have found the only way to survive the wrath of the many passengers and save their sanity is to find the most comfortable place and ignore the situation.

I am, however, blaming Amtrak's powers that be. This happens too often for them to not come up with a solution.

Where I live, almost every winter there are people stranded on the interstates due to blizzard conditions. On Christmas in 1983 we drove on I-55 from Chicago to central Illinois during a blizzard. I don't know what the wind speed was, but it was 30 below zero (not including the windchill), it was snowing and there was a white out almost all the way. The only way we made it was by putting an additive in our gas tank and stopping under each overpass to warm up the car a little. Cars were in ditches all over the place. Crashes all over the place from rear end collisions. I actually thought we could die out there.

However.....the next day I read in the paper and saw on TV that towns along the way had resue units going to the stranded vehicles and getting passengers out of the cars and taking them to high schools, town halls, where ever there was space. They got them food and took care of them.

My question is, why can't Amtrak, when they know about a train being dead on the tracks, call the police or sheriff and request assistance for their passengers? I have enough faith in the "system" to believe that a simple call would result in passengers being properly taken care of. Or am I being too idealistic to think we need to help eachother during a crises?

 

[Shawn]

It all comes down to what the National Response Center tells the crew what to do. You know, airline passengers revolted after being stuck on the runway...it's only a matter of time till it's train passengers!