CZ Service Disruption (6/25) and more delays

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SurebetVA

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Looks like there is a service disruption not reported on Amtrak website in announcements. #6 is detouring thru Iowa today after sitting in Omaha all day. BNSF website says a washout occurred at Melrose Iowa and they don't know when this will be fixed.

LINK

Service disruptions on this service has become the norm in the last month with a recent derail in Kenesaw, NE.
 
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From the BNSF website:

To: All Impacted Customers 06/25/2015

Preliminary Report: Washout at Melrose, Iowa

On Thursday, June 25th, 2015 at 5:15 a.m. Central Time, we received a preliminary report of a washout on the main tracks at Melrose, Iowa. Melrose, Iowa is approximately 70 miles Southeast of Des Moines, Iowa. The estimated time for opening for the main tracks has not been determined.

BNSF will continue to provide you with additional information as it becomes available. Customers may experience delays of 24 to 36 hours on shipments moving through this corridor.
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We leave Sunday evening from OTM (Ottumwa). Worst case, what happens if they don't get the line fixed? Will Amtrak contact us to let us know? Go out of another station? It will be me, my wife and 2 kids so we like to be prepared. Noticed that the #5 has been running 4+ hours late. Is this typical?
 
I was just reading on Train Orders that CZ is being re-rerouted over the UP lines (ex-CNW) through Iowa and Illinois. CZ is currently waiting on crew and a loco from UP to make the trip from Omaha.
 
champ5601 said:
We leave Sunday evening from OTM (Ottumwa). Worst case, what happens if they don't get the line fixed? Will Amtrak contact us to let us know? Go out of another station? It will be me, my wife and 2 kids so we like to be prepared. Noticed that the #5 has been running 4+ hours late. Is this typical?
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It may run late time to time. But following CZ, what I am seeing is not normal what so ever in regards to being late. There have been many occasions when it has been early as well. As for the reroutings, I would have to assume Amtrak would notify you, otherwise I would call them to see what they say.
 
I just got a call from Julie regarding my trip tonight on the Zephyr. She said part of my trip could me using alternate transportation, which confused me. So I talked to an Amtrak lady and she said that they would be bustituting people from Omaha to Chicago if they wanted to make connections, but I could also just stay on the late train when it rolled through Lincoln instead of taking the bus. I've never heard of Amtrak offering the bus option or taking the late train before.
 
All I have to say is wow. I hope this clears up in a month when I take my trip on the CZ.
 
I've seen some preview pictures of the damage a friend of mine took of the damage just east of Melrose, Iowa. He'll be posting them online later. I don't expect any Zephyrs through here tomorrow.
 
Cina said:
I've never heard of Amtrak offering the bus option or taking the late train before.
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This happened to me once. I was scheduled to go to Seattle from Spokane, and the EB was going to be 5 1/2 hours late into Spokane. I got a call from an Amtrak agent telling me there would be an on-time bus from Spokane to Seattle. I asked if the train was still going to Seattle and could I still ride it. She put me on hold and after what seemed like an hour came back and said yes, that was possible and expressed shock that anyone would want to ride a 5 1/2 hour late train rather than get into Seattle on time. As did the agents in Spokane. As I told them, if I had wanted to take a bus I would have ridden the Thruway bus that stops in my town, right in front of my apartment. But I'd much rather take the train regardless of how late it was.
 
JayPea said:
Cina said:
I've never heard of Amtrak offering the bus option or taking the late train before.
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This happened to me once. I was scheduled to go to Seattle from Spokane, and the EB was going to be 5 1/2 hours late into Spokane. I got a call from an Amtrak agent telling me there would be an on-time bus from Spokane to Seattle. I asked if the train was still going to Seattle and could I still ride it. She put me on hold and after what seemed like an hour came back and said yes, that was possible and expressed shock that anyone would want to ride a 5 1/2 hour late train rather than get into Seattle on time. As did the agents in Spokane. As I told them, if I had wanted to take a bus I would have ridden the Thruway bus that stops in my town, right in front of my apartment. But I'd much rather take the train regardless of how late it was.
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Interesting. I'm hoping when I get to Omaha, but they don't try to stick me on a bus anyway. I'd much rather ride the train even if it is late!
But the more I think about it, the dumber that sounds. By time the train gets to Omaha the bus will be long gone!

Sorry about all the typos, I'm writing this with my voice.
 
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Doesn't look good for travel they the weekend. What will our options be? Has this happened before where they closed the line or cancelled the whole trip?
 
yeesh. that doesn't look too good. About 2 weeks ago, didn't the zephyr get rerouted thorough NE to bypass a freight train derailment? This delayed both trains 12 hours, #5 by 21 hours.

Unfortunate that the zephyr has to be affected by all this.

Can't wait to see how late these trains are!! (I like seeing trains being late)
 
I'm about to board the 6, so far only 3 hours late-let's hope it doesn't lose TOO much time! I wanna hit Chicago before all the pizza places close.
 
Looks like more rain in the already flooded areas of Missouri. Hopefully this is just issues with washouts and it won't turn into major flooding on the MS river or anything.
 
This may be a silly question, but does this impact #5 service also? I'm taking it from CHI-EMY on Sunday, what should I expect?
 
Same boat here Mark, we are going to EMY Sunday as well, getting on it OTM. Waiting to see what we are to do.
 
I'm scheduled to take #6 tommorow (SAC - CHI). I am watching closely. I also have a plane ticket in case (plan C).
 
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Cina said:
I'm about to board the 6, so far only 3 hours late-let's hope it doesn't lose TOO much time! I wanna hit Chicago before all the pizza places close.
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http://www.tonischicago.com/

Yelp and Facebook have them closing at midnight, but their website has delivery (and thus presumably walk-in) until 3 AM. Extremely good pizza...possibly my favorite in Chicago.
 
Thanks for the suggestion! Heard a conductor say we had 11 hours to go just east of Omaha. That puts us in around 10, so I'll tell my friend to prepare for late-night pizza.

Also, I must be a magnet for extra engines. They put on a UP engine at Omaha. (Out of curiosity, why? Just because we're on UP tracks? Isn't that a waste of an engine when ours work fine?)
 
Yes, just because you're on certain UP tracks, and also what jebr said. You are detoured over former CNW trackage, and there is a different in-cab signal system not supported by the Amtrak equipment. So there must be a pilot engine with the special system, and a pilot engineer qualified on the line.
 
Should see a lot of freights on the double track UP line plus some neat old stations in Des Moines, Ames, Cedar Rapids (i think)
 
chakk said:
Should see a lot of freights on the double track UP line plus some neat old stations in Des Moines, Ames, Cedar Rapids (i think)
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Yes there are some neat stations on the UP line- Carroll, Boone, Ames, Belle Plaine, but it doesn't go through Des Moines and not into downtown CR where the old passenger stations were.
 
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