EB mess

[andersone]

only four days until we hear the decision to keep the changes?

 

[Ptcflyer]

Well, while the train is late, great deals are available for the roomettes. I just snagged a sub $250 roomette both ways Between Chicago and Seattle. May 23 out and June 5 back.

With two people sharing, and the aaa discount, it is a lot of train time and food for the money.

 

[montana mike]

It would appear many potential travelers are not taking the Empire Builder due to the long delays. It is the in between season to be sure, but the local stationmaster had mentioned that the EBs pax loads were indeed somewhat lighter than normal lately. The EB's issues got a lot of negative press in the local media for weeks, so this may also be weighing in on the decision by many to skip taking the train. I note this AM that #7 in WA is still well over 3 hours late and #8 in MN is over 4 hours late. The padding does not appear to have helped much. Bummer. I personally can't see how Amtrak and BNSF would go back to the old schedule, which would potentially make these trains ridiculously late again. :-(

 

[tim49424]

only four days until we hear the decision to keep the changes?

The changes "expire" May 31.

I would imagine further changes would be in store. As mm said the padding is not working. There will be a change next week, however, when Amtrak moves over to SPUD.

 

[penfrydd]

What's this about a decision on whether to keep the revised EB schedule being due out in four days?

I'm scheduled for a EMY to GPK trip in July. I made an additional reservation for a one day earlier trip on the CS, rather than modify my existing reservation, just in case they go back to the old schedule. It would save me a night in Portland, which seems to have rather expensive lodging, at least for my wallet.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

There is no way they are going back to the old schedule penfry. You made the right choice. It is likely they will start running even earlier out of Portland.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

Well, while the train is late, great deals are available for the roomettes. I just snagged a sub $250 roomette both ways Between Chicago and Seattle. May 23 out and June 5 back.

With two people sharing, and the aaa discount, it is a lot of train time and food for the money.

Wow, you snagged a good deal. Just for fun, I just looked at the same dates and it was $1300.

 

[Green Eye]

I'm on train 8 (26) and we're holding just west of Havre for a freight (second hold in 30 minutes), so we're already late. Up until these holds, we were 20 minutes early and we sat at the Shelby station for about 20 minutes.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

That the problem "Green Eye" the delay are not fixed but the timetable is. One stop your early next stop your late. No winners.

 

[Green Eye]

Yes, it will be an interesting trip. The crew is great so far and the reasons for the delays have been announced.

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum

 

[jane]

What is the chance of bringing back the Hiawatha thru southern Mt? They talked about it before the oil boom. Seems like a good answer to the problems to me. It was a great route, close to Yellowstone and thru lots more cities with airports and no flooding issues.

.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

0% unless real advocacy starts.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Southern Montana would be nice, but Amtrak is in a downward spiral when it comes to the Long Distance Trains. No growth planed, cutting service to the basics, even if drives customer away.

Sorry but I can wait for Boardman to retire. Not that he is the root cause of the issues, just hope the next guy will put more effort and time in the LD fleet.

Just Thinking out loud.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I frankly think Boardman is a part of the solution, not part of the problem.

 

[andersone]

well i am booked in August and i have already made my changes,,, not staying at Belton the second night but driving back to GBK for the earlier departure, My bad for confusing May 1 and May 31,,, my money is still on the expanded schedule

 

[BrianPR3]

Agreed.

Although the recent trend of all of the host roads treating Amtrak like crap is troubling.

wasn't there a law regarding that, the host railroad HAS TO give amtrak priority or face fines?

 

[jis]

Look, Congress and the Executive Branch together own the strategy that Amtrak is to execute. They appoint a Board of Directors to carry out said strategy. The Board of Directors appoints a guy to do it on their behalf. Anyone that thinks an Amtrak CEO is going to do anything that the Board of Directors does not approve, or is going to do something that the Board does not approve, is living in far la la land. As long as the BoD does not take a position on LD trains, whether it be expansion or whatever, trust me there will be no Amtrak CEO who will pursue such. People who get to such positions know precisely which side of their bread is buttered.

Bottom line is, given the hand that he has been served, Boardman is playing it about as well as anyone can. If anyone expects that the next guy will go rogue on the Board and start doing more for LD trains than the Board desires, they are just kidding themselves and setting themselves up for a huge disappointment. But of course this is a free country and all that.... and of course that is what keeps half the posts coming on AU too.

 

[montana mike]

So, let's see. The average delay into CHI BEFORE the new schedule was around 4+ hours. Since the new padding was added the delays into CHI have averaged 152 minutes, or a little over 2 1/2 hours. With the last several days ALL running about 4 hours behind, including today. The padding is helping a little, but by the time the summer construction season is in full swing my BNSF contacts here in MT inform me that 5+ hour delays WITH the padding may be the norm for both east and west bound EBs on many days. So we would be back to where we were before! Bummer.

Footnote: the 115 mile double tracking scheduled to be installed over the next 2 years is about 25% of what BNSF's internal needs are (just under 600 miles was requested) according to my sources. This much larger amount of track effort was pitched to senior management but rejected as taking too much capital away from projects in other areas of the country. The folks on the Hi-Line were told to resubmit any additional needs in 2016 for possible funding of track work at that time. Doesn't sound like any short term solutions are on the horizon folks......

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

It does help when a BoD has a plan.

However taken a active interest is a section of a company your in charge of does not take a BoD.

Also since when does a CEO not have the ability to ask the BoD to do something / or make a decision / policy.

With a interest and active CEO follow the guild lines set by a BoD do you think Empire Builders would be running better. Even if its just leaving the end terminal on-time. What about these delay in Minot, ND of no rested crews available. An CEO can ask question to show interest. People do work harder if someone is watching.

 

[Ryan]

An CEO can ask question to show interest. People do work harder if someone is watching.

You know that this isn't happening?

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

No I don't.

I see things.

I hear things.

I watch things.

I read things.

Sorry been saying this since the first LD manger was shown to the exit. There is a pattern of events going on, and I don't like were it going.

 

[EB_OBS]

I frankly think Boardman is a part of the solution, not part of the problem.

I have to agree. I've seen more positive progress in more areas then with the previous two CEOs. I like Boardman. When I've watched his performance before congress I've been generally impressed at his advocacy for rail travel including long distance travel. I recall the last several CEOs were not railroad men whereas Boardman has spent a career in railroad and understands the industry quite well.

 

[Ryan]

Thanks for that perspective from the inside. My observations agree with yours and GMLs.

 

[jis]

My thinking is as follows. Of course anyone is free to agree or disagree....

Until Congress and BoD decide they want a thriving LD business, there will not be one. If Congress was serious about LD business, they'd have backed the PIPs up with funding, or a clearly stated plan for funding). They did not. That should give an obvious message to anyone that is paying attention. That was singular feature that distinguished PRIIA Section 210 (which deals exclusively with LD trains) from both Section 209, which dealt with funding for non-NEC corridor trains with specific instructions on funding action (from elsewhere than the national budget, but clear instructions on what has to happen), and Section 212 dealing with NEC, again with clear instructions on what needs to be done (NEC Commission to figure out cost allocation for charge-back to all users of the NEC and discontinue all cross-subsidy - which actually in effect removes some funding from LD trains, notwithstanding all the protestations to the contrary from some) to make its maintenance and operations financially self-sufficient except for capital improvement grants.

Given this overwhelming evidence, those that keep on blaming Boardman for the plight of the LD trains, have to blame themselves for being as frustrated as they seem to be with Boardman. The target of said frustration is completely off the mark IMHO.

I do agree with the observations/opinions of GML and EB_OBS as far a Boardman goes.

 

[EB_OBS]

What about these delay in Minot, ND of no rested crews available. An CEO can ask question to show interest. People do work harder if someone is watching.

It takes time to staff up qualified individuals in order to expand the board and protect Minot's departure time. It's four to six months minimum to hire and train new assistant conductors and full year before they are conductor qualified. We need at least two, preferably four crew in Minot to protect as long as #7 is not going to be able to arrive less than two hours late.

Amtrak cannot force anyone to relocate or transfer even temporarily to the hi-line. Currently there is a request for conductors to volunteer to loan out to SBY and SCD crew bases. I assume it's to facilitate protecting Minot. I just heard about this last night.