Empire Builder Ontime Record

[RRUserious]

Just updating myself on most recent ontime experience. Came away with a question. Why is there a big difference between trains 7 and 8? Aren't they on the same section of track? If they fight for access, wouldn't there be freight trains going both ways? I'm assuming they both can leave the first station on time, so what keeps one of them from having a high rate like the other?

 

[anir dendroica]

OTP differences are primarily a function of schedule padding vs. location of delays.

Schedule padding is approximately as follows.

#7: 45 min into MSP, 30 min into Minot, 30 min into Shelby, 15 min into Whitefish, 45 min into Spokane, 30 min into SEA/PDX

#8: 30 min into Spokane, 20 min into Whitefish, 30 min into Shelby, 30 min into Minot, 45 min into MSP, 30 min into Chicago.

Those numbers may not be entirely accurate, but they add up to 3:15 padding westbound and 3:05 padding eastbound - approximately equal.

The main delay agent these days is slow track between Fargo and Minot (especially the stretch from Fargo to Grand Forks), which results in approximately 90 minutes of delay each direction.

If #7 is 90 minutes late into Minot, it still has two hours and 30 minutes of schedule padding ahead of it, which is usually enough to make up the delay entirely and even arrive early into SEA/PDX.

If #8 is 90 minutes late into Fargo, it has only one hour and 15 minutes of schedule padding ahead of it, and thus is often still behind schedule when it gets to Chicago.

Mark

 

[RRUserious]

But when it is 6 hours late into MSP, the padding is long gone, and eastbound passengers from CHI are spending a night in a hotel there, losing a day from their planned trip. Most of that day is spent waiting to board and riding. Then there may be almost a day in a city they never wanted to be in.

 

[RRUserious]

Train 8 was ontime zero percent in June? Wow, that must have been fun for passengers.

 

[montana mike]

I believe when things are tallied up for July the same goose egg will be evident.

:-(

 

[RRUserious]

EB should at least be very safe. Very few accidents happen when train is immobile on a sidetrack. Except in Quebec.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Amtrak might find it advisable to cut padding in the middle of the EB route and just stack padding towards SPK (#7) and MSP (#8).

 

[Donna]

I can give a recent firsthand report on no.7. Just got in to Spokane early this very morning,from Chicago. Though I didn't see a whole lot of actual construction going on in the Minot area, the reduced speed limits were certainly in effect. We were creeping for awhile. Once we came out of it, we were 2hours behind but darn if that padding didn't come to the final rescue! Got in to Spokane only about 25 min late. That, I can handle. Taking no. 8 back on Monday. Might have a different story to tell in that direction. Btw.....I know it's off topic for this thread, but the SCA was in tears by time we got to Glacier because they had her doing minimum triple duty....keeping customers happy, doubling as a server in Dining, and dealing with several annoyingmechanicalissues In our car (people missing dinner because the PA system didn't work in our car only). And the impatient pax who were less than understanding. I tipped her well because I know she was doing her best under ridiculous expectations from higher up. (A conductor actally chewed her out for one of these issues)

 

[RRUserious]

Westbound seems to be better than eastbound. Given the way they shove Amtrak to the siding for BNSF trains, seems like it should be bad both ways, but there are differences.