Flagstop Stations

[Guest]

How do these work? Is there literally a flag you run up in the air? Will Amtrak only stop if someone has bought a ticket? Can you purchase online at these stations? Google, it offers no answers.

 

[battalion51]

Flagstop is an old term to when they actually would put up a flag if a stop was required. Today you pretty much have to have an advance reservation, not necessarily a prepaid reservation, but they have to know about it so it appears on the Conductor's manifest. Otherwise you might be watching your train fly by at 79 MPH.

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

If the conductors have no receipt of anyone who purchased tickets for a particular flag-stop station, most trains will still slow down and the engineer will give the platform a quick glance just to make sure they dont spot anyone. If no one is spotted they will pass right through.

 

[AlanB]

Of course the other side of the coin is, if you are already on the train and are getting off at a flag stop, then the conductor will inform the engineer that he must stop at the station.

As for purchasing online, you can only do that if it's at least a week prior to your departure. Otherwise you must call Amtrak to make a reservation as there is not enough time to mail you your tickets.

 

[steve_relei]

One such flagstop is on the Empire Builder route at Essex, MT, in Glacier National Park between Belton (West Glacier) and Glacier Park Station (East Glacier). Essex is best known to railfans for the Isaak Walton Inn. It is near the tracks and was originally built to house GN crews. Now, it is popular with railfans (it has boxcarsand cabooses for rooms) and cross country skiers,among others.

 

[saxman]

I'm wondering why Amtrak doesn't have more flagstop stations. It seems back when rail travel was at its peak, trains would make stops in every single town or community along the route, if someone was waiting. What does it take to add a flag stop for Amtrak? There are a few towns that are skipped, that I think Amtrak should at least have a flag stop. Such as between San Antonio and Houston. Thats 200 miles without a stop, with plenty of towns there. I'm sure there are a few other spots like this too.

 

[battalion51]

There's more too it than just putting ink on timetable. The host railroad has to agree to every stop, because in theory a train could stop at every town listed on the timetable. It'd be like getting Tri-Rail to agree to let Amtrak stop at every station its corridor, it slows Amtrak down which can create flow problems for Tri-Rail. In areas where there are no stations a platform must be put in, parking lot, shelter, etc. Also remember that creating even a flag stop, time must be budgeted in for each stop, more stops = slower schedules, slower schedules = less attractiveness to take the train as far as time concerned. Remember some people can't wait to get off the train from NYP-MIA after 24 hours, piling on more time doesn't help anything.