Flooding on route to New Orleans

[Jackamo]

I wouldn’t put too much faith on the train returning next week. I was booked to travel the CNO next week so I was in the same boat as many people here. I’ve been checking the NOAA river hydrograph for Cairo, IL. since that’s where the tracks are underwater. I canceled when I saw the river predictions and was lucky enough to find an affordable plane ticket to Chicago. According to the key flood stages on the site, the highway that runs next to the tracks on the other side of the river gets flooded at 56 feet. I had some time so I looked up the track elevations on Google Earth (not super accurate but good enough for getting an idea) and it looks like they go underwater around 50 feet. NOAA isn’t predicting the river to go below that any time soon and I’m sure CN is going to wait for the water to go a lot lower before reopening the line. I’m not an expert but if you are tired of waiting for information from Amtrak then this may help.

More info and time from Amtrak would be helpful especially if they aren’t providing alternative options.

 

[Kelly]

I had my trip last tues cancelled bec of the flooding. Apparently the problem is between Memphis and new Orleans. My return trip on sun is still scheduled and as of a few minutes ago, the train from new Orleans to Chicago is scheduled to run tomorrow.

 

[TacoMan]

What I don't understand is in an article i read yesterday they said freight traffic has not been interrupted on these tracks. Amtrak service is the only train service that has cancelled trips along the route.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/may/05/memphis-based-transportation-companies-report-some/?partner=RSS

My understanding from other train forums I have been reading is the tracks at Cairo IL are not flooded. Many have said it is further down the line where the tracks are flooded. It's all confusing and more information from Amtrak would definitely be helpful. It will soon be two weeks since this started and not a word from them. When I called and tried to see about things they told me I called to early and I needed to just wait and call back. Well if I wait till the last minute and they don't run then where will I be?

 

[jis]

Here's the state of affairs in Memphis today:

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News Report.

 

[Jackamo]

What I don't understand is in an article i read yesterday they said freight traffic has not been interrupted on these tracks. Amtrak service is the only train service that has cancelled trips along the route.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/may/05/memphis-based-transportation-companies-report-some/?partner=RSS

My understanding from other train forums I have been reading is the tracks at Cairo IL are not flooded. Many have said it is further down the line where the tracks are flooded. It's all confusing and more information from Amtrak would definitely be helpful. It will soon be two weeks since this started and not a word from them. When I called and tried to see about things they told me I called to early and I needed to just wait and call back. Well if I wait till the last minute and they don't run then where will I be?

CN spokesman Patrick Waldron said the railroad was rerouting freight trains east of a flooded area near Cairo, Ill.

The flooding is just south of Cairo right before it crosses the Ohio River. If you go to the NOAA link I posted, you can see a map of where the River Gauge is. Change the view from terrain to map or satellite and you can see the tracks I am talking about.

Here is a picture that clearly shows the tracks are underwater on the south side of the Ohio river.

http://valleywatch.net/?p=1996

Also looks like the embankment on the north side of the bridge failed.

http://www.tndeer.com/tndeertalk/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2384618&page=4

 

[jis]

Here's the state of affairs in Memphis today:

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News Report.

According to the Riverfront Development Corporation of Memphis:

The Mississippi River is expected to crest on Wednesday, May 11th and remain at +48 on the Memphis gauge for five to seven days thereafter. As long as there is significant standing water on the service road, Mud Island River Park will remain closed to the public. The RDC will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary actions to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors.

I am not sure what the disposition of the railroad alignment along the riverfront is relative to the 48' flood level.

 

[had8ley]

Here's the state of affairs in Memphis today:

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News Report.

According to the Riverfront Development Corporation of Memphis:

The Mississippi River is expected to crest on Wednesday, May 11th and remain at +48 on the Memphis gauge for five to seven days thereafter. As long as there is significant standing water on the service road, Mud Island River Park will remain closed to the public. The RDC will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary actions to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors.

I am not sure what the disposition of the railroad alignment along the riverfront is relative to the 48' flood level.

I'm not sure either Jis but in south Louisiana the right of way tracks are elevated, mainly by ballast, 12" to 18" higher than the ground elevation.

 

[had8ley]

I've never yet seen a Service Alert on Amtrak's website about the disruption of service on the CONO.

It might have been nice if they'd put something about that up there, and then updated it when the CONO returns to normal service.

Why even have that on their website if they don't use it?

Wish I had a better answer for you but.... if a manager doesn't tell someone to do it, it doesn't happen. :help:

 

[manchacrr]

Here's the state of affairs in Memphis today:

Video. Get rid of any popup that might come up asking you to sign up for something or the other.

News Report.

According to the Riverfront Development Corporation of Memphis:

The Mississippi River is expected to crest on Wednesday, May 11th and remain at +48 on the Memphis gauge for five to seven days thereafter. As long as there is significant standing water on the service road, Mud Island River Park will remain closed to the public. The RDC will continue to monitor the situation and take necessary actions to ensure the safety of our staff and visitors.

I am not sure what the disposition of the railroad alignment along the riverfront is relative to the 48' flood level.

I'm not sure either Jis but in south Louisiana the right of way tracks are elevated, mainly by ballast, 12" to 18" higher than the ground elevation.

In Memphis, just north of the station, the tracks run right alongside the riverfront for a little over a mile right next to the riverfront trolley line. At one point, the tracks run right behind the Pyramid about 10-15 feet behind the building. After the station, the tracks remain elevated on the bluff until the tracks cross Beale Street. After Beale, the tracks descend to river level and run next to Riverside Drive. It stays next to the river until it crosses Auction Avenue, which is just north of the Pyramid.

 

[Jackamo]

Several years ago they had to reroute around Memphis when a sinkhole formed next to Central Station. It involved busing people between the station and a grade crossing near Johnston Yard because backing in/out took too much time. Hopefully they remember how to orchestrate it.

 

[TacoMan]

I may just go tomorrow and exchange one ticket and pay for an extra segment to Re route from Meridian to through Washington and Chicago to get to California by the 21 with out the flood risk.

 

[Jaylah]

Well, the dreaded e-mail just came:

Our records indicate that you are scheduled to depart on Amtrak Train number 0059 from Chicago-ILLINOIS at 8:00PM on Tuesday May 10 and arriving in New-Orleans-LOUISIANA.


 


That schedule has been cancelled due to a service disruption. There is no alternate service available. To speak to a customer service representative about travel options such as selecting another date or destination call us at 8772319448 at your earliest convenience.


 


We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for being a valued Amtrak customer.


 


Sincerely,


Amtrak


 

Can't say that was totally unexpected, this time.

 

[Pat Harper]

I got the dreaded phone call from Julie announcing that my trip on the CONO had been cancelled for May 11. Therefore I went online and booked a flight out of LFT for the 12th, destination Midway Chicago.

And I was so looking forward to getting those triple AGR points!

 

[Jaylah]

Just got the cancellation message around noon today.

When I called, the agent said she doubted the full CONO route would be up and running even for my return trip on May 28th.

I was really looking forward to this, but I can't keep rescheduling forever, so I'll be mashed in with hundreds of others on one of AirTran's great flying Greyhound buses.

Of course, it's a damned good thing I had enough money to essentially pay for my trip twice, because -- since Amtrak sent me my tickets in the mail -- I can't get a refund unless I present my tickets to the nearest station agent (about 1.5 hours drive from here), or mail them in. So I'll have to wait until I get to New Orleans, make a special trip to the train station, present my tickets, and then wait a few days for the credit to my card. Grrrrr.

I don't blame Amtrak for acts of mother nature. Or even for maintenance of tracks they don't own. But I sure do blame them for leaving their ticketed passengers in the dark for so long that those "traveling on a shoestring" may well end up just having to cancel their vacation plans altogether.

 

[Pat Harper]

Of course, it's a damned good thing I had enough money to essentially pay for my trip twice \

Yes, same here, although the fare for the flight was quite a bit more than the Amtrak fare! Plus I'll now have to pay to check a bag and also pay for anything I eat on board. Yuck!

Also, the airport is quite a bit farther from my lodging and I'll have to pay more for a cab or take the public transport. Hmm.. the subway is sort of like riding on a train..

 

[AlanB]

I don't blame Amtrak for acts of mother nature. Or even for maintenance of tracks they don't own. But I sure do blame them for leaving their ticketed passengers in the dark for so long that those "traveling on a shoestring" may well end up just having to cancel their vacation plans altogether.

Please keep in mind that it's not Amtrak's decision on when to cancel the trains and restore them. That decision is entirely in the hands of Mother Nature and the host rail road. Amtrak has no say in things.

 

[Jaylah]

Yeah, it's going to end up costing me quite a bit more, too. The air fare was a bit more expensive than the rail fare. Two checked bag fees (I'm sorry, but I can't go to New Orleans for two weeks with just enough "stuff" to fit into a carry-on bag....heck just my hair-dryer and curling iron take up half a carry-on), plus long-term parking at the airport. I'll eat an early lunch before leaving for the airport, and then be in New Orleans in time for a "fashionable hour" dinner, so I won't need to buy any food. (Not that I think I'd eat any airline food anyway.)

The train normally gets into New Orleans a bit later than my flight does, and I think my friend intended to come pick me up at the train station after work. (The branch library he works at is open until 7:00.) So I may end up spending a couple of hours in the New Orleans airport until he gets there, or else taking a cab to his house.

Seriously, I do get that Amtrak can't control floods. And I'll accept that they didn't cancel my May 1st reservation until April 28th, because they may not have known how extensive the flooding was going to be until then. But why the heck wait until May 6th, to cancel a reservation on May 10, when they seemingly already knew the train wouldn't be running as scheduled for most of this month????

I couldn't call up and cancel the rail reservations until they'd notified me that the train was canceled because that would have meant forfeiting a cancellation fee.

I have nothing bad to say about any of the agents I spoke to on the phone. They were all very polite and seemed to be making a concerted effort to try to help. From what the last one I spoke to said, I guess a good number of ticket holders were not nearly as kind about it as I was. Geez, Amtrak couldn't PAY me enough to do that job.

But I do think this was a really, really shabby way for the "powers that be" to treat customers. I really think that, in cases like this, they could have at least waived the normal cancellation fees if a customer didn't want to wait until 4 days prior to their scheduled trip to find out that one was canceled, too. Let the folks that want to take the risk take it, but let the folks who can't back out a bit earlier.

TacoMan said he'd been calling and they just kept telling him to call back. They HAD to know, before today, that the CONO wasn't going to be running the full route anytime soon. I mean, geez, from what today's agent told me, there are portions of the tracks that are totally washed out. While the tracks themselves are still there, the bed underneath isn't.

And I think the thing that's causing the most steam to come out of my ears is the fact that there NEVER HAS BEEN AND STILL ISN'T anything on the "Service Alerts and Notices" page at their website about this problem. I mean, at least with any airline, you can go online and see if your flight has been canceled.

Just put a freaking notice up there about "The City of New Orleans" is not running a full route due to flooding problems. The southern portion of the route will still run between New Orleans and _________ and the northern route will still run between Chicago and ______" as long as the problem persists. There is no alternate service available." And then, when the problem gets fixed, put a note up saying, "The City of New Orleans is now running a full route again." It probably wouldn't hurt either, once they think they have a time estimate of when the track will be fixed, to put up a "tentative return to schedule" date.

I just think that this is an absolutely atrocious way to run a business.

 

[GPSTraveler]

WOW!!! WHEEE!!!

I see a family bedroom available on the Chicago - New Orleans train on May 14th, under $250!!!!

Yippppeeeee!!!!

Now I assume that means the City of New Orleans will be in service from May 14th on? Am I getting my hopes up too early?

I can't wait to tell the family to cancel all other plans in preparation for this last minute trip! The trip of a lifetime!

 

[AlanB]

Seriously, I do get that Amtrak can't control floods. And I'll accept that they didn't cancel my May 1st reservation until April 28th, because they may not have known how extensive the flooding was going to be until then. But why the heck wait until May 6th, to cancel a reservation on May 10, when they seemingly already knew the train wouldn't be running as scheduled for most of this month????
I couldn't call up and cancel the rail reservations until they'd notified me that the train was canceled because that would have meant forfeiting a cancellation fee.

Actually you could have cancelled without a fee, you just would not have gotten a refund to your credit card. You would have needed to take a voucher good towards a future trip. This is an option that you'd never get with most airlines, unless you booked the least restrictive/expensive fare.

And again, Amtrak doesn't decide when its unsafe to continue to run the trains, the host RR does.

They HAD to know, before today, that the CONO wasn't going to be running the full route anytime soon. I mean, geez, from what today's agent told me, there are portions of the tracks that are totally washed out. While the tracks themselves are still there, the bed underneath isn't.

If the tracks were underwater and only just now had resurfaced, it's highly likely that even the host RR didn't know for sure that portions were washed out, much less where those washouts were.

And I think the thing that's causing the most steam to come out of my ears is the fact that there NEVER HAS BEEN AND STILL ISN'T anything on the "Service Alerts and Notices" page at their website about this problem. I mean, at least with any airline, you can go online and see if your flight has been canceled.
Just put a freaking notice up there about "The City of New Orleans" is not running a full route due to flooding problems. The southern portion of the route will still run between New Orleans and _________ and the northern route will still run between Chicago and ______" as long as the problem persists. There is no alternate service available." And then, when the problem gets fixed, put a note up saying, "The City of New Orleans is now running a full route again." It probably wouldn't hurt either, once they think they have a time estimate of when the track will be fixed, to put up a "tentative return to schedule" date.

Here I don't disagree with you, there is no excuse that there are no service notices on Amtrak's site regarding the flooding. While I made comments earlier in another thread I believe about when to put up notices and when not to, for a disruption of this magnitude, it's time to pay someone to put up a notice and keep it reasonably current.

 

[jmbgeg]

Seriously, I do get that Amtrak can't control floods. And I'll accept that they didn't cancel my May 1st reservation until April 28th, because they may not have known how extensive the flooding was going to be until then. But why the heck wait until May 6th, to cancel a reservation on May 10, when they seemingly already knew the train wouldn't be running as scheduled for most of this month????
I couldn't call up and cancel the rail reservations until they'd notified me that the train was canceled because that would have meant forfeiting a cancellation fee.

Actually you could have cancelled without a fee, you just would not have gotten a refund to your credit card. You would have needed to take a voucher good towards a future trip. This is an option that you'd never get with most airlines, unless you booked the least restrictive/expensive fare.

And again, Amtrak doesn't decide when its unsafe to continue to run the trains, the host RR does.

They HAD to know, before today, that the CONO wasn't going to be running the full route anytime soon. I mean, geez, from what today's agent told me, there are portions of the tracks that are totally washed out. While the tracks themselves are still there, the bed underneath isn't.

If the tracks were underwater and only just now had resurfaced, it's highly likely that even the host RR didn't know for sure that portions were washed out, much less where those washouts were.

And I think the thing that's causing the most steam to come out of my ears is the fact that there NEVER HAS BEEN AND STILL ISN'T anything on the "Service Alerts and Notices" page at their website about this problem. I mean, at least with any airline, you can go online and see if your flight has been canceled.
Just put a freaking notice up there about "The City of New Orleans" is not running a full route due to flooding problems. The southern portion of the route will still run between New Orleans and _________ and the northern route will still run between Chicago and ______" as long as the problem persists. There is no alternate service available." And then, when the problem gets fixed, put a note up saying, "The City of New Orleans is now running a full route again." It probably wouldn't hurt either, once they think they have a time estimate of when the track will be fixed, to put up a "tentative return to schedule" date.

Here I don't disagree with you, there is no excuse that there are no service notices on Amtrak's site regarding the flooding. While I made comments earlier in another thread I believe about when to put up notices and when not to, for a disruption of this magnitude, it's time to pay someone to put up a notice and keep it reasonably current.

I have an upcoming CONO trip and I e-mailed (website form) pleading with them to start putting up customer service alerts for the CONO, but alas, no customer servixce e-mail reply and no service alerts.

 

[Pat Harper]

Now I assume that means the City of New Orleans will be in service from May 14th on?

Not necessarily. I cancelled my return trip on the 15th from Chicago, because I had already booked round trip airfare . Word is that the flooding will have reached Louisiana by then. If Lake Ponchartrain overflows, you won't be able to get to NOL via train. I have not heard a word from people who have been on the CONO, so I take it that it's not running now and won't be through next week.

 

[jmbgeg]

Now I assume that means the City of New Orleans will be in service from May 14th on?

Not necessarily. I cancelled my return trip on the 15th from Chicago, because I had already booked round trip airfare . Word is that the flooding will have reached Louisiana by then. If Lake Ponchartrain overflows, you won't be able to get to NOL via train. I have not heard a word from people who have been on the CONO, so I take it that it's not running now and won't be through next week.

Still crossing my fingers for June 5th trip south CHI to NOL. Coming from west coast. Sunset Limited won't work for me because of staggered day schedule.

 

[Kaki]

Several years ago they had to reroute around Memphis when a sinkhole formed next to Central Station. It involved busing people between the station and a grade crossing near Johnston Yard because backing in/out took too much time. Hopefully they remember how to orchestrate it.

That was in 2008. We took that trip and we rode a bus from the Memphis station to the crossing for our trip to Chicago and rode the bus back to the station on our return trip. It was not a bad bus ride...took about 15 minutes.

 

I have been watching this forum because we have a reservation again for MEM to CHI, CHI to SEA on June 9.

 

From everything I have read so far it looks like the train is running between CDL and CHI, and between MEM and NOL, is that correct?

 

Our trip is MEM to CHI and CHI to SEA. We might be looking at driving to CDL to board if the track isn't open by June 9.

And then there is the flooding on the EB route to worry about:blink:

 

[TacoMan]

Headed today to try and reroute my trip through DC to Chicago then on to California.

 

[Fan_Trains]

Me and my Step Father will be riding the cono going NOL to CHI on Aug the 27th. will the situation will be better by then on Aug 27th?