I experienced this busy signal as well...as I was attempting to check the status of the trains I was riding 3/17 & 3/18. When I was able to get through I received the preamble of "Amtrak is running in the northeast as scheduled. But due to the weather we are receiving unprecedented call volume. If you are not traveling in the next 24 hours, please call back at another time."
After receiving a call from Amtrak to my cell phone (3/16, evening) while I was on 98, the Meteor, from Deland, FL to NYPenn, that the Lake Shore (westbound) for Sat., 3/17 was canceled... I had to make a decision...continue to NYPenn and spend a night there on Amtrak which may or may not allow me to catch the LSL on 3/18... OR detrain in DC and try to get on the Cap Ltd to Cleveland, then the LSL eastbound to Erie... The caller couldn't book me leaving DC on 3/17 so I booked leaving on 3/18. As I really needed to be home for work on 3/18 I tried immediately upon arrival in DC to get on the 3/17 Cap Ltd/LSL.
In DC Union Station on 3/17 announcements ran every 20 minutes or so that trains in the Northeast Corridor were sold out until later in the afternoon. When I checked in the station to see if I could possibly rent a car and drive from DC to Erie, I was told at each stand that no cars were available or at least not to walk-ups.
I am happy to report that after hourly visits to the ticket counter supervisor in DC Union I was finally able to score coach DC to Pgh, sleeper Pgh to Cleveland and coach Cleveland to Erie...arriving home on the 18th in time for work!
Met many first-time train travelers on the Meteor, the Cap Ltd AND the Lake Shore...for various reasons...weather, flying fears, curiousity, air travel-weariness, convenience....