Sick/Emergency on Amtrak

[socalbeaches]

I'm taking my first trip and just for peace of mind what happens in an utter medical emergency? I have only had 2 asthma flairups in my life but im taking my puffer but i just NEED to know if I or someone starts having a hard time breathing and it's a ways to the next station - WHAT happens?

I called the reservs line and they had no clue. In fact they scared me more by adding no one has training, etc.

But truly, in the event of a heart attack or stroke or breathing issue, WHAT HAPPENS?

I'm kind of freaking out and terrified of going now. HELP!

 

[RailFanLNK]

Are you close to your Higher Power? :lol: The staff on the train are trained in emergencies. Also the staff can radio for 911 to meet the train anywhere it needs to pick someone up. Don't sweat what you can't control, kick back, have fun, bring your puffer and enjoy the ride.

 

[PRR 60]

Which poses this question: does Amtrak have Automated External Defibrillators (AED's) on board the long distance trains. There are portions of many of the long distance routes where emergency medical services would take a long, long time to meet a train. All aircraft have them, does Amtrak?

 

[jackal]

The Alaska Railroad passenger trains have AEDs on board and train crews (conductors and brakemen, at least, and quite possibly OBS staff, too) are trained in how to operate it. I would assume Amtrak would, too. It may even be a common carrier transportation requirement of federal law. But I don't know for sure.

 

[sweet tea]

Also the staff can radio for 911 to meet the train anywhere it needs to pick someone up.

just wanted to emphasize and explain this point, since it seems like the OP is new to trains.

a train is not like a plane, in that stations are not the only place it can stop. just because there isn't a planned stop in a certain area doesn't mean no one lives there, either. you'll notice as you travel that you go through lots of towns without stopping.

so if there is an emergency, the staff can radio 911 for whatever place you're traveling though -- even if it's 100 miles to the next stop, it's likely that there's some town closer (depending on the part of the country, of course) -- and say "please send an ambulance to meet us at the spot where Elm Street meets the train tracks" or what have you. a sick passenger would get to the hospital MUCH faster this way than on a plane, which obviously can't just stop for a minute somewhere along the way.

as with any large gathering of people, a train is likely to contain a doctor or two, also. (this is also true of planes, of course; some friends of ours taking a long-haul flight from london to the middle east ended up assisting in the delivery of twins!)

do bring your puffer, of course, and take care of yourself in all the ways that have kept you from having more flare-ups, but don't worry.

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

In an emergency, a plane certainly can land at the nearest suitable airport (which I think may not necessarily need to be one that has regularily scheduled commercial service, though if you're starting from a couple miles up there may be no speed advantage to not choosing one that has regular passenger service); how fast the plane can lose altitude is probably the limiting factor there.

On a train, the time to get to a hospital is probably mostly a function of how soon the train reaches a town that's big enough to have a hospital. Outside the Northeast Corridor, there tend to be plenty of at-grade crossings where an ambulance can easily meet a train.

On the Northeast Corridor, all of the at-grade crossings outside of Connecticut have been eliminated, but there are fairly frequent commuter rail stations along most of the route that an Amtrak train could stop at in an emergency. One of the worst places to have a medical emergency on the Northeast Corridor would be between Kingston RI and Providence RI, which is a 27 mile stretch without at-grade crossings or stations which takes about 21 minutes to cover (but the T F Green Airport Station that's under construction will be somewhere in the middle of that segment); whether an ambulance would attempt to meet the train at a grade-separated crossing there isn't clear.

Some 911 call centers are simply unreachable from landlines if you don't happen to have a landline located in the area served by that call center, though some VOIP providers would like to change that. That is, some 911 call centers simply do not have a normal 10 digit number you can call from anywhere in the country.

 

[Guest_transatlantic_*]

All Amtrak trains have AED's onboard, usually in the foodservice cars

 

[the_traveler]

One of the worst places to have a medical emergency on the Northeast Corridor would be between Kingston RI and Providence RI, which is a 27 mile stretch without at-grade crossings or stations which takes about 21 minutes to cover (but the T F Green Airport Station that's under construction will be somewhere in the middle of that segment); whether an ambulance would attempt to meet the train at a grade-separated crossing there isn't clear.

I would agree that (right now) that is a long distance between stations, but besides the mentioned TF Green Airport station, another one in that stretch that is planned is Wickford Junction. This will be a MBTA commuter station about 1/2 way between KIN and PVD, and TF Green is about 1/2 way between there and PVD.

As far as an attempt at a grade separated crossing, I have seen other emergency crews (police and fire) enter the area, so why not ambulance crews? (And around here, the ambulance crews are part of the FD anyway.)

 

[PRR 60]

The TF Green Airport station will not be on the NEC mainline. It will be on a short spur off the mainline accessible only from the north (railroad east). Only MBTA trains will use the airport stop. Amtrak trains will not.

** EDIT: the latest plan shows the station on side tracks just off the NEC and accessible from both directions. Amtrak. however, will not use the station.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

The TF Green Airport station will not be on the NEC mainline. It will be on a short spur off the mainline accessible only from the north (railroad east). Only MBTA trains will use the airport stop. Amtrak trains will not.
** EDIT: the latest plan shows the station on side tracks just off the NEC and accessible from both directions. Amtrak. however, will not use the station.

While that might be true in most cases, I'd imagine they would if it was a matter of medical emergency.

 

[Walt]

I was on a train where some man had a heart attack. Or at least the possibility of a heart attack.

The train stopped at the next point where there was a road near the tracks. There was an ambulance and a police car (both with their red lights 'on') already waiting for the train.

I would assume that most Amtrak engineers know their route, and would have a very good idea where the next meeting point could be, and can call ahead for emergency services to be waiting. Unlike an airplane, a train doesn't need a station (airport) in order to stop and let appropriate people on and off.

 

[AlanB]

I would assume that most Amtrak engineers know their route, and would have a very good idea where the next meeting point could be, and can call ahead for emergency services to be waiting. Unlike an airplane, a train doesn't need a station (airport) in order to stop and let appropriate people on and off.

Actually it's not up to the engineer to know, much less pick where the meeting point should occur. The engineer radios the dispatcher in an emergency situation and it is the dispatcher that both picks the meeting point (they also ensure that no other trains are moving on adjacent tracks) and calls the EMS to arrange the meeting.

Yes, the engineer does know his route, he has to by law. But it isn't his decision at all.

 

[Walt]

Actually it's not up to the engineer to know, much less pick where the meeting point should occur. The engineer radios the dispatcher in an emergency situation and it is the dispatcher that both picks the meeting point (they also ensure that no other trains are moving on adjacent tracks) and calls the EMS to arrange the meeting.
Yes, the engineer does know his route, he has to by law. But it isn't his decision at all.

Honestly, it was in the middle of the night so I don't know the actual sequence of events. I am sure you are right, though. I was really just trying to offer some assurance to the OP, that not only would Amtrak do it, I actually seen them do it.

I was actually more upset that the train was already running over 4 hours late, and this only added another hour or so. I know that sounds "cold", but in the end, the train was 8 hours late. We missed the very last bus home for the night, and I ended up begging a friend to come rescue us.

 

[Steve4031]

More than likely you will be OK. What route are you traveling on? If you are going out west, there are some places that are pretty desolate such as in western Texas, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada to name a few areas.

 

[socalbeaches]

More than likely you will be OK. What route are you traveling on? If you are going out west, there are some places that are pretty desolate such as in western Texas, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada to name a few areas.

Im taking #4 to chicago then the evil 30 then the 138 to nyp. but yea, that 4 kinda scares me.

 

[Steve4031]

Take your medications, and ask your doctor about the worst case scenario. I am sure that you will be fine. The doctor could even give you a paper with instructions for what people could do for you in the case of an asthma attack. I am a teacher, and have seen students get attacks, and get taken away in ambulances, so I do understand your fear.

Why do you call the capitol Limited the evil 30?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Because he hasn't ridden the train before? Its one of the nicest trains in the east coast.

 

[socalbeaches]

I call it evil because (and im a she) i keep checking time tables and it's mostly always late. part of this trip was to see DC on my layover but as I'm staying with pals in nyc, i hope to take the 138 to arrive at a reasonable time. if the 30 is late like it usually is, i'll only have such a small time, if even, to see DC.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

There are a LOT of trains on Amtrak's system to make the Capitol Limited look like a Deutsche Bahn train in comparison.

 

[Neil_M]

There are a LOT of trains on Amtrak's system to make the Capitol Limited look like a Deutsche Bahn train in comparison.

DB is gradually drifting downhill. Loads of 5,10 or 20 minute late running, local lines being privitized and removed from inclusive ticketing, missed connections and a general decline in standards.

Still miles ahead of a lot of railways, but SBB/CFF/FFS is still the class act to aspire to.