Southwest Chief Discussion Q4 2023 - 2024

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At what point will the SWC consist once again have three (3) sleeping cars with bedrooms? (According to my old trip reports, which always included a roster of the cars that comprised our east and westbound trains, three was the standard number prior to COVID.)

It has been our experience that SWC bedrooms are sold out months in advance, even for those months following Labor Day. Having a third sleeper might help to makes things easier for those who want to book a bedroom without having to do so six to eleven months ahead of time.

There are probably many people who would like to book bedrooms on the SWC but have given up after learning that nothing was available. Adding the third sleeper might help to make things easier for them, thereby restoring their confidence in choosing to travel via Amtrak.
 
There are several low bucket roomette prices on the Southwest Chief between Chicago and LA. Used to be you could find low bucket on the Eagle/Sunset but they are very hard to find.

Still amazed Amtrak calls sleepers a luxury. Many people wouldn’t think of riding Coach from Coast to Coast for three days. I’ve done it when I was younger. Couldn’t imagine doing it now.
One night is all I could do.
 
Sidney said:
Many people wouldn’t think of riding Coach from Coast to Coast for three days. I’ve done it when I was younger. Couldn’t imagine doing it now.
One night is all I could do.
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There are now a lot of aging “baby boomers” who can no long travel across country by driving on their own and for whom air travel, with its associated stresses, inconveniences, and indignities, is no longer an option. For them, long distance trains are their only means of traveling across country to see loved ones, attend reunions and other such events, visit historic places, etc. (Pat and I fall into this category.)

For many “boomers” a private bedroom (which is roomier and has its own toilet) is one of the primary reasons for them to consider the train for their long-distance travel. Most “boomers” will probably not be too concerned about the extra time required to travel across country by train. Also, many of them will have the necessary financial means to pay for a bedroom even at today’s inflated prices.

Right now, (and perhaps thanks to the “boomers”) it appears that the demand for bedrooms on the SWC and other long-distance trains greatly exceeds the supply. The key to success in any business is to identify a need and then fill it. There is definitely a need for more bedrooms on long distanced trains and meeting that need should be among the top priorities in Amtrak’s short and long-term planning.
 
Eric in East County said:
At what point will the SWC consist once again have three (3) sleeping cars with bedrooms? (According to my old trip reports, which always included a roster of the cars that comprised our east and westbound trains, three was the standard number prior to COVID.)
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Do transition sleepers have bedrooms? I am pretty sure that except for special cases, the SWC always had 2 regular sleepers and a transition sleeper, which I don't think has bedrooms.
 
PaulM said:
Do transition sleepers have bedrooms? I am pretty sure that except for special cases, the SWC always had 2 regular sleepers and a transition sleeper, which I don't think has bedrooms.
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It is my understanding that transition sleepers only have roomettes although I may be wrong. In any case, before COVID, it was a lot easier to book a bedroom 3 months or so before you wanted to travel.
 
PaulM said:
Do transition sleepers have bedrooms? I am pretty sure that except for special cases, the SWC always had 2 regular sleepers and a transition sleeper, which I don't think has bedrooms.
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There is a H Room Downstairs in the Transdorm but it's usually occupied by a Crew Member.

Onetime on the Texas Eaglette, when the H Room was Bad ordered due to a leak, ( the Eaglette used to have 2 Sleepers and a Transdorm) the folks occupying it were moved to the Transdorm H Room, the only time I've seen it occupied by Revenue Passengers.
 
Palmland said:
Saw those on X. Another site says it will detour via Pueblo?
View attachment 34080
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The only way to detour between TRI and LAJ is to run via Pueblo. A scheduled train could make this deviation in less time, but the extra time should allow for moving along between freight traffic.
 
Re the 1004 vs 4 train number. I don't know for sure, but I think the reason for the renumbering is that if the train schedule is altered, either because of the change in Day Light Savings time, or because of a schedule alteration (delayed departure or a long layover in the middle, or because the regular route is closed and they are taking a longer alternate route as sometimes happens on the CZ), it is possible there would be two trains with the same number departing from the same station on the same day, for example one just after midnight and another just before midnight, 22 or 23 hours later. By giving one of the trains the 100X number instead of X, passengers and crew would know which train they are ticketed for.
 
I transferred from the SW Chief LA-CHI once and barely made it to Galesburg in time to meet the Zepher, even though theoretically I should be able to ride the SWC all the way to CHI and get on the CZ there.
The CZ from CHI-GLB might be on time if they don't encounter much traffic, while the SWC LA-CHI has two days to get later and later due to freight delays in New Mexico.
As the time for your departure approaches, refer to this map which shows the performance of the trains: (train #5)

https://asm.transitdocs.com/
 
MODERATOR NOTE: This post links a new article regarding a September incident on the SW Chief in the previous SWC thread:

Here is a link to a news article.
The article states that a 66-year-old man struck a 29-year-old man with an edged weapon similar to a machete. The train was stopped near mile marker 5.
www.kob.com

State Police arrest suspect for assault on Amtrak train near Albuquerque​

New Mexico State Police arrested a suspect accused of assaulting another person on an Amtrak train near Albuquerque.
www.kob.com
www.kob.com





This is a rare thing indeed

"Off the Rail Security": A stabbing stops train in New Mexico, raising passengers' questions

And of course a sensational title at the end.
 
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I see the Southwest Chief is due into LA Union Station at 8 AM, and often arrives earlier. I've seen some references to an abbreviated breakfast - what is that like? Are there fewer menu options?
 
ashleyryan15 said:
I see the Southwest Chief is due into LA Union Station at 8 AM, and often arrives earlier. I've seen some references to an abbreviated breakfast - what is that like? Are there fewer menu options?
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Last summer, our SWC SCA delivered our breakfast orders to our bedroom at 5:00 a.m., so I assume that the dining car was open by then and serving breakfast. (Usually it opens at 6:30 a.m.) The dining car would have to close early too, since everything needs to be cleaned up and put away before arriving in LA. Of course, if the SWC is running several hours late, this wouldn’t necessarily be the case. And yes, not everything on the breakfast menu is available. This is probably done to make things as easy on the staff as possible, although it is not unusual for the dining car to begin running out of items by supper time the previous day.
 
They did bus bridge the passengers. The new #3 is only about 90 minutes late. #4 is 8 hours late.

The Apache County Sheriff's Facebook page has some pictures. Some reefer units are broken open and the track is pretty torn up. Check the comments for additional pictures.

 
My son is on the #4 train that is running 8 hours late. He told me that the #4 "backed up" to Winslow, AZ and provided transport for the crew from the derailed freight train. After some hours in Winslow, the passengers (and Amtrak crew I think) were bussed to Albuquerque. They boarded the other train (that had been LA bound) and the passengers slotted into the same accommodations. Right now on the Amtrak website they are predicting that the #4 will arrive in Chicago at 8:43 pm on Thursday, which is too late for him to make his connection to the Capitol Limited which departs at 6:40 pm. Do you think there is any chance they will hold the Capitol Limited if there are many trying to make this connection? Or would they put the affected passengers on a bus to try to "catch up" with the Capitol Limited? Do you think my son should be trying to rebook to the Friday Capitol limited now or wait until he gets to Chicago? Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome. He is coming home to Maryland for Christmas and having an Amtrak adventure. By the way, he paid for a roomette but would probably settle for coach if he had to.
 
nanlmille said:
My son is on the #4 train that is running 8 hours late. He told me that the #4 "backed up" to Winslow, AZ and provided transport for the crew from the derailed freight train. After some hours in Winslow, the passengers (and Amtrak crew I think) were bussed to Albuquerque. They boarded the other train (that had been LA bound) and the passengers slotted into the same accommodations. Right now on the Amtrak website they are predicting that the #4 will arrive in Chicago at 8:43 pm on Thursday, which is too late for him to make his connection to the Capitol Limited which departs at 6:40 pm. Do you think there is any chance they will hold the Capitol Limited if there are many trying to make this connection? Or would they put the affected passengers on a bus to try to "catch up" with the Capitol Limited? Do you think my son should be trying to rebook to the Friday Capitol limited now or wait until he gets to Chicago? Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome. He is coming home to Maryland for Christmas and having an Amtrak adventure. By the way, he paid for a roomette but would probably settle for coach if he had to.
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Most likely they'll put him in a hotel for the night then put him on the next day's Capitol Limited (CL). He should not proactively book the CL since Amtrak will pay for the hotel and reaccommodation. He may end up in coach if there are not enough rooms. I imagine the CL will be full with it being the holidays.
 

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