Sunset Ltd. x 4 Plan Eclipsed -- For Now

[The Chief]

Amtrak staff said this weekend “there is no equipment for four-frequency Sunset Limited at this time.”

Thus, recent discussion indicating the possibility of a four-times-a-week schedule will have to ride into the Sunset, at least until Amtrak can move beyond its current equipment shortage.

The Amtrak staffers, speaking in Fort Worth, Texas, also said that with the Sunset’s current On Time Performance difficulties, it would not be practical to throw yet another train into the weekly mix.

The Sunset Limited runs thrice weekly between Los Angeles and Orlando, Fla., with Superliner equipment. At 2,764 miles, its route is the longest in the nation.

Oh, well . . .

©2004 The Chief

 

[snake]

Speaking of OTP, #2 is running a little late today in Texas.

As of the last report at 6:39 PM, between San Antonio, TX and Houston, TX, it was running 10 hours and 44 minutes late.

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

Amtrak staff said this weekend “there is no equipment for four-frequency Sunset Limited at this time.”

As if this is a surprise!

Until equipment can be secured, and other equipment freed up, don't look for any new, or enhanced service to present routes. Mr. Gunn has made it clear that the goal of Amtrak at this time is to return the corporation to a good state of repair! This means as a whole, both financially and physically, etc. All this must take place before any new service can be intitiated. I don't see too much happening in regard to new projects, until another five to seven years or so down the road, unless other money is secured for such projects!

 

[jccollins]

Just curious where or how you heard this info... Amtrak doesn't usually make announcements on the weekends. Is there a printed source somewhere? Was there some kind of special presentation in Fort Worth this weekend?

 

[Amfleet]

Just curious where or how you heard this info... Amtrak doesn't usually make announcements on the weekends. Is there a printed source somewhere? Was there some kind of special presentation in Fort Worth this weekend?

There's no set source for any of this information. Various rumors are stating that the Sunset Limited frequency will increase to four departures a week. Where the chiefs info is comming from I wouldn't know? Amtrak doesn't hold special presentations for this kind of stuff so I would guess it came from an on-board service employee or ticket agent.

 

[AlanB]

Just curious where or how you heard this info... Amtrak doesn't usually make announcements on the weekends. Is there a printed source somewhere? Was there some kind of special presentation in Fort Worth this weekend?

I'm guessing here, but the Eagle has a big support group in Texas. So there may well have been a meeting with that group and a few Amtrak employees, which the Chief attended.

Amtrak has made similar announcements about changes at these meetings before.

 

[Amtrak OBS Employee]

One thing is for sure! And I have first hand knowledge of this one fact! Amtrak has one of the "most impressive" rumor mills of any corporation I have ever been employed by. :lol: It is very hard to determine what may be fact and what is fiction. I can usually determine pretty well(as in my last career I was in retail managment) what is true and false. It does seem though, as if about 60-70% of the time, rumor ends up as fact. But rumors, as we all know, get more impressive as information is spread about from person to person. There was one time when a coworker got sick in route. He actually suffered a light heat stroke! But by the time the train reached the end of the trip at home base, the rumor mill had this guy out on medical leave for a serious heart attack (and he hadn't even gotten home yet)! :lol: <_< I am suprised they didn't have him "dead," and with the hearse waiting upon his arrival home! :lol:

 

[battalion51]

I still don't think it'll happen myself, not only due to the lack of equipment needed to do that, but also because no one on staff here in the east has heard anything about this. I'd say the rumor was probably started by some happy go lucky who wanted attention, or to break the ice in another forum.

 

[The Chief]

Just curious where or how you heard this info...

... Amtrak doesn't hold special presentations for this kind of stuff so I would guess it came from an on-board service employee or ticket agent.

Amfleet, bad guess.

The comments were made by two Amtrak management staffers, a District Mgr of Stations, and a Mgr of OBS.

It was a special presentation; they addressed the NARP/TX-ARP meeting.

To recap, many of us had read recent postings about the possible increase of frequency of the Sunset Limited.

My post provided Amtrak managerial information that noted that Sunset frequency increase is not going to happen. The info I provided is not from bargained-for* employees; it came from Amtrak management. These informed managers knew what they were speaking about, so this report is not a rumor.

jcollins, the meeting was in Fort Worth, Texas.

(* "bargained-for" would be like a ticket agent, or an on-board service employee)

Hope this helps. And maybe in five years we'll have a daily Sunset Ltd. <-not a rumor; is a hopeful statement