Tracks blocked between Quantico and Alexandria

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Joined
Apr 5, 2011
Messages
6,090
Location
Baltimore. MD
I'm sitting on northbound 80 just outside the Quantico Station. We stopped at the station, let people off, and then we backed up a couple oh hundred feet. Then we were told there are downed trees on the tracks (from some T storms that passed through earlier) and nobody is going anywhere until the mess is cleared. Train crew isn't giving an estimate of how long this is going to take. I guess this is going to really mess up rushour VRE service.
 
Conductor got on the PA and more or less told us to contact Customer Relations after the trip for some undescribed consideration. Guess a voucher is coming my way soon.

Not just VRE is affted. Auto train also didn't get out in time, and of course any other Virginia service.
 
We have some more info. Two blockages, one at Woodbridge, the other at Lorton. Crews are at the site working. Three regionals plus the Auto Train plus VRE trains north of the blockage. We have 90 and 66 backed up behind us, plus CSX freight trains in both directions. I wonder how they'll set dispatching priorities once they clear the blockage.

BC attendant is talking about taking out the emergency snack packs. No Amstew on this train. Maybe the Marines at Quantico could do a disaster relief drill and pass out MREs.
 
We have some more info. Two blockages, one at Woodbridge, the other at Lorton. Crews are at the site working. Three regionals plus the Auto Train plus VRE trains north of the blockage. We have 90 and 66 backed up behind us, plus CSX freight trains in both directions. I wonder how they'll set dispatching priorities once they clear the blockage.

BC attendant is talking about taking out the emergency snack packs. No Amstew on this train. Maybe the Marines at Quantico could do a disaster relief drill and pass out MREs.

90 was running 90 minutes down out of RVR. 66 is 20 minutes down out of Ashland. Depending on how CSX does getting trains moving again it may not be that bad for those two.

It seems like 53 and 125 are also caught in this mess.

It was already covered that the Auto Train hadn't left LOR yet. ;)
 
We're stopped again 10 miles out from ALX and guess what, conductor says there are more trees down. Who knows when we get in. Way to go CSX! I guess you can save money by not paying people to take put trees and letting the storms do it. :)
 
We're still stpped long enough to let one southbound freight go by and now a northbound freight just passed us. Obviously at least some tracks are open. We've been sitting long enough that if they just let us procced directly, we'd have been in Union Station long ago and out of they way of any freight trains.
 
Personally I wouldn’t be calling Amtrak for a voucher. This is something that is on CSX. NOT Amtrak. Downed trees are out of any railroads control.

Oh, so CSX will give me a voucher to ride hobo class in a boxcar the next time I want to take a ride down the A Line?

As the lady said on my trip down, "Next time I'll take a freight train."
 
This is not my all time record Amtrak delay. That was a 10 (or mabe it was 10.5) hour delay on the Capitol Limited in 2007 due to winter weather tying up the NS main line in Indiana. However, I think it does beat the time in 2011 when the HHP8 on 67 conked out in 12 F weather between rt 128 and Providence, and they took us back to Boston and we hung out on the hard metal seats in the South Station waiting room foe a couple of hours. At least the wifi was working even if the station was closed.

Of course, we're nowhere near Baltimore yet, we not even in Washington, just pulling into Alexandria.
 
Oh, so CSX will give me a voucher to ride hobo class in a boxcar the next time I want to take a ride down the A Line?

As the lady said on my trip down, "Next time I'll take a freight train."

You obviously missed my point. That somethings are out of Amtrak’s control and the host Railroads control. Down trees due to extreme weather conditions is one of them.

Why do you feel that you’re entitled to some compensation for something that is out of Amtrak’s control and CSX’s control?
 
Personally I wouldn’t be calling Amtrak for a voucher. This is something that is on CSX. NOT Amtrak. Downed trees are out of any railroads control.

Limited duration vouchers cost Amtrak next to nothing in avoidable expenses, but they do create a paper trail which can be referenced during the next congressional hearing or contract negotiation.
 
Do airlines give vouchers for flights delayed or cancelled due to weather. NOPE! Why should Amtrak?

Do modern passenger railroads in countries like France, Germany, and Japan routinely suffer multiple hours of weather delays? Not in my experience. So why should Amtrak? If CSX isn't taking care of business make a paper trail and then push them to either improve performance or suffer some sort of consequence. Showing a material "loss" through vouchers is a simple and easy way to bolster your case. You're not really arguing with me anyway; you're arguing with Amtrak's own conductors. If you don't want anyone receiving a voucher for weather related delays maybe you should take it up with them.
 
You obviously missed my point. That somethings are out of Amtrak’s control and the host Railroads control. Down trees due to extreme weather conditions is one of them.

Why do you feel that you’re entitled to some compensation for something that is out of Amtrak’s control and CSX’s control?

Because Amtrak has given me vouchers in the past for delays that were out of their control. and the conductor and car attendant were advising us to do do in this case. It costs them little out of picket and generates needed goodwill.

Oh, and some of the delay was under control, as in not having fresh conductors readily available.
 
Do modern passenger railroads in countries like France, Germany, and Japan routinely suffer multiple hours of weather delays? Not in my experience. So why should Amtrak? If CSX isn't taking care of business make a paper trail and then push them to either improve performance or suffer some sort of consequence. Showing financial "loss" through vouchers is a cheap and easy way to bolster your case. You're not really arguing with me anyway; you're arguing with Amtrak's own conductors. If you don't want anyone receiving a voucher maybe you should take it up with them.
Do airlines give vouchers for flights delayed or cancelled due to weather. NOPE! Why should Amtrak?
Amtrak isn't an airline.

Anyway, airlines USED to give compensation for delays, even those that weren't their fault. I really don't think the current business model of the airlines is anything to emulate.
 
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