Why is the 8 always later than the 7

[going to the sun sue]

Hello to all...Got a question..how come the eb 7 going out usually runs 1 or 2 hours late going out to montana..but the 8 leaving staples minn..runs 6 to 8 hours late..aren't they running on the same track line? Going out to Essex on the 26th.. Thanks so much :giggle:

 

[NY Penn]

Okay...

Suppose that #7 leaves CHI on time.

It travels through flooded areas and arrives at Seattle a few hours late. However, #8 cannot leave SEA until the train has been cleaned, restocked, and maintained. Therefore, #8 starts a few hours late and only loses more time along the way.

This domino effect (usually) stops in Chicago because the train stays there for around 20 hours. Usually that's more than enough.