It appears that due to the storm in the PNW, train 7 Empire Builder was canceled 1/7/24
Winter Storm 2024 cancellations
- Thread starter pennyk
- Start date
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The cancellation has been the subject of derision on the Empire Builder facebook group. I looked at the weather for Essex, Montana and decided that cancellation seemed a reasonable choice to me, with the snow and wind in the forecast. I've waited in Browning for the remains of just such a storm to be cleared. It was a mess.
The only thing I don't understand is why they didn't cancel the train that left CHI today, as well. I'm grateful they didn't, however, because I am booked on the return trip, #28 out of Wishram on Wednesday. I'm watching with great interest to see how it does on Marias Pass tomorrow night.
I will try and report in from the journey, depending on cell service.
I was booked on Train 28 on the 9th and was going to fly to Portland to catch it. Luckily with the 7 cancellation on the 7th, we got notified by Amtrak and I was able to rebook on the Southwest limited. But Chicago is supposed to get the snow on Thu/Fri. Will be a nice to be in the snow for a change.
skylar
Train Attendant
Hopefully is just a day or two, unlike Dec 2022 when it was canceled for 9 days...
I can understand Amtrak being conservative, though - rescuing a train in the middle of MT or ND during an emergency is probably a nightmare for the people who actually have to do the logistics.
That was another one of my trips... when I got the third cancellation (having rebooked twice), I asked to be switched to the CZ. I was not the only person on my train who had done that.
I can't do that this time, so I sure hope I don't get put off too many days (three is my limit on this trip).
JWM
Service Attendant
I have to cringe at what cancels Amtrak trains today. Did the Great Northern cancel the "Builder" in similar conditions? Most likely not.
Believe it or not, blizzard warnings in Washington and Oregon are relatively rare, despite the significant snowfalls in the mountains. But they have issued one for later this week, due to the potential for 50 mph winds in addition to heavy snowfall. While trains can get through where motor vehicles can't, blizzard conditions with high winds will stop them. We almost booked the EB for this week in place of visiting our daughter and family for Christmas, but because of other obligations, decided on booking in March instead. Feeling pretty good about that decision at the moment...
I'll have my fingers crossed for oregon pioneer's trip back from Wishram!
I'll have my fingers crossed for oregon pioneer's trip back from Wishram!
IIRC, they rarely canceled, but they did do a lot of expedient things, like combining two days' trains, or the Western Star missing SP&S Train 3 in Spokane, but connecting instead to SP&S Train 1, and so forth. The NP and UP in the Northwest did the same thing. I know that the GN had problems with wet baggage and express caused by wind-driven snow getting into the head-end cars and then melting.
"The mail must go through!" I'm not sure who first said that, but my father would mutter it when there were big storms or floods. Some of the do or die railroading was due to the mail contracts. At times the GN was probably more considered with getting the third-level train, the Fast Mail, through.
I was stationed at Grand Forks AFB,ND from 1972-75. Many of the crew members were ex GN or NP on the North Coast Hiawatha. The Empire Builder or NCH were rarely cancelled and were the only public transportation moving. In 1975 we had several blizzards where Greyhound or the airlines were not running, but the trains were coming through.
Siegmund
Lead Service Attendant
You can put me down for derision, at least for 27/7 and for cancelling it several days in advance. I would have a lot more sympathy if they decided not to send out 27/9 or 27/10.
So far we've had a little bit of snow, but not a ton of wind or cold, in Montana. I would be MUCH more worried about a train getting through tomorrow or the day after (blowing snow after the storm finishes -- not that it looks like a huge dump of snow), and about it suffering freezeups or even broken rails during the cold snap which will be at its worst Friday night.
So far we've had a little bit of snow, but not a ton of wind or cold, in Montana. I would be MUCH more worried about a train getting through tomorrow or the day after (blowing snow after the storm finishes -- not that it looks like a huge dump of snow), and about it suffering freezeups or even broken rails during the cold snap which will be at its worst Friday night.
Not the same winter storm, but a bunch of cancellations on the NEC due to a pretty stiff windy rainstorm up and down the east. Or so they said. I was out walking in DC at lunch today, and while it was raining a lot, it didn't seem unusually intense. My train home this evening was cancelled, and I'm waiting for the next one.
There was one proactive cancellation of the Wolverine, in both directions, today but it didn't even make sense from a weather perspective so it must have something to do with equipment and crew scheduling.
Saw on CNN some pretty crazy weather in the southeast, but they've boarded the Meteor here in DC, and they're showing the Palmetto coming up from the south as being on time into DC. On the other hand, the lounge attendant said the the Crescent that went out tonight is being truncated in Atlanta.
The yearly track work below Atlanta
I was scratching my head at the degree of cancellations of things. Most meetings, etc. cancelled for tonight.
Don't get me wrong, we got probably two inches of rain and some wind, and some people lost power here and there...but it hardly seems like it was worth as much of a reaction as it's been getting.
I bet the riders stuck on these 3 southbound trains last night wish they had been cancelled. The delays were due to flooding in Baltimore. At least they were being held at stations (ABE & WIL) so they could leave the trains and find alternative transportation.
I heard 176(9) was stuck in MD for almost 5 hours, and not at a station, due to water getting into the engine and bringing it to a halt.
This delayed 184(9) by about an hour. Luckily it occurred during a slow period of the day.
This delayed 184(9) by about an hour. Luckily it occurred during a slow period of the day.
There is also flooding reported between Providence and Pawtucket RI which so far is only affecting MBTA commuter trains ( bus bridge). So far no Amtrak trains scheduled as it looks like the early Acela departures from Boston were canceled (although I could not find an alert specifying this)
Update: looks like 2153, 2155, and 95 are all on their way out of Boston but with delays.
Update: looks like 2153, 2155, and 95 are all on their way out of Boston but with delays.
Boy,
Boy, I dodged a bullet. I got home on 198, arrived about 840 pm, more or less on time. The drive home was fine, too. A couple of the creeks along the way were getting close to bankfull, but they had a few more feet before they hit flood stage. My basement was flooded, though.
Looks like 2153 and 2155 are both stopped in Pawtucket.
west point
Engineer
IMO Amtrak was smart in the NEC cancellations. A check showed no train sold out in any class today. Enough seats so persons who still wanted to travel could with plenty of notice just change time. That also allows for the few Amtrak personnel that may have trouble reporting for duty. Note all LD trains are operating out of NYP.
moselman66
Train Attendant
Yeah, they proactively did a bunch of winter cancels wtihin the Midwest days ahead of the storm but at least some of it was a bust. Lake Michigan kept snow along the Hiawatha route to at best 2" but the previously-planned reductions stood.
For what it's worth the storm heading for the same part of the Midwest for Friday seems stronger than the last and so far they have not made similar cuts that I've noticed out of Chicago.
west point
Engineer
Coast Starlight #14 not showing in reservations from LAX until Jan 15th which is sold out in coach.
west point
Engineer
Yeah, the southbounds got quite delayed near PVD after leaving BOS late. Keep in mind this is after some southbounds were already canceled. Not to mention the mess of the Empire Service so far today.
Yes, this was a big storm with lots of wind and flooding, but this response isn't sustainable. These storms are already getting stronger and more frequent, and will only continue to do so. Amtrak needs to do contingency planning.
