Where IS this piece o' railroad?

Question

Amtrak is a constant topic here 'bouts. Amongst the strongest criticisms where on time preformance is concerned, I keep hearing all of these tales of woe, regarding Amtrak trains consistently being dumped in the hole for conflicting freight operations.

Granted, I've been off the seat box for a while, and I don't really know much about eastern railroading, but where in the h**l is this happening?

If I had a dollar for every minute I spent staked out for the Coast Starlight and other passenger operations (eg, Specials [up to 3 hours or more at times and not all that infrequent])), I'd be wealthy beyond imagination.

So, is this merely misperception or are there any eastern rails here that can verify or discount this?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I don't know about other areas, but I go to school in Buffalo and live about 3 hours (just look at my username for a clue as to where that might be) and I take Amtrak all of the time. In fact I'm taking it tomorrow to Syracuse. In all of the many time that I've taken the train I have been delayed due to a freight train once. Maybe other areas have more problems, but I find that hard to believe since Buffalo has a lot of freight traffic to Canada...

Answer 2

Yup, I hear ya there

I just spent half an hour waitng for #7 to get gone and then 45 minutes waiting for #8, and this was a good night.

If Amtrak is late, I can pretty much promise you it is NOT because of freight trains inthe way unless they are experiencing mechanical difficulties.

But maybe in the eastern world it is different, they DO run on those  funny time zones ya know.

Answer 3

I operate on a line in Virginia that predates the Civil War.  On this line I typically run empty coal trains about 7600 feet long.  Most of the sidings are only 3500 feet.  I typically stop on the main line and wait for Amtrak to go into the siding.  I then procede and Amtrak leaves the siding after I go by.  I am never allowed in front of Amtrak going in the same direction.  This is the Amtrak Cardinal that runs 3 days a week.

Answer 4

The information I've gleaned from several TRAINS articles is that the Amtraks aren't being stabbed for freights _per se_, but that all trains are being dragged down by congestion.  

In other words Amtrak and the Q train get stuck behind a coal drag, normally the dispatcher would throw the drag into the next siding and let the hotshots pass, but all the sidings are full for 200 miles.

I have seen some truly screwball manoeuvers done on the Shasta line to expedite Amtrak, including having 2 freight trains saw-by in a siding to let Amtrak by.  That had to delay those freight crews significantly.

Answer 5

I haven't ridden Amtrak (California Capitols Corridor) in a number of years, but I ride the ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) several times a month, and have NEVER been late / delayed by freight operations over the 80+ miles of UP track that ACE runs on.

I HAVE however been standing at San Jose Diridon Station listening to announcements from Amtrak that some of THEIR trains are delayed... 2, 4, 8 hours... though no cause is ever mentioned.

Answer 6

I can share a bit of experience with the Auto Train, which as you likely know operates from Lorton, Virginia to Sanford, Florida along the CSX.  It seems to get priority attention from the CSX dispatchers, who treat it as a hot freight, moving it around other traffic as well as they can.  Since it operates as a unit and only has one stop--in Florence for refueling and change of head-end crew and conductors, it's easy for CSX to keep it on schedule, short of a freight derailment that ties up the track.