Amtrak Guest Rewards - Checking Arrivals on line

Is it possible to check online if a train is on time? I don't see anything on the Amtrak site.

Cheers,
Pogopossum

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

On Amtrak's mobile site, it's "Check Train Status."

Wow, talk about looking but not seeing! There's a big tab labeled "Status" right next to "Tickets" and "Schedules" on the home page. :eek:

Good Grief,
Pogopossum

Speaking of that, my train arrived at or before schedule on both ends of my trip. In between there were late arrivals. But somehow they managed to be on time at the end. So I was lucky I wasn't at one of those interim stops. I wonder if out there in the prairie passengers have a smartphone app to get updates on a late train.

Speaking of that, my train arrived at or before schedule on both ends of my trip. In between there were late arrivals. But somehow they managed to be on time at the end. So I was lucky I wasn't at one of those interim stops. I wonder if out there in the prairie passengers have a smartphone app to get updates on a late train.There's some schedule padding going on there. The Empire Builder is allotted 52 minutes to travel the 10 miles between Vancouver, WA, and Portland, OR.

On the Seattle end, 1h 15 minutes on the timetable for the last 17 miles.

If you can text on a cell phone, you can call 41411 with the following text message....(amtrakstatus) (station) (train no).....example amtrakstatus msp 8 will get you the arrival/departure time of the Eastbound Empire Builder at Minneapolis.

If you can text on a cell phone, you can call 41411 with the following text message....(amtrakstatus) (station) (train no).....example amtrakstatus msp 8 will get you the arrival/departure time of
the Eastbound Empire Builder at Minneapolis.

Slick. The buses in Portland carry gps. The bus STOPS have numeric IDs. If you send a text to 27299 with the numeric ID of your stop, it gives an accurate number of minutes till the bus on that route arrives where you are standing. This seems like the most useful application of mobile telephony I've heard of yet (understanding that I haven't heard of 1 percent of the apps that phones can do).
http://trimet.org/index.htm

You can also use the automated system at 1-800-USA-RAIL to get status for a train.

Slick. The buses in Portland carry gps. The bus STOPS have numeric IDs. If you send a text to 27299 with the numeric ID of your stop, it gives an accurate number of minutes till the bus on that route arrives where you are standing. This seems like the most useful application of mobile telephony I've heard of yet (understanding that I haven't heard of 1 percent of the apps that phones can do).

Even better -- in Portland and some other cities(I've also done it in San Francisco and Los Angeles), if you have a smartphone with GPS, you don't even need the text message and the numeric ID; you can just point the phone's browser to the appropriate website, and it uses the phone's GPS to automatically show the info for the closest few bus stops.

Which is related to two other ways to get Amtrak train status using a mobile phone: either via the mobile version of Amtrak.com (on any phone that can access it), or through the Amtrak app on the iPhone.

I've generally found that when trains get super delayed (2-3 hours) the website starts to display a "Service Disruption" message with no further updates.

So, in other words, it works, except when you really need it to. ;)

Even better -- in Portland and some other cities(I've also done it in San Francisco and Los Angeles), if you have a smartphone with GPS, you don't even need the text message and the numeric ID; you can just point the phone's browser to the appropriate website, and it uses the phone's GPS to automatically show the info for the closest few bus stops.

Which is related to two other ways to get Amtrak train status using a mobile phone: either via the mobile version of Amtrak.com (on any phone that can access it), or through the Amtrak app on the iPhone.

I won't say that isn't slick, but the method I described can be used by any phone. Doesn't have to be a certain type with advanced technology. But I do think in a short while there may be bar code stickers at stops to be read so that you can get an instant display of the wait you face. Gonna happen. No doubt in my mind.

Speaking of which, have there ever been Groupon discounts for Amtrak?

I've generally found that when trains get super delayed (2-3 hours) the website starts to display a "Service Disruption" message with no further updates.

So, in other words, it works, except when you really need it to. ;)

That's not really true. "Service Disruption" occurs when there is some anomaly to the service that can't be communicated through the automated system (such as a detour that bypasses scheduled stops; a truncation with bus substitution, etc.).

Simply running late (even very late) in and of itself does not cause a "Service Disruption" message to appear.

That's not really true. "Service Disruption" occurs when there is some anomaly to the service that can't be communicated through the automated system (such as a detour that bypasses scheduled stops; a truncation with bus substitution, etc.).

Simply running late (even very late) in and of itself does not cause a "Service Disruption" message to appear.Well, in my experience, simply running late has caused a "Service Disruption" message. Yes - several times.

Well, in my experience, simply running late has caused a "Service Disruption" message. Yes - several times.

"A" may be correlated with "B" but does not imply causation. I have seen the status function work with very late trains. Maybe it sometimes doesn't, but certainly not always.

I wonder if Amtrak doesn't tweet these service disruptions. In recent months, I've seen warnings on Twitter a number of times.

"A" may be correlated with "B" but does not imply causation. I have seen the status function work with very late trains. Maybe it sometimes doesn't, but certainly not always.That's not quite what I was arguing. The claim was made that a train that's simply late can't show up as a "Service Disruption" on Amtrak's website, and I do not believe that to be true, that's all.

That's not quite what I was arguing. The claim was made that a train that's simply late can't show up as a "Service Disruption" on Amtrak's website, and I do not believe that to be true, that's all.

But I think the passenger will take that to mean that they have a considerable cushion of time before they risk missing the train. I saw a lot of Empire Builder passengers enter the station in the last half hour. The Amtrak says check your bags more than 30 minutes before scheduled departure. More people took all their luggage with them into the car than checked them, allowing them to cut it really close. I don't know the record for ontime departure on Empire Builder, but if it leaves late a high percentage of the time, that makes veteran passengers not want to show up an hour early. But the ability to monitor trains that are close to on schedule is important. But if I were sitting at home and saw "Service Disruption", I definitely wouldn't take off for the station. I'd want to see a meaningful minutes to arrival entry before I got on my way.

So the difference between "service disruption" and "x minutes" is pretty important. After all, this isn't an airport.

But I think the passenger will take that to mean that they have a considerable cushion of time before they risk missing the train. I saw a lot of Empire Builder passengers enter the station in the last half hour. The Amtrak says check your bags more than 30 minutes before scheduled departure. More people took all their luggage with them into the car than checked them, allowing them to cut it really close. I don't know the record for ontime departure on Empire Builder, but if it leaves late a high percentage of the time, that makes veteran passengers not want to show up an hour early. But the ability to monitor trains that are close to on schedule is important. But if I were sitting at home and saw "Service Disruption", I definitely wouldn't take off for the station. I'd want to see a meaningful minutes to arrival entry before I got on my way.

So the difference between "service disruption" and "x minutes" is pretty important. After all, this isn't an airport.So, you go to Amtrak's website, and you want to know what where your train is.

The website says Service Disruption. And no, it's not because a train got re-routed and/or Amtrak is now putting pax on a bus. The train is simply, just late. (This happens from time to time.)

How does this, to use your words, give you "a considerable cushion of time"?

So, you go to Amtrak's website, and you want to know what where your train is.

The website says Service Disruption. And no, it's not because a train got re-routed and/or Amtrak is now putting pax on a bus. The train is simply, just late. (This happens from time to time.)

How does this, to use your words, give you "a considerable cushion of time"?

Because if they had any clue what time it would arrive, they could say that time.

But if I were sitting at home and saw "Service Disruption", I definitely wouldn't take off for the station. I'd want to see a meaningful minutes to arrival entry before I got on my way.

So the difference between "service disruption" and "x minutes" is pretty important. After all, this isn't an airport.
Actually, I have seen trains in Florida run "on time" when the web site said "service disruption". In this case the train "Silver Star" which had been delayed, was skipping scheduled stops in Lakeland and Tampa in order to get back on schedule. Busses were being substituted to get passengers to/from those stops. So "schedule disruption" ready means "call in to find out what is really happening - don't just assume the train will be late to your stop.

Actually, I have seen trains in Florida run "on time" when the web site said "service disruption". In this case the train "Silver Star" which had been delayed, was skipping scheduled stops in Lakeland and Tampa in order to get back on schedule. Busses were being substituted to get passengers to/from those stops. So "schedule disruption" ready means "call in to find out what is really happening - don't just assume the train will be late to your stop.

So you'd say anything but an Amtrak person on the phone is baloney?

Because if they had any clue what time it would arrive, they could say that time.
The "Service Disruption" message means that, for some reason, the on-line train status system has no report on the train. The train could be cancelled, it could be detoured, or it could be using a substitute bus service for all or part of the route. Any of those situations take the train off the web status system. Late trains, even trains very, very late, are usually in the system and do not show as a SD. If a late train is shown as a SD, then there is probably some reason other than simply being late.

On the other hand, if a train is shown as a SD, it does not necessarily mean it is running late. Bus substitutions and detours do not always result in the train leaving down-the-line stations late. Just because the web site shows SD does not mean Amtrak does not know the status. The limitations with the web train status simply cannot show the times. Basically, if a train is shown in a SD and you need to know the actual status, you should call Amtrak and find out. It may be cancelled, it may be very late due to a detour or bus segment, or it may be exactly on-time despite some anomaly earlier in the trip. If you assume that a train shown in a SD is simply late and that Amtrak will post times as soon as they know the times, you would be wrong.

So you'd say anything but an Amtrak person on the phone is baloney?
For "service disruption", I think that's pretty much true. I''ve also seen it mean train completely cancelled, when an ice storm in Virginia completely blocked the track cancelling Florida service for a couple of days or when hurricanes threatened Florida causing trains to be halted short of the state.

Any of those situations take the train off the web status system.

But wouldn't make it late?

But wouldn't make it late?
See my earlier comment for a example of a bus substitution that would NOT make a train late. I also suspect that the web site has no capability to indicate "service disruption" for just SOME stations while preserving estimated arrival/departure times at other station downline.

I checked the train from Chicago to Reno. Said 3 hours late. Actually, that wouldn't really hurt me, so long as the departure from Chicago was on time. Once I'm on the train and rolling, things get pretty relaxed about when I arrive. That would be true anywhere if I was on a rail pass because I wouldnt be making a connection immediately when I detrained anyway.