Originally Posted by
wintersummer
I've heard that the Empire Builder has been stopped in places in Minnesota because of flooding and wash-out of tracks. Info is that buses are being used. I've been eagerly planning my first train trip on the Empire Builder, using the very helpful advice on this and other boards.
I'm now trying to make contingency plans based on this information. Here are my questions (based on fact I really don't want to ride bus from Minneapolis to Chicago):
1. How do I find out if EB is running in specific places?
2. How far in advance does Amtrak know? For instance, I'll take EB from Sea to MSP. Will I only find out when we reach MSP that we're getting on buses OR will I know that when we leave SEA?
3. If I decide to jump-ship (I guess, jump-train?) in MSP, do I get refund for portion of trip on buses? I'm thinking that if remainder of trip is on bus, I might just attempt to fly home from MSP.
4. Is bus rerouting just for portion of trip OR is the entire MSP-SEA leg of trip?
5. What's the best source to find out information? I'm leaving for SEA tomorrow and will not have computer access. Who should I call?
I'm sure I'll be back with more questions as day progresses. Any help would be appreciated!
Frankly, I think the best thing you can do is to not worry about it right now. Enjoy your trip to Seattle (I'm assuming you're going to visit and not to turn right around and come back), and the day before the departure, call Amtrak to see what the current status is. Even if they're still bussing passengers, do consider the possibility. The scenery is nice but not nearly as spectacular as other parts of the trip by rail, and it's a fairly short stretch during the morning and early afternoon.
The only scenario where I'd be hard-nosed with Amtrak would be if you were in a sleeper and had to take the bus. If that happens, make sure they give you cash for lunch (and breakfast, if it's not being served on the train), and call Amtrak when the trip is over to ask for a refund (or travel voucher) for the Minneapolis-Chicago portion of the sleeper fare (which should be between $72 and $218, depending on when you booked and how full the train was at the time of booking).
I had a trip on the Zephyr two years ago that had the most scenic portion torpedoed by a rock slide the day before we were to be in the area. Amtrak ended up bussing us around it as a result, and despite the loss of scenery (something I want to go back and see), I have to admit that I had quite an enjoyable time on the bus since it was a short day trip. We stopped for lunch on the way and they DID NOT give the sleeper pax any money for food. I called Amtrak when the trip was over and was refunded the full cost of the sleeper (for the whole trip!) without even asking; I just explained what happened.
So again, my advice is to RELAX, enjoy Seattle, call Amtrak a day ahead of time to see what the latest situation is (you may find that the train is being detoured or is back in service, negating the need for a bus for you), and just enjoy your trip. You're not looking at a nighttime bus ride, and it's fairly short. Again, if you're in sleeper, just consider calling and asking to be refunded the sleeper portion that you missed and any food they didn't cover.
-Rafi