Anything more reliable than Amtrak's Status Page
Nov 21, 2014, 12:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2008
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Anything more reliable than Amtrak's Status Page
Is there a site which provides a more reliable status of a service? Amtrak's Status page does not appear to be that reliable.
Their page shows the Maple Leaf (64) is 11 minutes ahead of schedule for arriving at Penn Station. When I checked the status for arrival at Rochester, it arrived 34 minutes late.
Are the schedules buffered to allow the train to make up time? Is the status page not programmed to automatically update the estimated times for the later train stations?
Their page shows the Maple Leaf (64) is 11 minutes ahead of schedule for arriving at Penn Station. When I checked the status for arrival at Rochester, it arrived 34 minutes late.
Are the schedules buffered to allow the train to make up time? Is the status page not programmed to automatically update the estimated times for the later train stations?
From Toronto:
NFL - Arrived: On time
BFX - Arrived: 7 min late
BUF - Arrived: 9 min late
ROC - Arrived: 34 min late
ROM - Estimated: 21 min late
UCA - Estimated: 31 min late
AMS - Estimated: 24 min late
SDY - Estimated: On time
ALB - Estimated: On time
HUD - Estimated: On time
RHI - Estimated: On time
POU - Estimated: On time
CRT - Estimated: On time
YNY - Estimated: On time
NYP - Estimated: 11 min early
NFL - Arrived: On time
BFX - Arrived: 7 min late
BUF - Arrived: 9 min late
ROC - Arrived: 34 min late
ROM - Estimated: 21 min late
UCA - Estimated: 31 min late
AMS - Estimated: 24 min late
SDY - Estimated: On time
ALB - Estimated: On time
HUD - Estimated: On time
RHI - Estimated: On time
POU - Estimated: On time
CRT - Estimated: On time
YNY - Estimated: On time
NYP - Estimated: 11 min early
Nov 21, 2014, 3:08 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
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Yes.
The buffering kills that prospect.
Frankly, people who are wound tightly on the subject of on-time performance just shouldn't plan on riding non-Acela Amtrak, IMHO. Persons with a more relaxed attitude can plan on the train being late and form connections and expectations accordingly.
Frankly, people who are wound tightly on the subject of on-time performance just shouldn't plan on riding non-Acela Amtrak, IMHO. Persons with a more relaxed attitude can plan on the train being late and form connections and expectations accordingly.
Nov 21, 2014, 10:33 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: FLL
Programs: AA Gold 1MM
Posts: 1,212
There are basically two schedules with passenger train operations. The first is the public timetable. This contains the published arrival and departure times for every location a train will stop to receive and discharge passengers. Whether in printed form or checking train status online, the public timetable is what you'll see.
The second "schedule" isn't so much a schedule but a list of the actual running times between any two points. (These points don't always have to be stations stops. There are additional "check points" between many, but not all, stations the computer uses to update arrival and departure times as the train progresses.) The actual running time is just that - the actual travel time between two points with no delays for speed restrictions, maintenance activities, meeting or passing other trains, weather, etc.
Let's say the public timetable lists the time between "A" and "B" as 60 minutes, but the actual running time is 52 minutes. If the train is late, it has the opportunity to make up 8 minutes. If on-time with no en-route delays, the train will arrive 8 minutes early.
It is important to note the computer will always calculate arrival times using the actual running time. There are some stations that have LOTS of extra time in the public timetable to make up for en-route delays. It would be quite embarrassing if the train departed station "A" one hour late, the computer said the train would depart "B" one hour late, but it actually leaves "B" just 15 minutes late. Now you have a lot of unhappy passengers arriving after their train left. Of course, they won't be happy with a one hour late train either, but at least they are on board.
The second "schedule" isn't so much a schedule but a list of the actual running times between any two points. (These points don't always have to be stations stops. There are additional "check points" between many, but not all, stations the computer uses to update arrival and departure times as the train progresses.) The actual running time is just that - the actual travel time between two points with no delays for speed restrictions, maintenance activities, meeting or passing other trains, weather, etc.
Let's say the public timetable lists the time between "A" and "B" as 60 minutes, but the actual running time is 52 minutes. If the train is late, it has the opportunity to make up 8 minutes. If on-time with no en-route delays, the train will arrive 8 minutes early.
It is important to note the computer will always calculate arrival times using the actual running time. There are some stations that have LOTS of extra time in the public timetable to make up for en-route delays. It would be quite embarrassing if the train departed station "A" one hour late, the computer said the train would depart "B" one hour late, but it actually leaves "B" just 15 minutes late. Now you have a lot of unhappy passengers arriving after their train left. Of course, they won't be happy with a one hour late train either, but at least they are on board.
Nov 22, 2014, 8:34 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2005
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I like this site
http://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/status/StatusMaps/
(maybe this is worth a wiki?)
Bob H
http://dixielandsoftware.net/Amtrak/status/StatusMaps/
(maybe this is worth a wiki?)
Bob H
Nov 24, 2014, 9:18 pm
#6
Original Poster
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