Scheduled delays on Northeast Regional but not Acela?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,188
Scheduled delays on Northeast Regional but not Acela?
Planning on taking Amtrak from New York Penn to Baltimore next Tuesday. All of the Northeast Regional trains listed have red indicators,and advisory saying that they will be subject to delays due to signal work etc. No such indicators for the Acela trains. I phoned Amtrak and they say there are no such planned delays for Acela trains that day (same thing on other days in the near future). Could this be? We're arriving at JFK, and flights to BWI (Baltimore is a last-minute addition due to needed health exams) are very expensive and almost all with connections.
p.s. sorry, couldn't find how to delete. Checked further and found delays are only between Alexandria and Ridchmoned, thus no effect on Acela. We'll likely take a regular train but maybe biz class after 24 hours of travel. International flight arrivfes at 6:20a.m. May for 12:30 train. Likely taxi from JFK (not Air Train, etc.; I know my wife).
p.s. sorry, couldn't find how to delete. Checked further and found delays are only between Alexandria and Ridchmoned, thus no effect on Acela. We'll likely take a regular train but maybe biz class after 24 hours of travel. International flight arrivfes at 6:20a.m. May for 12:30 train. Likely taxi from JFK (not Air Train, etc.; I know my wife).
Last edited by SoCal; Jun 12, 2015 at 9:27 am Reason: errroneous info
#2
Ambassador, New England
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Maineiac, USA
Programs: Amtrak, WN RR, Choice
Posts: 2,655
While you found the specific answer for your case, it's not unprecedented to have NERs have delays but Acelas not due to giving top priority to Acela to try to keep them as on time as possible. This is so that it doesn't appear as though someone paid extra for Acela but it took just as long as an NER to get to their destination, which would easily drive people away from Acela.
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: n.y.c.
Posts: 13,988
+1 The Regionals frequently suffer delays in order to prioritize the Acela. Hence why Train #94 was on time only 18.2% of the time in June
It doesn't seem so. The table shows that source of most of the delays was on the Newport News - Washington segment, which is not served by Acela.
#6
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: CT/NYC Tri-state
Posts: 96
+1 The Regionals frequently suffer delays in order to prioritize the Acela. Hence why Train #94 was on time only 18.2% of the time in June
#7
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,098
My issue is if they hold 494 or not. It is so frustrating to get to new Haven to find your train left on time before 94 or their is a 2 hour delay and sit in the WORST train station ever with sabaro's crappy pizza because you can't leave to find they might have 494 run and accommodate customers for 94 on 148. I have mentioned this to Amtrak several times their needs to be better communications for 494's Connection. maybe one year we get a lounge in New Haven I can dream right?
UPDATE: Maybe I'm understanding better: You are saying that sometimes a departing train is delayed to allow you to make your connection when your incoming train is delayed, but sometimes it isn't?
#8
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: PSC
Programs: Hilton Diamond/IHG Platinum/DL Plutononium
Posts: 1,728
The statistics on the website state the following:
Train Interference: 40.8%
49.6% on CSX Corporation
33.8% on Amtrak
16.7% on Metro-North Railroad
Track and Signals: 26.6%
61.9% on CSX Corporation
35.8% on Amtrak
2.3% on Metro-North Railroad
Passenger: 11.1%
54.3% on CSX Corporation
40.5% on Amtrak
5.2% on Metro-North Railroad
Therefore, to tabulate the delays by railroad:
CSX =
61.9% x 49% = 20%
62% x 26% = 16%
54% x 11% = 6%
This totals 42%. So 58% of the time the delay is either on Amtrak or Metro North. I wonder how the schedule padding works into the delays, since Amtrak gives #94 Padding at Washington and New Haven (a whole 10 minutes that I've never gotten to see).
#9
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: PSC
Programs: Hilton Diamond/IHG Platinum/DL Plutononium
Posts: 1,728
My issue is if they hold 494 or not. It is so frustrating to get to new Haven to find your train left on time before 94 or their is a 2 hour delay and sit in the WORST train station ever with sabaro's crappy pizza because you can't leave to find they might have 494 run and accommodate customers for 94 on 148. I have mentioned this to Amtrak several times their needs to be better communications for 494's Connection. maybe one year we get a lounge in New Haven I can dream right?
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: n.y.c.
Posts: 13,988
The statistics on the website state the following:
Train Interference: 40.8%
49.6% on CSX Corporation
33.8% on Amtrak
16.7% on Metro-North Railroad
Track and Signals: 26.6%
61.9% on CSX Corporation
35.8% on Amtrak
2.3% on Metro-North Railroad
Passenger: 11.1%
54.3% on CSX Corporation
40.5% on Amtrak
5.2% on Metro-North Railroad
Therefore, to tabulate the delays by railroad:
CSX =
61.9% x 49% = 20%
62% x 26% = 16%
54% x 11% = 6%
This totals 42%. So 58% of the time the delay is either on Amtrak or Metro North. I wonder how the schedule padding works into the delays, since Amtrak gives #94 Padding at Washington and New Haven (a whole 10 minutes that I've never gotten to see).
Train Interference: 40.8%
49.6% on CSX Corporation
33.8% on Amtrak
16.7% on Metro-North Railroad
Track and Signals: 26.6%
61.9% on CSX Corporation
35.8% on Amtrak
2.3% on Metro-North Railroad
Passenger: 11.1%
54.3% on CSX Corporation
40.5% on Amtrak
5.2% on Metro-North Railroad
Therefore, to tabulate the delays by railroad:
CSX =
61.9% x 49% = 20%
62% x 26% = 16%
54% x 11% = 6%
This totals 42%. So 58% of the time the delay is either on Amtrak or Metro North. I wonder how the schedule padding works into the delays, since Amtrak gives #94 Padding at Washington and New Haven (a whole 10 minutes that I've never gotten to see).
The page lists the top three categories of delays, which total 78.5%. The majority of those delays (42%) occur on CSX.