Risk of Acela being >20 minutes late?
Apr 8, 2016, 6:22 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
Risk of Acela being >20 minutes late?
I'm taking the 12:03pm NYP-BOS Acela tomorrow and have an unexpectedly tight schedule upon arrival. If the train is more than 20 minutes late, I'll have problems.
Unfortunately the Amtrak Delays site is no longer working. Should I be concerned about the train being more than 20 minutes late, or should I probably be fine?
Thanks.
Unfortunately the Amtrak Delays site is no longer working. Should I be concerned about the train being more than 20 minutes late, or should I probably be fine?
Thanks.
Apr 8, 2016, 6:44 am
#2
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: Amtrak Select Plus, Marriott Platinum, Marriott Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,123
I'm taking the 12:03pm NYP-BOS Acela tomorrow and have an unexpectedly tight schedule upon arrival. If the train is more than 20 minutes late, I'll have problems.
Unfortunately the Amtrak Delays site is no longer working. Should I be concerned about the train being more than 20 minutes late, or should I probably be fine?
Thanks.
Unfortunately the Amtrak Delays site is no longer working. Should I be concerned about the train being more than 20 minutes late, or should I probably be fine?
Thanks.
Apr 8, 2016, 7:20 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: PHL
Programs: AA(PPro), UA, AGR, BW(Plat), HH, WoH, MB(S)
Posts: 778
I'm taking the 12:03pm NYP-BOS Acela tomorrow and have an unexpectedly tight schedule upon arrival. If the train is more than 20 minutes late, I'll have problems.
Unfortunately the Amtrak Delays site is no longer working. Should I be concerned about the train being more than 20 minutes late, or should I probably be fine?
Thanks.
Unfortunately the Amtrak Delays site is no longer working. Should I be concerned about the train being more than 20 minutes late, or should I probably be fine?
Thanks.
Apr 8, 2016, 11:07 am
#5
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
I'm not sure statistics help you in a situation such as this. All it takes is one fault somewhere along the line and early becomes late. Has nothing to do with the time of day, the Acela or the weather.
It all depends on what happens if you are late. If it's a big deal, take the earlier train and wander around South Station a bit on arrival.
It all depends on what happens if you are late. If it's a big deal, take the earlier train and wander around South Station a bit on arrival.
Apr 8, 2016, 12:17 pm
#6
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: flyover country
Posts: 2,435
I assume you mean http://amtrakdelays.onlineschedulingsoftware.com/ when you say Amtrak Delays site. Yes, it appears defunct.
Look at Amtrak Status Maps Archive Database (ASMAD).
Of course, you are not interested in how all the other trains perform, only the one that you are on. The recommendation that you take an earlier train and spend some time in South Station is spot on.
Look at Amtrak Status Maps Archive Database (ASMAD).
Of course, you are not interested in how all the other trains perform, only the one that you are on. The recommendation that you take an earlier train and spend some time in South Station is spot on.
Apr 9, 2016, 3:02 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: MSY
Programs: BA GfL
Posts: 5,928
My long experience with Amtrak's NEC and Acela leads me to say the following: Acelas are almost always on time, but if an Acela is late, it's going to be more than 20 minutes late. A late Acela usually results from some serious problem with the line--major snowfall, an accident, or a major electrical failure. In those sorts of scenarios, even booking a train an hour or two earlier might not help, because it can take hours to get things sorted out.
Apr 9, 2016, 9:49 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: AGR Select Exec, MR Plat, B6 Mosaic, UA Silver
Posts: 47
I can second what was said above - the Acela is almost always on time or within 10 minutes, but when it's late it can be 60-90 minutes late.
Specifically, when I travel to Boston I usually take the 6:20 AM. I won't schedule a client meeting or appointment earlier than 11:30 if I absolutely have to be there. I've been delayed due to weather, a passenger strike, and power issues. If you absolutely have to be there you should allow at least an hour or more.
Specifically, when I travel to Boston I usually take the 6:20 AM. I won't schedule a client meeting or appointment earlier than 11:30 if I absolutely have to be there. I've been delayed due to weather, a passenger strike, and power issues. If you absolutely have to be there you should allow at least an hour or more.
Apr 10, 2016, 9:16 am
#9
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,098
I have also experienced Acela delays due to mechanical trouble with the train. For example, the Acela trains have a levelling system that allows them to go very fast even on curves, and if that breaks, the maximum speed is much lower. But they are pretty rare.
Apr 10, 2016, 9:32 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Toronto, NYC, somewhere on planet Earth
Programs: UA 1K, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 8,289
From experience, the 2 bottlenecks on the NEC seem to be the MetroNorth shared tracks and some work in the PA area. I was on an Acela from DC last month and I think the delay was about 40 minutes. Going to Boston, the worse was a 2 hr delay but in the past week, it looks like delays have been within 10 minutes.
Apr 10, 2016, 9:38 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Programs: American Airlines Platinum, National Executive
Posts: 3,790
Thanks, everybody--this advice was great. I ended up taking an earlier train...and the train that I was originally on ended up being 20 minutes late! The meeting I had to go to got delayed anyhow, but thanks to the advice above, I avoided a lot of stress due to a delayed train (I would have been totally stressed out all the way from New Haven north) and had a very nice day in the Boston area, with spare time beforehand.
Apr 10, 2016, 9:13 pm
#12
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: East Coast, USA
Posts: 1,032
Glad it worked out! Although Amtrak owns most of the NE Corridor rail line and Acela has the highest priority on the line, there is a gap in the line at NY/CT (Metro North). There, Amtrak trains may not have the priority over commuter trains.
https://www.amtrak.com/acela-express...lRouteOverview
https://www.amtrak.com/acela-express...lRouteOverview
Apr 11, 2016, 12:33 pm
#13
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: United Global Services, Amtrak Select Executive
Posts: 4,098
Glad it worked out! Although Amtrak owns most of the NE Corridor rail line and Acela has the highest priority on the line, there is a gap in the line at NY/CT (Metro North). There, Amtrak trains may not have the priority over commuter trains.
https://www.amtrak.com/acela-express...lRouteOverview
https://www.amtrak.com/acela-express...lRouteOverview
