Going cross country
Apr 15, 2023, 8:49 pm
#16
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They have an endless list of delays.
Did you know that they run on freight lines owned by the freight carrier railways? This means that the AMTRAK trains often park in the sidings to let the long freight trains pass them by!
Apr 16, 2023, 8:30 am
#17
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The reason that Amtrak lets the freight trains pass is because that train, going in the OPPOSITE direction, is too long for any of the sidings and there is no other way for them to pass. You will never see a freight train going in the SAME direction, pass an Amtrak train in a siding.
Last edited by zdcatc12; Apr 16, 2023 at 8:31 am Reason: Grammar
Apr 16, 2023, 8:38 am
#18
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Come on. Compared to Amtrak, the NYC subway has newer equipment and newer stations, and the staff is minimal so the chance of a run-in with a staff member on the NYC is relatively low. Let’s not trash-talk the NYC subway.
Apr 16, 2023, 9:58 am
#19
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The reason that Amtrak lets the freight trains pass is because that train, going in the OPPOSITE direction, is too long for any of the sidings and there is no other way for them to pass. You will never see a freight train going in the SAME direction, pass an Amtrak train in a siding.
Apr 17, 2023, 1:43 pm
#20
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 285
Amtrak is exercising its recently granted (2020) rights to bring actions directly to STB on passenger delay and has filed a complaint against UP for its handling of the Sunset Limited, specifically citing PSR.
Apr 17, 2023, 2:09 pm
#21
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I wonder if CN (and CP) has longer sidings.
I do see that delay of several hours are quite common on the Chicago to California runs (Southwest Chief, California Zephyr), both of which run on UP track IIRC. That said, today seems to be a really good day for punctuality (relatively speaking) for those routes + the Sunset Limited.
FWIW, employment at the U.S. railways have apparently plummeted while freight is stable or up. And there seems to be a push for single-operator trains.
I do see that delay of several hours are quite common on the Chicago to California runs (Southwest Chief, California Zephyr), both of which run on UP track IIRC. That said, today seems to be a really good day for punctuality (relatively speaking) for those routes + the Sunset Limited.
FWIW, employment at the U.S. railways have apparently plummeted while freight is stable or up. And there seems to be a push for single-operator trains.
Apr 17, 2023, 3:00 pm
#22
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Posts: 2,094
Yep, it is called "Precision Scheduled Railroading" (PSR), which is arguably neither precise nor scheduled. It involves running super long trains that do not clear existing sidings in order to reduce crew starts. In theory, the "scheduled" part is supposed to keep things moving despite the non clearing trains, but it does not take much to mess that up. Canadian National originated the practice, but it has now been adopted all major railroads. CN is actually backing off the more extreme aspects of it now.
Amtrak is exercising its recently granted (2020) rights to bring actions directly to STB on passenger delay and has filed a complaint against UP for its handling of the Sunset Limited, specifically citing PSR.
Amtrak is exercising its recently granted (2020) rights to bring actions directly to STB on passenger delay and has filed a complaint against UP for its handling of the Sunset Limited, specifically citing PSR.
Spoiler
Amtrak’s Auto-Train and European railroads coupling multiple TGV units together are the same thing, sort of. Given railroads’ high overhead costs, long trains full of freight or people is how they make the most money.
Apr 17, 2023, 3:55 pm
#23
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 285
I wonder if CN (and CP) has longer sidings.
I do see that delay of several hours are quite common on the Chicago to California runs (Southwest Chief, California Zephyr), both of which run on UP track IIRC. That said, today seems to be a really good day for punctuality (relatively speaking) for those routes + the Sunset Limited.
FWIW, employment at the U.S. railways have apparently plummeted while freight is stable or up. And there seems to be a push for single-operator trains.
I do see that delay of several hours are quite common on the Chicago to California runs (Southwest Chief, California Zephyr), both of which run on UP track IIRC. That said, today seems to be a really good day for punctuality (relatively speaking) for those routes + the Sunset Limited.
FWIW, employment at the U.S. railways have apparently plummeted while freight is stable or up. And there seems to be a push for single-operator trains.
The Southwest Chief does not operate over UP at all. It runs on BNSF the whole way except around Albuquerque where the former Santa Fe is now owned by commuter agency NMRX (RailRunner) and the last couple miles into LA Union Station from the LA River crossing north, which are over Metrolink