Acela/NER delays on Saturday, April 29
Apr 30, 2023, 5:52 am
#1
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Acela/NER delays on Saturday, April 29
Was anyone here traveling on Acela or NER in the late afternoon on Saturday, April 29, between PHL and WAS? For the southbound trains, there were delays of 1 hour (my Acela), 2 hours (NER), and one unfortunate NER 161 had a 5 hour delay in arriving at WAS!
Just south of Philadelphia, in Chester, the southbound Acela I was on (2255) slowed down at about 6:30 pm to about 5 mph, constantly blowing the horn. I then realized that we had switched over to the far easternmost track, normally used by the northbound commuter rail (SEPTA), instead of being on the second track from the west. After a few more miles, I saw an ambulance and several police cars (both Penna State Patrol and Amtrak). Another mile, could see a stretcher with a wrapped-up body. And shortly beyond that was a southbound NER (161) parked on the second track from the west. Alas, a suicide by train. Once we were past this, our Acela then slowly shunted back over to the second track from the west, and we picked up speed. I then saw a northbound NER that was waiting for us to move over, and it started to move northwards. After another half-mile, there was a second northbound NER, also being held up. After another half mile, there was a third northbound NER, also held up. Interesting that Amtrak's emergency planning prioritizes the Acela trains over the NER, even though there were assuredly far more passengers on the three northbound NERs combined than on the southbound Acela. My Acela train had a 1 hour delay in arriving at WAS.
I do feel sorry for the individuals on NER 161 , who were supposed to arrive at WAS at 5:32, but instead arrived at 10:24 pm. Wonder what they were told was the reason for the delay? On my train, we were just told that there was a "disabled train" which while technically true was an incomplete and misleading explanation. Perhaps the train crew on the NER 161 were too "spooked" to continue operating the train, or else Amtrak policy requires that the train be marooned until the police have conducted their "investigation" -- although what required a 5-hour "investigation" would be a mystery -- the trains normally travel too fast to stop for someone on the tracks, anyway. In other words, nothing the train crew could have done to stop the train in time, anyway, so not much to investigate.
Just south of Philadelphia, in Chester, the southbound Acela I was on (2255) slowed down at about 6:30 pm to about 5 mph, constantly blowing the horn. I then realized that we had switched over to the far easternmost track, normally used by the northbound commuter rail (SEPTA), instead of being on the second track from the west. After a few more miles, I saw an ambulance and several police cars (both Penna State Patrol and Amtrak). Another mile, could see a stretcher with a wrapped-up body. And shortly beyond that was a southbound NER (161) parked on the second track from the west. Alas, a suicide by train. Once we were past this, our Acela then slowly shunted back over to the second track from the west, and we picked up speed. I then saw a northbound NER that was waiting for us to move over, and it started to move northwards. After another half-mile, there was a second northbound NER, also being held up. After another half mile, there was a third northbound NER, also held up. Interesting that Amtrak's emergency planning prioritizes the Acela trains over the NER, even though there were assuredly far more passengers on the three northbound NERs combined than on the southbound Acela. My Acela train had a 1 hour delay in arriving at WAS.
I do feel sorry for the individuals on NER 161 , who were supposed to arrive at WAS at 5:32, but instead arrived at 10:24 pm. Wonder what they were told was the reason for the delay? On my train, we were just told that there was a "disabled train" which while technically true was an incomplete and misleading explanation. Perhaps the train crew on the NER 161 were too "spooked" to continue operating the train, or else Amtrak policy requires that the train be marooned until the police have conducted their "investigation" -- although what required a 5-hour "investigation" would be a mystery -- the trains normally travel too fast to stop for someone on the tracks, anyway. In other words, nothing the train crew could have done to stop the train in time, anyway, so not much to investigate.
Apr 30, 2023, 9:15 am
#4
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Was anyone here traveling on Acela or NER in the late afternoon on Saturday, April 29, between PHL and WAS? For the southbound trains, there were delays of 1 hour (my Acela), 2 hours (NER), and one unfortunate NER 161 had a 5 hour delay in arriving at WAS!
Just south of Philadelphia, in Chester, the southbound Acela I was on (2255) slowed down at about 6:30 pm to about 5 mph, constantly blowing the horn. I then realized that we had switched over to the far easternmost track, normally used by the northbound commuter rail (SEPTA), instead of being on the second track from the west. After a few more miles, I saw an ambulance and several police cars (both Penna State Patrol and Amtrak). Another mile, could see a stretcher with a wrapped-up body. And shortly beyond that was a southbound NER (161) parked on the second track from the west. Alas, a suicide by train. Once we were past this, our Acela then slowly shunted back over to the second track from the west, and we picked up speed. I then saw a northbound NER that was waiting for us to move over, and it started to move northwards. After another half-mile, there was a second northbound NER, also being held up. After another half mile, there was a third northbound NER, also held up. Interesting that Amtrak's emergency planning prioritizes the Acela trains over the NER, even though there were assuredly far more passengers on the three northbound NERs combined than on the southbound Acela. My Acela train had a 1 hour delay in arriving at WAS.
I do feel sorry for the individuals on NER 161 , who were supposed to arrive at WAS at 5:32, but instead arrived at 10:24 pm. Wonder what they were told was the reason for the delay? On my train, we were just told that there was a "disabled train" which while technically true was an incomplete and misleading explanation. Perhaps the train crew on the NER 161 were too "spooked" to continue operating the train, or else Amtrak policy requires that the train be marooned until the police have conducted their "investigation" -- although what required a 5-hour "investigation" would be a mystery -- the trains normally travel too fast to stop for someone on the tracks, anyway. In other words, nothing the train crew could have done to stop the train in time, anyway, so not much to investigate.
Just south of Philadelphia, in Chester, the southbound Acela I was on (2255) slowed down at about 6:30 pm to about 5 mph, constantly blowing the horn. I then realized that we had switched over to the far easternmost track, normally used by the northbound commuter rail (SEPTA), instead of being on the second track from the west. After a few more miles, I saw an ambulance and several police cars (both Penna State Patrol and Amtrak). Another mile, could see a stretcher with a wrapped-up body. And shortly beyond that was a southbound NER (161) parked on the second track from the west. Alas, a suicide by train. Once we were past this, our Acela then slowly shunted back over to the second track from the west, and we picked up speed. I then saw a northbound NER that was waiting for us to move over, and it started to move northwards. After another half-mile, there was a second northbound NER, also being held up. After another half mile, there was a third northbound NER, also held up. Interesting that Amtrak's emergency planning prioritizes the Acela trains over the NER, even though there were assuredly far more passengers on the three northbound NERs combined than on the southbound Acela. My Acela train had a 1 hour delay in arriving at WAS.
I do feel sorry for the individuals on NER 161 , who were supposed to arrive at WAS at 5:32, but instead arrived at 10:24 pm. Wonder what they were told was the reason for the delay? On my train, we were just told that there was a "disabled train" which while technically true was an incomplete and misleading explanation. Perhaps the train crew on the NER 161 were too "spooked" to continue operating the train, or else Amtrak policy requires that the train be marooned until the police have conducted their "investigation" -- although what required a 5-hour "investigation" would be a mystery -- the trains normally travel too fast to stop for someone on the tracks, anyway. In other words, nothing the train crew could have done to stop the train in time, anyway, so not much to investigate.
This is usually less common on the NEC since it is fully grade separated.
Apr 30, 2023, 9:52 am
#5
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Thanks -- the local news has it that 2 people, who may have been juveniles, were killed. I only saw one wrapped-up body on a stretcher. The victims may have been part of a larger group who were warned not to go up on the tracks... Obviously no fences or only low fences in that area.
https://6abc.com/2-struck-killed-amt...nded/13196058/
https://6abc.com/2-struck-killed-amt...nded/13196058/
Apr 30, 2023, 8:43 pm
#7
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The Washington Post is now reporting that the passengers on NER 161 were transferred to another train. Presumably some other delayed NER pulled up alongside, and the passengers on NER 161 had to step down to the ground, and then step up to the other train, and hope to find a seat, or maybe some rode standing up to their destination. Hopefully any physically disabled or less-agile elderly passengers were able to be carried up and down the steps by a burly conductor.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...-pennsylvania/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...-pennsylvania/
Apr 30, 2023, 9:13 pm
#8
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The Washington Post is now reporting that the passengers on NER 161 were transferred to another train. Presumably some other delayed NER pulled up alongside, and the passengers on NER 161 had to step down to the ground, and then step up to the other train, and hope to find a seat, or maybe some rode standing up to their destination. Hopefully any physically disabled or less-agile elderly passengers were able to be carried up and down the steps by a burly conductor.
May 5, 2023, 7:33 pm
#9
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Here's a photo showing the passengers on the track, going from one to the other:
https://www.inquirer.com/news/pennsy...-20230501.html
Maybe on the Acela the two trains could get right next to each other and it would be easier to walk from one to the other.
May 6, 2023, 6:05 pm
#10
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I've used a bridge plate to transfer between two NER trains before somewhere in Rhode Island or Connecticut. My spouse was disabled and would not have been able to use stairs to do the transfer. We were traveling with a wheelchair, but she could walk a short distance without it. It turned a leisurely transfer between trains in New York into a rather frantic transfer in DC to our southbound long distance train to Florida.
Unlike the photo, we were on adjacent tracks.
Unlike the photo, we were on adjacent tracks.
Last edited by rtpflyer; May 6, 2023 at 6:14 pm