This Week at Amtrak 2006-12-05
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Volume 3 Number 48
- In years past, Amtrak in Chicago has struggled, often without success, against the cruelties of harsh winter weather. It has often appeared that like clockwork, Amtrak in Chicago has been caught totally unaware that winter was coming, and preparations should have be made for the convenience of passengers and personnel.This year, Amtrak Chicago boss Don Saunders and his many employees appear to have “gotten the drop” on Old Man Winter, as he blew in with a late fall visit to the Midwest.Here is a December 1st internal Amtrak report of the preparations made in Chicago last week in preparation for the coming pre-Winter killer snow and ice storm.
Winter Storm Warning, North Central US and Great Lakes Region
The first winter storm of the season is projected to bring heavy snow from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes region, including Chicago, IL and the surrounding areas. Forecasts from the National Weather Service have light snow beginning mid to late afternoon on November 30, with the heaviest snow moving into this area during the early morning hours of December 1, 2006. Total accumulation of 10 to 12 inches is forecast for portions of Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan by the time the storm moves out of the area on December 1, however moderate temperatures may limit total accumulation near the Great Lakes.
Terminal Preparation: In Chicago, sleet, freezing rain and heavy snow is forecast. Preparation for this weather event began on the afternoon of November 30, 2006. Snow removal equipment was deployed, salt shed fully stocked, salt applied to platform areas and walkways, switch pots were lit, and tractors were deployed on platforms. Clean up and storage of material including cables and air hoses was performed to minimize tripping hazards and potential damage by plows. Extra forces from all departments were on duty during the overnight and morning hours, and rooms were secured at a local hotel for temporary housing for yard and road crews, On Board Service crews as well as other forces from various departments as required.
All trains and other rolling stock equipment were put on power and doors were closed to prevent snow accumulation in vestibules and other weather related damage. Equipment will be kept in the facility or under sheds to keep trains out of the weather as much as possible during layover.
In accordance with the winter plan, salt, brooms and extra food stock was deployed on trains for passenger safety, comfort and convenience in the event of unexpected delay. Vendors were contacted at outlying facilities to ensure their preparedness for the approaching storm.
Management personnel from Engineering, Transportation, Mechanical and Passenger Services are on duty during the overnight hours when this storm is expected to arrive.
And, a follow-up from the same internal Amtrak reporting source, on December 2nd.
Winter Storm Warning, North Central US and Great Lakes Region
The first winter storm of the season in the Midwest is projected to bring heavy snow from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes region, including Chicago, IL and the surrounding areas. Heavy snow and ice conditions occurred throughout the region.
In accordance with the winter plan, salt, brooms and extra food stock was deployed on trains for passenger safety, comfort and convenience in the event of unexpected delay. Vendors were contacted at outlying facilities to ensure their preparedness for the approaching storm.
Train 300(01) was delayed operating between St. Louis and Alton due to down trees and frozen switches. Train 302(01) coupled to 300(01) at Alton and operated to Carlinville, where both trains were terminated when the UPRR found extensive areas of downed trees between Carlinville and Lincoln. Train 22(30) was operated to Carlinville and coupled to Trains 300(01) and 302(01). At Carlinville, the passengers were provided alternate transportation to Chicago. A light locomotive was dispatched from St. Louis, coupled to the three train sets and operated back to St. Louis. At St. Louis, the equipment from Train 22(30) was turned and serviced to represent Train 21(01), St. Louis to San Antonio. Trains 304(01) and 306(01) were cancelled, with alternate transportation provided to Lincoln, where the passengers boarded equipment from Train 305(01).
Trains 301(01), 303(01), and 21(01) were able to operate from Chicago to Lincoln, were they were terminated, due to the above mentioned conditions. Alternate transportation from St. Louis was provided to the passengers traveling between Lincoln and St. Louis. 90 passengers were taken to the Logan County Emergency Center to await 2 additional buses for St. Louis. Train 305(01) was also terminated at Lincoln and passengers provided alternate transportation to St. Louis. Train 305(01) equipment then coupled to Trains 301(01), 303(01), and 21(01) and operated back to Chicago. Train 307(01) was operated to Bloomington–Normal, terminated, and returned to Chicago. There were no passengers traveling beyond Chicago.
The following service was cancelled on 12/02/06:
Trains 300/301/302/303(CHI-STL)/304(KCY-STL)/380/381/382. Train 22(01) was canceled STL-CHI, with alternate transportation. Delay: Bus 8304(30) Cancelled Bus 8303(01) Cancelled 316(30) 7'00" 300(01) 1'55" STL, Equipment off 300(30) 2'00" WR-Wan Terminated at CRV 301(01) Terminated at LCN 303(01) Terminated at LCN 304(01) Cancelled 306(01) Cancelled 307(30) 2'10" Terminated at BNL 302(01) 41" STL, Equipment off 307(1) 2'00" WR-Wann Terminated at CRV 22(30) Terminated at CRV 21(30) 55" Striking ice laden trees, hanging in ROW 26" PBF, repairing damaged ditch lights 21(01) Cancelled LCN-STL 380(01) 46" No transportation for crew from hotel; BNSF provided transportation 2'22" Frozen switches, blowing & drifting snow 821(01) 45" Crew-rest off 820(30)/transportation problems from hotel
Plus, the follow-up from the same report for Sunday, December 3rd.
Winter Storm Warning, North Central US and Great Lakes Region
The first winter storm of the season in the Midwest is projected to bring heavy snow from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes region, including Chicago, IL and the surrounding areas. Heavy snow and ice conditions occurred throughout the region.
The following service was cancelled on 12/02/06:
Trains 300/301/302/303/304/305/306/307/313/314/316/380/381/382 with no alternate transportation.
Train 22(01) was canceled STL-CHI, with alternate transportation, and equipment turned at STL to operate for 21(02) STL-SAS.
Train 21(02) was canceled CHI-STL, with alternate transportation to STL and train service from STL-SAS.
The following service was cancelled on 12/03/06:
300/301/302/305/306/307/313/316/303 SPI-STL/304 STL-SPI with no alternate transportation.
Train 22(02) was canceled STL-CHI, with alternate transportation, and equipment turned at STL to operate for 21(02) STL-SAS.
Train 21(03) was canceled CHI-STL, with alternate transportation to STL and train service from STL-SAS.
Train 21(01) was terminated at Ft. Worth due to late operation. Passengers were provided alternate transportation between Ft. Worth and San Antonio. The equipment was turned and serviced to represent Train 22(03) Ft. Worth to Chicago.
Delays: 311(02) 45″ Initial terminal Delay 5’11″
21(01) 4’07″ STL-PBF Terminated at FTW
22(01) 4’13″ WNR-STLThe storm was so severe, it’s hard to understand just numbers. Here is a narrative provided by an anonymous Amtrak employee.
Not one of the Chicago-St. Louis or St. Louis-Chicago trains made it into their final terminals on Friday, December 1st. Not ONE!
Lincoln Service train no. 301 made it as far as Elkhart, Illinois (just north of Springfield), where the UP dispatcher told them there was a “telephone pole across the tracks” ahead, and then apparently could not be contacted for over 3 hours. Lincoln Service train no. 303 (with a newly promoted conductor working by himself) pulled up behind them and eventually coupled up, then dragged the whole thing back to Lincoln, Illinois. The train crews were told busses were on the way, and had told their passengers to prepare to board busses, but they had not showed up yet as of 8:30 P.M. Texas Eagle train no. 21 was advancing to couple up to the combined train nos. 301-303 train sets; final disposition to be determined.
Account Kansas City Mule train no. 316 (of November 30th departure) arrived St. Louis 5:30 A.M. (due in at 10:10 P.M.) and crew would not be rested to work Kansas City Mule train no. 311 (01), a conductor (train operated with a conductor only) was pulled off his regular assignment and train no. 311 barely departed St. Louis on time. The train departed St. Louis with a dozen UP relief crews, to be dropped off where UP freight trains had been sitting since their crews’ Hours of Service expired.
That lone conductor got off at Jefferson City, Missouri to work Ann Rutledge train no. 304 back to St. Louis, and ran out on Hours of Service at Webster Groves, Missouri after following an eastbound coal train to Kirkwood; picking up stranded UP freight crews along the way; and sitting for three hours waiting for UP freight trains out of St. Louis that never showed up. Train 304 finally arrived St. Louis about seven hours late, but most of the passengers on 304 had given up and got off at Kirkwood, anyway.
More than an hour of that delay was caused by a frozen compressor on AMTK 34 [locomotive] that had to be thawed out; the rest was due to delays on the railroad enroute.
On Saturday morning, December 2nd:
Two routes out of Chicago … St. Louis and Quincy … were in a major state of meltdown. Amtrak Central Division Operations set up conference calls one after another to try and figure a way out of the morass, but problems kept cropping up. Everything was going wrong: crew shortages in Chicago, both road and yard; and in St. Louis and Kansas City. A shortage of operable engines in Chicago. Equipment out of position at Chicago and St. Louis.
Just on the UP Springfield Sub there were 34 locations without power Saturday morning, and 45 grade crossings under “stop and protect” orders. On the ex-Missouri Pacific tracks west of St. Louis, UP freight trains were tied down all over the place with Amtrak stuck in that mess.
And THEN:
Despite what Amtrak Central Division wanted to do, UP refused to accept the Texas Eagle, train no. 21 (2). It was bustituted to St. Louis and the equipment at St. Louis from northbound Texas Eagle train no. 22 was turned to a new southbound train no. 21. The crew rotation went out the window; patch crews are being used to run the trains.
There was an extra set of equipment in Chicago that someone suggested be sent out to see how bad things are, and even a crew to operate it. It even had an operable cab car, so they could turn around and go home if it got THAT bad. That plan went on hold until it could be discussed at yet a fourth late afternoon conference call; and was ultimately abandoned.
Meanwhile the St. Louis-Kansas City service was cancelled, with the MoPac blocked up solid with UP trains and no more crews, as they needed the ones they had to dogcatch [substitute for] the ones yesterday, just to bring them in to terminals.
What else could they do? Punt?
Later Saturday, it looked like a punt:
[From the Amtrak computerized reservations system]
******* NATIONAL OPERATIONS CENTER ADVISORY *************** ISSUED 02DEC06 WILMINGTON, DE DUE TO EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS, AMTRAK HAS BEEN FORCED TO TEMPORARILY SUSPEND SERVICE BETWEEN CHI-STL. THE RECENT STORM THAT PASSED THROUGH THE AREA HAS LEFT PORTIONS OF THE UPRR MAINLINE WHICH WE OPERATE OVER CURRENTLY IMPASSIBLE.
And, if that was not enough …
Illinois Zephyr train no. 383 (1) was terminated at Mendota, Illinois due to mechanical issues on AMTK 169 [locomotive]. No traction; head end power remained okay so at least the passengers didn’t freeze. BNSF was to drop a freight unit to rescue, but it turned out they could not do so because that BNSF engine had mechanical problems, also. No buses available. Carl Sandburg train no. 382 (1) coupled to train no. 383 and they operated combined as train no. 382 (1), back to Chicago, arriving 3 hours and 40 minutes late. Passengers off train no. 383 were put up overnight in hotels.
Do you ever wonder what it costs Amtrak (and/or you, the taxpayer when the federal government is coughing up free federal monies for Amtrak subsidies) to pick up the inconvenience tabs for stranded or mis-connected passengers due to late or stranded trains?
On November 30th, seven passengers arriving Chicago on the Empire Builder missed their connecting trains. A combination of taxis, commercial bus service, and a charter van got the passengers to their final destinations, at a total expense of $572.00 to Amtrak.
That same day, 60 passengers arriving Chicago on the California Zephyr missed their connecting trains. Fifty-four passengers were housed in 42 hotel rooms for a total of $4,777.50. The cost of meals was $1,639.00. A combination of taxis, commercial bus service and a charter bus was $2,165.00, for a total of $8,580.50 for one late train.
On December 2nd in Chicago, 29 Texas Eagle passengers missed their connections, for a total cost of $3,641.11 for hotels, meals, and other transportation.
That same day in Chicago, two passengers from the Southwest Chief also missed connections, for a total cost of $199.17 for hotels, meals, and other transportation.
It is obvious to see the incentive for any business to operate as promised, when dealing with passengers. This is what happens when host railroads run Amtrak trains late, or Amtrak equipment plagued with mechanical failures due to internal problems causes train delays.
- If you haven’t bought a Christmas card to send to former Amtrak President and CEO and now New Jersey Transit Executive Director George D. Warrington, go out and find the largest, most lavish card you can find and spend whatever postage is necessary for him to receive the card before Christmas Eve.Mr. Warrington, possibly one of the worst presidents Amtrak ever suffered under, is helping to float the idea of a business group supporting a compact of states and the federal government (not Amtrak) assuming ownership of the infrastructure of Amtrak Northeast Corridor. Called the Northeast Corridor Action Plan, Amtrak would still manage the corridor, but not be responsible for maintenance of way or upgrades to the track and other infrastructure.You may recall just a short year ago, when TWA reported this idea as coming from the Amtrak Board of Directors, there was a storm of media criticism and unnecessary posturing by NEC politicians how the Republic would fall if Amtrak did not own the NEC and continue to pour countless billions of dollars into the rehabilitation of the NEC for the convenience and comfort of commuters and travelers in the Northeast. Many were sure this plan was the result of Evil Republicans out to systematically destroy Amtrak and all that America stands for. Now that Democrats will control Congress starting next month for the next two years, a positive, guarded reception to the idea seems to be forthcoming from everyone, except, of course, Amtrak itself.Quoted on November 29th on NorthJersey.com (a coalition of Northern New Jersey newspapers), Cliff Black, one of Amtrak’s most respected spokesmen, said, “A change in ownership won’t change the underlying funding needs for the corridor or the process to obtain that funding – it just sidesteps the issue.”Well, yes, Mr. Black, it won’t change the funding needs, but it will put the funding needs in a clear spotlight, in a defined category to be determined by Congress and supporting states, and it will keep that argument away from the fundamental issue of Amtrak, which is operating a viable national system, not the NEC and a subsidiary of the NEC, known as the Amtrak national system.
Contained in Amtrak’s November 15th progress report to Congress, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2006, Amtrak reported total operating revenue of $2,502,000,000, including $139,400,000 in state support, and $485,100,000 in federal support. Whoops! If Amtrak only received $485 million in operating support, that means for the federal monies which flowed into Amtrak, more than another $800 million went into other areas (that translates to mostly into the NEC infrastructure). Would not it be better if Amtrak’s annual federal budget begfest was for around half a billion dollars instead of the usual figure of three times that much? The incoming Democrat chairman of the House of Representatives railroad committee which oversees Amtrak says he wants to give more money to Amtrak so it won’t always be struggled to meet payroll and buy paper towels for restrooms. If Amtrak is receiving around $1.3 billion a year now, and less than $500 million of that is going to operations for all trains (including NEC operations), does that mean he wants to give more money to NEC states for Amtrak infrastructure there? If the NEC was taken away from Amtrak, the needs of Amtrak on a national basis would be much clearer. The debate would be friendlier, and more meaningful.
The scenario of NEC states in conjunction with the federal government taking over the NEC infrastructure is perfect for Amtrak, and is probably another step in a long process wisely began by the Amtrak Board of Directors in 2005 to allow Amtrak to be a successful company without the millstone of the NEC’s infrastructure costs. Many will recall this was one of the fundamental disagreements between mercifully departed Amtrak President and CEO David Gunn and the board.
It’s amazing how the “not invented here” disease can be quickly cured when the same proposal comes from the NEC states instead of the Amtrak board. Whoever has the final plan for this great idea should take a medal out of petty cash. Everyone will win with this proposal, especially Amtrak, so it can rightfully focus on the national system, and not almost exclusively on the NEC.
- CLARIFICATION: Last week, TWA reported on Amtrak’s active and inactive fleet of passenger equipment. Some readers did not understand Amtrak owns two fleets of equipment. The first fleet, what Amtrak calls its “Active” fleet, are all of the cars assigned to equipment pools for the operation of current trains, and as “protect” equipment, to be used when regularly assigned equipment is either out of service for routine maintenance or needed because equipment may be isolated away from a terminal and unavailable for use due to a freight train derailment, adverse weather conditions, or other unforeseen difficulty.There is a second pool of equipment, consisting of Amtrak’s current models of cars, that is not on the “Active” roster. This equipment is considered surplus by Amtrak, and has either been wrecked and not repaired, allowed to fall out of required inspection routines, or not considered necessary for the normal operations of the railroad. This pool consists of about 750 pieces of equipment (and does not include counts of any Heritage fleet equipment that was recently disposed of by Amtrak).The active fleet consists of 1,344 cars of all types including Superliners, Viewliners, Amfleet, Horizon, Heritage diners and crew cars, and other equipment.
- It’s lonely here in Florida, looking in vain westward down the CSX tracks, hoping, just hoping, a Sunset Limited may be coming along, since CSX released the track to Amtrak April 1, 2006 for use by the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans after it was repaired from damage by Hurricane Katrina.It’s hard to understand how Amtrak can run bus connections from hurricane-damaged areas such as Mobile, Alabama, but can’t run a train over a spectacularly rebuilt piece of railroad track. One has to presume that for a certain element of the population, being in the bus business may be considered a plus. However, if you’re in the train business, like Amtrak, being in the bus business is a poor second choice for passenger convenience and comfort.
