Why has the train been so late recently? It's an hour and 18 minutes behind right now. Every train has been about 30 minutes late for the last month or so.
Comments
Deadman2141 t1_isef0kz wrote
This is what I suspected as well. I read that out west on BNSF trackage Amtrak gets the shaft worse.
foamerfrank t1_isf1ghi wrote
It depends on the line. The empire builder on the high line will be put into the siding so that we can all get our Amazon packages on time. The southwest chief will always get priority over freight though. It all comes down to who pays more.
merikus t1_iscsidp wrote
I don’t know why, but looking at the historical data it looks like things go bad at the Springfield, MA station (SPG): https://juckins.net/amtrak_status/archive/html/history.php?train_num=54&station=&date_start=09%2F14%2F2022&date_end=10%2F14%2F2022&df1=1&df2=1&df3=1&df4=1&df5=1&df6=1&df7=1&sort=schDp&sort_dir=DESC&co=gt&limit_mins=&dfon=1
Deadman2141 t1_iseevww wrote
I've heard Amtrak has had problems with class 1 railroads giving themselves priority, and not Amtrak. I'm not sure if that's the issue here tho, but Springfield has a CSX yard/trackage.
meposet t1_isd3g6i wrote
Amtrak delays?
You don't say!
Thick_Piece t1_isd82io wrote
For real!
Twombls t1_isdjnu6 wrote
Amtrack is held hostage illegally by the freight companies. Rail in this country is kinda a joke.
[deleted] t1_isdkece wrote
[removed]
Websters_Dick t1_ish3o4l wrote
Nationalize the Rail
MatthewGeer t1_iscxuv4 wrote
A Massachusetts-focused webpage blames track work in southern VT for delaying the southbound Vermonter. Presumably it also affects the northbound, but they don’t worry about that as that train has already served western Mass.
> Service Advisory | Late Southbound Vermonter > > The southbound Vermonter — Amtrak trains 55 and 57 — has been departing up to an hour late from Greenfield, Holyoke and Northampton due ongoing track work in southern Vermonter. At this time we do not know when the track work will be completed.
VermontRox t1_isdjw76 wrote
Because it’s Amtrak.
foamerfrank t1_ise1wvg wrote
CSX in Springfield will cause delays. It’s their track and they make more money from their customers than they do from Amtrak paying them to run on the property 2 times a day. Same kind of thing happens west of Albany on the Lake Shore Limited line. Track work causes some delays because it enacts slow orders on the daily operating bulletin while the work is underway, but Amtrak is delayed before they even get onto the New England Central RR property at E. Northfield, MA. The recent heavy rains also cause speed restrictions because ballast washouts and landslides are pretty common along the NECR and it’s better to slow down and be safe than do have an accident and have people die.
If you want the trains to run closer to the posted schedules, vote for people who will invest in railroad infrastructure and who support railroad unions to have more workers and not run as lean. the companies would rather pay less people, than hire some more and have the jobs be covered and avoid delays. It always comes down to the big man making more money at the cost of the workers. Right now there are folks more concerned with an hour delay, than the quality of life for the workers that run the trains and literally keep this country alive. Please read up on the details of the class I railroad contract dispute. If a train is severely delayed going northbound, the crew will not be rested in time to take it southbound the next morning according to the schedule. Mandatory rest keeps the passengers and crew safe, but it also causes delays.