Must be a major CAT problem as still problem starting at 1030 and still at 1330
Acela Train 2103 is still stopped outside of Washington (WAS) due to an overhead power issue. We will update as more information becomes available.
EDIT found earlier tweet that solved about 1330
Another bad day , Meteor among other NEC trains WASH - BAL CAT problems from about 1830 till about 2300
Silver Meteor Train 97 which departed New York (NYP) on 8/11 is stopped north of Washington (WAS) due to overhead power issues in the area. We will update as more information becomes available.
blue streak 1Another bad day , Meteor among other NEC trains WASH - BAL CAT problems from about 1830 till about 2300 Silver Meteor Train 97 which departed New York (NYP) on 8/11 is stopped north of Washington (WAS) due to overhead power issues in the area. We will update as more information becomes available.
Line of severe T'storms passing through the Baltimore-Washinton area.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It is time for Amtrak to get serious about tree removal on it ROW.. As well local private lands with potential tree damage needs notification of hazards..
Amtrak did a massive tree removal project about ten years ago all the way to the property line. Might be time to do it again, if fallen trees are truly the reason for the delayed trains.
aegrotatioAmtrak did a massive tree removal project about ten years ago all the way to the property line. Might be time to do it again, if fallen trees are truly the reason for the delayed trains.
However, trees on the 'other side' of the property line don't know they shouldn't fall across the property line when their time comes. Trees can weigh well over 100 tons and will fall where they fall. Depending on how close active rail facilities are to the property line they can be easily damaged by falling trees from over the property line.
Many tree species like to bend toward the sunlight. Guess what -- RR ROW -- perfect location for tree to grow to. Especially true for evergreens such as pine trees.
Amtrak has suffered downed CAT wires at or near the Portal bridge. Now we have wires that are not subject to trees so why has both tracks become inoperative ? This poster believes that the PRR style of having all track's CAT wires supported by a single cross wire suspended from poles outside of the tracks is a receipt for tearing down all track's wires. Now nothing has yet been posted as to why the wires are down but if a train snagged CAT on one track often all tracks or some other track's CAT will be pulled down.
It really is time for Amtrak to get funds to convert all CAT to constant tension wire that will have each track's CAT physically isolated from all other tracks. We recognize that The locations that have the possibbility of 160 MPH tracks need doing first but Amtrak probably needs 1 or 2 more CAT construction crews employed. That would certainly speed up conversion. It would enable more time for constant tension installations and leave more crew(s) not being diverted to the emergency repairs when needed.
Does anyone know how many AMTRAK CAT construction and maintenance crews Amtrak has ?
Downed wires bring major delays on Amtrak, NJ Transit rail lines - nj.com
Appologize as this happened yesterday at about 1800 (6PM )
Another signal failre south of BAL about 2.1/2 hours cleared just befor 2100.
Acela Train 2126 is currently operating approx. 25min late due to earlier signal issues in Baltimore (BAL).
blue streak 1Another signal failre south of BAL about 2.1/2 hours cleared just befor 2100. Acela Train 2126 is currently operating approx. 25min late due to earlier signal issues in Baltimore (BAL).
High winds during the night. Gusts to 60 MPH
There was a major failure of the CAT south of PHL 30th st station. This failure apparently was not the failure of the CAT but of SEPTA transission lines. Septa apparently had part of their transmission line taken off line. SEPT Lenni - Lamokin line. When Amtrak approved the line back on there was an immediatetransformer explosion and apparent over current on the Amtrak lines south of 30th street.
According to the link below Septa is saying it is all Amtrak's fault. Have to disagree. Why would a transformer explode?
1. Rotation of phases 120 degrees apart.
2. Two phases swapped causing a backward rotation of the 2 supplies.
3. Possible different voltages to the two sides of transmission lines.
With either possibility it would have been SEPTA's responsibility to verify that all 3 conditions were met not Amtrak's. Now why there was not at least temporary or more likely permanent comparsions to activate protect circuits.
Mr. Poon I will have to disagree. Check link below and SEPTA link.
SEPTA, Re: Amtrak Chaos in Pennsylvania July 13-14 (trainorders.com)
SEPTA | Recent Service Delays
Perhaps there was a safty (worker protection) ground on the circuit that was being energized and the relay protection was not active (Hard to imagine) and they closed into the ground and the transformer had been previously damaged
Please excuse the previous post. For some reason when pasting items from Amtrak alerts crazy things happen.
Crescent delayed so much has not been able to recover much schedule on NS. Is 4;14 late as of this posting.
What I do not understand is exactly what the failure of the signal system causes so much delays. First question is what caused the failre.
1. Was signal power lost? The 4400 volt 25 hZ system power on this section was suppossed to have commercial power back up installed. Do not know if that project is complete. Amtrak on the New Haven - Boston segment restored commercial power after deciding that using CAT power only was not a good idea and restored commercial power back up to the signal system.
2. Was it communication to signal system from CETA lost?
3. Failure of dispatching office?
4. Is there any provision for the system to revert to automatic block if communication lost to dispatch office? Did observe it happen once in Orlando on Sun Rail which then used convential radio communication..
From amtrak alerts today (saturday) more delays due to Friday's delays. Crew delays one possible delay due to HOS.
SERVICE ADVISORY: All services operating between Washington (WAS) and Baltimore (BAL) may experience delays due to the residual effects of yesterday’s signal outage. Updates to follow as more information becomes available.
EDIT: Found this alert so maybe dispatcher had no way to go to / from signal system?
blue streak 1Please excuse the previous post. For some reason when pasting items from Amtrak alerts crazy things happen. Crescent delayed so much has not been able to recover much schedule on NS. Is 4;14 late as of this posting. What I do not understand is exactly what the failure of the signal system causes so much delays. First question is what caused the failre. 1. Was signal power lost? The 4400 volt 25 hZ system power on this section was suppossed to have commercial power back up installed. Do not know if that project is complete. Amtrak on the New Haven - Boston segment restored commercial power after deciding that using CAT power only was not a good idea and restored commercial power back up to the signal system. 2. Was it communication to signal system from CETA lost? 3. Failure of dispatching office? 4. Is there any provision for the system to revert to automatic block if communication lost to dispatch office? Did observe it happen once in Orlando on Sun Rail which then used convential radio communication..
CADS and on site batteries at signal locations will permit a signal to show a proceed indication if one has been lined at a control point. After that proceed indication is knocked down by a train, the signal will indicate STOP. There are a multitude of reasons that a CADS is unable to clear a signal at a Control Point.
Trains must STOP at Control Points that display STOP indications. Trains can get verbal permission of the Train Dispatcher to pass the STOP indication after insuring the switches at the Control Point are lined and locked for the train's movement. Movement will be made at Restricted Speed until such time as a more favorable signal indication is observed by the train. There are occasions when, for whatever the reason, a train may be unable to contact the Train Dispatcher by normal radio communications, then alternate means may be required.
Today the carriers utilize virtually all communication mediums available to have their CADS communicate with Control Points. Communication mediums do fail and their failure is beyond the ability of the carriers to control as the carriers are customers of those that own an operate the mediums.
MARC reported that a lightning strike caused the problems. As to what specifically the strike took out was not disclosed by MARC.
blue streak 1MARC reported that a lightning strike caused the problems. As to what specifically the strike took out was not disclosed by MARC.
When your electronics run on millivolts and lightning delivers millions of volts - something has to give.
BaltACD When your electronics run on millivolts and lightning delivers millions of volts - something has to give.
blue streak 1 BaltACD When your electronics run on millivolts and lightning delivers millions of volts - something has to give. May need someother kind of isolation. Maybe a relay??
There are numerous levels of protection that are built into current electronic installations - but as we know, or should know, Mother Nature has the ability to defeat virtually any defense the human mind can devise. Playing aginst Mother Nature is like playing 'Whack-a-Mole' - you develop defenses and Mom's Nature develops another way to defeat them.
More wire pronlems in BAL area. No info.
Major problem today some time before 1156 between New Rochelle and NYP. All train service stopped.
Another failure between Wilmingtonand Baltimore. Its over . Around 3 hours failure. 2164 lost 3:01 from BAL to WIL.
another signal problem . This time brom PHL to Cornwall heights. Train 2258 ran northbound that whole distance at restricted speds. These trains in that area are all running at restricted speeds. 145, 665, 666,88.
SERVICE ALERT: Trains traveling between Philadelphia (PHL) and Trenton (TRE) may experience delays due to signal issues in the area.
signals fixed as of 1600 EDT
This time commercial power lines have fallen on the CAT wires. Wonder if this was 250k Kv or higher voltage wire. Otherwise maybe a repeat of what happen a while past in NJ ? Happened around 1900 this evening.
UPDATE: Downeaster Train 687 and 685 continues to hold in Durham (DHM) due to powerlines down across the tracks. We are awaiting commercial electrical crews to remove the powerline pole and wires from the track.
Monday many delays due to more signal failures. Amtrak strangley silent as to why failures. Almost all Amtrak trains 1 - 4 hours late between NYP and PHL. NJ Transit had some lines completely shut. Wonder if trains were operating at restricted speeds. Also is this anyway related to the Portal bridge signal problems a few weeks ago?
Both 19 and 97 of July 3rd took over 4 - 1/2 hours delays NYP - WASH. Delays mainly between Newark and Trenton but more delays Trenton to WASH.
Where did the failure occurr can only be speculation? Was it CETA? Was the 4400 volt signal power line failed? If signal line power failed what has happened to the Amtrak effort to add commercial power back up to all the locations using the 4400 volt system?
Here is NJT announcement
NJ Transit experiencing long delays due to power outage - nj.com
No explanation by Amtrak to the thousands of riders delayed. Would any other decent outfit around the world treat passengers that way? Its as if the Gardner attitude is "passengers be dammed"
Amtrak signal issues continue to disrupt NJ Transit Northeast Corridor, North Jersey Coastline - ABC7 New York (abc7ny.com)
Amtrak signal issues caused disruptions to NJ Transit rail service (northjersey.com)
Extra crowded at Moynihan Train Hall due to heavy delays on the Northeast Corridor (July 3, 2023) : r/Amtrak (reddit.com)
blue streak 1No explanation by Amtrak to the thousands of riders delayed. Would any other decent outfit around the world treat passengers that way? Its as if the Gardner attitude is "passengers be damned"
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