CSSHEGEWISCHNone of them conflict with the "Texas Eagle" schedule.
But do they conflict if the inbound train is in its 'typical' reported range of lateness?
CMStPnP Gramp I recall when I rode it Chi-Dal five years ago, it was on time all the way to Longview. We lost 20 minutes from there because we had to follow a UP freight at 50mph. It never gets stuck behind the METRA Express when I am board either, straight shot into Chicago.
Gramp I recall when I rode it Chi-Dal five years ago, it was on time all the way to Longview. We lost 20 minutes from there because we had to follow a UP freight at 50mph.
It never gets stuck behind the METRA Express when I am board either, straight shot into Chicago.
charlie hebdoAmazing how the Eagle, with its miserable OT record, is punctual for you, while you always have a complaint about being delayed on the Hiawatha, even though it achieves one of Amtrak's best records. Seinfeld's bizarro world, redux???
Mentioned above. I suspect it is because it uses a different and less congested METRA rail route to Union Station. Everytime I ride the Eagle it is early into both Chicago and Dallas. Can't explain it other than I ride the Eagle during the Christmas Holiday and I expect that most railroaders take vacation then and the traffic on the rail line is significantly lighter. UP does really well handling the Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis up and until that God awfully old bridge over the Mississippi held together by rubber bands and bailing wire. Thats a pain to endure all the time. Hopefully it will get replaced soon.
GrampI recall when I rode it Chi-Dal five years ago, it was on time all the way to Longview. We lost 20 minutes from there because we had to follow a UP freight at 50mph.
I recall when I rode it Chi-Dal five years ago, it was on time all the way to Longview. We lost 20 minutes from there because we had to follow a UP freight at 50mph.
Its not hopeless! There is hope for Hope. In 2018 1,650 riders got on or off the train in Hope. Maybe they hoped to have a gander at Billy Clinton's famous or infamous pick-up.
Amtrak's conductors have a scanner that tells them who will be getting off or on the Eagle, as an example, at every station. It also tells them whether the rider is in coach or sleeper.
Of the six stations between Fort Worth and San Antonio only two have an agent on site. If no one is getting on or off at one of the unmanned stations, e.g. McGregor, Taylor, etc., which is rare, the train will stop momentarily, and then proceed. On the other hand, if riders are entraining or detraining from the sleeper and coaches, the train has to make two stops because of the short platforms.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
I forgot to include in my original posting the average number of minutes an Eagle rider could expect to be late in 2019. For the 12 months ended September 30, 2019, it was 112 minutes or nearly two hours.
CMStPnP I'll bet it is on time in both directions when I ride the Texas Eagle again in a few weeks. Always seem to luck out in that respect. I think they should drop some of the small town stops they added on the route. Hope, Arkansas seems to be a good candidate for a drop. There is one station South of St. Louis as well that it seems nobody ever gets on or off but the train stops there anyway.
I'll bet it is on time in both directions when I ride the Texas Eagle again in a few weeks. Always seem to luck out in that respect. I think they should drop some of the small town stops they added on the route. Hope, Arkansas seems to be a good candidate for a drop. There is one station South of St. Louis as well that it seems nobody ever gets on or off but the train stops there anyway.
Amazing how the Eagle, with its miserable OT record, is punctual for you, while you always have a complaint about being delayed on the Hiawatha, even though it achieves one of Amtrak's best records. Seinfeld's bizarro world, redux???
CMStPnPI think they should drop some of the small town stops they added on the route. Hope, Arkansas seems to be a good candidate for a drop. There is one station South of St. Louis as well that it seems nobody ever gets on or off but the train stops there anyway.
I wonder what would have to be done to the ticketing -- probably with properly-systems-integrated e-ticketing, not much -- to make many of these stops 'flag stops' if the train falls behind schedule in realtime (not net of padding) and there are no passengers to get off. Be simple to coordinate the fact of ticket sale timed for a flag stop, and then to develop some physical indication that would let a ticket holder 'set' a physical flag that signals the conductors to get the engineer to stop. (You could also coordinate with the passenger if the train is already late so that the stop could be a one-minute Japanese or DB-style affair losing little actual running time. Greyhound is notorious for doing a version of this, intentionally running early and blowing past any 'stop' that doesn't have passengers there at least half an hour early. Do NOT expect me to justify that in any way for Amtrak!!
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