Amtrak train stuck for 20 hours

[cnw4001]

Amtrak has demonstrated more than once they cannot deal with something out of the ordinary.

Second guessing after the fact is always easy but clearly after a couple of hours and a couple of "false starts" somebody should take whatever steps are necessary to get the situation resolved.

None of the stories I've read indicate if there was any recrewing, wonder if there was? If not wonder what the plan was to move the train with an outlawed crew?

[SchemerBob]

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING.....??

Just another thing the media can badmouth Amtrak about.

[eolafan]

You would think they could have found a way to run the power around the train, go in the opposite direction until they found an alternate route around the derailment...all of this would likely not have taken twenty hours.

[ironhorseman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by upchuck

[wow]Next trip I'm packing a roll of toilet paper...

And I forgot to write in up there a backpack full of snacks. I always travel with some kind of nonperishable food.

[upchuck]

[wow]Next trip I'm packing a roll of toilet paper...

[ironhorseman]

I was trying to figure out what the big deal was about this delay when they had it on NBC's morning show. My impression was 'OK, Amtrak delayed, so what else is new?'

But the lady they interviewed for the MSNBC article, Eleanor Meyer, was also on the Good Morning America show today and the big deal was passengers were not informed they had an option to get off and find another mode of transportation. But that was only at Savannah and she has 4 kids to look after and even if she knew she could leave she had no where to go anyway. She said they were told that stop was just 5min for smokers or to stretch your legs.

The other thing Meyer pointed out was Amtrak did give everyone on board a free meal around 11PM last night, which, she said, "ironically [contained] a Subway sandwich." I the anchorlady didn't catch on but I remember reading the Trains Newswire under November 30th titled: "Union opposes Subway food service on New York Amtrak trains." (Sorry, no link available, Trains.com took it down, but I copied and saved it the other day.)

I can't say my Amtrak experiences are worse than this one. Being stuck on Amtrak for 20+ hours with food running low, toiletries running low, and train not in motion is pretty bad. The longest 2 hours I ever spent on a train was when it motionless at De Soto, KS (just outside Kansas City, my destination) to do the 1,000 mile inspection and to switch out the roadrailers. In that time I had breakfast, a conversation with some people from Connecticut (I think that's the state) and lots of pacing and sitting in the observation car. I ran out of things to do that I started correcting all the typos in the SW Chief's on board brochures.

My impression of Amtrak has been that they're always at the ready when something is needed. The Newton, KS station has been called upon in the middle of the night to resupply the SW Chief with food or other supplies in the middle of the night with only a few hours notice. It's unfortunate they had to cut the number and staff and hours there.

There's also the chance to meet many interesting people on Amtrak. For instance, the Amish use Amtrak extensively, probably setting distance records for travel by train. One group one summer had traveled from South Bend, Indiana to San Diego for a reletives wedding and heading back home again. I don't think there's been a single Amtrak ride I've been on where I havn't met someone Amish on board. Also, one summer the Boy Scouts were using Amtrak to go to the Grand Canyon. It seemed like more and more were boarding at each major stop.

If I were caught in a situation like what happened to Train #98 the last couple days I'd probably, given the option, stick with the train, because riding the train is the whole point of travel for me. Even if I were in a derailment and survived uninjured I'd say, 'put me on the next train!' Train travel is not a way of getting there, but a way of going.

[spbed]

CNN said it was more close to 30 hours then 20 hours. [:p]

Originally posted by mloik

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

• Reply