Corona virus impacts on Amtrak

SouthernRailway wrote: ↑Sun Apr 12, 2020 6:56 am Given very light loads on trains, if a reserved train doesn’t have anyone getting on or off at a station, does Amtrak even have the train stop at the station now? Seems like a waste of effort to do so especially if the train is late.

For example, if nobody boards a northbound long-distance train at Washington, why wouldn’t it leave as soon as the locomotive change is done?

Yes. You can see #3 or #4 stop at La Plata Mo every day. Even if the train is late, makes the scheduled stop. If there are no sleeper passengers, may make the coach stop only then stay maybe 5 minutes or less. At least there are no stops for both sleeper & coach passengers. In the schedule for #3 or #4 you may find "flag stops" where the train will only stop to let passengers off. Could be at Naperville or La Grange if #3/4 has a suburban flag stop.

For a northbound train at Washington DC with a locomotive change there is likely to be also an engineer change. There could be "flag stops" north of Washington for departing passengers.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:50 am

ThirdRail7 wrote: ↑Sun Apr 12, 2020 6:42 pmThe fact that no one is using the ADA room is irrelevant. There is a federal regulation that states if you sell room space, the car must have an ADA accessible room...with a bathroom that is directly accessible.

Mr. Third Rail, while who am I to question documentation provided by one who in all certainty is presently active in the industry, I can only reiterate my observations of the Chief with only a #390XX T-Dorm in consist.

Either Amtrak has received waivers "for the Duration", or they are simply flaunting the Reg.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Mon Apr 13, 2020 12:49 pm Likely the latter. I can see if there was no passengers for the trip up and back.

I don't doubt you have seen trains with only a 390XX T-Dorm in the consist since quite a few of them (I believe it may be the majority them) reportedly have an ADA accessible room on the lower level.

That being the case, it isn't "likely the latter."

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Apr 13, 2020 9:50 am Otherwise, several sites have reports that "Boxed" meals are being provided to Sleeper passengers on the Chief. To me "Boxed" is even lower than "Flex" as the latter is at least hot and served in plastic rather than paperware.

The Flexible meal stylings have spread to the long-distance trains until this ends. The dining cars will serve as a lounge and meals will all come out of one car. They've already started this with the eastern long-distance trains. I believe the Meteor is the next to go to a one-car serves all operation.

Tadman wrote: ↑Mon Apr 13, 2020 8:55 am The south end of 58/59 has been a bit confusing to say the least. Over the weekend the website listed 58/59 as terminating in McComb and showed them as "service disruption" but guess what cruised by right on time? Both 58 and 59, with two motors and 8 cars. This despite the Bonnet Carre Spillway being open for a week now and Corona?

What you saw is deadhead equipment. Passengers aren't carried between MCB and NOL due to the spillway being opened but the train continues to NOL for servicing.

Mr. Third Rail, would you have knowledge as to minimum axle count requirements on either the routes of the Chief and Zephyr?

Now that you, as distinct from the "learned" at other sites, have reported on the limited food service aboard those trains, I remain at a loss to know why there continues to be both a Diner and Lounge assigned when likely a #315XX Coach Snack Bar - or even a "panic box" - would fulfil the present need.

GBN

BNSF does not seem to be driving a minimum axle count, but even 2 units, a baggage, a sleeper, a diner, a sightseer, and two coaches is 32 axles.

UP does do axle count on the old MoP, but I don’t know about historic D&RGW or historic SP. Even so, eight cars should cover the count v

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:45 am Mr. Third Rail, would you have knowledge as to minimum axle count requirements on either the routes of the Chief and Zephyr?

To my knowledge, there are no axel count restrictions along either route. They can make as puny of a consist as they wish.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Apr 14, 2020 6:45 am Now that you, as distinct from the "learned" at other sites, have reported on the limited food service aboard those trains, I remain at a loss to know why there continues to be both a Diner and Lounge assigned when likely a #315XX Coach Snack Bar - or even a "panic box" - would fulfil the present need.

They probably don't need both but they seem to be following the original operation of having a sleeper-lounge(in this case, the diner) and a cafe.

I'd really prefer them not to push the one car concept any earlier than they have to.

Serving ready to eat meals is very high risk, surprised they are doing it at all.
I wonder how many meals are actually been eaten ?

How is ready to eat meals any worse than getting takeaway or a drive-thru, both of which are keeping restaurants alive right now?

As long as the food is not touched after leaving the kitchen, I don't see the risk.

Its not , they are high risk too.
Of course Amtrak will be taking extra steps, how much control it has over its supplier , I don't know, but I would stick to packaged foods if I was travelling on any mode of transport.

Recently there was a piece by a doctor, perhaps Tom Frieden, that said restaurant and professionally cooked food might be safer because of the excessive regulations surrounding preparation, IE hand washing, hair nets, etc... Not sure how I feel about that, but worth considering. Also some of the really mass produced food is probably heavily reliant on automated kitchens and machine-produced. I know little about the food service industry but I can't imagine they have a few dudes scooping burgers all day long just to freeze dry them and ship them off to the Amtrak commissary.

Jim Wrinn, Editor of Trains magazine , explores the use of Acelas as Ambulance trains .
http://cs.trains.com/trn/b/staff/archiv ... lance.aspx

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed Apr 15, 2020 9:29 am Recently there was a piece by a doctor, perhaps Tom Frieden, that said restaurant and professionally cooked food might be safer because of the excessive regulations surrounding preparation, IE hand washing, hair nets, etc... Not sure how I feel about that, but worth considering. Also some of the really mass produced food is probably heavily reliant on automated kitchens and machine-produced. I know little about the food service industry but I can't imagine they have a few dudes scooping burgers all day long just to freeze dry them and ship them off to the Amtrak commissary.

They probably have an army of folk slicing meat off the bone, which then goes down into a grinder and formed into patties, flash-frozen, stacked, and packaged. I bet the show "How It's Made" has an entry on it...

My post on hot food delivery is the result of me misreading the reasons it was stopped during NZ's lockdown. While there was concern over hygiene standards for Uber eats and the like , the main reason was it is not considered an essential service.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/412 ... strictions
here's a good article on food
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52040138
Apologies if I misled anyone.

Here's a Fair Use quotation from the material immediately linked by Mr. Railnut:

The Federal Railroad Administration is making available more than $1bn to support Amtrak operations during the coronavirus pandemic, under the terms of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security Act approved by the US Congress on March 27.

Announced by Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao on April 10, the $1·02bn funding package is intended to support the national passenger operator’s efforts ‘to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the spread of’ Covid-19 in the USA ‘and its impacts on operations and business’.

Amtrak has halved its service levels following a 96% drop in daily ridership and a 95% decline in forward ticket bookings as a result of the pandemic. It has suspended all Acela Express trains between Boston and Washington DC, as well as regional services from New York to Charlotte, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, the Boston – Brunswick Downeaster, and the Pere Marquette from Chicago to Grand Rapids. Other routes and connecting bus links are operating a reduced frequency.

So sad; Mr. Anderson leaves for "a new hand at the throttle" with so much effort he made to have Amtrak resemble a for-profit passenger transportation company identifying the services that have a role to play in 21st century transportation and laying the groundwork to improve them, and at the same time identifying those services that have marginal or no role and attempted to eliminate them - albeit with not much success.

Even if I, as a retired CPA, find that his measurement of "almost breaking even" to be dubious, it is documented within Audited Financial Statements that his administration ("regime" will say his opponents) did more to reduce the Net Loss than had any of his predecessors.

All told, I hold that "Amtrak is for the better" that Mr. Anderson's hands came "off the yoke" and on to "the throttle". All can only hope, with being confronted with the greatest public health emergency in modern history, that Amtrak can one day return to the path I believe Mr. Anderson set it upon.