Amtrak On-Time Performance (OTP) Delays Reroutes Annulled

[chuchubob]

Any news on what happened around Paoli today? The Keystones seem to have taken a major hit.

Big storm. Trees took catenary down.

[Morning Zephyr]

I am booked on #54 Saturday June 24, NY-Northampton. Just received a phone call from Amtrak re "service disruption" which involves train to New Haven, bus from there to Springfield, then train from Springfield to Northampton. I am also booked on #57 on Sunday June 25 from Northampton to NY, which the agent said is not affected. I am a little suspicious that if they have this disruption northbound on Saturday, they would have a similar one southbound on Sunday.

[rhallock]

Continimg a bad week for Amtrak, Does anybody know why:

#42 (16th) westbound Pennsylvanian lost 2' 45" from Tyrone to Altoona; and why

Actually that was train #43. During a violent thunderstorm a few miles west of Tyrone the engine suffered complete failure. Two NS engines were summoned from Altoona and we proceeded after a two hour delay into Altoona. Apparently the plan was to put us on busses to Pittsburgh but none could be found. We continued on without any head-end power but west of Gallitzin the train had trouble with the brakes unable to release fully. Those under one car started smoking badly. One man panicked and ran through the train screaming "The train is on fire!". After another hour delay we finally limped into Pittsburgh.at 11 PM. I continued on via the Capitol Ltd. which was also 3 hours late in Pittsburgh leaving at 3 AM.. Apparently it had been stopped a few miles east by a tree down across the tracks.

[ohioriverrailway]

29 and 30 (23rd) both taking it on the chin...neighborhood of 3 hours late and still not to their end points. Weather????

[STrRedWolf]

Track work between GROVE and BRIDGE started today on the NEC. Some prep work for the next two weeks then major train switching in the morning as southbound trains run on track 1.

The only word about it is through MTA Maryland MARC with notice at https://mta.maryland.gov/content/penn-l ... ule-change" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and emails.

[STrRedWolf]

Just woke up to this. Fatality around F-Tower affecting the NEC and CSX lines. Amtrak service suspended WAS to PHL. MARC Service BAL/PVL to NCR on the NEC/Penn line, Baltimore Camden Yards (CMDN) to Greenbelt (GRNB) on the Camden Line.

Amtrak says the following:

Amtrak trains will not be able to operate for the start of the morning rush-hour period between Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia due to a temporary track closure. Police are working to complete their investigation of a fatal incident involving two pedestrians who were on the tracks in D.C.

[dt_rt40]

Just woke up to this. Fatality around F-Tower affecting the NEC and CSX lines. Amtrak service suspended WAS to PHL. MARC Service BAL/PVL to NCR on the NEC/Penn line, Baltimore Camden Yards (CMDN) to Greenbelt (GRNB) on the Camden Line.

This is getting ridiculous. This happened before midnight! The reason it often takes so long to clear these investigations, apparently - according to multiple sources within Amtrak who have spoken to a source of mine - is that it takes many hours to get the local municipality's medical examiner team on-site. Amtrak needs to be 'deputized' by states along the NEC to have their own police and medical examiners close the investigation as quickly as possible. Sorry to put it bluntly, other industrialized nations must be laughing at something like this shutting down over half of the NEC. Granted this case is slightly different because it was apparently track workers, but most of the time it is idiot trespassers.

[Gilbert B Norman]

The Washington Fox outlet seems to have "the best of the worst" coverage of this incident. Funny how the same outlet reported the victims were trespassers, but later changed their reporting to "CSX employees". Those employees were reported to be Train & Engine, who should have "known better" not to be on those tracks near 9th St without clearance.

Let the "Fair and impartial hearings" begin:

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/264318370-story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[STrRedWolf]

WTOP is quoting CSX on the workers that were killed, and said 1 worker was injured. From all info available, I guess they were working on F Tower. http://wtop.com/dc/2017/06/amtrak-marc- ... -fatality/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NTSB is on scene so expect it to be fubared for the morning hours.

[Gilbert B Norman]

Mr. Wolf, I guess you'll be late into work today. Trust the boss will know it's not your fault.

Otherwise, and what else is new, three different media outlets have three different stories. Hopefully, this conjecture will die down by the time recognized print media reports on the story.

[RRspatch]

WTOP is quoting CSX on the workers that were killed, and said 1 worker was injured. From all info available, I guess they were working on F Tower. http://wtop.com/dc/2017/06/amtrak-marc- ... -fatality/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NTSB is on scene so expect it to be fubared for the morning hours.

Amtrak's NEC tracks run right next to the CSXT Metropolitan division for about a mile between the New York Avenue overhead bridge (actually "F" interlocking) and a point about a mile north (past Amtrak's Ivy City yard) where they separate. What I find interesting about this story was the fact that two CSXT employees were the ones struck and killed. I assume they were walking a CSXT freight train in emergency as there's no local industries for them to be switching at. If this is the case I wonder if the CSXT dispatcher in Halethrope notified the Amtrak CETC 1 dispatcher in Wilmington of this. The Amtrak train, if properly informed by the CETC 1 dispatcher, would be approaching at restricted speed sounding horn and bell would have given the CSXT trainman more time to get out of the way. It sounds to me, at first glance, that someone at CSXT might have dropped the ball. I do remember having the CSXT dispatchers number at the CETC 1 desk as well as at the ACD desk. Notifying an adjacent railroad of a train in emergency was drilled into you during my days at Amtrak and BNSF.

Remembering my Amtrak CETC 1 daze ....

[Gilbert B Norman]

I'm certain Mr. Spatch will heartily concur with the thought that the investigations, both on and off the two properties, will indeed be complicated. I guess this is my way of saying to leave the speculation to the media; if they had half a brain, they will lay off as well.

We are talking about loss of life, we are talking about train dispatching on two different railroads, we are talking about coordination between those two roads and the adequacy of procedures governing such.

Finally, we are talking about careers and livelihoods.

Let's defer to the professionals; NTSB and Operating Officers on the two roads. They have access to the facts; we (and the media) do not.

[justalurker66]

Funny how the same outlet reported the victims were trespassers, but later changed their reporting to "CSX employees".

Considering the constant rants on this and other railroad discussion sites asking the media to call the people hit in these incidents "trespassers" I can understand why the original "pedestrian strike" would be published as trespasser strike. The initial reports made before who was hit was determined could have easily called them trespassers.

It is unfortunate when anyone gets killed on a ROW. With this incident - multiple fatalities plus an injury and multiple railroads involved I am not surprised releasing the scene took a while. Darkness also does not speed investigation. It is unfortunate that the trains got delayed ... but the deaths are worse that a messed up morning commute.

[RRspatch]

Regarding the two CSXT employees struck and killed by Amtrak 175 ... it turns out the CSXT train was NOT in emergency. The train had actuated a defect detector a ways down the line and was stopped to inspect the train. Inspection was complete and the two crew men were walking back to the head-end between the CSXT track and Amtrak No.3 track with their backs to the approaching Amtrak train.

I'm therefore guessing that no notification was given to the Amtrak CETC 1 dispatcher in Wilmington from the CSXT dispatcher in Halethorpe as it was a stop and inspect and not an emergency application of the brakes.

[STrRedWolf]

Mr. Wolf, I guess you'll be late into work today. Trust the boss will know it's not your fault.

Otherwise, and what else is new, three different media outlets have three different stories. Hopefully, this conjecture will die down by the time recognized print media reports on the story.

Actually, I was early today. I caught MARC 404 running late at around 7:25am at Odenton. I was the only one at that station at the time.

I was looking everywhere... and it looks like WTOP was giving out the most details as time went on. Of course, things get corrected as time goes on (the nature of news). They had a photo of the train on the CSX line right next to the Amtrak line at night, where it was taking up two tracks.

This is definitely a NTSB investigation, and I can't wait to see a timeline of what happened before and after the accident. Condolences to the CSX crew.