Corona virus impacts on Amtrak

Amtrak posted a list of trains still running in Zone 1 (BOS-NYP):
195, 99, 163, 167, 169 (BOS-NYP)
160, 164, 88, 194, 168 (NYP-BOS)

5 trains daily, each way.
That's it.
All Acela trains cancelled (at least in Zone 1).

Starting today, I believe the Zone 3 schedules are similarly reduced.
Everyone in Albany crew base is reverted to the extra board.

I'm wondering how much longer the long-distance trains will run?
At this rate, Amtrak may be all-but shutdown within a month, unless conditions regarding the epidemic change...

An important read, from the industry journal Railway Age:

"A 'Sully' Moment For Amtrak’s Anderson"
https://www.railwayage.com/news/a-sully ... -anderson/

and this
https://www.railwayage.com/wp-content/u ... ations.pdf
(details states that requested services to be reduced/cut)

Fishrrman wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2020 3:16 pm Amtrak posted a list of trains still running in Zone 1 (BOS-NYP):
195, 99, 163, 167, 169 (BOS-NYP)
160, 164, 88, 194, 168 (NYP-BOS)

5 trains daily, each way.
That's it.
All Acela trains cancelled (at least in Zone 1).

Starting today, I believe the Zone 3 schedules are similarly reduced.
Everyone in Albany crew base is reverted to the extra board.

I'm wondering how much longer the long-distance trains will run?
At this rate, Amtrak may be all-but shutdown within a month, unless conditions regarding the epidemic change...

NYP-WAS is 13 trains tomorrow -- seven NE Regional and six thru trains like Silver Meteor and Vermonter.

Some additional cuts for this week (3/22)
Chicago Quincy
normally 2x now 1x

Chicago-Grand Rapids
normally 1x now cancelled

Chicago-Detroit
normally 3x now 1x

Chicago-Milwaukee
normally 7x now 2x (1 Hiawatha plus Empire Builder will now allow local CHI-MKE including new stops at SVT and MKA)

Chicago-Carbondale including City of NO
normally 3x now 2x

Chicago-St Louis including Texas Eagle
normally 5x now 3x

Boston-Maine
normally 5x now 2x

Seattle-Portland including Coastal Starlight
normally 5x now 4x

Los Angeles-San Diego
normally 13x now 6x

San Jose-Sacramento including Coastal Starlight
normally 8x now 5x

Albany-Buffalo including Maple Leaf and lake Shore Limited
normally 4x now 3x

Albany-New York including thru trains like Adirondack, etc.
normally 13x now 8x

Charlotte-Raleigh including Carolinian and Crescent
normally 6x now 4x

east point wrote: ↑Wed Mar 18, 2020 10:18 am boy if I had recovered from the virus would definitely take several trips.

Have to agree with you, though it could be a risky proposition at my age (well into geezerhood). We were planning to go Boston to Richmond and back in April on the NECl; then decided to drive; now we're staying home for the nonce, lest travel bans orphan us somewhere. But once this is over, whether we get the bug or not, I'm hoping long-distance bedrooms will be affordable. Would be nice to visit the Grand Canyon, and the West Coast.

Ordinarily, and of course these are not ordinary times, I firmly believe that driving our nation's highways is one of the most dangerous things one can do, and anything that causes people to drive instead of take public transit is unsafe. I have to temper that though with the thought that getting exposed to disease potentially has other problems, for example if one has vulnerable family members. If I die in an automobile accident perhaps I'm the only one who dies. If I expose a family member to disease maybe both of us die.

Off rails but on topic; trust Moderator will agree.

I would expect the "all clear" will sound early July, maybe by "the Fourth".

Regarding Mr. Boylan's thoughts on highway travel, drive rested, sober, defensively, and observe the "three C's; Caution, Courtesy, Common.Sense.

Fishrrman wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2020 3:16 pm Amtrak posted a list of trains still running in Zone 1 (BOS-NYP):
195, 99, 163, 167, 169 (BOS-NYP)
160, 164, 88, 194, 168 (NYP-BOS)

5 trains daily, each way.
That's it.
All Acela trains cancelled (at least in Zone 1).

Starting today, I believe the Zone 3 schedules are similarly reduced.
Everyone in Albany crew base is reverted to the extra board.

I'm wondering how much longer the long-distance trains will run?
At this rate, Amtrak may be all-but shutdown within a month, unless conditions regarding the epidemic change...

I think part of the idea of the Amtrak portion of the bailout is so they can continue skeleton operations and avoid a major furlough and keep agreement employees on the job so they can continue to get their paychecks. The more people that go unpaid as a result of this crises the harder it will be for the economy to recover. Either way the taxpayer is going to be bailing the economy out.

As hikes and walks are acceptable part of "social distancing" (why we had to come up with a new term for "keep your distance" or "stay away" is beyond me) I've been out in the state park system north of New Orleans and noticed both 58 and 59 are running full consist. Further review of instagram (where I posted pics of 59 under @railroad_dot_net as well as a few of the alligators I crossed paths with while chasing trains) have revealed that most long distance trains are running at/close to full consist.

Given that Amtrak's revenues have cratered and people are under hard instructions not to travel, why are they still running daily full-consist LD's? I think Via has just canceled the Canadian for now. Acela is off the table as well. Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to do a 3-car M/W/F version of the long distance trains? Sleeper-coach-cafe?

Social Distancing for train passengers?


In other questions, any idea why they've cancelled all the Pennsylvania trains in particular?

bdawe wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:19 am Social Distancing for train passengers?


In other questions, any idea why they've cancelled all the Pennsylvania trains in particular?

Two reasons to suspend the Pennsylvania supported services:

1-The decline in revenue made Amtrak tell Pennsylvania to provide mor subsidy or cut trains.

2- Pennsylvania has been pretty aggressive in taking containment efforts. Cutting the ability to get to NY and NJ helps.

rcthompson04 wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 10:47 am

bdawe wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:19 am Social Distancing for train passengers?


In other questions, any idea why they've cancelled all the Pennsylvania trains in particular?

Two reasons to suspend the Pennsylvania supported services:

1-The decline in revenue made Amtrak tell Pennsylvania to provide mor subsidy or cut trains.

2- Pennsylvania has been pretty aggressive in taking containment efforts. Cutting the ability to get to NY and NJ helps.

It's mainly #2. Pennsylvania told Amtrak to suspend the Keystone and Pennsylvanian.

Granted, you're still going on the NEC or the Capital Limited to get to some spots, but forget Harrisburg.

Tadman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 8:12 am As hikes and walks are acceptable part of "social distancing" (why we had to come up with a new term for "keep your distance" or "stay away" is beyond me) I've been out in the state park system north of New Orleans and noticed both 58 and 59 are running full consist. Further review of instagram (where I posted pics of 59 under @railroad_dot_net as well as a few of the alligators I crossed paths with while chasing trains) have revealed that most long distance trains are running at/close to full consist.

Given that Amtrak's revenues have cratered and people are under hard instructions not to travel, why are they still running daily full-consist LD's? I think Via has just canceled the Canadian for now. Acela is off the table as well. Wouldn't it make a lot more sense to do a 3-car M/W/F version of the long distance trains? Sleeper-coach-cafe?

Perhaps the reason for running full consists with significantly reduced number of passengers is to effectively allow for social distancing. Very few passengers in a full consist results in the ability of passengers to be seated far apart.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 6:25 am Off rails but on topic; trust Moderator will agree.

I would expect the "all clear" will sound early July, maybe by "the Fourth".

Regarding Mr. Boylan's thoughts on highway travel, drive rested, sober, defensively, and observe the "three C's; Caution, Courtesy, Common.Sense.

Mod Note: absolutely on topic.

—————

Personally: I don’t think there will be an “all clear” as such, but a lessening of social restrictions. Small businesses reopening, flights restarting on a lower frequency (same with Amtrak and commuter lines), with as high a proportion of telework as possible and limitation of permits to (say) campgrounds. Once the pandemic settles and we’ve actually gotten testing protocols in place - and July 4 sounds reasonable as such a date - we can relax further but will still need to be cautious to continue extra cleaning and telework.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 6:25 am Off rails but on topic; trust Moderator will agree.

I would expect the "all clear" will sound early July, maybe by "the Fourth".

Regarding Mr. Boylan's thoughts on highway travel, drive rested, sober, defensively, and observe the "three C's; Caution, Courtesy, Common.Sense.

Truckers report drivers finding problems with food, rest areas. (Trucker diners closed or no hot meals, shortage of showers, bathrooms, can't drive in with 18 wheeler). Maybe some of that freight needs to move TOFC COFC. Maybe too bad for Amtrak to move some mail, express.

GWoodle wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 4:33 pm

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Mar 23, 2020 6:25 am Off rails but on topic; trust Moderator will agree.

I would expect the "all clear" will sound early July, maybe by "the Fourth".

Regarding Mr. Boylan's thoughts on highway travel, drive rested, sober, defensively, and observe the "three C's; Caution, Courtesy, Common.Sense.

Truckers report drivers finding problems with food, rest areas. (Trucker diners closed or no hot meals, shortage of showers, bathrooms, can't drive in with 18 wheeler). Maybe some of that freight needs to move TOFC COFC. Maybe too bad for Amtrak to move some mail, express.

The roads are quiet. My dad is a LTL truck driver and he is busy and enjoying the relatively empty roads.