Corona virus impacts on Amtrak

Capitol Limited this morning (3/25) westbound was 4 cars. One sleeper, diner, 2 coaches.

eolesen wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 4:06 am One reason consists might not be shortened right now.... where would you put the cars?

In one of the towns near me, our commuter agency usually stores four trains overnight for express services. They switched to a reduced schedule last week, and today I noticed that two of the four trainsets were still tied down well after their normal departure times.

Amtrak doesn't have a whole lot of layover space in most of their terminals, let alone storage yards, so it's probably easier to keep the consists intact than it would be to try and find storage space for them.

If service has been reduced on many lines I would guess a lot of this equipment could be stored at the terminal stations. On lines that are suspended completely that might be easier. You could probably park all the equipment for the Keystone at Harrisburg and Lancaster if you needed to free up space elsewhere. I saw pictures of Acelas sitting at 30th Street recently.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Amtrak will seek an additional $1B to do what was almost being done out of the farebox - pay people, buy gas, clean bed linens.

Fair Use:

WASHINGTON—The coronavirus crisis has crushed the finances of Amtrak just as the company approached profitability, and the national railroad is now banking on a $1 billion bailout from Congress to stay afloat.

Business closures, stay-at-home orders and fear has led to plunging ridership, leading Amtrak to halt its Acela service linking Washington, D.C. and Boston on Sunday. The railroad now sits on the brink of financial calamity, just four months after Amtrak chief executive Richard Anderson said the railroad was on track to run an operating profit for the first time in its 50-year history..

Buddy, can you spare a B?

eolesen wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 4:06 am One reason consists might not be shortened right now.... where would you put the cars?

In one of the towns near me, our commuter agency usually stores four trains overnight for express services. They switched to a reduced schedule last week, and today I noticed that two of the four trainsets were still tied down well after their normal departure times.

Amtrak doesn't have a whole lot of layover space in most of their terminals, let alone storage yards, so it's probably easier to keep the consists intact than it would be to try and find storage space for them.

It's a genuine concern. You can't lock the manual doors on superliners so it's hard to park the trains out on a siding, too. Local kids could get aboard and borrow stuff. I proved that - once well over 20 years ago, I sighted a bad order SL set out near the highway. I pulled over and walked up to the car. It opened right up and I walked through. I didn't steal anything, smoke, screw, anything nefarious, but the possibility is there.

Disclaimer - this is illegal and I would not do it in my adult years, nor would I suggest others did. Chalk it up to my dumber invincible years.

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 9:54 am...
Disclaimer - this is illegal and I would not do it in my adult years, nor would I suggest others did. Chalk it up to my dumber invincible years.

Hey, we all did stupid sh!t we wouldn't do these days. In the 70's as a teen I used to walk the 4-track New Haven Line ROW, across bridges, and climb on freight cars. As a forum, we don't allow "fruit of the forbidden tree", but who among us hasn't in the past done something like this. So to reinforce, yes, we can't advocate such. Excellent disclaimer!

Back to Amtrak: https://m.amtrak.com/h5/r/www.amtrak.co ... virus.html

Operating on a reduced schedule

Northeast Corridor (Boston – New York – Washington, DC – Virginia)
Adirondack (New York – Montreal): No service north of Albany
Amtrak Hartford Line (New Haven, CT – Springfield, MA)
Amtrak Thruway Bus routes
Capitol Corridor (San Jose – Sacramento)
Cascades (Eugene – Vancouver, B.C.): No service north of Seattle
Downeaster (Boston – Brunswick, ME)
Empire Service (New York – Niagara Falls)
Ethan Allen Express (New York – Rutland, VT)
Hiawatha (Chicago – Milwaukee)
Illini/Saluki (Chicago – Carbondale)
Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg Chicago – Quincy)
Lincoln Service (Chicago – St. Louis)
Maple Leaf (New York – Toronto): No service west of Niagara Falls, NY
Pacific Surfliner (San Luis Obispo – San Diego)
Piedmont (Charlotte – Raleigh)
San Joaquins (Bakersfield – Oakland and Sacramento) starting March 26
Valley Flyer (New Haven, CT – Greenfield, MA)
Wolverine (Chicago – Pontiac)

Suspended services

Acela (Boston – Washington, DC)
Keystone Service (Harrisburg – New York)
Pennsylvanian trains (New York – Pittsburgh)
Pere Marquette (Chicago – Grand Rapids)
Winter Park Express (Denver – Winter Park Resort)

Due to service reductions, some stations may not be staffed. If the station is closed, please proceed to the platform to board your train.
Other services may also be impacted as circumstances change. Café service will also be suspended on select trains.

Customers with reservations on trains that are being modified will be contacted and typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day.

Amtrak is waiving change fees on all existing or new reservations made before April 30, 2020. Simply log in to your account or go to Modify Trip on Amtrak.com, or find your reservation from your account on the home screen in the Amtrak app. A fare difference may apply to your new itinerary. If you want to cancel your reservation with no fee, you must call 800-USA-RAIL and speak with an agent (not available via Amtrak.com or the app).

I have been watching the consists on the Empire Corridor shrink over the past week out of my window. We are now at 3 cars for the Empire Services (2 coach 1 cafe) and 6 cars for the Lake Shore (3 coach 1 V2 diner 1 sleeper 1 baggage). Haven’t gotten a look at the maple leaf/adirondack yet but I know they’re not running to canada anymore. Is the Boston section of the LSL still being attached or is it a stub train now?

Mr. 706, a review of the site shows a lot of "busteetooting" at present. Additionally, it notes both the Cafe and the Boston Sleeper have been blanked; CV-19 notwithstanding.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 4:29 pm Mr. 706, a review of the site shows a lot of "busteetooting" at present. Additionally, it notes both the Cafe and the Boston Sleeper have been blanked; CV-19 notwithstanding.

Boston sleeper was on the WB Lakeshore this morning. Some days its there and others its not. May have something to do with track work between Boston and Albany.

The Boston section 449/448 is being bustituted on Fridays through Sundays till I think end of May because of weekend track work by MBTA in the Boston area during that time. It has been running during the other days of the week. A look at the web cams on the B&A during the last week the consist has been the normal 4 car set; VI sleeper, café car and two coaches. I cannot imagine this could go on much longer though as there can't be that many people on those trains.

Amtrak706 wrote: ↑Wed Mar 25, 2020 3:53 pmI have been watching the consists on the Empire Corridor shrink over the past week out of my window.

OK, Mr. 706; now I get it.

You reside along the Hudson Division; although shortened the consists you have observed still have the types of cars they had pre-CV.

Now regarding whether 448-9 operates BOS-ALB or BOS-CHI, beyond what I reported about learning from a Service Advisory, I wholly defer to others with first hand knowledge.

The Wall Street Journal reports "Amtrak got its B":

.Railroads
National passenger railroad Amtrak secured about $1 billion to cover revenue losses related to the coronavirus. The railroad industry won enhanced unemployment benefits that account for its workers not being covered under traditional state-run unemployment programs. Railroad workers instead receive unemployment benefits under a program administered by the Railroad Retirement Board. The bill removes a seven-day waiting period to collect unemployment and provides $50 million to cover the benefits tied to that waiver. It also provides $425 million to double biweekly unemployment payments to $1,200 through July. —Paul Ziobro

..

From the caption, it appears the industry as a whole only got liberalized RRUI benefits for its displaced employees - nothing when compared with the airlines and Boeing.

I just canceled a weekend trip to DC I had planned in May. Even if things do plateau by then, I'd still rather play it safe. I'll probably save up for another Disney trip or maybe a long weekend in Canada; I've never been out of the country and I feel that'll be a good starter trip.

Amtrak refunded my Empire and Regional tickets, hopefully I can get my money back from the Mariott up the street from WAS. I pre-paid for the lower rate, so I may be boned.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Thu Mar 26, 2020 8:07 am The Wall Street Journal reports "Amtrak got its B":

.Railroads
National passenger railroad Amtrak secured about $1 billion to cover revenue losses related to the coronavirus. The railroad industry won enhanced unemployment benefits that account for its workers not being covered under traditional state-run unemployment programs. Railroad workers instead receive unemployment benefits under a program administered by the Railroad Retirement Board. The bill removes a seven-day waiting period to collect unemployment and provides $50 million to cover the benefits tied to that waiver. It also provides $425 million to double biweekly unemployment payments to $1,200 through July. —Paul Ziobro

..

From the caption, it appears the industry as a whole only got liberalized RRUI benefits for its displaced employees - nothing when compared with the airlines and Boeing.

The railroads got what they wanted without a bunch of strings attached compared to the airlines getting what they wanted with a lot of strings attached.

Governor of Vermont suspends Service.

Read it here

Amtrak portion of stimulus bill:

Bailout for Amtrak: $492,000,000 for Northeast Corridor
$526,000,000, for national network