Passenger Trains > Tehachapi Detour canceled

I learned today that the Coast Starlight detour has been canceled over Tehachapi. In addition the Cascade line will reopen next week with 12 hour operation windows during the day and continued work in the evening.

Amtrak will not immediately be operating over the Cascades as they need to ramp up service and scheduling. From what I understand this is not because of limitations placed on Amtrak by Union Pacific.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

So,was the detour canceled because Amtrak won't be back on the Cascades? Or some other reason, or no reason at all?

The window the Coast Line will be closed narrowed allowing for operation of the train.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Well,

Trains Unlimited Tours hasn't gotten the message yet. Still shows as a "sure go".

Oh well, would have been a great trip.

TopCat

They will show it as a "sure go" a month after it was supposed to happen.
TopCat Wrote:
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> Well,
>
> Trains Unlimited Tours hasn't gotten the message
> yet. Still shows as a "sure go".
>
> Oh well, would have been a great trip.
>
> TopCat

Bummer.

That sucks, so it looks like UP got the line back up and running good enough for 12 hour windows, not bad! Looks like 14 and 11 can go up there once everything's squared away!

As of 1:15pm March 31, 2008 the Amtrak management official and source of what we put out was reached on the phone and told us: "News of No. 14 not running over Tehachapi was new news to him. He told us that he knows nothing about a descision NOT to run No. 14 over Tehachapi and that he would be one of the first to know. He said he would keep us well inform daily on what is happening within Amtrak's descision making on the detour of No. 14. We will keep you informed. Stay tuned to the suspense!

Chris Skow
Trains Unlimited, Tours

I think that a lot of this has to do not only with scheduling the train over Tehachapi, I think UP would have to pay, at least in part, the costs of the alternate transportation of the passengers destined south of Oakland or Sacramento.

I have not cancelled the request to move TIOGA PASS on No. 14 april 27th. Let's wait and see what happens. The good news is that it appears LA Rail's May 17th trip to Portland, Spokane and Seattle will run as it appears the Cascade line will be open again. (See WWW.LARail,com)

Norm

webmaster Wrote:
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> Amtrak will not immediately be operating over the
> Cascades as they need to ramp up service and
> scheduling. From what I understand this is not
> because of limitations placed on Amtrak by Union
> Pacific.

So Amtrak has at least a week's notice that the line will be available to them. That's plenty of time to re-position equipment, re-call crews, etc. And the scheduling has always been in place; no need to "ramp up" that. Why should they not be ready to restore the whole service on day one?

It sounds like the same ponderous ineptitude that Amtrak showed when it annulled the whole train, only to eventually realize that they could still operate between Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Not good, even for government work.

72368 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have not cancelled the request to move TIOGA
> PASS on No. 14 april 27th. Let's wait and see
> what happens. The good news is that it appears LA
> Rail's May 17th trip to Portland, Spokane and
> Seattle will run as it appears the Cascade line
> will be open again. (See WWW.LARail,com)
>
> Norm


I'd still say that's a wait and see deal, with the report reading on the Western Board, it might be a possibility!

Former Rails and officials from the Southern Pacific Railroad look at the poor handling of this slide with shame. For all intensive purposes, Amtrak has been given a Bum Steer.