Passenger Trains > LD train arrivals at Chicago today.

Long Distance trains arrived at Chicago Union Station today, April 18, 2014 as follows:

#4 - 37 mins late.
#6 - 55 mins late.
#8 – Left Milwaukee 3 hrs, 46 mins late.
#22 - 19 mins late.
#29 - 47 mins late.
#49 - 17 mins late.
#851 - 11 mins early.
#58 - 16 mins early.

John Webb
Trinidad, CA

It is as I feared...lengthening train schedules almost never works. The Builder is STILL hours late. Some will argue that yea, it would be 6:45 hours late now rather than 3:45, but I am not convinced. I think BNSF now thinks it has another 3 hours to play with.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/14 18:14 by Chessie1963.

Winnemucca Wrote:
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> #8 – Left Milwaukee 3 hrs, 46 mins late.

Arr. Glenview at 7:18:43 p.m., 4 hrs 7 mins late
Dep. Glenview at 7:20:36 p.m.
Arr. Chicago at 7:53 p.m., 3 hrs, 58 mins late

Delayed Deerfield to Chicago by Metra 2154 due Union Station at 7:53 p.m., operating on-time.

So far, rswebber's prediction of an average 3-to-5 hour delay is right on the money, averaging 4 hrs, 30 sec. late the first two days of the new schedule.

Train was: -0:01 at Seattle; -0:38 at Minot; -2:16 at Fargo; -1:37 at Minneapolis; -3:58 at Chicago.

Consist of #8(16) at Glenview: Engs 78, 14; Baggage 1720; Seattle sleepers 39017, 32110, 32052; diner 38021; Seattle coaches 34107, 31038; lounge 33000; Portland coaches 34063, 31042; Portland sleeper 32106; 11 cars.

I mentioned on this forum before that the Empire Builder was increasingly losing more and more time over the CP portion of the journey, where formerly in years past this is where it often made up or at least stayed on time. Today's #8 into Chicago was perfect example. Left MSP 1 hour+ down and then lost another three hours on the CP route. So the train still runs late with the schedule change making no effect as of yet.

jp1822 Wrote:
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> I mentioned on this forum before that the Empire
> Builder was increasingly losing more and more time
> over the CP portion of the journey, where formerly
> in years past this is where it often made up or at
> least stayed on time. Today's #8 into Chicago was
> perfect example. Left MSP 1 hour+ down and then
> lost another three hours on the CP route. So the
> train still runs late with the schedule change
> making no effect as of yet.

I predict that the schedule change will little or no impact on Chicago arrival times. This pattern will continue, and if the schedule is ever shortened (unlikely), the train then be even later.

Let's hope I am wrong!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Amtrak had conversation only with BNSF because of all the oil traffic in North Dakota. They didn't chat with CP, did they?

sums007 Wrote:
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> . . . I believe Amtrak had conversation only with BNSF because of all the oil
> traffic in North Dakota. They didn't chat with CP, did they?

Can't attest to who talked to whom, but only the BNSF schedule changed on the 15th. CP has oil trains, too. We see them in the north suburbs of Chicago on the Metra line between Rondout and Techny Road (Tower A-20), where the freight line to Bensenville Yard leaves the Chicago & Milwaukee Division (old Milwaukee Road terminology). It seems the key to avoding delay on the CP is to get out of St. Paul on time - the new schedule increases the chances of this. Otherwise there are problems getting over the River Division (St. Paul to LaCrosse) which handles CP traffic bound for Kansas City as well as the Chicago trains.

Today, #8(17) was out of St. Paul about 30 minutes late and is in Milwaukee at this time, about 1 hour 20 minutes late. [correction - was leaving MKE when I thought he was arriving - actually 1 hr 3 mins late departing and made up 12 minutes more to arrive CHI only 51 mins late]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/14 18:21 by illini73.

That's a little better, but I'm hopin' they go back to the old schedule after May 31 and keep it, it was slowly improving, and BNSF sure isn't the bad host railroad all the naysayers, Railcity included, think it is! Single track mostly, lot's of traffic, come on, look at the facts and look how they're trying to improve things!