Passenger Trains > Amtrak NEC update, 06-07 NOV service alert

Lacking in details, but it is what it is...

> Monday, November 5, 2012 4:00 ET

> On Tuesday, Nov. 6 and Wednesday, Nov. 7, Amtrak will continue to
> provide modified Acela Express and Northeast Regional service on the
> Northeast Corridor between Boston - New York City - Washington, D.C.
> as well as on the Empire Service operating between New York City and
> Albany-Rensselaer.

> Amtrak services to and from New York City are subject to delay while
> repairs from Hurricane Sandy continue. To avoid the possibility of
> long lines at ticket offices and sold-out trains, passengers should
> make reservations and payment in advance through Amtrak.com, through
> the Amtrak app on a smartphone or by calling 800-USA-RAIL.

> This Service Alert should be considered in effect through Wednesday,
> Nov. 7, though updates will be posted as necessary.

> Other operating plans for Nov. 6 and Nov. 7:

> All long distance trains will operate normally to/from New York City.
> Scheduling exceptions are as follow: the Lake Shore Limited
> (Chicago-Boston) and the Maple Leaf (New York - Toronto, Canada) will
> have separate connecting train service available for points south of
> Albany-Rensselaer.

> Keystone Service will only operate between Harrisburg, Penn. and
> Philadelphia, with the exception of Trains 656 and 639.

> The Ethan Allen Express will operate normally between New York City
> and Rutland, Vt., however, the northbound train may depart 30 minutes
> late.

-Amtrak

What is the rationale for continuing to have connections to the Maple Leaf and LSL, rather than through trains?

Lack of capacity to get Empire Service trains to Sunnyside Yard to be turned.

Two of the East River Tunnels are still closed; access to Sunnyside is by the
same tunnels used by Long Island Rail Road trains, and they are being given
priority for the limited tunnel capacity.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/12 15:01 by GenePoon.

Another capacity issue is there is no direct route from Albany to Sunnyside Yard via NY Penn Station.

Trains from Albany coming in from the Empire Connection only have access to tracks 1 through 9, and the two tunnels that are open for business between New York Penn Station and Sunnyside Yard only have access from tracks 14 through 21.

Therefore, trains from the Empire Connection cannot get to Sunnyside Yard unless they do a reverse move from their arrival track into the throat of the tunnels to New Jersey, and then run through on tracks 14 through 19 (tracks 20 and 21 are not directly accessible from the tunnels coming in from New Jersey).

So, I bet they are turning Empire trains right there in the station and doing their daily inspections in Albany, and they've decided it'd be more difficult to do that with a long-distance train consist.