Passenger Trains > Train 8(29) in Service Disruption

The eastbound Empire Builder, Train 8(29) went into Service Disruption shortly after departing
Shelby, 15 minutes late.

Flooding on the Red River has forced BNSF to detour Amtrak 8(29) and 7(30) on the KO
Sub tonight. The trains will miss three stops: Rugby, Devils Lake and Grand Forks; so they
have been placed into Service Disruption status. Train 8(29) is now about a half hour late
east of Malvern with no problems, but once on the detour, Amtrak has no priority. It runs
along with the current of traffic, so it’s not known how it will run between Minot and Fargo.

Train 7(30) was placed into Service Disruption prior to departure from Chicago.

BNSF will be making day-to-day decisions on detours until the Red River subsides.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/13 14:55 by GenePoon.

Well anything can certainly happen, but since the detour route is 45 miles shorter than the regular route, and with elimination of station stops, I don't think delays are usually too significant on this detour. This is, after all, the route of the Empire Builder prior to Amtrak.

Hopefully the train won't suffer major delays tonight.

Speed limit on the KO Subdivision is 60mph except for fifty miles in the middle,
where freight trains meeting certain qualifications are allowed 70mph. There is no higher
passenger train speed limit. For reference, maximum passenger track speed on the Devils Lake
Subdivision is 79mph...not enough to make up the longer distance.

What often causes delays is the "fleeting" of trains. Everything going in one direction may
sit in sidings while a large number of trains in the opposite direction are allowed
to operate unimpeded as a "fleet." This can result in hours of delays and if the
passenger train is in the middle of the group of trains opposite the flow of the "fleet,"
it sits with the rest of them.

There also a 10 mph coal train connector from the old GN back to NP which eats up 20 mins

Train 8(29) lost eight minutes compared to normal schedule, on the detour
between Minot and Fargo.

Amtrak has restored its regular train status display
for the train; it shows no times for the Devils Lake route.

GenePoon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hopefully the train won't suffer major delays
> tonight.
>
> Speed limit on the KO Subdivision is 60mph except
> for fifty miles in the middle,
> where freight trains meeting certain
> qualifications are allowed 70mph.

All of the 70MPH is gone off the KO - its all 60 now.