Passenger Trains > Amtrak Hoosier State 851(24) Made OTP Tolerance!

Only lost 9 mins start to finish, allowed 10 to remain in tolerance!!! Great Effort.

* Train 851 of 11/24/2015. Formatted Data
* Hoosier State
* +---------------- Station Code
* | +----------- Schedule Arrival Day
* | | +-------- Schedule Arrival Time
* | | | +----- Schedule Departure Day
* | | | | +-- Schedule Departure Time
* | | | | | +------------- Actual Arrival Time
* | | | | | | +------- Actual Departure Time
* | | | | | | | +- Comments
* V V V V V V V V
* IND * * 1 600A * 821A Departed: 2 hours, 21 minutes late.
* CRF * * 1 658A * 925A Departed: 2 hours, 27 minutes late.
* LAF * * 1 736A * 1000A Departed: 2 hours, 24 minutes late.
* REN * * 1 740A * 1001A Departed: 2 hours, 21 minutes late.
* DYE * * 1 829A * 1126A Departed: 2 hours, 57 minutes late.
* CHI 1 1005A * * 1235P * Arrived: 2 hours, 30 minutes late.

I'm sure the passengers were all thrilled!

PC1974 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Only lost 9 mins start to finish, allowed 10 to
> remain in tolerance!!! Great Effort.
>
> * Train 851 of 11/24/2015. Formatted Data
> * Hoosier State
> * +---------------- Station Code
> * | +----------- Schedule Arrival Day
> * | | +-------- Schedule Arrival Time
> * | | | +----- Schedule Departure Day
> * | | | | +-- Schedule Departure Time
> * | | | | | +------------- Actual
> Arrival Time
> * | | | | | | +------- Actual
> Departure Time
> * | | | | | | | +- Comments
> * V V V V V V V V
> * IND * * 1 600A * 821A Departed: 2
> hours, 21 minutes late.
> * CRF * * 1 658A * 925A Departed: 2
> hours, 27 minutes late.
> * LAF * * 1 736A * 1000A Departed: 2
> hours, 24 minutes late.
> * REN * * 1 740A * 1001A Departed: 2
> hours, 21 minutes late.
> * DYE * * 1 829A * 1126A Departed: 2
> hours, 57 minutes late.
> * CHI 1 1005A * * 1235P * Arrived: 2
> hours, 30 minutes late.


LAF and REN must be really close stations

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Lafayette is on Eastern Time, Rensiltucky is on Central Time, about an hour apart.
Cheers,
Nick

Posted from iPhone

stuporchief Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm sure the passengers were all thrilled!

Thrilled may not be the right word, but I'm sure they appreciated a 'normal' run once they finally left the originating station.

On Labor Day weekend this year, my family and I went to the Smokies for some family fun.  This is normally a 4.5 hour drive, but on the way home, it took us 10 hours due to heavy traffic.   Didn't really see any accidents, just heavy traffic - although there may have been some accidents that were cleared up by the time we passed.  It was beyond maddening.   What this shows is that when travelling in any mode, delays are probable - particualarly on heavy travel days.   Whatever the reason for the initial terminal delay here, it is not completely unexpected, and the traveling public knows things happen.   It doesn't mean the problem was unavoidable, but no mode is perfect all of the time and travel delays are just a part of life these days.

For me, passenger train delays are particularly frustrating because any delay gives ammunition to the people who wish passenger rail travel would go away - and there are plenty of those people in our government, which runs virtually every passenger train operation in the country. 

Most of us want Amtrak and in this case, IPH, to run better, but the meager resources they have available, as well as the political whims that threaten their existence every day make it very difficult to run a tight ship.  [Note, the political nature of Amtrak also creates an unusual management style that restricts its ability to make positive changes] 

The biggest threat to the Chicago/Indy service is not equipment failure and delayed trains, it is the limited schedule and few options for those who wish to travel by rail.  The 4 day a week schedule is not good for a LD train, much less a short distance train like this one.   The Chicago/St Louis service model proves that if you have multiple travel times by rail, more people will be able to ride.  Chicago/Detroit also proves that.   Lets hope that Chicago/Indy eventually gets there. 

We can hope, but virtually every factor is working against this train. What I REALLY hope is that the failure of the Hoosier State (should it occur) is not used as an example of why intercity passenger trains "don't work in this country."

That would be a real shame.

It doesn't help when the Amtrak Cardinal that pulled the deadhead IPH equipment to Chicago
had a preventable run-out-of-fuel problem, and arrived over ten hours late.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3896233
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/15 14:42 by GenePoon.

Think anyone at CNOC or HQ lost a wink of sleep over the whole 2 day fisaco ?

Not a one...that body needs a brain to feel anything in order to lose sleep over it!

Last week the Hoosier State was cancelled.  We got the usual "I never ride a train again" response fro some.  However, that same week there were cancelled air flights because of the first snow of the season here in the Midwest.  Did they quit flying?

santafedan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Last week the Hoosier State was cancelled.  We
> got the usual "I never ride a train again"
> response fro some.  However, that same week there
> were cancelled air flights because of the first
> snow of the season here in the Midwest.  Did they
> quit flying?

That's exactly the point, we have built a transportation system in this country that is either fly or drive.
People really don't have a choice and will fly again, although I believe some are opting for car travel.

Why doesn't Amtrak work with IP to benefit both? Let IP have a daily Hoosier service that is essentially a LD commuter train. Amtrak should reschedule the Cardinal to better serve the poorly served major market of the Cincinnati metro area. An overnight train to Cinci from the NEC as done by many RR in the past ( incl. Amtrak) would boost ridership especially if included Thuway service to Columbus and Louisville.

Chicago connections could still be made to most Midwest corridor services. Those in WV and VA could make western connections taking eastbound Cardinal arriving DC/NYP in plenty of time to connect to CL or LSL. If enough interest could add a Thruway for Cinci passengers to Hoosier and western connections.

santafedan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Last week the Hoosier State was cancelled.  We
> got the usual "I never ride a train again"
> response fro some.  However, that same week there
> were cancelled air flights because of the first
> snow of the season here in the Midwest.  Did they
> quit flying?


The people who are making such a big deal about Amtrak screwing IP in this instance forget about the IP issues so recently that you mention.

But the IP loco(s) could have rescued the consist it was inbedded in, but it seems that was against the rules.

As I said earlier in this string. The train has almost everything working against it, to wit: (1) Horrendously inadquate frequency; (2) long running time [5+ hours; can drive in 3.5]; (3) unpredictable schedule between Chicago and Dyer [can be anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours on any day]; (4) adverserial realtionship between Amtrak and IP; (5) IP equipment problems. 

There are other, softer problems, including Indiana's atittude toward passegner trains and a weak support network of transportation infrastructure (i..e. very little connecting rail and public transit, except at Chicago), etc.

I'd love to see good, frequent, popular rail service between Indianapolis and Chicago. This just doesn't seem like a likely step in that direciton.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/15 07:34 by stuporchief.

stuporchief Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As I said earlier in this string. The train has
> almost everything working against it, to wit: (1)
> Horrendously inadquate frequency; (2) long running
> time [5+ hours; can drive in 3.5]; (3)
> unpredictable schedule between Chicago and Dyer ;
> (4) adverserial realtionship between Amtrak and
> IP; (5) IP equipment problems. 
>
> There are other, softer problems, including
> Indiana's atittude toward passegner trains and a
> weak support network of transportation
> infrastructure (i..e. very little connecting rail
> and public transit, except at Chicago), etc.
>
> I'd love to see good, frequent, popular rail
> service between Indianapolis and Chicago. This
> just doesn't seem like a likely step in that
> direciton.
>

Lets just set aside the comment about Indiana's "attitude toward passenger trains."  Indiana's governor pretty much ordered INDOT to find a  way to keep this train running when it appeared that Amtrak was not interested in running it well.  When the track record (no pun intended) improves, I don't doubt that he will be more willing to see expansion with or without partnerships with adjacent states.  Your other points are well-taken and relevant, however.  This business plan will either work and improve or fail miserably and can do so by any number of reasons.

timecruncher

I understand your point about the Governor supporting the continuation of the Hoosier State. And I also know there are good people in the state of Indiana working for the cause. BUT, if Indiana had a better attitude towards passengers trains, there would already be some kind of halfway viable service in the state. That was my point.

>
> Lets just set aside the comment about Indiana's
> "attitude toward passenger trains."  Indiana's
> governor pretty much ordered INDOT to find a  way
> to keep this train running when it appeared that
> Amtrak was not interested in running it well. 
> When the track record (no pun intended) improves,
> I don't doubt that he will be more willing to see
> expansion with or without partnerships with
> adjacent states.  Your other points are
> well-taken and relevant, however.  This business
> plan will either work and improve or fail
> miserably and can do so by any number of reasons.
>
> timecruncher



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/15 09:33 by stuporchief.