Passenger Trains > Computer Problems at Chicago Union Station

Yet another computer issue at Chicago Union Station halted trains on both sides of the station this morning.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-trains-stopped-at-union-station-due-to-amtrak-computer-issue-20170224-story.html

I picked a good day to work from home!

 

The hamster must have died...Amtrak needs to keep a back up hamster ready for the wheel in case one dies!

Posted from Android

Typical misleading reporting from a major daily newspaper.
From the Chicago Tribune article:
"Amtrak service to and from Union Station is temporarily suspended due to a
"computer signaling" issue, according to Metra.
The stoppage affects both inbound and outbound trains.
It was not immediately clear how long the delays were expected to last."

The Tribune leads you to believe only Amtrak service is affected but it also affects
Metra BNSF, Heritage, Southwest, Milwaukee, and North Central districts.

From the Metra website:"Metra Alert - Amtrak Continues To Experience Computer Signaling Problems -
Extensive Delayed Entering and Departing Chicago REVISEDAmtrak continues to experience computer signaling problems on the south and north side of the station.
Amtrak will be manually lining tracks for trains in and out of the station.
Train will continue to experience extensive delays.
Update will be posted as soon as the computer signaling system has been restored.
Please listen to platform announcements for the locating of your train. Metra apologizes for the inconvenience."

I guess it is too complicated for the staff of a major newspaper to understand the concept that Amtrak operates CUS
and Metra trains use the facility.  Apparently the professor of a major university in the area is not awake yet to
explain it too them.  They rely on said professor to explain everything transportation related, be it potholes
or supersonic airplanes.  As far as reporting railroad related stories, the media is the enemy.
 

Englewood Wrote:
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> Typical misleading reporting from a major daily
> newspaper.
> 
Oh stop it, this ranting against the media gets tiresome. They are humans like the rest of us.

Article was updated at 8:57 am to note that Metra trains are affected and that it was Amtrak's computer system.

Funny email from Metra told me that CTA was honoring Metra tickets and passes on the CTA Pink Line from Cermak. Not sure how that works for the overwhelming majority of BNSF riders who are west of La Grange...  

Amtrak appears to have been affected.  Whereas I did not see any departure delays last night, I find the following this morning:
301 lv 1'20" LT
350 lv 59" LT
381 lv 1'30" LT
391 lv 53" LT
on the north side, #329 left OT but #331 left 24" LT and #333 2" LT
Arriving on the south side, #371 was 7" ahead and #300 3" ahead
This implies that there may have been issues moving equipment to/from the coach yard but the main tracks OK if the inbound trains ran on schedule.
Just my two cents!
Andy

If the signal system controlling the CUS interlockings goes down, then getting equipment spotted to and form the yard becomes just a problematical as arriving and departing "live" trains. The control center handles all access to the yards and the diesel pit, so they can't get in or out, either.

NZ

All trains runnng, but with delays.

Bring back the manned towers.  Always worked.  

coach Wrote:
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> Bring back the manned towers.  Always worked.  

Or build in redundancy to your computerized control.

Let's not forget the CUS contol center is named after Joe Szabo.
He who said in 2012 that in 2 1/2 years 80 percent of Chicago - St. Louis and
80 per cent of Chicago - Detroit service would be 110 mph.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/17 09:12 by Englewood.