Passenger Trains > Replay of freight delays West of San Antonio

It was #1 yesterday delayed big time, now #2 took a big hit because of freight train interference West of San Antonio!
I'm beginning to think this is the new normal now, with UP running these 9000 foot plus trains!
This new operating practice by UP, I'm afraid, will impact Amtrak passenger trains negatively!
Some of the problems are, sidings are too short, and yard entry and exits are slower.
And then there's broken knuckles, hot bearings, crossing incidents, etc., that potentially take hours to remedy!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/20 14:20 by mp51w.

More UPeeeee

Posted from iPhone

Where have you all been all this time
Sidings were legenthened to 9000 feet in the 1970s. Knuckles and drawbars have been failing for ever. 
This is a single track railroad with passing sidings, not two main track signaled for operation in booth directions.

You should have seen it in the early 1970s.

And now much of the traffic it used to carry now is routed  direct to Dallas-FtWorth via the old TP

Perhaps the problem is all those BNSF trackage rights trains going to Mexico.

mdo



 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/20 09:55 by mdo.

UP cut in a new siding in Noonan, TX just a few months ago. The issue here is most of the sidings are ranging between 8500 and 9500 feet and they're running 10,000 ft trains. #2 had to follow a 10000 ft wonder from Sanderson all the way to Comstock which cost it 2 hours.  Eagle Pass is about to eclipse Laredo on volume these days. UP is planning to add one extra siding around Uvalde called Hacienda, which is getting foundation work as of last week yet they still won't extend double track out to LaCoste. After BNSF built their new yard next to SAIT, the line has doubled in traffic with trackage right trains to Eagle Pass. 

Honestly double track is needed from Spofford all the way into San Antonio. There's issues almost daily on the line that end up hurting all 3 RRs. Maybe BNSF should kick a few dollars UP's way to tie some of those sidings together since they're picking up more volume. 

mp51w Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was #2 yesterday delayed big time, now #1 took
> a big hit because of freight train interference
> West of San Antonio!
> I'm beginning to think this is the new normal now,
> with UP running these 9000 foot trains!
> This new operating practice by UP, I'm afraid,
> will impact Amtrak passenger trains negatively!
> Some of the problems are, sidings are too short,
> and yard entry and exits are slower.
> And then there's broken knuckles, hot bearings,
> crossing incidents, etc., that potentially take
> hours to remedy!

There's nothing 'new' here - what exactly are you referring to?

When I rode train 2 last week, we were practically on time all the way. 

You were lucky.  #2 is 4 hours late to San Antonio today and regulary is around  1 to 2 hours late.