Passenger Trains > LD tracks flooded at WUS

I am sitting in Washington Union Station awaiting departure on #97.  We have been informed of an indefinite delay account water over tracks here in WUS.  This is from heavy storms earlier in the day.  Minimal information forthcoming (here in the Acela Lounge).  I will keep you all updated on when we might actually leave.   

PS: checking Amtrak train status on their website shows an on-time arrival and departure!

SERVICE ALERT: Due to flood water on the tracks all service in and out of Washington (WAS) is temporarily stopped. Updates to come.

At least they held #171 at New Carrolton so that passengers could transfer OFF the train if they wanted to..... However, that train is bound for Roanoke and nothing is moving in/out of Washington Union Station at present!

Nothing is coming at you from Baltimore, either; and all MARC Train service on the Penn Line is currently cancelled.  MARC Camden Line service is being modified to accomodate displaced Penn Line passengers.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/20 16:33 by GenePoon.

update - the flooding is NOT in WUS, but apparently in an area between Landover and WUS, along New York Avenue, prior to the elevated section that is in the District.  Staff has not been given any information about what steps of mitigation  are being taken.  Apparently a MARC attempted to proceed through the water and water entered the passenger compartment, probably the lower step area.of a bi-level.

RevRandy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> update - the flooding is NOT in WUS, but
> apparently in an area between Landover and WUS,
> along New York Avenue, prior to the elevated
> section that is in the District.  Staff has not
> been given any information about what steps of
> mitigation  are being taken.  Apparently a MARC
> attempted to proceed through the water and water
> entered the passenger compartment, probably the
> lower step area.of a bi-level.

Correct - the flooding is east/north of WUS cause nothing can get out of WUS and some Amtrak trains have arrived on on WUS lower level from teh south (e.g. train 80, The Carolinian). We can presume, at least, that the flooding is between Washington Union Station and New Carrolton. Couldn't the Regional or Acela Express trains at least be brought into New Carrolton and give passengers a chance on the Metro? Anything proceeding south of WUS, bit more complicated...........

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Couldn't the
> Regional or Acela Express trains at least be
> brought into New Carrolton and give passengers a
> chance on the Metro? Anything proceeding south of
> WUS, bit more complicated...........

==============================================
Amtrak is, as usual, hapless and clueless.  Just as they did not think of passengers who could have used Metro-North from New York Grand Central to connect with truncated Boston Amtrak trains a couple of days ago, when a Bronx freight derailment and fire in the catenary caused them to shut down NY-BOS service entirely, now they can't consider turning consists at New Carrolton to accommodate passengers who want to use Washington Metro to get where they are going.  On the other hand, MARC Train has been that today. There will be one more roundtrip today on the Penn Line:  MARC 453 will depart Baltimore on time at 935pm to New Carrollton, and turn there to MARC 452, departing at 1106pm.  Both will operate local, making all stops.
 

From south of Landover Tower...

Up to 6" of rain in this area.

And yes, Amtrak is turning trains at New Carrollton!

UPDATE: Due to ongoing flooding on the tracks, Train 148 will originate in New Carrollton (NCR). No alternate transportation will be provided. 8:53 PM · Sep 10, 2020

UPDATE: Due to ongoing flooding on the tracks, Train 178 will originate in New Carrollton (NCR). No alternate transportation will be provided. [color=inherit]8:52 PM · Sep 10, 2020[/color]  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/20 18:06 by mbutte.

---

WOW! In the PRR days wouldn't they likely stage some diesels at the freight bypass around Landover to attach on for the run to just south of Washington Union Station (before the Potomac Bridge) and then back the GG1 and diesel into Washington Union Station to end or proceed on? For the "regionals" could work out a shuttle service of sorts, but the trains heading to the deep south or coming up from the deep south - they'd need to proceed around. Yes, you would need a diesel, but I think the PRR would have figured something out rather than delaying the trains like the Crescent and Silver Meteor for over 5 hours on the NEC! 

At least back in the PRR days there was duplicate ways to get from Point A to Point B (redundancy etc.). Access from Newark to NYP and across Hell's Gate to New Rochelle is a different story. But the PRR even re-routed around a de-railment in the Metuchen area by taking what is now the North Jersey Coast Line to the Amboy Secondary (as in the Camden and Amboy RR!) and out to Monmouth Junction. Course the wire was still strung from above back then so it was just GG1 switching and pilot maneuvers. Some of this engineering marvel still exists, but more complicated to access - if the track even exists (catenary long gone courtesy of Conrail). 

Beaverdam Creek (tributary of the Anacostia River) was the source of the flooding. US 50 runs parallel to the railroad, and it was closed for several hours. The waters rose quickly, and many people were rescued from their stranded cars.

https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/historic-flooding-prince-georges-county-route-50-flooded-out-closed-for-hours/65-a04c3434-7b25-4a28-b74d-cbdecd2a98a0

 

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

Yes, the flooding came up quickly -- My daughter and I passed through that area on US-50 just a few minutes before, in heavy rain but without flooding.  Guess our timing was right.

Now I am on 97, had a good sleep of 8+ hours, we are down about 6 hours, with projection (Ha) of only 3:40 late at Miam. We shall see.  

Onward! 

(only kerfluffle was that no one spoke to me in the Acela Lounge about dinner and on boarding the train I asked if I could still get my dinner.  No, I was told, we were told you were fed in the station. I travel with some high-protein snack bars, so no problem.  As MButte reminded me in a PM, I will probably get to eat it tonight instead.)

Dcmcrider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Beaverdam Creek (tributary of the Anacostia River)
> was the source of the flooding. US 50 runs
> parallel to the railroad, and it was closed for
> several hours. The waters rose quickly, and many
> people were rescued from their stranded cars.
>
> https://www.wusa9.com/article/weather/historic-flo
> oding-prince-georges-county-route-50-flooded-out-c
> losed-for-hours/65-a04c3434-7b25-4a28-b74d-cbdecd2
> a98a0
>
>  

#19 at kings Mountain, NC 5' 38" late this morning.

---

may be behind paywall - sorry

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/washington-dc-flooding/2020/09/10/e9d50aec-f396-11ea-999c-67ff7bf6a9d2_story.html