Passenger Trains > Cal Zephyr, Empire Builder, and SW Chief Cancelled on 9/13/22

Anybody know what is going on in Chicago?

The California Zephyr, Empire Builder, and Southwest Chief were all canceled within 10 minutes of each other for Eastbound and Westbound (Chicago and California departures)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/22 12:18 by Macster.

The westbounds?

sf1010 Wrote:
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> The westbounds?

East and Westbound trains

Preparing for a strike?

OnTime Wrote:
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> Preparing for a strike?

So far it is only the 9/13 that they've posted about.

They just added the Texas Eagle will only run to San Antonio on the 9/13 departure. 

Macster Wrote:
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> OnTime Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Preparing for a strike?
>
> So far it is only the 9/13 that they've posted
> about.

Several September 13 western long distance cancellations on Amtrak Alerts:

https://twitter.com/AmtrakAlerts

These cancellations are in preparation for a strike. Looks like they don't want to strand crews away from home. More cancelation will likely be announced as the strike date comes closer.

The million dollar question will be if they ultimately will cancel multiple days worth of trains at once or if they'll just essentially repeat each day what they're doing today and cancel the next day's departures as long as this continues to be unresolved. I would expect as we get closer to strike day you'll start seeing it affect the eastern overnighters and then finally, if we get all the way until Thursday, affected daytime trains as well. We'll have to see what happens.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/22 12:42 by lordsigma.

I'm thinking Amtrak will put out a public statement announcing the reason for the cancellations. They are, in effect, engaging in a lock out. 

You can be sure that Amtrak will cancel as many trains as possible before and after the strike.  They do not want to be in the LD passenger business.  

4552 Wrote:
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> These cancellations are in preparation for a
> strike. Looks like they don't want to strand crews
> away from home. More cancelation will likely be
> announced as the strike date comes closer.

Do they care about stranding passengers away from home?  I think I know the answer...

sf1010 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 4552 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > These cancellations are in preparation for a
> > strike. Looks like they don't want to strand
> crews
> > away from home. More cancelation will likely be
> > announced as the strike date comes closer.
>
> Do they care about stranding passengers away from
> home?  I think I know the answer...

You sure do.

Amjoke is right there side by side with the AAR, wanting to be out of the RR business.

Posted from iPhone

The cancellation of trains 3,4,5,6,7/27 and 7/28 and the truncation of 421 have all now been posted on AmtrakAlerts without comment.

These are all the two night trains leaving tomorrow. Sunset Limited doesn't depart on Tuesdays in either direction. 

A wave of cancellations of one night LD trains tomorrow seems likely.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/22 13:58 by TomPittsfieldMA.

MEKoch Wrote:
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> You can be sure that Amtrak will cancel as many
> trains as possible before and after the strike. 
> They do not want to be in the LD passenger
> business. 
Doesnt matter what Amtrak wants, the Senate will force them to run LD trains. They couldn't cut the SWC under Trump and now theres more LD advocates in the Senate like Tester and Romney. 

Here's the latest Frank Wilner piece on the state of play. Wilner says congressional action is a "virtual certainty":

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/class-i/labor-update-avoid-misinformation-cesspool/

"If this round goes to Congress to settle—a virtual certainty, given the importance of railroads to the national economy and defense—a pattern on wages and benefits appears fully embroidered through tentative agreements reached (or on the cusp of reaching) with 10 of the 12 unions and in comments from the negotiating teams of SMART-TD and BLET.

Congress need only cut and paste into legislation the non-binding settlement recommendations of Presidential Emergency Board No. 250. This would satisfy carriers and the union leadership satisfied with the deal but having trepidations of selling it to members for ratification given the well of once relative goodwill these labor leaders fouled in recent years."

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

Dcmcrider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's the latest Frank Wilner piece on the state
> of play. Wilner says congressional action is a
> "virtual certainty":
>
> https://www.railwayage.com/freight/class-i/labor-u
> pdate-avoid-misinformation-cesspool/
>
> "If this round goes to Congress to settle—a
> virtual certainty, given the importance of
> railroads to the national economy and defense—a
> pattern on wages and benefits appears fully
> embroidered through tentative agreements reached
> (or on the cusp of reaching) with 10 of the 12
> unions and in comments from the negotiating teams
> of SMART-TD and BLET.
>
> Congress need only cut and paste into legislation
> the non-binding settlement recommendations of
> Presidential Emergency Board No. 250. This would
> satisfy carriers and the union leadership
> satisfied with the deal but having trepidations of
> selling it to members for ratification given the
> well of once relative goodwill these labor leaders
> fouled in recent years."

All it takes is one Congressman to try and make a name for themselves and throw a wrench in to the entire process. Considering the midterms are right around the corner, that's a real concern.

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can be sure that Amtrak will cancel as many
> trains as possible before and after the strike. 
> They do not want to be in the LD passenger
> business.  

Yet its still going to be stranding passengers in the process. Not saying anything can really be done as western long hauls are running in sold out conditions, but just saying. This is not going to be a good situation. 

Pres Biden was on the news waves urging that a strike not happen, but not sure exactly where things stand.....

Dcmcrider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Congress need only cut and paste into legislation
> the non-binding settlement recommendations of
> Presidential Emergency Board No. 250. This would
> satisfy carriers and the union leadership
> satisfied with the deal but having trepidations of
> selling it to members for ratification given the
> well of once relative goodwill these labor leaders
> fouled in recent years."

If ratification does not follow, especially if working conditions are not covered, what might be the next scenario?

hope Amtrak mechanical can use the down time advantageously, it did not seem to happen during the tri weAkly operation