Passenger Trains > Trains Mag on Chicago Initial terminal delays

Good analysis by Trains Mag on-line Newswire today of Amtrak's inability to get trains out of Chicago on time. Recommended reading.

As if somebody writing an article means anything.

restricted_speed Wrote:
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> As if somebody writing an article means anything.
Well not everyone will be as up on sitiuation as subscribers here.   Even Chicago resident railfans may not know all the comings and goings.

Bob johnson is knowledgeable on Amtrak.
Bob

Bob Johnston's articles touch subject matter that NARPdbaRPA Hotline never do and should do. It's more fun to whine about the Class I's, not about mechnical breakdowns at or within a mile of the initial terminal or lack of extra boards at division points like Minot, magnifying delays further for days thereafter. 

It's been said before but worth reminding: The wire runs out at Harrisburg... Everything west of there is "Indian Country"... aka the "Wild West" and uncivilized by Amtrak Corporate definitions...

Years ago Wick Moorman said he would put a VP with the power to cut through red tape, help workers get their jobs done, make sure parts were available, and get Chicago mechanical back in business.

Sounds like he diagnosed the problem correctly.

Posted from Android

As long as Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin look the other way, expect no changes. 

amtrak misdirection
A shiny bauble to focus attention away from the continuing meltdown.
https://www.nbc26.com/news/local-news/amtrak-train-service-to-green-bay-a-360-degree-look-at-the-proposal

I saw the PR stunt on one of the Chicago stations last Thursday. No trace of it now.

Another interesting misdirection was heard on one of the morning AM radio news breaks.
The report said some amtrak trains to Michigan would not run last Friday account a train derailment in Michigan.
I did not see anything on here about a derailment and no such post on the amtrak twitter site.

amtrak Ministry of Truth working overtime.  

Would the time line for Green Bay put it ahead or behind of service from Chicago to the Quad Cities and 
Chicago to Rockford ????
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/23 13:15 by Englewood.

Just another Magliari snow job.
"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."

Englewood Wrote:
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> amtrak misdirection
> A shiny bauble to focus attention away from the
> continuing meltdown.
> https://www.nbc26.com/news/local-news/amtrak-train
> -service-to-green-bay-a-360-degree-look-at-the-pro
> posal
>
> I saw the PR stunt on one of the Chicago stations
> last Thursday. No trace of it now.
>
> Another interesting misdirection was heard on one
> of the morning AM radio news breaks.
> The report said some amtrak trains to Michigan
> would not run last Friday account a train
> derailment in Michigan.
> I did not see anything on here about a derailment
> and no such post on the amtrak twitter site.
>
> amtrak Ministry of Truth working overtime.  
>
> Would the time line for Green Bay put it ahead or
> behind of service from Chicago to the Quad Cities
> and 
> Chicago to Rockford ????
>  

Does it come before or after high speed service from Chicago to St. Louis? Or Detroit, maybe??

robj Wrote:
> Bob johnson is knowledgeable on Amtrak.
> Bob

Oh I understand that.

But do you think anybody at Amtrak cares at all about an article in Trains magazine?

restricted_speed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> robj Wrote:
> > Bob johnson is knowledgeable on Amtrak.
> > Bob
>
> Oh I understand that.
>
> But do you think anybody at Amtrak cares at all
> about an article in Trains magazine?

If the state legislature etc in Michigan isn't lighting a fire under its Congressional delegation to get some Amtrak accountability, why should Amtrak care about anything?  Amtrak has certainly given Michigan enough reasons to be very upset.

What would an adolescent brat do if cutting school everyday with no parental repercussions? Keep doing it.

Posted from Android

restricted_speed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> robj Wrote:
> > Bob johnson is knowledgeable on Amtrak.
> > Bob
>
> Oh I understand that.
>
> But do you think anybody at Amtrak cares at all
> about an article in Trains magazine?

IMHO, in a word -No.

Take up the oxygen in the room with Mobile and Green Bay.

Posted from Android

There was a CN derailment in Detroit on the day in question that blocked Amtrak.

Posted from iPhone

geeb557 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------n
> There was a CN derailment in Detroit on the day in
> question that blocked Amtrak.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Thanks for the info but that was on Feb. 1st so the dates
do not match.  Where exactly was the derailment and how bad 
was it?  

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> restricted_speed Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > robj Wrote:
> > > Bob johnson is knowledgeable on Amtrak.
> > > Bob
> >
> > Oh I understand that.
> >
> > But do you think anybody at Amtrak cares at all
> > about an article in Trains magazine?
>
> IMHO, in a word -No.
>
> Take up the oxygen in the room with Mobile and
> Green Bay.

Right. People ALWAYS perform to their incentives. Amtrak exists inside a bubble where they have set up their own incentive program to "cut costs" and have "on-time departures". So we have trains that leave "on time" and don't make it out of the yard, and 4 car trains with revenue sleeper space being used by OBS crew members.

The only way this will change is if the incentive structure is changed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/23 06:39 by restricted_speed.

restricted_speed Wrote:
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>  So we have trains that
> leave "on time" and don't make it out of the yard,


That one is an old BN trick. Back before the Frisco Northern nonsense started, on duty to gone at Interbay yard in Seattle was 90 minutes. A hot train due to leave at 10p was on duty at 830p. As things got more and more screwed up, yard management declared a train on time when the set the call. When the train finally hit the main three hours later, they left explanation to the dispatcher, as it was a 'road delay.'

TAW