Passenger Trains > Overview of causes for mechanical delays?

I fell in love with long distance travel in 1955 as a child when my family made a round trip from Portland, Maine to Seattle.
 
During Covid I have become a regular long distance Amtrak rider and have experienced much of the best and worst of what has been described on this board. I'm still looking forward to further long distance journeys in the coming months, though I now always travel with contingency plans.
 
It seems to me that the frequency of mechanical problems has accelerated significantly quite recently, leading to late departures (especially but not exclusively from Chicago), breakdowns en route, cars not available for service, etc.
 
Do some of the more experienced among you have a clear sense of the relative impact of the issues discussed in numerous specific posts over the last several months, including:
 
Aging equipment
Different locomotive models 
Inexperienced / insufficient maintenance staff
Weather
 
Obviously, Amtrak management has responsibility for most of these issues.  
 
But my question is: Why do these issues seem to be combining right now to produce so many more disruptions?

Thank you.
 
 

It's called LEADERSHIP

Good leaders inspire. They do not make excuses.  They build teamwork.  When was the last time Amtrak workers were inspired to Make it Happen?  Inspired to find a way when the path was difficult?  Take pride in a job well done?

Metra trains don't seem to be dropping like flies the minute after they pull out. 

In most organizations, serious failures are examined closely, and a Root Cause (or Causes) identified. Processes are changed to prevent it from happening again.  Most places have penalties for failure, as well as rewards for real successes.

Amtrak must be very successful based on the executive bonuses handed out. We just can't see the big picture through the dirty windows.

TomPittsfieldMA Wrote:
----------------------------------------------------—
> But my question is: Why do these issues seem to
> be combining right now to produce so many more
> disruptions?
>
> Thank you.
>  
>  

Tremendous institutional knowledge lost during and after Covid with the “great retirement” and Amtrak had a hiring freeze. TBH we simply haven’t prioritized people in the skilled crafts in this country for too long and now the chickens are going home to roost.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/23 18:47 by lordsigma.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Metra trains don't seem to be dropping like flies
> the minute after they pull out. 

mileage should be a tad different, layover times

i love breaking down in chicago compared to  browning or winnemuca

i love when my car breaks down at home versus anywhere else

can't really load test it till you pull out, you can set stuff up at home , then see what the real world conditions  do



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/23 05:03 by dan.

lordsigma Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TomPittsfieldMA Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> --—
> > But my question is: Why do these issues seem
> to
> > be combining right now to produce so many more
> > disruptions?
> >
> > Thank you.
> >  
> >  
>
> Tremendous institutional knowledge lost during and
> after Covid with the “great retirement” and
> Amtrak had a hiring freeze. TBH we simply
> haven’t prioritized people in the skilled crafts
> in this country for too long and now the chickens
> are going home to roost.

Yeah, but this has to be more on Amtrak management then on Covid. Delta airlines seems to be working just fine, and their planes are not falling out of the sky. And that’s a lot more difficult to operate and maintain than a damn passenger train should be. The bottom line is the management is incompetent and they don’t care. When you can’t even bother to wash your equipment, what does that do for employee attitudes towards the company. Kind of hard to have pride in a rolling tenement.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/23 19:08 by alan2955.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Metra trains don't seem to be dropping like flies
> the minute after they pull out. 

Plenty of Metra issues that aren’t reported here. At least three cancelled trains on the BNSF last week due to mechanical issues and one due to lack of crew.

Posted from iPhone

lordsigma Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
(SNIP)
> >  
>
> Tremendous institutional knowledge lost during and
> after Covid with the “great retirement” and
> Amtrak had a hiring freeze. TBH we simply
> haven’t prioritized people in the skilled crafts
> in this country for too long and now the chickens
> are going home to roost.

Here in south Florida, there's a tremendous demand for people willing to build small planes and various sizes of boats.  Piper Aircraft in Vero Beach is partnering with local schools to get kids to develop skills in aircraft construction and maintenance. For pay.  Maverick and other boat builders are are actively recruiting people willing to learn fiberglas, electronics, gasoline and diesel engine repairs, etc. Even canvas sail makers are in high demand.

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Metra trains don't seem to be dropping like
> flies
> > the minute after they pull out. 
>
> Plenty of Metra issues that aren’t reported
> here. At least three cancelled trains on the BNSF
> last week due to mechanical issues and one due to
> lack of crew.
>
> Posted from iPhone

given how many trains they run per week that's an extremely low rate of issues.