Passenger Trains > More Auto Train Woes

53 got to Sanford aty 10 pm last night - 12 hrs 1 min LT.
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/02/07/amtrak-passengers-say-train-stalled-in-bryceville-hasnt-moved-for-hours/
Train had gotten a late start fr Lorton because it was the same train set inviolved in 52's delay in 
Jackson ville Sun night.

Today's AutoTrains, 52(8) and 53(8), are cancelled.

Amtrak first reported the this train was stopped due to a hazmat incident on the tracks. They did not say that their train WAS the hazmat incident.

I hate stories like this.

I can't help but  interpret it as--A trainload of 382 miserable people.  Glad I wasn't one of them. 
Long distance trains are becoming too unreliable.  f

Of course, any delay can be "Explained" down to the nano-second -- yet , for the unfortunate  people 
on  board this particular AutoTrain -  the miserable Amtrak experience will remain.

Just a year ago, a beloved Acela from Boston was stuck adjacent to Sunnyside yard for 7 hours with only emergency power, no toilets. It took them that long to get a rescue engine and tow them to NYP. In that time, 40 LIRR trains must have whizzed past them, not that it was doable or safe to bridge-plate them there. 

Amtrak is simply shameless. Maybe they should shut off the toilets, close the cafeteria, and lock the doors at 1 Massachusetts Ave.NW for 7 - 12 hours every now and then.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/23 08:08 by joemvcnj.

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hate stories like this.
>
> I can't help but  interpret it as--A trainload of
> 382 miserable people.  Glad I wasn't one of
> them. 
> Long distance trains are becoming too
> unreliable.  f
>
> Of course, any delay can be "Explained" down to
> the nano-second -- yet , for the unfortunate 
> people 
> on  board this particular AutoTrain -  the
> miserable Amtrak experience will remain.

I've mentioned this before, but Amtrak will lose some % of those paid, ready to travel passengers in Lorton and Sanford. And likely never get them back.  Somebody who paid for a sleeper and finds tomorrow's sleeper is sold out isn't going to wait 24 hours to sleep in coach.

They are going to bypass Lorton / Sanford, and stay on 95. Even with a night's stay, they will be at their destination long before the train would deliver them.

(My sister had that happen. She hasn't taken the train since then.)

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I've mentioned this before, but Amtrak will lose
> some % of those paid, ready to travel passengers
> in Lorton and Sanford. And likely never get them
> back. 


It appears that they are hoping for a large percentage.




> They are going to bypass Lorton / Sanford, and
> stay on 95.


...if it's running and is at least on the right day.

TAW

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It appears that they are hoping for a large
> percentage.
>

Why would they hope for that? The auto train is profitable. Sometimes a delay like this requires this move - and with the auto train there’s no choice. It seems lately they usually do Wednesday - perhaps because it’s the lowest amount of people.

Old data, but probably still relevant, Autotrain farebox recovery was 69%, which is not profitable. 
http://reasonrail.blogspot.com/2012/12/amtrak-routes-by-2012-cost-recovery.html

Fully Allocated Cost are all that count outside the NEC to Amtrak management, not the lower variable / incremental / avoidable cost.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Old data, but probably still relevant, Autotrain
> farebox recovery was 69%, which is not
> profitable. 
> http://reasonrail.blogspot.com/2012/12/amtrak-rout
> es-by-2012-cost-recovery.html
>
> Fully Allocated Cost are all that count outside
> the NEC to Amtrak management, not the lower
> variable / incremental / avoidable cost.

Outdated data. In the last couple years they have shifted the consist to more sleepers and less coaches and they’ve played around with the vehicle and priority offload fees to see what the market would bear. In FY22 it made $22 million - in fully allocated costs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/23 10:02 by lordsigma.

lordsigma Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> TAW Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It appears that they are hoping for a large
> > percentage.
> >
>
> Why would they hope for that?

...becaus it seems to fit the pattern. It doesn't have to make sense.

There is profit, and there is having to actually do something for profit. Emphasizing state corridors is so much easier.

TAW

So what really happened?
Did they run out of fuel, as one passenger said they were told?   Did the fuel tank/line leak?   Did a leak cause them to run out?

There was a mention that GE locomotives can develop leaks around fuel injection points.

Posted from Android

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hate stories like this.
>
> I can't help but  interpret it as--A trainload of
> 382 miserable people.  Glad I wasn't one of
> them. 
> Long distance trains are becoming too
> unreliable.  f
>
> Of course, any delay can be "Explained" down to
> the nano-second -- yet , for the unfortunate 
> people 
> on  board this particular AutoTrain -  the
> miserable Amtrak experience will remain.

As usual Ronald you're not understandable on why 53 was delayed, just assuming every passenger had to "suffer" and never gonna go back to Amtrak again!

Rode the autotrain north back in October. Barely made it to Florence. As per the scanner and the crew, someone forgot to refuel one of the locomotives.