Passenger Trains > Empire Builder #7/27 (10) Delay Grand Forks

Well, here we go again! Empire Builder Train #7/27 that left Chicago May 10th was 30 minutes delayed coming into Glenview, then east of Grand Forks hit a delay due to a "disabled vehicle blocking the tracks ahead." Was a little over 5 hours late into Grand Forks, and then after leaving Grand Forks is now stopped and has been for at least two hours. Would be running at least 7 hours late now. The crew shouldn't have run out of time till closer to Minot, ND. No update from Amtrak as to why its been stopped west of Grand Forks now for about 2 hours.

Look for additional cancellation of an Empire Builder as no way this train will be able to turn to make a same day turn in Seattle/Portland to head back East without HOURS of delays and crew issues along the way.......



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/23 12:25 by jp1822.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, here we go again! Empire Builder Train #7/27
> that left Chicago May 10th was 30 minutes delayed
> coming into Glenview, then east of Grand Forks hit
> a delay due to a "disabled freight." Was a little
> over 5 hours late into Grand Forks, and then after
> leaving Grand Forks is now stopped and has been
> for at least two hours. Would be running at least
> 7 hours late now. The crew shouldn't have run out
> of time till closer to Minot, ND. No update from
> Amtrak as to why its been stopped west of Grand
> Forks now for about 2 hours.
>
> Look for additional cancellation of an Empire
> Builder as no way this train will be able to turn
> to make a same day turn in Seattle/Portland to
> head back East without HOURS of delays and crew
> issues along the way.......

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again when you know it doesn’t work. Amtrak needs to stop the idiotic plan of trying to turn the train the same day on the West Coast. It just doesn’t work. Before they add any more new routes, they need to make the ones they have work properly. Of course, that would take management that actually cares. And get enough cars serviceable to make up another train set. With the current clowns, good luck on all that.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/11/23 11:57 by alan2955.

You nailed it on the last sentence!

Train #8/28 (10) will hold at least till 3:30 am at Minot to allow for a rested crew off of #7/27 (10)......That will then put #8/28 (10) at 5 hours late. Misconducts in Chicago for those passengers.... And no on-time running for Friday passengers between Twin Cities and Chicago! Amtrak should pull the cancellation card for both Empire Builders at Chicago and Seattle/Portland so they can "reset" on Saturday, otherwise this just becomes a cascading mess. Pervasive problems like this - whether Amtrak or BNSF at fault - at Minot with crew rest could be solved through additional staffing of T&E crews. Instead continued unreliability.......

A pickup drove into the side of the lead engine rendering it inoperative due to damage to air equipment. Waited for a freight rescue. Crew went dead on the law. Short extraboard. Domino effect. 

Presume the freight locomotive is still in the lead, as the train is moving, but continues to lose time. Can anyone confirm the lead locomotive is still a freight unit? It will just continue to lose time for the most part.

Doubt they’ll short turn at Spokane, even though plenty of time for train ops to coordinate buses. Again, this would have been SOP pre-2017. If they don’t short turn, Amtrak will need to cancel Fridays westbound Empire Builder out of Seattle/Portland. But so far one can still book a reservation on that train! Ugh! Domino effect for sure. Extra boards need expanding!

I knew there had to be more to the delay east of Grand Forks. Amtrak Twitter alerts did not explain the first delay just east of Grand Forks properly, and then said nothing about the delay just west of Grand Forks.

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Just passed Bonners Ferry... at least they get a pretty ride through that area.

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