Passenger Trains > #6 this morning

In some amazing news, #6 (14) may arrive into Chicago on time!  Presently she is halfway across Iowa, running on time.

I know he just got started, but I have to wonder if the new Union Pacific CEO has anything to do with this?  He is an ops guy and may have issued the order to keep Amtrak moving.  Or not.  But 5/6 seem to be doing much better all of a sudden.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/23 05:40 by Chessie1963.

It went through the Nevada black hole on time yesterday.

the STB has taken up Amtrak's suit against the UP in the Sunset Ltd., case.

Nothing scares a CEO as much as the possibility of being accessed big fines.

But, you can't look at a single on-time arrival.  If could be 15 hours tomorrow.

 

Amtrak isn't even a blip on Mr Vena's radar right now...

Think the mow on donner could be done, maybe on the rio grande too? heat restrictions are fading. only thing left harming #6 is the nevada psr running into SLC, the suit has nothing to do with it



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/23 10:20 by dan.

Gardner might argue that by taking the trans-dorm off and thus reducing the passenger load, that this has made the train run on time.

I don't know if the recently improved timekeeping is random, but I came west on #5 a week ago from Iowa and the only time we lost was an hour in Denver waiting for two freight trains to get out of our way. One had been waiting for a new crew. We were ahead of schedule by the time we reached Sacramento. My sense from the trip overall was that trains were waiting for us, instead of the other way around. Maybe we were just lucky.

The onboard crew was really good. Same with the 16-hour late #6 a few days prior, which I had taken east. They explained the delay, apologized several times for it, served coach passengers at least one free meal, and handed out flowers in the diner during the last dinner. The crew got permission to let passengers out where we had stopped a few miles from the rockslide, so we could stretch our legs and get some fresh air (and to let the smokers smoke). I'd never seen Amtrak allow that before. A day or two later, Amtrak voluntarily sent our group vouchers for a partial refund.

The epic delay was a big problem, of course. That aside, the bottom line is that onboard and off, on this recent roundtrip, the Zephyrs and the passengers got better treatment than I had expected as a longtime Amtrak rider. I always hope for a good trip, but, well, we all know how it is.

I caught this Amtrak #6 this morning after it left Ottumwa on time.  It was running on the westbound track and would later overtake an eastbound mixed freight that was waiting for it to crossover back to Main 2 at the next control point.  There was also the FRA Office of Safety car DOTX 221 behind the engines.

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