Passenger Trains > Two for Texas

#21 has back to back P42's tonight at Saint Louis.  I suspect that this is the Heartland Flyer replacement locomotive after 8 days of a UP unit on the north end of the push-pull Flyer.  This situation has been reported by me and Gene Poon.

Also of note is the good news that the Texas Eagle is running sleeping car service during the UP line closure.  On days the line is closed this spring, the train will operate Chicago to Marshall, Texas.  amtrak.com is showing 'mixed service' service on those days.  Also, sleepers are available for travel south of Fort Worth, and on through to the Sunset Limited on 421 and 422 days.  I am glad Amtrak is doing their best in this situation.   Last year, nothing was ever noted on amtrak.com and sleeping car passengers had to beg for a refund when put on a bus.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/25 17:00 by regalstream1516.

If the Eagle could go another 25 miles to Longview, then they could operate the original MP Eagle route to Austin.  About three years ago, during a BNSF construction period south of Ft. Worth, the Eagle was detouring on this straighter shorter routing, and Amtrak operated a bus from Longview to Dallas to Ft. Worth and then south to connect with the train in Taylor or Austin.  

Why was that routing not pursued on these "UP obstruction" periods?  Amtrak has to speak up loudly in public against these track closures by UP, BNSF, NS etc.  The Eagle passenger trains operate in daylight in a five hour period between Longview and Dallas.  They could do their track work beginning a 3 p.m.  Night time track work happens all over this country.  

True, true.  There is neat youtube video from sparkdalmation that captures the run from Taylor to Longview, via Palestine.  You, Mr, Koch, are way too smart for Amtrak today, and I am just grateful that this is not worse than it is. And, based on your history, I would like a table on the shady side of the dining car tonight!  

It's going to start earlier now-March 20th departure of #21 from Chicago!

For how long?

MEKoch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If the Eagle could go another 25 miles to
> Longview, then they could operate the original MP
> Eagle route to Austin.  About three years ago,
> during a BNSF construction period south of Ft.
> Worth, the Eagle was detouring on this straighter
> shorter routing, and Amtrak operated a bus from
> Longview to Dallas to Ft. Worth and then south to
> connect with the train in Taylor or Austin.  
>
> Why was that routing not pursued on these "UP
> obstruction" periods? 

Maybe because that is the part of track that is being worked on?


Amtrak has to speak up
> loudly in public against these track closures by
> UP, BNSF, NS etc.  The Eagle passenger trains
> operate in daylight in a five hour period between
> Longview and Dallas.  They could do their track
> work beginning a 3 p.m.  Night time track work
> happens all over this country.  

You might find this difficult to believe but some projects require the track to be closed. This happens quite regularly in first world European countries which have a lot more passenger trains than the USA.