Passenger Trains > Zephyr takes 12 HOURS RNO-SAC. Why? More "Never Again

Yesterday,s California Zephyr Train 5 took 12 HOURS to travel what usually takes 4 1/2 hours between Reno, NV and Sacramento, CA. How could the UP possibly justify THIS LONG of a delay? I can't even try to imagine how outraged the passengers (and onboard Calif. State Railroad museum doecents) must have been. Another entire train full of NEVER AGAINS!

Was this some kind of demonstration by the UPRR to show Amtrak California officials what they can do to our California Capitol trains if we extend them to Reno/Sparks? Something serious must have happened... does anyone have any insight into this?

Zephyr arrive in Emy at 1:35 A.M. 8hours35minutes.

Wow. An entire train full of NEVER AGAINS! Haven’t we heard this before?

Well, someone likely has the answers as to why. Hopefully, they'll be shared.

The Capitol Corridor would not be extended to Reno without significant capital improvements first being made, in order to substantially reduce the running time and add capacity. In the meantime, Reno may completely vanish as a tourist destination.

Arrived SLC 45 mins early.
Departed SLC 45 mins late, reasons unknown.
Delayed 1 hr in Winnemucca, police boarded train on account of stolen luggage, suspect identified, but stolen luggage not found.
Delayed 7 hours 1 mile east of Colfax, account dead freights on tracks. Then another half hour to ferry he Amtrak relief crew from the Colfax station to the train.

This per a friend who boarded in SLC, detrained in Davis.

He also reported a family with 3 kids age 3-5 who boarded in Reno to detrain in Colfax, apparently the 7.5 hr delay outside Colfax was kinda hard on all parties concerned.

No report on emotional state of other passengers.

Ted in Davis

**Edit**
More notes from my friend The Passenger:

It was only a 6 hour delay at Colfax, not a 7.5 hour delay (4PM-10PM).

The other passengers were saying "if this was an airplane, we'd just get on another plane, and that the airline would *have to* accomodate you in some way." People were saying "next time when life is really hard, just say 'just be glad you're not stuck on the train one mile from my destination in Colfax!'" Mentions of class-action lawsuits were also made. And, the crew only gave updates twice during the entire period.

reindeerflame Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Capitol Corridor would not be extended to Reno
> without significant capital improvements first
> being made, in order to substantially reduce the
> running time and add capacity. In the meantime,
> Reno may completely vanish as a tourist
> destination.

Why would Reno vanish as a tourist destination?

Dave

Was the Family going on to Emy or Oakland and was family just going to Colfax for a train ride?

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Why would Reno vanish as a tourist destination?
>


It has kind of lost its luster over the years. No need to visit Reno to gamble, you can do that anywhere. Want real entertainment: then it's Las Vegas. Besides, trains will be down in a trench someday; you will not even see downtown Reno.

Could someone please tell me why crews constantly refuse to give updates? 2 updates in 7 hours? That is rediculous! This happens all the time, and it's the best way to alienate people.

Updating the passengers does go a long way to keeping things from getting out of hand. I was on 8 (2-3)that got delayed out side of St Cloud MN, because of the coal train BNSF put on the ground. Passengers started asking what's happening of the crew before the “allowed PA” time and the crew decided that making the announcement was the best thing to do. As a result the passengers had some idea what was happening and that led to a better situation.

I know that I am better able to deal with any problems if I understand what is going on

Country Boy

The Union Pacific Railroad needs to be publicly shamed in the severest manner by anyone and everyone every time this sort of thing happens.

If I were on that train, I would have called every news channel in Sacramento. I would make sure that when that train arrived SAC, there would have been a platform full of cameras awaiting the train. Detraining passengers would have told their horror stories to eager news crews.

Don't tell me that UP cannot keep their railroad clear for a scheduled passenger train. THEY SIMPLY DON'T WANT TO DO IT.

UP sees themselves as above public shame and humiliation. Eager news crews should have been at the UP local headquarters in Sacramento asking for statements from their superintendent or P.R. officer.

It almost seems as though the "corporate attitude" really does need some adjustments at UP. The BNSF certainly has it's moments, but they seem to be just that, moments. If they can do it, why the heck can't the Big Yellow? Attitude methinks.

I'll say it again about crew anouncements. KEEP THE PASSENGERS INFORMED!! This has been my one constant complaint with crews and it seems to be universal. Once aboard an 11+ late CS, the COS thanked me for helping explain the problems to some passengers. Although I didn't say it, I was thinking, "Why the hell do I have to do it for you?!?"

jccollins Wrote:
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> Yesterday,s California Zephyr Train 5 took 12
> HOURS to travel what usually takes 4 1/2 hours
> between Reno, NV and Sacramento, CA. Another entire
> train full of NEVER AGAINS!
>
Regrettably, it also represents a couple hundred angry/frustrated riders who have absolutely zero motivation now to call their congressional representatives to oppose the Bush administration's "death budget" proposal for Amtrak.

Just goes to show that George W. and Dick Cheney's in bed with their boy DICK DAVIDSON of UP! UP'S pathetic!

pecosvalleychief Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It almost seems as though the "corporate attitude"
> really does need some adjustments at UP. The BNSF
> certainly has it's moments, but they seem to be
> just that, moments. If they can do it, why the
> heck can't the Big Yellow? Attitude methinks.
>
> I'll say it again about crew anouncements. KEEP
> THE PASSENGERS INFORMED!! This has been my one
> constant complaint with crews and it seems to be
> universal. Once aboard an 11+ late CS, the COS
> thanked me for helping explain the problems to
> some passengers. Although I didn't say it, I was
> thinking, "Why the hell do I have to do it for
> you?!?"
I agree, I liked it when I took 14 back in 99 and we ran into a red signal after the senic ride up the coast outside of Santa Barbara and the conductor informed us what was up on the PA system, Amtrak needs to do that on each of their trains that runs into an unforseen delay!

Does UP's PR department have any comments?

Funny, when this sort of stuff happens Bromley is very quiet.

I'm no fan of the UP (the only railroad that I have not liked). However I'm willing to bet that something went wrong with one of those freights that was out of UP's control, leading to a real cluster **** (as we used to say on the Santa Fe).

I'd like to hear the inside story of what really happened.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> reindeerflame Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The Capitol Corridor would not be extended to
> Reno
> > without significant capital improvements
> first
> > being made, in order to substantially reduce
> the
> > running time and add capacity. In the
> meantime,
> > Reno may completely vanish as a tourist
> > destination.
>
> Why would Reno vanish as a tourist destination?
>
> Dave
>


Due to being largely superseded by Indian gaming and Las Vegas.