View Full Version : Amtrak "Train From Hell" Delayed Almost 24 Hours



flintysooner
01-09-2010, 05:46 AM
Amtrak "Train From Hell" Delayed Almost 24 Hours (http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local-beat/Amtrak-Train-Delayed-81008957.html)

California Zephyr arrived in Chicago about a day late mostly due to weather but also because of hitting a pickup truck.

Interesting reading the passengers' comments.

At the end the article mentions 2 other trains that were similarly late.

kevinpate
01-09-2010, 08:47 AM
Great, now it'll be another decade before I can broach the subject of a circle the states rail trip. May just have to cross my fingers and go it alone.

bluedogok
01-09-2010, 09:15 AM
My trip back from Tokyo in January 1996 was delayed about 18 hours after we landed in Portland & Salt Lake City because of winter weather and we were flying. Some people just don't understand that traveling in winter can have all sorts of problems.

gmwise
01-09-2010, 09:39 AM
I agree.
People seem surprised when the environment (weather or animal migrations) plays either a inconvenience or a causality or injury.

circled9
01-09-2010, 12:38 PM
The Heartland Flyer many times runs late. They have to give the freight trains the right of way. The only reliable train i have ever taken was the metroliner from new york city to washington DC. It was great and dependable...left every hour and you were in DC three hours later. If the Feds wanted to give the same priority to other routes in terms of subsidies that it does with the metroliner, i am sure that they would be more reliable.

By the way, I have to wonder how many of the complaining passengers have ever spent the night at OHare after all the flights were cancelled.

bluedogok
01-09-2010, 03:49 PM
I guess some think this only afflicts the US since we have such a poor passenger rail system.....WRONG
Europe has been having winter weather related issues for a couple of months. I listen to Absolute Radio out of London quite a bit and they have talked a bunch about it.

From today: BBC News - Heavy snow brings travel chaos in Germany (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8449906.stm)
January 8: BBC News - UK cold snap plunges to new low (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8448399.stm)
January 7: BBC News - Airport chaos as icy weather grips Europe (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8445613.stm)
January 6: BBC News - Snow brings disruption to parts of Europe (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8443252.stm)
BBC News - Schools closed and travellers hit as snow continues (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8442739.stm)
December 21: BBC News - Eurostar travel chaos leads to marathon Brussels trip (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8424973.stm)

gmwise
01-09-2010, 11:31 PM
Yea I saw that earlier...WOW