484 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

Second 3/18/20 update as of 4 PM.  The changes clarify the 3 trains that normally go into Canada (Cascades, Maple Leaf, Adirondack).. where they are actually still running.  And they generally mention station closures too.

 

 

Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus

March 18, 2020, 4:00 pm ET

 

While Amtrak continues to operate across the nation, we have adjusted some services due to significantly reduced demand in key markets. The most up-to-date schedules are available when booking your trip on Amtrak.com and in the mobile app.

 

Service Modifications
Reduced schedules

• Northeast Corridor: Operating approximately 40% of typical weekday schedules, including Northeast Regional and Acela service.
• Adirondack (New York – Montreal): No service north of Albany
• Amtrak Cascades (Eugene – Vancouver, B.C.): No service north of Seattle
• Amtrak Hartford Line (New Haven, Conn. – Springfield, Mass.): Operating on a Saturday schedule
• Amtrak Thruway Bus routes
• Downeaster (Boston – Brunswick, Maine)
• Empire Service (New York – Niagara Falls)
• Ethan Allen Express (New York – Rutland, Vermont)
• Hiawatha (Chicago – Milwaukee)
• Maple Leaf (New York – Toronto): No service west of Niagara Falls, NY
• Valley Flyer (New Haven, Connecticut – Greenfield, Mass.): Operating on a Saturday schedule 
• Wolverine (Chicago – Pontiac)

Canceled services

• Keystone Service (Harrisburg – New York)
• Pennsylvanian trains (New York – Pittsburgh) as of Thursday, March 19
• Pere Marquette (Chicago – Grand Rapids) as of Thursday, March 19 
• Winter Park Express (Denver – Winter Park Resort)

Due to service reductions, some stations may not be staffed. If the station is closed, please proceed to the platform to board your train.  

Other services may also be impacted as circumstances change and Café service will be suspended on some trains operating between Washington, DC and New York City.

 

Customers with reservations on trains that are being modified will be contacted and typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day.

 

Amtrak is waiving change fees on all existing or new reservations made before April 30, 2020. Simply log in to your account or go to Modify Trip on Amtrak.com, or find your reservation from your account on the home screen in the Amtrak app. A fare difference may apply to your new itinerary. If you want to cancel your reservation with no fee, you must call 800-USA-RAIL and speak with an agent (not available via Amtrak.com or the app).

[KevinKorell]

So without any Keystones nor Pennsylvanians, they don't need stations.

 

 

Harrisburg, Lancaster, Altoona and Johnstown Stations Temporarily Closed

Effective March 17, 2020

 

Effective immediately, Harrisburg, Lancaster, Altoona and Johnstown stations are closed to the public until further notice.

Passengers will not have access to the inside of the station or restrooms during this time.

[KevinKorell]

Trains Newswire, 3/19/20:

 

   Amtrak sets more cuts in Midwest, announces first changes on West Coast 

 

 

Beginning Saturday, March 21, Amtrak service on three Illinois routes out of Chicago will be reduced beginning Saturday, March 21. The reductions, for an indefinite period, reflect dwindling ridership during the coronavirus outbreak.

 

You can say that again.  I take it that this begins on Saturday, March 21 ??   Story here.

[CNJRoss]

Amtrak news release

 

Midwest Service Changes, Effective March 19 & 21

  Modified schedules in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan, to and from Chicago

 

March 18, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. CT

 

Amtrak Midwest^SM network service modifications due to reduced travel demand are in partnership with the Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Missouri state transportation departments:

 

Effective Thursday, March 19: 

• Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha corridor service reduced to four daily round-trips. Friday evening Hiawatha Train 343 also temporarily suspended. 
• Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac Wolverine corridor service reduced to two daily round-trips. 
• Chicago-Holland-Grand Rapids Pere Marquette daily round-trips suspended. Amtrak Thruway Bus connections to and from Grand Rapids are available daily via Kalamazoo. 
• Some Amtrak Thruway Bus routes will have service modifications. 

 

Effective Saturday, March 21: 

• Chicago-Milwaukee corridor service reduced to two daily round-trips, including Hiawatha and Empire Builder trains. 
• Chicago-St. Louis corridor service reduced to three daily round-trips, including Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle trains. 
• Chicago-Carbondale corridor service reduced to two daily round-trips, including Illini/Saluki and City of New Orleans trains.
• Chicago-Macomb-Quincy corridor service reduced to one daily round-trip 
• Chicago-Detroit-Pontiac Wolverine corridor service reduced to one daily round-trip. 

 

No changes: 

• Chicago-East Lansing-Port Huron Blue Water daily round-trips 
• Kansas City-Jefferson City-St. Louis Missouri River Runner corridor services. 

 

National messaging regarding COVID-19, including refund information, is posted at Amtrak.com/Corornavirus and in the Amtrak Media Center at media.Amtrak.com.

 

Anyone planning to travel should check their train status on Amtrak.com or our smartphone apps prior to departing, allow extra time to get to the station and be extremely careful in stations and on platforms. To be notified of service disruptions, follow @AmtrakAlerts on Twitter.

 

Subscribe to automated email or text message notifications if Amtrak trains are behind schedule at specific stations. Notifications can be given for up to six trains and stations by either text or email and delivered when you choose – on a single day, every day, or just certain days of the week. Create a subscription at Amtrak.com/DelayAlerts.

 

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant.

 

[CNJRoss]

Amtrak news release

 

Amtrak: Updates to Service

 

March 19, 2020

2:45 p.m. ET

 

 

While Amtrak continues to operate across the nation, we have adjusted some services due to significantly reduced demand in key markets. The most up-to-date schedules are available when booking your trip on Amtrak.com and in the mobile app.

 

Service modifications are as follows:

 

Operating on a reduced schedule:

• Northeast Corridor: Operating approximately 40% of typical weekday schedules, including Northeast Regional and Acela service.
• Adirondack (New York – Montreal): No service north of Albany
• Amtrak Cascades (Eugene – Vancouver, B.C.): No service north of Seattle
• Amtrak Hartford Line (New Haven, Conn. – Springfield, Mass.)
• Amtrak Thruway Bus routes
• Capitol Corridor (San Jose – Sacramento) as of Saturday, March 21
• Downeaster (Boston – Brunswick, Maine)
• Empire Service (New York – Niagara Falls)
• Ethan Allen Express (New York – Rutland, Vermont)
• Hiawatha (Chicago – Milwaukee)

• Illini/Saluki (Chicago – Carbondale) as of Saturday, March 21
• Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg Chicago – Quincy) as of Saturday, March 21
• Lincoln Service (Chicago – St. Louis) as of Saturday, March 21

• Maple Leaf (New York – Toronto): No service west of Niagara Falls, NY
• Valley Flyer (New Haven, Conn. – Greenfield, Mass.)
• Wolverine (Chicago – Pontiac)

 

Cancelled services:

• Keystone Service (Harrisburg – New York)
• Pennsylvanian trains (New York – Pittsburgh)
• Pere Marquette (Chicago – Grand Rapids)
• Winter Park Express (Denver – Winter Park Resort)

 

Due to service reductions, some stations may not be staffed. If the station is closed, please proceed to the platform to board your train.  

 

Other services may also be impacted as circumstances change and Café service will be suspended on some trains operating between Washington, DC and New York City.

 

Customers with reservations on trains that are being modified will be contacted and typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day.

 

Amtrak is waiving change fees on all existing or new reservations made before April 30, 2020. Simply log in to your account or go to Modify Trip on Amtrak.com, or find your reservation from your account on the home screen in the Amtrak app. A fare difference may apply to your new itinerary. If you want to cancel your reservation with no fee, you must call 800-USA-RAIL and speak with an agent (not available via Amtrak.com or the app).

 

[KevinKorell]

I am hoping that the trains they deemed as expendable by totally cancelling them don't suffer what I call the Katrina Effect... that is, the use of a disaster as an excuse to not return the train to service when conditions improve. (I of course refer to the loss of Amtrak service east of New Orleans following the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.)

[KevinKorell]

WOOD-TV, Channel 8 in Grand Rapids, MI, 3/18/20:

Amtrak suspends service between Chicago, Grand Rapids  

 

 

Amtrak says it will be temporarily suspending its train service route between Chicago and Grand Rapids due ridership decline amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

 

Details

[KevinKorell]

WGEM-TV,  Channel 10 in Quincy, MA, 3/19/20:

 

   Amtrak Carl Sandburg train service impacted by coronavirus precautions  

 

 

Amtrack Midwest announced changes to the Carl Sandburg train line that affects passengers in Macomb and Quincy.

 

Read

[KevinKorell]

Here is the March 20th update.  The list grows...……..

 

 

 

Service Adjustments Due to Coronavirus

March 20, 2020, 6:00 pm ET

 

While Amtrak continues to operate across the nation, we have adjusted some services due to significantly reduced demand in key markets. The most up-to-date schedules are available when booking your trip on Amtrak.com and in the mobile app.

 

Service Modifications
Reduced schedules

• Northeast Corridor: Operating approximately 40% of typical weekday schedules, including Northeast Regional and Acela service.
• Adirondack (New York – Montreal): No service north of Albany
• Amtrak Cascades (Eugene – Vancouver, B.C.): No service north of Seattle
• Amtrak Hartford Line (New Haven, CT – Springfield, Mass.)
• Amtrak Thruway Bus routes
• Capitol Corridor (San Jose – Sacramento) as of Saturday, March 21
• Downeaster (Boston – Brunswick, Maine)
• Empire Service (New York – Niagara Falls)
• Ethan Allen Express (New York – Rutland, Vermont)
• Hiawatha (Chicago – Milwaukee)
• Illini/Saluki (Chicago – Carbondale) as of Saturday, March 21
• Illinois Zephyr/Carl Sandburg Chicago – Quincy) as of Saturday, March 21
• Lincoln Service (Chicago – St. Louis) as of Saturday, March 21
• Maple Leaf (New York – Toronto): No service west of Niagara Falls, NY
• Pacific Surfliner (San Luis Obispo – San Diego) as of Monday, March 23
• Valley Flyer (New Haven, CT – Greenfield, Mass.)
• Wolverine (Chicago – Pontiac)

Canceled services

• Keystone Service (Harrisburg – New York)
• Pennsylvanian trains (New York – Pittsburgh)
• Pere Marquette (Chicago – Grand Rapids)
• Winter Park Express (Denver – Winter Park Resort)

Due to service reductions, some stations may not be staffed. If the station is closed, please proceed to the platform to board your train.  

 

Other services may also be impacted as circumstances change. Café service will also be suspended on select trains.

 

Customers with reservations on trains that are being modified will be contacted and typically be accommodated on trains with similar departure times or another day.

 

Amtrak is waiving change fees on all existing or new reservations made before April 30, 2020. Simply log in to your account or go to Modify Trip on Amtrak.com, or find your reservation from your account on the home screen in the Amtrak app. A fare difference may apply to your new itinerary. If you want to cancel your reservation with no fee, you must call 800-USA-RAIL and speak with an agent (not available via Amtrak.com or the app).

[KevinKorell]

 

 

Amtrak Cascades Schedule Changes

March 21, 2020

 

Amtrak Cascades will be operating on a reduced schedule between Seattle and Eugene as outlined below:

 

Train Service Changes

• Train 500 will operate daily until April 3, departing Eugene at 5:30 am.


• Train 504 will operate daily until April 3, departing Portland at 12:00 pm.


• Train 517 will originate in Seattle, with no alternate transportation provided.


• Train 518 will terminate in Seattle, with no alternate transportation provided.


• Trains 502, 506, 507, 508, 511, 513, 516 and 519 will not operate between March 21 and April 3.

POINT Bus Service Changes — March 21 through April 3

• Bus 5503 will operate daily, departing Portland at 12:25 pm.


• Bus 5504 will operate daily, departing Eugene (Willamette Street) at 8:24 am.


• Bus 5508 will provide service for Train 508, departing Eugene (Willamette Street) at 3:55 pm


• Buses 5502 and 5545 will not operate.