49 replies to this topic

[KevinKorell]

More new timetables effective July 10th:

 

Empire Service

Adirondack

[CNJRoss]

The Record, Hackensack, NJ 7/6/17:
 

Analysis: Political divisions fueled Penn Station failure

 

New Jersey and Long Island commuters are asking the wrong question if they want to know how New York Penn Station got so bad that dozens of trains are being rerouted starting Monday to allow for major track improvements this summer.
 
The correct question is whether some version of what's been dubbed "the summer of hell" will become the new normal.
 
Even after the tracks leading into Penn Station from New Jersey are repaired, its landlord Amtrak will be left with a station that handles far more trains and passengers than it was ever designed for; running a round-the-clock schedule that leaves insufficient time for maintenance; and fed by a century-old tunnel that is predicted to fail at some point in the next two decades.
 
And the nation's busiest railroad station will still be caught in a political tug of war, subject to the whims of governors and legislators in New Jersey and New York, whose commuter railroads dominate daily traffic, as well as presidential appointees and members of Congress, who control Amtrak's budget.

Continue  here  w/ videos.

[KevinKorell]

For the record, Amtrak has an engine posted (Engine 617 observed on 7/10) in the tail track south of Secaucus Junction.  I suppose it's there just in case something gets stuck in the tunnels.

[KevinKorell]

 

 

Northeast Regional Train 176: Possible Delays Between Washington and New York

 

Effective through September 1, 2017

 

As part of the Infrastructure Renewal at New York Penn Station, Amtrak will perform a series of major track and switch renewal projects that will strengthen railroad infrastructure, operations and preparedness — and ultimately improve reliability at America's busiest rail hub.

 

The Infrastructure Renewal work accelerates several years of already planned improvements to track, switch and other infrastructure at Penn Station to improve track conditions.

 

To accommodate this major work, starting July 10 through September 1, baggage aboard the northbound Crescent, Train 20, will be transferred to Train 176 in Washington, DC. As a result, customers aboard Train 176 may encounter minor delays from Washington to New York.

 

For the most up-to-date departure and arrival times, check Amtrak.com, use our free mobile apps or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245). Passengers can also sign up for text or email train delay notifications on http://Amtrak.com/.

 

We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience. Thank you for traveling with Amtrak.

​This only covers the weekdays.  I would assume that the same would be true for Regional 140 on weekends, which operates in approximately the same timeslot.

[KevinKorell]

For the record, Amtrak has an engine posted (Engine 617 observed on 7/10) in the tail track south of Secaucus Junction.  I suppose it's there just in case something gets stuck in the tunnels.

 

On Tuesday 7/11 the engine was 602.  On Wednesday, 7/12 the engine was 613.   Either they are getting pressed into service or they are switching them up every day.  I won't be passing through Secaucus on the NJ Turnpike to observe this any further  for the next 2-1/2 weeks as I will be otherwise occupied.

[KevinKorell]

 

 

Carolinian Train 79: Multi-Ride Ticket Train Restrictions Unchanged

 

Please be aware that there has been no change to the policy restricting multi-ride tickets on Train 79 that departs New York at 7:25 am, even though Northeast Regional Train 183 (departing New York 7:05 am) has been cancelled through September 1, 2017.

 

However, additional seating has been provided on select Northeast Corridor trains for our multi-ride tickets holders. Contact Amtrak for other schedule options.

 

Multi-Ride Tickets are available for travel on many routes, but restrictions vary by route, destination and time of day. Multi-ride tickets may not be used on long-distance trains, certain segments of short-distance trains or Acela Express trains. Here is a complete list of routes that accept multi-ride tickets. Multi-Ride Tickets can be purchased at Amtrak.com, using our free mobile apps or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

 

Please note all Multi-Ride Tickets are refundable and exchangeable prior to first use, but they are not transferable.

 

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak. We appreciate your patronage.

 

[CNJRoss]

NJTV News, 7/25/17:
 

Amid repairs, Amtrak shows off control center efforts

 

 

In the “Days of Delays,” commuters aren’t looking for anyone to blame, they’re blaming everybody. That means leaving the railroads with a need to get their sides of the story out, and, for Amtrak, that means briefings, like Tuesday’s talk at a secret location that contains the railroad’s control center.

 

“Track 10, that’s 1,200 feet. Track 5X, track 4X, and track 3X, totally renewed and that’s a big deal,” said Amtrak Deputy General Manager Steven Young, a 30-plus year Amtrak veteran who has an encyclopedic knowledge of the railroad’s summer rehab of Penn Station. He took reporters through a tour of Amtrak’s super secret control center in midtown, explaining what all the blue, gray and green lines on the big board mean and what all it takes for the railroad to plow through this summer’s big fix.

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

NYP Renewal Update With Amtrak co-CEO Wick Moorman: Progress To Date

Published on Jul 28, 2017

[CNJRoss]

Classic Trains 'Mileposts' blog, 8/7/15:
 

For a moment, GCT again means “intercity”

 

 

One of the most interesting bits of news to come out of the Northeast this summer is the temporary reassignment of some New York–Albany/Rensselaer Empire Service trains to Grand Central Terminal while Amtrak performs critical track work at Penn Station.

 

Suddenly, if briefly, you can board a passenger train from the hallowed, subterranean platforms of GCT and actually stay on the same train beyond Poughkeepsie. Somewhere the ghosts of William White and Lucius Beebe are smiling.

 

Grand Central Terminal, pictured during World War II, is too glorious a setting for mere commuter trains. Yet since 1991 that's all GCT has hosted — until this summer, when trackwork at Penn Station prompted Amtrak to move some intercity trains back to GCT temporarily. NYC photo

 

The move involves the rerouting of only six trains, and only into September, Amtrak says. But it’s making it easier for an army of track crews at Penn Station, especially those working on “A” Interlocking, just west of the station platforms, where capacity has been reduced from six tracks to two.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Philly.com Op-Ed, 8/9/17:
 

Penn Station project shows Amtrak's efficiency, and need for infrastructure investment

 

 

by Michael A. Nutter

 

I am a loyal Amtrak rider. And I am proud of it. That’s why I am pleased to see that, in spite of great initial fears, the Infrastructure Renewal Program underway at New York City’s Penn Station has been going smoothly.

 

The Renewal Program consists of Amtrak removing the equivalent of six football fields’ worth of track and installing new track and switches all before Labor Day. That’s no small feat. The mere thought of it — and the possible disruption that some thought would occur — caused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to dub it “the Summer of Hell.” I am pleased to see that several weeks into the program, the governor’s prediction has not come true, thanks in large part to the planning by Amtrak in conjunction with Long Island Railroad and New Jersey Transit.

 

As a former mayor of Philadelphia this comes as no surprise to me. I have watched Wick Moorman, who came on board less than a year ago as CEO, make real changes at Amtrak — streamlining operations, emphasizing a culture of safety and reliability, and working to enhance the customer experience. I have no doubt that further positive changes will occur with Richard Anderson joining Moorman in leading Amtrak. Yet, while Amtrak is making real change, the greatest threat it faces is a failure of our nation’s leaders to invest in its critical infrastructure and to help improve and maintain its assets.

 

Michael A. Nutter is the former mayor of Philadelphia, and past president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

 

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