To: BNSF Intermodal Customers

09/10/2008

Weather: Hurricane Ike

With impending Hurricane Ike expected to make landfall near the Corpus Christi area late Friday, September 12, 2008, BNSF will limit operations at Houston Intermodal and stage other trains en route until after the storm has passed. Our New Orleans Intermodal facility will remain open.

Customers may expect delays of 24 to 48 hours.

UP Service Alert:

Tuesday, September 9, 2008 - 7:30a.m.

Hurricane Ike

Union Pacific is making preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Ike. The storm is expected to enter the southern Gulf of Mexico later today, with anticipated landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast on Friday or Saturday.

Operations personnel are currently moving equipment out of low-lying areas, and resources are being staged in strategic locations to expedite any necessary repairs following the storm's landfall.

In the coming days, as the path of the storm is more defined and landfall location is determined, rail operations in the affected area will be suspended. At this point, we also anticipate that traffic into and out of the affected area will be embargoed, with extra precaution taken to help ensure that hazardous materials - in particular Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) shipments - are secured within customer facilities or moved out of the path of the storm. Crews in the area will work to tie down equipment in UP yards and work with customers to secure equipment at their own facilities.

We will continue to provide updates on our web site as information becomes available.

UP Service Alert:

Updated Wednesday, September 10, 2008 - 11:00 a.m.

Hurricane Ike

Union Pacific continues to prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Ike, which entered the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday. The storm, which is expected to gain strength over the next few days, is currently anticipated to make landfall along the Texas coast early Saturday morning.

Union Pacific is issuing an embargo today on all Toxic Inhalation Hazard (TIH) shipments into and out of all areas just east of Houston, Texas (Dayton, Texas) through Houston and south to Brownsville, Texas. This action is being taken to help ensure that these shipments are secured within customer facilities or held out of the path of the storm. For more specific information about impacted locations, please refer to the embargo section of our web site.

Operations personnel continue to move equipment out of the area, and resources are being staged in strategic locations to expedite clean up and repair efforts following the storm.

In the coming days, as the storm continues to move through the Gulf and landfall location is more closely determined, rail operations in the affected area will be suspended. Crews in the area will work to tie down equipment in UP yards and work with customers to secure equipment at their own facilities.

We will continue to provide updates on our web site as information becomes available.

METRO SERVICE FOR HURRICANE IKE

September 11, 2008

METRO will be starting normal rush-hour Park & Ride service starting at 1 p.m. today.

On Friday, Sept. 12, 2008, METRO will operate Sunday service – local buses and METRORail - until noon. Park & Ride and METRO Direct airport service will not operate Friday.

At noon, Friday, all METRO service will stop.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, 2008, there will be no METRO Service.

METRO will evaluate road conditions starting Sunday morning and will open bus routes and METRORail when conditions warrant.

For more information, customers are encouraged to check METRO’s Web site at http://www.ridemetro.org/ or call 713-652-8960 or 713-635-4000.

UPDATE 1: METRO SERVICE FOR HURRICANE IKE

September 12, 2008

Today, Sept. 12, 2008, METRO will operate Sunday service – local buses and METRORail - until noon. Park & Ride and METRO Direct airport service will not operate.

At noon, all METRO service will stop.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, 2008, there will be no METRO Service.

METRO will evaluate road conditions starting Sunday morning and will open bus routes and METRORail when conditions warrant.

For more information, customers are encouraged to check METRO’s Web site at http://www.ridemetro.org/ or call 713-652-8960 or 713-635-4000.

METRO CONCLUDING EVACUATION EFFORTS
SERVICE ENDS AT NOON

September 12, 2008

METRO is concluding its evacuation efforts in zip code areas under mandatory evacuation for Hurricane Ike.

METRO evacuated 318 people, as well as 14 pets, through the city's 3-1-1 service.

Additional individual requests for evacuation must now be made through 9-1-1.

METRO will conclude its regular service at noon. It is suspending service for Saturday.

METRO will restart service when conditions warrant.

For more information, customers are encouraged to check METRO’s Web site at http://www.ridemetro.org/ or call 713-652-8960 or 713-635-4000.

The above 3 alerts are for Houston, and now Dallas gets into the act too:

All DART's website has at this time is a guide for new riders who were evacuated to Dallas.

http://www.dart.org/ike/ike.asp

Service Alert: Hurricane Ike — Sunset Limited, Crescent, Texas Eagle, Heartland Flyer & City of New Orleans Affected

September 12, 2008
4:00 pm CDT

Amtrak has temporarily suspended service to and from parts of Texas for the safety of passengers, employees and equipment, in advance of the landfall of Hurricane Ike. In addition, floodgates have closed in New Orleans, blocking rail traffic.

All passengers who have travel plans through September 15 in the affected areas on the Los Angeles-San Antonio-New Orleans route of the Amtrak Sunset Limited, New York-Atlanta-New Orleans route of the Amtrak Crescent, Chicago-Fort Worth-San Antonio route of the Amtrak Texas Eagle, Oklahoma City-Fort Worth route of the Amtrak Heartland Flyer or Chicago-Memphis-New Orleans route of the Amtrak City of New Orleans are urged to call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL.

Those passengers with telephone contact information in their reservations are being called by Amtrak and offered options including future travel dates. Ticketed passengers affected by this service suspension will be eligible for refunds.

Sunset Limited, Trains 1/421 & 2/422 and Thruway Motorcoach Buses 6021 & 6022

Service is suspended east of El Paso, including San Antonio, Houston and New Orleans, through September 14 for the eastbound Train 2/422 and the westbound Train 1/421. No alternate transportation is available between El Paso and New Orleans.

Also, Thruway Motorcoach Connection Buses 6021 & 6022 between Houston/Galveston and Longview, Texas, are suspended for the same period. No alternate transportation is available.

Crescent, Trains 19 & 20

Service is suspended south of Meridian, Mississippi, through September 13 for the westbound Train 19 and through September 14 for the eastbound Train 20. No alternate transportation is available between Meridian and New Orleans.

Texas Eagle, Trains 21/421 & 22/422, and Heartland Flyer, Trains 821 & 822

Service is suspended south of St. Louis, including Little Rock, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio, through September 13 for the westbound Train 21/421 and the eastbound Train 22/422. No alternate transportation is available between St. Louis and San Antonio.

Also, service is suspended between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, starting September 13, for the southbound Train 821 and the northbound Train 822. No alternate transportation is available.

City of New Orleans, Trains 58 & 59

Service is suspended south of McComb, Mississippi, including Hammond and New Orleans, through September 13 for the southbound Train 59 and through September 14 for the northbound Train 58. No alternate transportation is available between McComb and New Orleans.

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant. Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit http://www.Amtrak.com/ for schedule information and train status updates.

The storm surge and strong SE winds from Hurricane Ike pushed water into Lake Ponchartrain and the surrounding swamps and marshes.

Much of the recently repaired Gustav damaged areas on the CN McComb sub are again flooded. Shawn Levy posted following photos:

Herzog Ballast Train
Ballast Train (2)
CN Camp Car (Modules on flats)
Power Car
Camp Train

Shawn is not sure if the ballast train was for continuing Gustav repairs, or staged for possible post-Ike repairs.

Ross

UPDATE: METRO Resumes Normal Service Wednesday, September 17, 2008

METRO will return to normal local bus service Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008.

Regular schedules will be followed on all local routes and fares will be charged.

METRO’s Park & Ride service will continue on an abbreviated schedule with buses leaving on the hour and half-hour from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m., and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Because the HOV lanes still do not have total electrical power, Park & Ride routes will operate in the main lanes.

METRORail remains without power, so buses will continue to operate along the rail line.

METRO expects rail service to be restored Friday, if electrical power has been fully restored.

Because traffic lights are still down in many areas of town, METRO asks that customers remain patient if their bus arrives late.

Because METROLift is continuing to help in relief efforts, service will be limited to trips to grocery stores, relief centers and medical appointments. Travel will be limited to one round-trip per day. To schedule a ride, METROLift registered patrons should call 713-225-6716.

METROLift anticipates returning to normal service on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008.

METRO continues to assist in local recovery efforts, helping to transport more than 1,700 people.

UPDATE: METRO SERVICE FOR THURSDAY, September 18, 2008

Because of continuing electrical outages on the region’s HOV-lane system, METRO can not operate normal Park & Ride service on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008.

Park & Ride service will continue on an abbreviated schedule, with buses leaving on the hour and half-hour from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Buses will continue to operate in the main lanes.

METRORail is under testing but due to continuing traffic-signal outages, METRO will have to continue running buses down the METRORail corridor.

METROLift will resume normal operations Thursday and has already scheduled 1,650 trips.

METRO has been running normal local service since Wednesday, but because many traffic signals are down around the city, METRO asks that customers remain patient if their bus arrives late.

METRO continues to assist in local recovery efforts, helping to transport more than 2,300 people.

UPDATE: METRO UPDATE FOR FRIDAY SERVICE

For Friday, September 19th, METRO plans to run Park and Ride service on a normal schedule as was done today, with buses running in the main lanes.

The HOV lanes will remain closed until power has been fully restored to all safety critical systems.

METRO is receiving CenterPoint’s cooperation and support to restore electrical power to enable METRORail to return to service.

At this time, full power has been restored to the rail line. However, five intersections along the rail line are still without electrical power. Consequently, the traffic signals at those intersections are not working. Train service will not be restored until it is safe to do so.

Maybe Metro needs a few generators in their inventory.

Ross

AP via Houston Chronicle, 9/18:

Continue.

City of New Orleans restored?

Railfans are reporting that CN has restored the McComb subdivision to service. A grain train was the first train over the repaired area, with numerous slow-orders until sufficient tonnage has passed to ensure the track is stable.

There is no announcment on the Amtrak web site. Checking inventory in the reservation system indicates 59(19) will be the first southbound train to New Orleans; 59(21) will be the first northbound originating in New Orleans - 59(20) still shows the bus bridge to McComb.

Ross

Ah, were said railfans in contact by cell phone or text messaging with the CN grain train's engineer?

UPDATE: METRORAIL BACK IN SERVICE

METRORAIL is back online this morning, running its normal service.

The I-45 North HOV lanes also reopened this morning to METRO buses and vehicles that meet its occupancy requirement.

However, I-45 South HOV lanes, as well as all other HOV lanes remain closed due to electrical outages. As a result, all other METRO Park & Ride buses will continue to operate on the main lanes.

BNSF expects to re-open Galveston Island bridge this week. Too bad disaster relief crews didn't provide passenger service for evacuation; it would have mitigated traffic congestion.

http://www.railwayage.com/breaking_news.shtml#Feature3-9-23

P. S. : No word on the streetcar line. There are no trolley wires, so that's a saving. I wonder if streetcar motors remained dry during the storm.

Sloan