I’m trying to plan a trip from Iowa to Upstate NY on Amtrak before the shortsighted powers that be decide to completely kill Amtrak. Does Anyone know what the average lateness of the California Zephyr on arriving in Chicago Union Station? Yes, I know it has more to do with UP[:(!] than Amtrak. I want to know because I want to know if transfering from the CZ to the Lake Shore Limited will actually have a chance of happening. i.e. the CZ arrives before the Lake Shore Limited leaves. Any experiences would be helpful.
Ungen
You can check train arrival information on the Amtrak site for a period going back 5 or 6 days and then follow the daily report to get a handle on the condition of the CZ. The scheduled layover in Chicago is 3:20pm to 7:55pm, so you have 4 1/2 hours cushion and Amtrak might hold the Lake Shore for a few more minutes if the CZ is on the bell at Chicago.
You will want to check this with an Amtrak reservation agent, but if you have been issued a ticket with a connection from the CZ to the Lake Shore on the same day and the CZ misses, Amtrak may put you up for the night on their nickle. Not to bad of a deal as long as you are not in a situation where you must get to your final for a special event.
Good luck.
Jay
I’ve been on the eastbound Cal Zeph once before (@10 yrs ago) and didn’t get into Chicago until @11:45pm. Amtrak only had a couple of engines (F40’s) on the train and one died just east of Omaha. The other engine couldn’t manage the tonnage and the hotel power. Amtrak asked the BNSF repeatly for assistance and they refused. So I spent an entire day cruising accross Iowa and Illinois at @25-30mph!
CC
Jay has the right idea…check the Amtrak website for the status of the CZ on a daily basis for a week or more and decide for yourself. My guess is that better than 50% of the time you would make the connection in Chicago for your next train. The CZ runs anywhere from on time (or very close to it) to several hours(5 or 6) late., but there is no way to predict what time it will get to Chicago. There are just too many variables that can’t be controlled, such as equipment breakdowns, derailments, the weather, and even the behavior of some passengers on the train (the conductor may hold the train at a station while the local police remove someone for being drunk, or other bad behavior).
Wm6.
Several times returning from business on the Lake Shore, it was held for connections. Usually some, but not all of the time, was made up, and sometimes it did get even later on Conrail, but usually not.
I was fortunate in connections in Chicago that I usually had a day to spend anyway and did not rely on a direct connection either way.
Thanks for the inputs
ungern[:D]
I’ve seen the CZ 5 minutes early and 6 hrs late, just depends on wut UP is doing in the moutians
Ride the Texas Eagle…it’s always on time…sometimes…lol. I will be headed to Chicago in August on my way to Milwaukee…but that’s another thread.
California Zephyr 5 and 6 met at Galesburg, IL today. The 5 was 13 minutes late. The 6 was 5 hours and 8 minutes late. Scheduled time from Galesburg to Chicago is 3 hours, 36 minutes.