Join the discussion on the following article:
Trains News Wire EXCLUSIVE: ‘Empire Builder’ canceled between St. Paul and Minot
Has somebody at AMTRAK directly asked the people who run Berkshire Hathaway about the problems with BNSF ?
North Dakotans are among the loyalest supporters of Amtrak, which provides an actual transportation service to their state. I would think that Fargo could be the turning point, with bus service on I-94 to western North Dakota. Some of us, by the way, travel by bus most of the time. We’re used to it. But the Empire Builder route has very few travel options. Thanks , Joe, for springing this on us overnight…and when will we see the EB return to ND?
Frost heaves, we got em here too, they suck…and BNSF is behind in Grain shipment I heard
WOW, frost in North Dakota! Whoda thunk it! Come on, Big Nothing So Far, quit hoarding all that big money you are making and start spending it on the physical plant, or you won’t be making anything pretty soon.
To add another comment on top of the unheard of discovery that the ground freezes in North Dakota and apparently no one could anticipate the fact the ground gets a little queasy when the frost goes out on these rail lines that have been there over 100 years, why is it that one measly passenger train is apparently the tipping point between a fluidly running railroad and a deadlocked disaster?
I stayed up all night on the 29th/30th run of #8 on my trip from Cut Bank MT to Saint Paul Union Station. The BNSF dispatchers along with the Amtrak Crew did a commendable job of getting the train over the road. I arrived in St. Paul by 10:30 AM on that Friday thus allowing ample time for a 3:20 PM flight to Charlotte (and Spencer) Dorr of Roanoke
I stayed up all night on the 29th/30th run of #8 on my trip from Cut Bank MT to Saint Paul Union Station. The BNSF dispatchers along with the Amtrak Crew did a commendable job of getting the train over the road. I arrived in St. Paul by 10:30 AM on that Friday thus allowing ample time for a 3:20 PM flight to Charlotte (and Spencer) Dorr of Roanoke
This is so, so frustrating. I would hate to be in Marc Magliari’s shoes having to deliver this kind of bad news over and over and over.
It’s been one excuse after another from BNSF, oh it’s cold, oh it’s snowing, oh frost heaves… just wait in another month they’ll start talking about the rails starting to buckle from the heat. Come on, these are supposed to be professional railroaders and they talk like they’ve never heard of these things before.
I’m sure if the BNSF had their way, they would eliminate the Empire Builder.
Maybe Amtrak should reinstate the Pioneer Limited…oh, wait, UP has been worse to Amtrak than BNSF.
Let’s face it: The freight railroads and Congress are waging relentless guerrilla action against Amtrak long distance passenger operations, and working to turn the public against Amtrak. Kinda reminds me of the way the Vietnam war turned out. (That’s flipping one on the conservatives, eh)?
“the length of the [overnight] bus rides was unacceptable for a [scheduled] interruption with re-booking offered. The decision to turn the train at Minot instead of Whitefish or Havre, Mont., was made in an effort to protect as much western business as possible.” English, please. Unacceptable to whom, how was this a scheduled interruption and what has re-booking got to do with traveller’s plans? Yikes, weasle-speak.
At this time of year the Red River Valley becomes a swamp. If you want to see some of the nightmares putting rails thru here, read http://www.ndsu.edu/nd_geology/stockwood/index.htm about the millions of yards of fill attempting to stabilize the Stockwood Fill.
I give up…and throw in the towel. Its always something! I cannot rely upon the Empire Builder anymore. I know it isn’t Amtrak’s fault, but I cannot travel knowing that my arrival at my endpoint will be “when we get there.”
Glenn, what credentials do you have? It’s been a rough year and we’re moving more traffic than ever. Sorry we aren’t pleasing you.
Oil is moving at all costs. Another example of too big to fail. They should be fined, and pay AMTRAK for all costs involved. Passengers should be compensated for their inconvenience. The harsh weather conditions are not a surprise or constitute an emergency. You would hear BNSF scream if AMTRAK screwed up.
To Brenden and Zach: it is clear you don’t get the point. BNSF has been killing the Empire Builder for a long time now with one thing after another. And it isn’t just BNSF, as I also think the Amtrak management has rolled over too easy in all of this too. But the point is that it always freezes in the northern U.S., yet they make it sound like this is the first time it has ever happened. This is the result of cutting to the bone and beyond. I can’t speak to the credentials of the others, but I have family who have been in the track maintenance side of the railroad business in the upper midwest for over 40 years, and they just shake their heads over crap like this.
The problem is insufficient funding of Amtrak. If Amtrak could pay BNSF a trackage rights fee that was profitable for BNSF, BNSF would certainly try to serve their customer. I know other customers have had issues too, but BNSF is expanding capacity to handle it. Of course, if reregulation efforts succeed, the rate of return will be insufficient to upgrade the lines and we will return to the dark days of the 1970s.
Regarding customer service, busses should be provided to passengers travelling to or from points between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Minot, as well as for through coach passengers who would be sitting up all night anyway. Through sleeper passengers, who paid an arm and a leg for their tickets, should be given the option of taking the bus or flying. Of course, the airlines probably wouldn’t do much for the customer either.