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FRA pushed out a proposed rule and is having a teleconfrence for public comment (although you can submit now):

https://www.federalregister.gov/documen ... il-service

Condensing the document down:

• If a customer arrives 15 or more minutes past the scheduled arrival time at any station, the customer is late -- and that's the metric that counts.
• If less than 80% of a train's passengers are within 15 minutes of on-time arrival for two consecutive quarters, Amtrak can complain to the STB.
• Host railroads can work around this to an extent by regularly working with Amtrak to update schedules, and recording the process of updating. This includes temporary changes due to out-of-host-control situations.
• Amtrak and host railroads have metrics that they can gather to help STB with any investigation.

Looks half-way decent. They also made sure to check with the known host railroads and most transit providers as well.

how are scheduled determined, especially for long distance routes?

Obviously it's not "technically achievable timetable + margin" or else everything would be late even more.

but it would seem it's also not a case of "this is what Fort Worth/Omaha/Jacksonville/Norfolk say's it's gonna be" otherwise we'd see schedules degrading even more, and things like "it would be a lot easier if everything topped out at 70" would be more than just suggestions.

And if it was an agreed upon process, wouldn't there be a lot more disagreement?

SO does that leave us with "Amtrak and the STB think this is what you should be able to do across your railroad and you're going to make it happen"?

Wolf: Believe that part of the proposal is meeting with a freight RR for what freight RR will have to do in the way of infrastructure improvements to maintain schedules ? How it will be paid for also.

bdawe wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:45 pmObviously it's not "technically achievable timetable + margin" or else everything would be late even more.

"technically achievable timetable + margin" sounds like a good method. Calculate the time that it should take for a train to pass from one station to another based on track speeds and traffic at the time of the train and add a couple of minutes. They should be able to work out a schedule where a train is not more than 15 minutes late (counting as on time). if it is proven that they can't meet that schedule add more margin or move the train to a time where there are less conflicts.

For the past few weeks I have been watching arrivals in Elkhart Indiana for the evening Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited. There have been nights where NS stuck these trains out and they had to wait for traffic. But more often than not these trains are early and forced to hold for scheduled departure (with no passengers most nights - but still holding in case someone buys a ticket online and wants to board). On a good night (for the Amtrak schedule) the train arrives a couple of minutes late, stops, toots the horn and rolls on in to the night. No passengers to slow down the train and (if running late) no hold for scheduled departure.

I do like counting the number of passengers inconvenienced at intermediate station. It seems that the current Amtrak schedules have massive recovery time at the end of the run (counting a train as on time if it reaches its final destination on time). If the goal is reliable service and most passengers do not travel end to end they need to count every late passenger, even the intermediates.

Cali Zephyr hits bolder on track, delayed 17 hours, passengers transferred.

https://kutv.com/news/local/amtrak-trai ... last-night

KUTV — (UPDATE: Sunday at 9:30 p.m.) – The train holding the 57 passengers – guests combined from two trains – is moving and just passed Helper, UT, according to Steve Edwards who says he is on the train. He added the crews were able to remove the rock, fix the problem, and offer everyone a complimentary meal...

(SALT LAKE CITY) – A large rock is impeding tracks east of Provo, halting an Amtrak train since last night that is on its way to Emeryville, Calif from Chicago, Ill.

Tresspasser strike hit between Washington Union Station and New Carrolton today in time for the evening rush. Trains initially delayed up to 2 hours, and single tracking is currently in effect. Train 176 hit the trespasser.

I haven't seen anything on the news sites, just what MARC and AmtrakNECAlerts have been posting. Given the length and single tracking, I'm hesitant to say this was a fatality... but it looks a bit like it.

... It was a fatality. (Washington Post, possible paywall)

A man was struck and killed by a train Tuesday afternoon on tracks that run along New York Avenue in Northeast Washington, according to a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.

The incident occurred about 12:40 p.m. near Ninth Street Northeast, in the Brentwood neighborhood. The fire department spokesman, Vito Maggiolo, said the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

All service suspended between Washington Union Station and New Carrolton due to flooding with the latest heavy rains hitting the area.

According to MARC's alerts, the NEC is shut down between New York Ave and Landover near DC and will be overnight. MARC will run one round-trip from Baltimore (9:35P) to New Carrolton, pick up passengers, leave at 11:06p going all the way to Perryville.

No word on service tomorrow.

Around 11:00 p.m. 9/10/20, Amtrak was moving on single track with speed restrictions between Washington and New Carrolton.

5 MARC train runs have been canceled (per notification emails). Amtrak's 170 and 56 is originating in PHL, 148 (9 hr late) terminating and turning into 141 at New Haven. Lots of equipment moves. Track is still single tracking as of last report via AmtrakNECAlerts.

Hurricane Sally is hitting the Biloxi area right now. Amtrak canceelations so far:

• Sunset Limited 1/2: Train 1 on Sept 17th starts from San Antonio.
• Crescent 19/20: Terminate/originate from Atlanta, Sept 15-17.
• City of New Orleans 58/59: Canceled southbound run on 15th, northbound 16th.

Well, if soon Amtrak frequency by my house is to be as few as "one a day" (Illinois Zephyr #382-3) then they sure put on the "big shew" this afternoon.

First, #1105(24) passes 75ML (why 1105 instead of 5 not sure; guessing its annulled short of EMY account forest fires), and followed right on its markers by #3 about 15ML. Just as soon as it passes. #4(22) passes some 90ML.

Three of 'em in 15 minutes. I could see the "foam a frothing", except I was talking with a neighbor.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 24, 2020 6:46 pm First, #1105(24) passes 75ML (why 1105 instead of 5 not sure; guessing its annulled short of EMY account forest fires), and followed right on its markers by #3 about 15ML. Just as soon as it passes. #4(22) passes some 90ML.

Assuming it's for the same reason, the 1105 is because the train is on a later schedule west of Denver on some days and it causes two scheduled departures from Salt Lake City on some days (one just after midnight and another one just before midnight). Can't be two #5s on the same day so 1105 is used for the alternate schedule.

The BNSF Transcon had a Major derailment at Joseph City Az, one mainline track open at this time,.
Plenty of staged BNSF freighs all over the line # 3 was Held at ABQ pending reopening of the mainline.
Also major snow storm passing thru the region,VRF cam at Flagstaff shows snow covered rails at present.