by GWoodle
SouthernRailway wrote: ↑Sun Apr 12, 2020 6:56 am Given very light loads on trains, if a reserved train doesn’t have anyone getting on or off at a station, does Amtrak even have the train stop at the station now? Seems like a waste of effort to do so especially if the train is late.Yes. You can see #3 or #4 stop at La Plata Mo every day. Even if the train is late, makes the scheduled stop. If there are no sleeper passengers, may make the coach stop only then stay maybe 5 minutes or less. At least there are no stops for both sleeper & coach passengers. In the schedule for #3 or #4 you may find "flag stops" where the train will only stop to let passengers off. Could be at Naperville or La Grange if #3/4 has a suburban flag stop.
For example, if nobody boards a northbound long-distance train at Washington, why wouldn’t it leave as soon as the locomotive change is done?
For a northbound train at Washington DC with a locomotive change there is likely to be also an engineer change. There could be "flag stops" north of Washington for departing passengers.
Glenn Woodle