Missouri Amtrak Service

[DaveKCMO]

Isn't most of the delay due to the short sidings?  Seems like this law won't do much if the freight trains are too long for the sidings, meaning they can't pull over to let Amtrak trains pass.

if you take UP at their word, it's part of the problem (congestion is the root cause... these delays weren't always present). like i said, this is a systemic problem for them throughout their territory (lack of capital for expansion/maintenance based on demand). the amtrak trains through missouri are not long and travel faster than freight, so you would think they would simply be prepared for that time slot every single day and their freight -- which is scheduled for delivery, not just ad hoc -- would wait. these trains have been running the exact same route for over 20 years.

[advocrat]

Isn't most of the delay due to the short sidings?  Seems like this law won't do much if the freight trains are too long for the sidings, meaning they can't pull over to let Amtrak trains pass.

MoDot Rail/Missouri will receive $3 million in federal funds to match the $5 million in State appropriations to lengthen sidings at California and Strasburg which are the two most critical points on the single track section of the Sedalia subdivision.  This should help, and we'll know how much so in about a year an half.  Expect delays to continue this year, and please don't damn Amtrak or UP too much, or at least until this improvement has a chance to be executed.

[dangerboy]

Advocrat,

I know about the siding project.  My question was that isn't the siding situation the biggest problem?  Even if UP was perfectly helpful, would that significantly reduce delays without the siding projects?

In other words, what is the biggest problem in Missouri - infrastructure or RR cooperation?

[NDTeve]

http://www.kansascity.com/440/story/927703.html

[dangerboy]

http://www.kansascity.com/440/story/927703.html

What does this have to do with the Missouri route?

[enough]

^^^ the siding project -- new siding west of california -- is important symbolically as it's modot's first such effort to improve rail capacity.  also important was the fact that modot took some missouri legislators to omaha early in the year to talk to union pacific people. 

realistically, on-time performance is going to improve in the coming year as freight traffic declines along with the economy.  less freight translates to fewer / shorter trains, more locomotive horsepower per ton available to power them, etc, etc.  btw, the only siding where train length is an issue is at strasburg.

[enough]

amtrak has extended its 50-percent off "companion fare" -- second adult travels for half price -- on trains in the kansas city / st. louis corridor for a full year, thru december 16, 2009.  presumably you'll still use discount code v665 when making reservations.

[enough]

modot has been conducting a contest to re-name the missouri trains and there are just a couple more hours left to vote - thru 4 pm today.

to vote go to http://www.morail.org/

http://www.modot.org/newsandinfo/Distri ... wsId=24791

December 24, 2008 / Five Finalists Selected in Name the Train Contest
Voting Begins Today and Runs Through Jan. 23, 2009

vote from among these finalist names:

Missouri Rail Blazer
Missouri River Runner
River Cities Corridor
ShowMeMO
Truman Service 

to vote go to http://www.morail.org/

truman service is the best choice, in my opinion, as it complements the "lincoln service" corridor designation in illinois.

[KCMax]

What about "Pony Express"???

[DaveKCMO]

i implore all of you to vote for truman service. the rest of those are just embarrassing.

[dangerboy]

I will miss the Mule

[DaveKCMO]

I will miss the Mule

i will not. mule = slow, stubborn.

[trailerkid]

i will not. mule = slow, stubborn.

Umm...that's the most fitting name for any Amtrak route...period.

[DaveKCMO]

not too bad in the last 7 days:

Status for train 314 arriving into STL

2009-01-26: Scheduled: 1:10 pm Actual: 1:06 pm Delay: -4 minutes
2009-01-25: Scheduled: 1:10 pm Actual: 1:35 pm Delay: 25 minutes
2009-01-24: Scheduled: 1:10 pm Actual: 1:00 pm Delay: -10 minutes
2009-01-23: Scheduled: 1:10 pm Actual: 1:25 pm Delay: 15 minutes
2009-01-22: Scheduled: 1:10 pm Actual: 1:08 pm Delay: -2 minutes
2009-01-21: Scheduled: 1:10 pm Actual: 1:39 pm Delay: 29 minutes
2009-01-20: Scheduled: 1:10 pm Actual: 1:05 pm Delay: -5 minutes

Status for train 316 arriving into STL

2009-01-25: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:53 pm Delay: 13 minutes
2009-01-24: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:36 pm Delay: -4 minutes
2009-01-23: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:20 pm Delay: -20 minutes
2009-01-22: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:29 pm Delay: -11 minutes
2009-01-21: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:25 pm Delay: -15 minutes
2009-01-20: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:39 pm Delay: -1 minutes

Status for train 311 arriving into KCY

2009-01-26: Scheduled: 2:10 pm Actual: 1:53 pm Delay: -17 minutes
2009-01-25: Scheduled: 2:10 pm Actual: 2:02 pm Delay: -8 minutes
2009-01-24: Scheduled: 2:10 pm Actual: 1:44 pm Delay: -26 minutes
2009-01-23: Scheduled: 2:10 pm Actual: 1:55 pm Delay: -15 minutes
2009-01-22: Scheduled: 2:10 pm Actual: 1:54 pm Delay: -16 minutes
2009-01-21: Scheduled: 2:10 pm Actual: 2:15 pm Delay: 5 minutes
2009-01-20: Scheduled: 2:10 pm Actual: 2:17 pm Delay: 7 minutes

Status for train 313 arriving into KCY

2009-01-25: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 11:30 pm Delay: 110 minutes
2009-01-24: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:30 pm Delay: -10 minutes
2009-01-23: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:40 pm Delay: 0 minutes
2009-01-22: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:30 pm Delay: -10 minutes
2009-01-21: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:45 pm Delay: 5 minutes
2009-01-20: Scheduled: 9:40 pm Actual: 9:39 pm Delay: -1 minutes

http://amtrakdelays.com/

[enough]

yes, on-time performance is much improved.

during the first nine months of 2008 these missouri trains averaged about 60 minutes late, and 40 percent of them were an hour or more late.

during the most recent seven weeks these trains averaged just 17 minutes late, and only 10 percent of them were an hour or more late.

it's amazing what a drop in rail freight traffic of roughly 15 percent from a year ago can do for amtrak's on-time performance.  fewer freight trains mean the dispatchers can do a better job of keeping amtrak on time.

[KCMax]

Missouri River Runner it is!

[enough]

yup.  missouri river runner wouldn't have made my short list, but that's what people voted for.  interestingly, modot got 8300 name submissions, but then only 5500 people actually voted.

there's a lot of positive stuff going on with the missouri amtrak service right now -- rising ridership, improved on-time performance, siding project on the up west of california.

modot, amtrak, and the union pacific are working together to improve service as hasn't happened in a long time.  one amtrak person i talked with spoke of a "new corporate culture at the up" with respect to amtrak.  i think there's a new corporate culture at modot as well. 

[DaveKCMO]

we should be in a good position to receive funds from the passenger rail portion of the stimulus package since one of the sidings was paid for through the design phase only. good news for UP since they've had some layoffs recently and more are likely if freight traffic continues to slide.

[dangerboy]

The collapse of freight traffic is really noticeable now.

Just back from a day trip to Jeff City.  Outbound trip was only about 30 minutes late, and the return trip arrived was 10 minutes early.  The return trip was the first time in years I've been on a train that didn't pull over even once to wait for a freight train.  Amtrakdelays.com shows some Missouri routes are actually clocking average times ahead of schedule.

[NDTeve]

Like everything else in this economy...good news is not really good news.
On Time Amtrack = No freight.