posted
Me and the kids are going from Reno to Galesburg on the Cali Z , we leave next Saturday so I have been watching how its doing the past few days to get a feel for how late it will run.
We are usually about 3-4 hours late the other 4-5 times we have taken this train.
But this year were being rerouted around Colorado and through Wyoming.
I cant tell by the status report on Amtrak if that rerouting has started just yet or not, but if so, I am sooo worried thats the reason it was 12 hours late. Now the funny thing is the next 3 days it was 12 minutes late, then 8 minutes late, which I have a real hard time believing for some reason but I am going to try and believe because that would be awesome if that is what happens with us! and then yesterday it was it's regular 3 and a half hours late. Which like I said is our usual experince with this train route.
But I tell you what I dont think I could handle the 12 hours late with my kids, my kids are great, they are 7 and 12 and they are really good kids, but thats 12 hours out of our home time with the grandmothers and our vacation time, thats like a whole day gone of vacation time.. that really scares me!
Anyone know if the massive late thing is happening alot with this train? Does it have to do with the reroute?
I dont mind being 3-4 hours late, ok I am not thrilled, but I can survive that, but 12? ehhhhhhh
Anyone with gossip or information on this train route and what to expect with the reroute through Wyoming.
I get the feeling that the reroute starts to happen after Salt Lake then somehow we come down from Wyoming into Denver and the parts were missing is the rockies and like Glenwood Springs stop and all that
Anyone ever road the reroute when it was going on last summer? More delays or less delays?
Posts: 12 | From: carson city, nv usa | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
One #6 was recently delayed by 9.5 hours due to wildfires in Nevada. They also closed Interstate 80. Could this be the one you heard about? I think it was last Saturday.
Hard to predict that sort of event. Not Amtrak's fault nor UP's.
The re-route can actually be faster than the usual route (faster track), but the increased freight traffic can also potentially cause delays.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't have a specific answer to your question, but this information might be helpful:
1) On the Amtrak.com web page, if you click on the link for "News and Media", then go to the latest press releases, you will see the information on the detours for the California Zephyr. Here is a portion of it copied from Amtrak.com: --------- CHICAGO – Scheduled track improvements on the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in Colorado will require Amtrak to use an alternate route for the California Zephyr between Denver and Salt Lake City during five periods in July and August. The detour will follow the historic transcontinental railroad route through Wyoming and Utah.
On the following dates Amtrak will be unable to use the UP route between Granby and Glenwood Springs.
July 10 & 11 July 15-18 July 22-25 July 29-Aug. 1 Aug. 5-8 On those days, the California Zephyr will detour between Denver and Salt Lake City via a northern route through Wyoming, making no intermediate station stops.
On the days the train detours, Amtrak will provide alternate motorcoach transportation at Denver for westbound passengers to Glenwood Springs or Grand Junction and for eastbound passengers from Grand Junction or Glenwood Springs. Service to and from Fraser-Winter Park and Granby, Colo.; Green River, Helper and Provo, Utah, will be suspended on the days the trains are detoured. --------
You can check the on-time status for a three week history of Amtrak's trains.
3) Call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL and say "Agent" when Julie answers the phone. She will say, "I think you said you would like to speak with an agent. Is that correct"? You then say, "Yes", and you will be transferred to a person. You can ask them about specific dates for the re-routes just to make sure their press release still has the accurate dates.
Hope this helps.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
Another resource you may use is www.trainorders.com (left side under Discussion>Passenger Trains) and look through their forum topics for info on Zephyr delays. You may read without joining. That is where I found out about the wildfire delay.
Their forum includes some more hardcore rail buffs who ask about specific delays. Any references to the Zephyr may just mention it as #5 or 6, or the CZ.
Posts: 1572 | From: St. Paul, MN | Registered: Dec 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I rode the Wyoming detour in 2004 and found it to actually be a faster ride than the normal route.....around the mountains instead of through them. Of course you can never tell what kind of interference from freight traffic your going to get from UP either.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I feel rather silly considering I live right about where half the wild fires were Duh:) Yeah that would make sense as far as the delay on that train!
Thank you for these links!
Posts: 12 | From: carson city, nv usa | Registered: May 2004
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Duh:) Yeah that would make sense as far as the delay on that train! 
