CHICAGO — Departures of the Empire Builder have been cancelled in both directions today (Sunday, Feb. 16), for a second straight day, according to Amtrak’s website.
No information on either cancellation was provided on the website or the Amtrak Alerts social media feed. However, the westbound Builder that was due in Portland at 11:17 a.m. today, and Seattle at 11:29 a.m. — and provides the equipment for today’s eastbound departure — was 12 hours, 27 minutes late departing Sandpoint, Idaho, as of 1:22 p.m. PT. That train had been only 2 hours, 8 minutes late at Whitefish, Mont., but was 9 hours, 16 minutes late at its next stop in Libby, Mont., before losing three more hours reaching Sandpoint.
The Builder departures on Saturday, Feb. 15, were cancelled because of “impending severe weather conditions” [see “Empire Builder again cancelled …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 15, 2025].
Two other Midwest trains were cancelled today, according to the Amtrak Alerts feed: Hiawatha No. 336, the 1:05 p.m. departure from Milwaukee to Chicago, and the first Lincoln Service train of the day, a 4:30 a.m. departure from St. Louis for Chicago. Equipment issues or equipment unavailability were cited as the reasons.
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