Track maintenance projects requiring Amtrak cancellations or rescheduling are currently taking place or are forthcoming in the Southeast and West. Meanwhile, several long-distance trains continue to encounter a variety of problems as weather challenges subside.
Southern California
Most intercity and commuter trains traveling between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, Calif., will not operate next Saturday and Sunday, March 7-8, reprising a maintenance blitz that shut down all weekend service in the same territory last October. [See “Southern California to face major passenger rail disruptions …,” Oct. 15, 2026.]
On those dates, all Amtrak Pacific Surfliners are being cancelled north and south of Los Angeles; the Coast Starlight is not running south of Emeryville, Calif., with passengers connecting at Sacramento or Martinez, Calif., to or from Gold Runner trains through the San Joaquin Valley.
Commuter operator Metrolink is suspending service north of LA on the Ventura County Line and south of Laguna Niguel/Mission Viejo to Oceanside, affecting Orange County and Inland Empire-Orange County trains. Right-of-way on this segment along the Pacific Ocean has been undergoing remediation to counteract embankment erosion.
South of Oceanside, all North County Transit District Coaster trains between Oceanside and San Diego are similarly canceled both days. As was the case last fall, substitute bus transportation is not being offered by any of the operators.
North Carolina
Through March 16, both the northbound Floridian and Carolinian are being delayed en route by CSX to allow for a daytime track maintenance window.
Times are being set back for both trains more than two hours at Raleigh, N.C. and to a lesser extent at Savannah, Ga., and Charlotte, N.C., respectively. Since the new schedules went into effect last Sunday, CSX dispatchers have slowed the Floridian an additional 45 minutes to two hours in the recurring single-track “A Line” choke point from Rocky Mount, N.C., to Petersburg, Va.
However, despite a revised Chicago arrival 2 hours, 45 minutes later than its regular schedule, shop forces have generally been able to get the Miami-bound Floridian out on time with the shortened same-day turnaround.
Empire Builder issue
The Chicago crew also managed a quick Empire Builder equipment turn when the eastbound train’s scheduled afternoon arrival on Friday, Feb. 27, didn’t occur until 6:08 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28. It had been held more than 13 hours east of Essex, Mont., apparently because of high-wind warnings in the Glacier National Park area.
The tardy train departed St. Paul Union Depot at 10:17 p.m. Friday night. Its overnight timings compared favorably to the Milwaukee Road’s Pioneer Limited. In 1968, before it was discontinued, the Pioneer left SPUD at 11:20 p.m., had a 25-minute Milwaukee layover (which at one time accommodated the set-out of a sleeper), and arrived Chicago Union Station at 7:45 a.m.
Amtrak shop forces still had Saturday’s westbound Builder out on time.
Silver Meteor improvement
Last Monday’s Northeast snowstorm significantly delayed the departure of many trains, including the New York-Miami Silver Meteor [see “Amtrak still working to recover…,” Feb. 24], which Sunnyside Yard shop forces have struggled all winter to get out on time. Following the storm, train No. 97 departed no earlier than one hour, 22 minutes late (on Feb. 25) and as much as two hours, 36 minutes late (Feb. 27).
But on Saturday, Feb. 28, the train left just six minutes late. Alas, the departure today (Sunday, March 1) slipped back to a 52-minute delay.
— To report news or errors, contact trainsnewswire@firecrown.com.
The LOSSAN tracks to Dan Diego are in the national defense department of critical rail routes. Does that require that the work on the slide prone area require a different kind of work window in case a DODX train is required on short notice?