CARBONDALE, Ill. — For a few hours Thursday, travelers along Illinois’ Chicago-Carbondale Amtrak corridor could book a daytime round trip to next Monday’s solar eclipse “path of totality,” thereby avoiding monumental traffic jams along parallel highways that occurred during a similar event in August 2017. But that window of opportunity closed when seats that briefly became available were snapped up on one of the trains. The culprit: not enough road-ready Superliner coaches assigned to capture what seems to be insatiable travel demand for a truly unique event.
Southbound morning Saluki (train no. 391) from Chicago and afternoon northbound Illini (no. 392) from Carbondale, Ill., had been booked solid for weeks, with seats only sporadically becoming available for sale through cancellations. As normally scheduled, the southbound train would have arrived only minutes before 1:59 p.m., when the sun will first be fully obscured by the moon for more than four minutes.
The Saluki still had seats available in mid-March when Amtrak finalized an earlier Chicago departure with host railroad Canadian National [see “Amtrak modifies April 8 schedules …,” News Wire, March 22, 2024]. The northbound Illini, already sold out by then, also had its schedule pushed back several hours to allow passengers plenty of time to return to the train from major group eclipse gatherings in the area.
Superliner necessity
All Amtrak trains operating over CN’s Chicago-Carbondale route must be assigned at least seven Superliners if maximum 79-mph track speeds are to be maintained, according to a host railroad “axle count” requirement that has been in effect in various iterations for almost two decades. This is to ensure track circuits that trigger signals and highway warning devices are properly shunted by train’s wheels. A two-part Trains News Wire investigation of the problem [see “Seeking answers on loss of shunt …,” News Wire, Sept. 6, 2023] found the parties are working on a solution that won’t require use of heavy Superliner equipment on a stretch of track south of Champaign, Ill., but final report recommendations have yet to be issued.
Several wreck-damage incidents, and the fact that Amtrak management has not returned all Superliners to service that it chose to sideline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, have left the company short on long-distance train capacity systemwide.
There are not enough full Superliner coaches or coach baggage cars to assign to the daytime Illini and Saluki round trips, so these trains routinely draw no more than four coaches in revenue service. Their consists are generally augmented with three Superliners of any available type just to satisfy the axle count requirements. Thus, sleeping cars, transition sleepers, dining cars, and Sightseer lounge cars are all pressed into non-revenue service.
Eclipse planning
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari tells News Wire that the idea of assigning more coaches to the Saluki and Illini round trip April 8 was “previously considered,” but “the cars are needed in the larger pool of Superliners.” He says four Winter Park Express coaches that completed a three-month assignment out of Denver last weekend were sent to the West Coast on the California Zephyr this week.
Thursday’s brief travel opportunity occurred when the trains’ only axle-count coach was opened up for ticket sales. “If it is possible open up cars to add more capacity, we will do so in both directions,” Magliari says, adding, “Prospective customers should continue to check Amtrak.com for availability.”
On Thursday, train Nos. 391 and 392 axle-count cars included a Sightseer lounge, transition sleeper, and a 35000-series snack-coach. If equipment turns remain the same through Monday, presumably that car, with a snack bar on the lower level, was the one opened for sale.
The Illinois’ Department of Transportation, which sponsors the service, has been involved in conversations about capacity. “We share disappointment more capacity wasn’t possible at this time,” says Magliari.
What about running a second section like the old days using surplus METRA galley commuter cars. Amtrak could also use their old Amtrak coaches replaced with the newer Midwest service cars now used on the Chicago to St. Louis trains and the Chicago to Detroit services. Amtrak managers can’t seem to plan for any long term items to increase revenue except raise fares. Those older cars were performing ok and with minimal updated required maintenance should be road ready to run on special services.
No matter how tight car availability gets or how much CN ties their hands with strict operating requirements, Amtrak just won’t stop running these trains or consider contingencies. They were on the verge of having to suspend some trains last year. Need proof?! How about the Capitol Limited’s unbelievably short consist of a baggage car and 3 Superliner cars running sold out at least 6 weeks in advance for most of the year? Taking the 60 mph speed restriction and reserving those 14 Superliners for the long haul trains would’ve allowed Amtrak to immediately deploy a 2nd coach and maybe another sleeper to the Capitol. Definitely a far more feasible alternative than what they chose to do. By all means CN is responsible for this issue. This has been in play for 20 years now so fix it!
Amtrak used to rent spare Metra cars for rush weekends like semester breaks at SIU/U of I/EIU, sometimes almost whole consists. Not as comfy as Superliner coaches obviously, but it’s only a 5 hr. (well theoretically) trip and 180 seats per car.
Ironically until the 90’s the speed from Champaign to Centralia the top speed was 110 MPH.
I’ve been told by Amtrak crews the segment requiring Superliners is from Mattoon to Kinmundy.
DOT Secretary is more concerned about dei than transportation.
Where have FRA and our esteemed /s SecTrans Buttigieg been these last 3 years that they have seemingly made no progress getting to the heart of what the problem is with the CN’s signal system between Champaign and Carbondale and at least made recommendations for a fix? My take is neither FRA administrator Amit Bose or Mr. Buttigieg care. Or perhaps they are just incompetent. And how come the RPA and their state affiliate, the HSRA, apparently have not been after those agencies on this? I
Didn’t Caltran just put 32 double decker cars up for sale?
Why can’t they sell seats in sleepers or lounges as extra fair accommodations?
Talk about dropping the ball, it’s not like the Eclipse just snuck up on them over night, they had since 2017 to do it spectacularly. Major public relations loss and potential future customers.
This once again spotlights CN’s ridiculous requirements on the Carbondale route. No other place in this country has requirements like this. The fault obviously lies in CN’s inadequate signal and crossing gate equipment. Replace this equipment with ones that can accommodate shorter non-Superliner trains. In an earlier Trains News Wire about fixing this problem, CN asserted its equipment is not to blame. Nonsense. Fix the problem.
Never heard about the signal shunting issue in this district when it was run by the IC.
If Amtrak had sent the ski train’s consist to CHI instead of EMY it could have had 5 more SL coaches. Then send them to EMY.
Who says it has to be an Amtrak consist? Get some spare/older gallery cars from Metra and put an Amtrak motor on it. They have the needed HEP to run the lights and A/C in the gallery cars. Or grab those SD rebuilds that just arrived but arent in service just yet. There are options if you think outside the Amtrak box.