CHICAGO — Weather is taking its toll on current operations of Amtrak’s western long-distance trains.
According to the Amtrak Alerts Twitter feed, the eastbound Chief scheduled to depart Los Angeles today (Wednesday, Feb. 22) has been cancelled due to severe weather conditions, while the westbound Chief that left Chicago on Tuesday, Feb. 21, will terminate in Albuquerque for the same reason.
Severe weather is also being cited for the cancellation of the eastbound Empire Builder from Seattle and Portland today through Friday, Feb. 24. The westbound Empire Builders today and Thursday have also been cancelled. This follows abbreviated Chicago-Twin Cities operation for trains scheduled to depart Tuesday from both Chicago and Seattle/Portland.
The cancellation of today’s eastbound Chief comes after the westbound Chief that left Chicago on Monday, Feb. 20 — the train that would be turned for today’s departure — arrived in Los Angeles at 4:13 p.m., 8 hours, 13 minutes late and less than two hours ahead of its scheduled 5:55 p.m. departure.
Struggling from a timekeeping standpoint is the eastbound Chief that left Los Angeles on time on Tuesday. At 5:44 p.m. MST, it was reported to be awaiting a crew change in Winslow, Ariz. It was due in Winslow at 6:18 a.m. (Update: According to Amtrak’s online train status feature, that train arrived in Albuquerque at 2:46 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, which would be 15 hours, 26 minutes after its scheduled arrival of 11:20 a.m. on Wednesday.)
California Zephyrs continue to operate between Chicago and Emeryville, Calif., but are experiencing various delays, according to the Amtrak Alerts feed, for issues including freight train interference, mechanical delays, and crew rest issues.
— Updated at 7:15 a.m. CDT on Thursday, Feb. 23, with status of the eastbound Chief that departed L.A. on Feb. 21.
Reports are that the consist of #3(21) that was terminated in Albuquerque has now been combined with the consist of #4(21) in Albuquerque and the combined train left eastbound toward Chicago at about 7:30am Mountain Time today.
How can a train that left Los Angeles be a westbound?
That’s been corrected. Thanks.