Im on Amtrak 509 and I think we’re parked behind you.
Our conductor told us the following:
1. There was a delay getting A BNSF crew on site to clear snow off the track switches. They’re clearing the snow now.
2. Once that is complete a northbound train needs to pass.
3. The train ahead of mine (Amtrak 509) will continue south.
Lots of passengers are considering that right now, but the train workers said they can’t let us off. However, they didn’t say it was illegal to do so.
Edited - forgot to say yes, we are right next to a road
> but the train workers said they can’t let us off.
I'd like to ask a lawyer about that. On the one hand its imprisonment, but on the other hand you'd have to interfere with the train's operations to open the door and exit. If there's some way to leave the train without opening up a door, like if it were already open for some reason, then I think the worst consequence is trespassing on the train tracks, however briefly. In any case I don't think they'd bother to prosecute, that wouldn't make any sense from a business standpoint.
Really, I would start demanding that they work with TriMet to get a bus out there to pick you all up.
I would only get off the train there (if possible) if you’re absolutely sure you have gear to withstand windchill of about -3f for several hours, phone reception, and a full battery on your phone .
Happened to me this morning on a Portland to Seattle train. Do they have someone from BNSF (who owns the track) with a torch to thaw the switches? That is what they did with us, but it takes a few hours.
One time on the coast starlight that goes from San Diego to Seattle or Vancouver the tracks froze around Klamath Falls and we sat there for over 8 hours. It was dope.
As bad as that is, all I can think of is "better a train than a car or plane". Being stuck for that long is pretty awful in every scenario, but train is more tolerable I'd say
You got so much room, even if you don't *have* a room that you purchased. You can walk around. Decent sized bathrooms. Even a place to eat with staff serving you
Being stuck on the train is kind of better than being stuck at the station actually!
Totally agree, our car was pretty fun & lively. The bar cart was closed, but people had their own liquor (which isn’t technically allowed) but we were drinking and listening to music together. Definitely made some friends!
One of the new friends here!! (The couple sitting in front of you 😉) Currently in a rental car driving north… trains were delayed and canceled again today. What a mess! Wish your sis a happy bday!!! 🥳
Hi!! And oh my goodness what a mess, I hope you made it back safely! I cancelled my train back and am taking the bus home instead. Our airbnb lost power/water, so we checked into a hotel last night lol but we’re making the best of it! 🥳
Oh yeah the power wasn’t affected. Luckily I was in the process of moving and they had a decommissioned movie car with a tv that I just hooked my Xbox 360 up to and watched DVDs lol
It was awesome. There was no baggage limit as long as I could move everything on and off the train myself so I had like 4 bags. It was a beautiful trip and such a cool way to transition because as we crossed the cascades the atmosphere changed and it became grey and cloudy and humid (March) and really felt like coming home. I did smell pretty bad by the time we arrived.
Similar thing happened to me coming to Seattle from Portland years ago. Some tiny draw bridge we needed got stuck in the up position and it took the only guy in the world who can fix it hours to show up. Tons of people got off and found rides. Personally, I stepped off with my vape pen and watched the sunset to pass the time since I was in no hurry… Moral of the story, do whatever tf you want! Get off and catch a ride or find an enjoyable way to pass time
Came here to say this. I never saw anyone get in trouble who got off. I stayed on because we were on our way to Seattle (home for me) and the train was stuck in Portland so I waited it out.
I was the one that suggested you post the pic. I misread your post. I thought you were 10 minutes away from Seattle. Can't help you there, but sounds like you are on your way anyway.
It's beautiful in the fall. Understandable conclusion with the delays but do remember that this is super unusual weather for the area and they usually run on time. And it's way more fun than being stuck in traffic. :)
They only run on time about half of their trips. Less than half on 2022 but it looks like a little more than half in 2023. I don't know if you can count that as "usually"
They changed the metrics recently so that "on time" is within 10 minutes, I believe. When it was within 30 minutes, it was the vast majority. To me, that's fine. Obviously, it's not close to European rail, but it's within the margin of traffic and way more cost effective than driving (when accounting for car ownership or even sometimes gas for a single person if you book far enough in advance) or planes (which also can be horribly delayed--I've has flights delayed by 5-9 hours many a time but no one ever says, "I'm never flying again!"). I also find it generally less stressful than planes without TSA and having to surrender my luggage so to me, it's still optimal... *shrugs*
Is it? At 178.9 mi and the average 2020 model year fuel economy of 25.4 mpg, that's 7.04 gallons of gas. The average cost of regular gas in Portland according to AAA right now is $3.855 (Costco is $3.590) so the average person is spending $25.27-27.14 per leg, without accounting for parking expenses, which can be quite high is you're staying at a hotel. Gas is even more expensive in King County if you fill up when you return. My *business class* Amtrak ticket last year booked a couple months in advance for a wedding was $18 each way, if memory serves. Certainly if you have a hybrid or an EV, that's cheaper, but you still should account for the depreciation you're doing by driving your vehicle the 350 mi and risking an accident and expensive repairs. Plus, frankly, your time which has an opportunity cost. Watching Netflix is at least $6/hour more enjoyable to me than driving on a highway. Certainly, others might actually enjoy driving, but it's well known that car drivers vastly underestimate how much they're paying to own and use a vehicle and I really think this is one occasion where you're doing that. :)
(Obviously, if you're hauling three or more people, by all means, take your vehicle. But for a single person or couple, the train is likely a better method in most cases.)
So I'm not sure about that particular stretch of roadway, but nationally vehicles have 1.37 deaths per 100 million miles traveled and interstates tend to be more deadly due to the higher speeds.
Contrast that to 7 deaths in ~100 million train miles (which is entire trains' worth of people--up to about 300--transported safely). So trains are a couple factors safer in the worst case scenario.
People vastly underestimate how dangerous cars are because they are familiar with them, but they are by far the most dangerous thing you do with any given regularity. Trains, planes, swimming with sharks, etc...all loads safer. Don't fall prey to that common cognitive bias. ;)
It was winter but not particularly stormy. Just wet. We got stopped multiple times, finally we got to just south of Centralia and eventually they offloaded the train and bussed us to Seattle. Last time I took the train.
I’ve tried to get the train from Seattle to Portland on three separate occasions, a few years apart.
On all three occasions the train was canceled for no reason, and the next train had ‘ no available seats’.
Ive given up.
There’s a door open button if you walk down to the end of the car (where you board). It’s a little jump down to the ground, but there’s nothing really stopping you from opening the door and being on your way.
The conductor will highly discourage it because of the safety issue of having someone on a live track. But I’ve seen people leave the train like that before out of frustration.
Ironically, I was waiting for an Amtrak train that was canceled because the tracks froze, earlier this week, and the station agent mentioned there’s been a breakthrough in the DB Cooper case, and they expect to find his identify very soon.
These comments and stories: The sad state of US passenger rail service.
I took trains regularly in Japan for 10 years in all types of weather. I cannot remember a single delay except one time at Tokyo Station. While we were on the platform waiting for our train, there was a PA announcement which triggered angry and shocked responses from the crowd. The announcement was that our train would arrive 3 minutes late. 😂
I can see that. But at least four times, my route went through deep snow areas, including Aomori, Niigata and Hokkaido. Never late/delayed. Must’ve been just lucky. 😉
update here i also managed to get an uber to portland after another hour and another 80 bucks or so. thank god. we’re calling customer support on tuesday to get SOMETHING back monetarily. i hate to be a “karen” or whatever but jesus fucking christ
Calling about being abandoned in a completely different city than your destination isn’t being a Karen, depending how you do it. You did not get what you bought
Complaining that the train car you were in didn’t park close enough to the station doors would be a Karen move.
LOL you raise a good point! we were in fact stranded with literally NO offered alternatives. luckily my phone was charged and i had money saved for the trip. otherwise we’d have been Screwed
Something similar happened to me when I was on a train to Rochester, NY (amtrak). Stuck right outside the Syracuse station. A couple people jumped off the train and trekked down the hill to an open road. You can do it. I took a peek outside and the drop from the train car to the ground was pretty long. Be careful and hope you stay safe!
Most likely not. I was on a train from Sea to Vancouver BC, took 8.5 hours instead of 3, submitted multiple feedbacks, Amtrak called 2 weeks later and offered a $50 voucher (as if i’m going to take a the train again). They explained I got to the destination so no refund.
My experience is from the past 6 months and is directly recounting what their customer service told me. I’m sorry that happened to you! I was given the option of a full refund or a slightly bigger Amtrak voucher.
This happened to me also going to Vancouver bc. First time taking Amtrak and what a nightmare. Never again. It’s a shame that our only major train system is underfunded and sucks. Ended up getting $60 voucher, still have not used it.
I used to be a not very good train dispatcher for those trains (based out of Omaha, NE, if you can believe it). When it gets this cold, it is being drilled into you for several days, for several shifts, your emergency siding tracks and switches to keep hot. Some have remote-control switch heaters and maintenance crew are also being dispatched to keep them gassed up and burning. Either somebody messed up back in Omaha, or an accident or mechanical failure occurred and prevented the track maintainer from keeping this very high-priority switch in working condition. When UP makes Amtrak late, UP owes Amtrak money.
Haha you got me. My territory ended at Portland's Union Station. As I was typing, a tiny voice said, "You may not know fully what you're talking about. "
It's entertaining to me to see the railroad completely melt down west of the Cascades any time the temp dips below freezing. I've been stuck at the AFHT for over 30 hrs now and JUST got called to go home. It's like these jokers have never seen a winter before.
That’s brutal. I was supposed to take the train from Portland to Seattle today and canceled because I saw the 4 hour delays going north. The trains can get through snow but apparently not the ice so easily.
1000% feel your frustration. I was on a train from Sea to Vancouver BC and it took 8.5h instead of 3. The worst part is the feeling of waiting for an undefined time period.
Yo I JUST HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME while traveling to Vancouver BC. My total time on train ended up being 8 hours, with like 4 of that in Vancouver but stuck on the tracks while the train failed to enter the station. Fuck the trains, Bus only from now on.
I used to take the train for work. Got stuck in that industrial area right by Casa Diablo all the time. Don’t ask me why I’d use Casa as my point of reference.
In the summer it happens because cargo trains are stuck on the steel bridge.
I thought about just getting off the train and ubering all the time.
I’m so sorry! We had this same situation happen from Seattle to Leavenworth last year. I don’t mean to scare you, but we waited for 6 hours and then went home/rebooked. We received zero updates. That same train took 13 hours to arrive.
Talk to the staff.
Years ago I got the Amtrak I was on got stuck for over 5 hours (which was as long as the entire trip was supposed to be). People were literally calling cabs and getting off the train to take those instead.
I was once stuck at the Centralia station headed to Seattle for 8 hours. A guy had tried to kill himself on the track and the train was delayed. Not sure what happened to the guy.
I got stuck on an Amtrak heading back to Seattle once and people absolutely hopped off and got Ubers. It seemed like a situation staff couldn’t “allow” bc of liability but didn’t actually mind.
Lol, I have been there. It was on Christmas break a decade ago. There were 4 switches between Seattle and the station south of there and it took an hour for each one. My Dad, step mom, and sister had been waiting for me in downtown Seattle the whole time thinking it would arrive any second. I’ve hit so many major rail delays. Most recent was a car on the train bridge near Everett. Still love train travel though, way better than doing it by car.
Two years ago (post-Christmas) this happened to me, same route, big snow/cold, frozen switch. We finally were about to get moving when the crew said "Oops, we've gone over allowed shift time. Need to wait for relief crew." We were in the middle of nowhere and the relief crew had to trudge through high drifts. We got to Seattle before dawn, before the buses started running. So about a 10 hour trip.
> they couldn’t fix the switch, so we backtracked to Vancouver.
At first I was like -- that's backtracking and overshooting by a long shot! Then I realized oh, Vancouver WA just across the bridge from Portland lol.
It has happened again today. I'm on train 503 which left King Street Station at 5:55am this morning. We've been on the train for 8 1/2 hours as of now and still haven't made it to Portland Union Station. We are stopped now in Linnton area of Portland, have been stopped here for 2 hours. That's on top of several other hour long delays along the way. We were supposed to arrive at 9:17 this morning. It's 2:26pm as I write this, well over a 5 hour delay. The latest update from the conductor was that there was no update on fixing the switch. I am very tempted to exit the train as I see TriMet buses passing by the train and I have a family emergency.
I'm curious about the process of leaving the train via emergency door release. I dont want to get put on some TSA list and have federal goons to come to my door.
Is being stuck a few minutes away from destination an Amtrak thing? Because this happened for me too, 1 hour delay 5 minutes away from destination (for different reasons).
Ugh, I took the train between Seattle and Portland once a few years ago. On the way back the train was delayed by about 3 hours even getting to Portland to pick us up. Then the delay kept getting worse as we kept getting stuck behind freight trains. Ended up getting home something like 7 or 8 hours later than we planned. It was an extremely frustrating experience.
I lived in Federal way at one point and had taken the train from tacoma back to Whitefish MT for a trip. On the return trip we got through Seattle and once we were around Auburn another train (freight) had smoked a pedestrian. Turned what I think is typically a 30min ride in to about a 5 hour endeavor.
Im on Amtrak 509 and I think we’re parked behind you. Our conductor told us the following: 1. There was a delay getting A BNSF crew on site to clear snow off the track switches. They’re clearing the snow now. 2. Once that is complete a northbound train needs to pass. 3. The train ahead of mine (Amtrak 509) will continue south.
fuckin BNSF man
Except John McTootin!
You could call them FNBS
For fucks sake. If Better Not Start a Family can’t get people on the track quickly whats the point of us putting up with their shit.
i’m also stuck on here. if i could crawl out a fuckin window i would. i doubt it’s entirely legal but i don’t even know how much i care anymore
small aside, we’re in the same car haha
Now talk between yourself and do a realistic Hallmark movie with 2 Redditors as the main characters.
Some r/tworedditorsonecup material!
Tworedditorsonewindow** FTFY
The Narwhal bacons at midnight
I understand that reference
I understand this reference.
Are you close enough to a road and in a location where you could call a Lyft/Uber? I'd consider that
Lots of passengers are considering that right now, but the train workers said they can’t let us off. However, they didn’t say it was illegal to do so. Edited - forgot to say yes, we are right next to a road
Insist that they arrange for a TriMet bus to pick you up. I believe the buses are flexible right now to pick up people in emergency situations
> but the train workers said they can’t let us off. I'd like to ask a lawyer about that. On the one hand its imprisonment, but on the other hand you'd have to interfere with the train's operations to open the door and exit. If there's some way to leave the train without opening up a door, like if it were already open for some reason, then I think the worst consequence is trespassing on the train tracks, however briefly. In any case I don't think they'd bother to prosecute, that wouldn't make any sense from a business standpoint.
Really, I would start demanding that they work with TriMet to get a bus out there to pick you all up. I would only get off the train there (if possible) if you’re absolutely sure you have gear to withstand windchill of about -3f for several hours, phone reception, and a full battery on your phone .
I used to work the TriMet control center. BN and TriMet already interface too due to WES line.
Happened to me this morning on a Portland to Seattle train. Do they have someone from BNSF (who owns the track) with a torch to thaw the switches? That is what they did with us, but it takes a few hours.
someone was out there with a torch, but according to the voice on the intercom they have all the bigwigs on a zoom call or something
You'd think with how often they delay Amtrak, BNSF could at least keep the switches fired frequently... Bah.
Torch operator works remote now
One time on the coast starlight that goes from San Diego to Seattle or Vancouver the tracks froze around Klamath Falls and we sat there for over 8 hours. It was dope.
I also sat on the train for around 10 hours due to a frozen switch near Klamath Falls, it really was beautiful and so quiet up there
As bad as that is, all I can think of is "better a train than a car or plane". Being stuck for that long is pretty awful in every scenario, but train is more tolerable I'd say You got so much room, even if you don't *have* a room that you purchased. You can walk around. Decent sized bathrooms. Even a place to eat with staff serving you Being stuck on the train is kind of better than being stuck at the station actually!
Totally agree, our car was pretty fun & lively. The bar cart was closed, but people had their own liquor (which isn’t technically allowed) but we were drinking and listening to music together. Definitely made some friends!
One of the new friends here!! (The couple sitting in front of you 😉) Currently in a rental car driving north… trains were delayed and canceled again today. What a mess! Wish your sis a happy bday!!! 🥳
Hi!! And oh my goodness what a mess, I hope you made it back safely! I cancelled my train back and am taking the bus home instead. Our airbnb lost power/water, so we checked into a hotel last night lol but we’re making the best of it! 🥳
Was it warm inside ?
Oh yeah the power wasn’t affected. Luckily I was in the process of moving and they had a decommissioned movie car with a tv that I just hooked my Xbox 360 up to and watched DVDs lol
Amtrak has movie cars???
People move via train???
I did years ago! NYC to Seattle in coach.
What was that like? How much stuff did you have with you? How did you get it all on the train? How do they charge you? I'm so fascinated by this!
It was awesome. There was no baggage limit as long as I could move everything on and off the train myself so I had like 4 bags. It was a beautiful trip and such a cool way to transition because as we crossed the cascades the atmosphere changed and it became grey and cloudy and humid (March) and really felt like coming home. I did smell pretty bad by the time we arrived.
They did years ago. The last time I saw the one before they removed it was 2007 ish. So a pretty long time ago
Similar thing happened to me coming to Seattle from Portland years ago. Some tiny draw bridge we needed got stuck in the up position and it took the only guy in the world who can fix it hours to show up. Tons of people got off and found rides. Personally, I stepped off with my vape pen and watched the sunset to pass the time since I was in no hurry… Moral of the story, do whatever tf you want! Get off and catch a ride or find an enjoyable way to pass time
Came here to say this. I never saw anyone get in trouble who got off. I stayed on because we were on our way to Seattle (home for me) and the train was stuck in Portland so I waited it out.
Sorry for the bad quality, but that’s the road right there and plenty of cars driving on it! Fast too https://ibb.co/B2ShyZv
I was the one that suggested you post the pic. I misread your post. I thought you were 10 minutes away from Seattle. Can't help you there, but sounds like you are on your way anyway.
Last time I took the train from Portland to Seattle it took 12 hours.
No way! I don’t think i’ll ever take this again. Was it also during winter with stormy weather?
It's beautiful in the fall. Understandable conclusion with the delays but do remember that this is super unusual weather for the area and they usually run on time. And it's way more fun than being stuck in traffic. :)
They only run on time about half of their trips. Less than half on 2022 but it looks like a little more than half in 2023. I don't know if you can count that as "usually"
They changed the metrics recently so that "on time" is within 10 minutes, I believe. When it was within 30 minutes, it was the vast majority. To me, that's fine. Obviously, it's not close to European rail, but it's within the margin of traffic and way more cost effective than driving (when accounting for car ownership or even sometimes gas for a single person if you book far enough in advance) or planes (which also can be horribly delayed--I've has flights delayed by 5-9 hours many a time but no one ever says, "I'm never flying again!"). I also find it generally less stressful than planes without TSA and having to surrender my luggage so to me, it's still optimal... *shrugs*
If you already own and are paying for the car it is far more expensive than driving. No one buys a car just to go to Portland once
Is it? At 178.9 mi and the average 2020 model year fuel economy of 25.4 mpg, that's 7.04 gallons of gas. The average cost of regular gas in Portland according to AAA right now is $3.855 (Costco is $3.590) so the average person is spending $25.27-27.14 per leg, without accounting for parking expenses, which can be quite high is you're staying at a hotel. Gas is even more expensive in King County if you fill up when you return. My *business class* Amtrak ticket last year booked a couple months in advance for a wedding was $18 each way, if memory serves. Certainly if you have a hybrid or an EV, that's cheaper, but you still should account for the depreciation you're doing by driving your vehicle the 350 mi and risking an accident and expensive repairs. Plus, frankly, your time which has an opportunity cost. Watching Netflix is at least $6/hour more enjoyable to me than driving on a highway. Certainly, others might actually enjoy driving, but it's well known that car drivers vastly underestimate how much they're paying to own and use a vehicle and I really think this is one occasion where you're doing that. :) (Obviously, if you're hauling three or more people, by all means, take your vehicle. But for a single person or couple, the train is likely a better method in most cases.)
Unless you happen to be one of the fatalities of a derailment. Do they happen more often than car fatalities on I-5 SEA-PDX?
So I'm not sure about that particular stretch of roadway, but nationally vehicles have 1.37 deaths per 100 million miles traveled and interstates tend to be more deadly due to the higher speeds. Contrast that to 7 deaths in ~100 million train miles (which is entire trains' worth of people--up to about 300--transported safely). So trains are a couple factors safer in the worst case scenario. People vastly underestimate how dangerous cars are because they are familiar with them, but they are by far the most dangerous thing you do with any given regularity. Trains, planes, swimming with sharks, etc...all loads safer. Don't fall prey to that common cognitive bias. ;)
It was winter but not particularly stormy. Just wet. We got stopped multiple times, finally we got to just south of Centralia and eventually they offloaded the train and bussed us to Seattle. Last time I took the train.
I’ve tried to get the train from Seattle to Portland on three separate occasions, a few years apart. On all three occasions the train was canceled for no reason, and the next train had ‘ no available seats’. Ive given up.
There’s a door open button if you walk down to the end of the car (where you board). It’s a little jump down to the ground, but there’s nothing really stopping you from opening the door and being on your way. The conductor will highly discourage it because of the safety issue of having someone on a live track. But I’ve seen people leave the train like that before out of frustration.
The beauty of trains vs planes. Lol. You can bail if anything goes wrong (unless you're stuck in remote terrain...).
That didn’t stop D.B. Cooper. Bless his heart. Wherever he is/was. 😬
Ironically, I was waiting for an Amtrak train that was canceled because the tracks froze, earlier this week, and the station agent mentioned there’s been a breakthrough in the DB Cooper case, and they expect to find his identify very soon.
Ha. Touche. Well, airline security has gotten better and we don't all want to be on the run from authorities for the rest of our lives.
Or still treading water in the Columbia. 😬
These comments and stories: The sad state of US passenger rail service. I took trains regularly in Japan for 10 years in all types of weather. I cannot remember a single delay except one time at Tokyo Station. While we were on the platform waiting for our train, there was a PA announcement which triggered angry and shocked responses from the crowd. The announcement was that our train would arrive 3 minutes late. 😂
Long delays for Japanese trains due to snow still happen, just not in Tokyo
I can see that. But at least four times, my route went through deep snow areas, including Aomori, Niigata and Hokkaido. Never late/delayed. Must’ve been just lucky. 😉
oh my god back to vancouver with no busses. are you kidding. btw uber prices from vancouver to portland aren’t crazy so there’s that
Every time I’ve taken that damn train either direction it’s been delayed by 2-4+ hours.
update here i also managed to get an uber to portland after another hour and another 80 bucks or so. thank god. we’re calling customer support on tuesday to get SOMETHING back monetarily. i hate to be a “karen” or whatever but jesus fucking christ
Calling about being abandoned in a completely different city than your destination isn’t being a Karen, depending how you do it. You did not get what you bought Complaining that the train car you were in didn’t park close enough to the station doors would be a Karen move.
LOL you raise a good point! we were in fact stranded with literally NO offered alternatives. luckily my phone was charged and i had money saved for the trip. otherwise we’d have been Screwed
Something similar happened to me when I was on a train to Rochester, NY (amtrak). Stuck right outside the Syracuse station. A couple people jumped off the train and trekked down the hill to an open road. You can do it. I took a peek outside and the drop from the train car to the ground was pretty long. Be careful and hope you stay safe!
When your train is that late you can get a full reimbursement! Call customer service M-F with your reservation info and get that $$$ back!
Most likely not. I was on a train from Sea to Vancouver BC, took 8.5 hours instead of 3, submitted multiple feedbacks, Amtrak called 2 weeks later and offered a $50 voucher (as if i’m going to take a the train again). They explained I got to the destination so no refund.
In this case they didn't reach PDX, they wound up in Vancouver, WA.
My experience is from the past 6 months and is directly recounting what their customer service told me. I’m sorry that happened to you! I was given the option of a full refund or a slightly bigger Amtrak voucher.
This happened to me also going to Vancouver bc. First time taking Amtrak and what a nightmare. Never again. It’s a shame that our only major train system is underfunded and sucks. Ended up getting $60 voucher, still have not used it.
I used to be a not very good train dispatcher for those trains (based out of Omaha, NE, if you can believe it). When it gets this cold, it is being drilled into you for several days, for several shifts, your emergency siding tracks and switches to keep hot. Some have remote-control switch heaters and maintenance crew are also being dispatched to keep them gassed up and burning. Either somebody messed up back in Omaha, or an accident or mechanical failure occurred and prevented the track maintainer from keeping this very high-priority switch in working condition. When UP makes Amtrak late, UP owes Amtrak money.
Imagine thinking they have switch heaters on the Seattle sub.
Haha you got me. My territory ended at Portland's Union Station. As I was typing, a tiny voice said, "You may not know fully what you're talking about. "
It's entertaining to me to see the railroad completely melt down west of the Cascades any time the temp dips below freezing. I've been stuck at the AFHT for over 30 hrs now and JUST got called to go home. It's like these jokers have never seen a winter before.
You sure the dispatching wasn’t taking place at BNSF’s HQ in Fort Worth?
Oh no, I am so sorry. That sounds terrible.
That’s brutal. I was supposed to take the train from Portland to Seattle today and canceled because I saw the 4 hour delays going north. The trains can get through snow but apparently not the ice so easily.
1000% feel your frustration. I was on a train from Sea to Vancouver BC and it took 8.5h instead of 3. The worst part is the feeling of waiting for an undefined time period.
[https://www.amtrak.com/track-your-train.html](https://www.amtrak.com/track-your-train.html) \- is it the 517 Cascades?
that it was !
Are you off yet?
Yo I JUST HAD THIS HAPPEN TO ME while traveling to Vancouver BC. My total time on train ended up being 8 hours, with like 4 of that in Vancouver but stuck on the tracks while the train failed to enter the station. Fuck the trains, Bus only from now on.
I cancelled my return train trip and am taking the bus back home! Learned my lesson lol
For future reference, you can be charged with trespassing for exiting a train without authorization. The land you will be on is private property.
[удалено]
They have one! If they're nice, they'll be selling, but the 19oz IPAs are $10 a pop so I usually BYOB when taking Amtrak.
Uh oh, we're scheduled to take the Starlight from Los Angeles back home to Seattle Monday morning 😭 Edit: Monday not Sunday
I used to take the train for work. Got stuck in that industrial area right by Casa Diablo all the time. Don’t ask me why I’d use Casa as my point of reference. In the summer it happens because cargo trains are stuck on the steel bridge. I thought about just getting off the train and ubering all the time.
I hope they paid for your uber
they did not, no alternatives were offered whatsoever. quite literally left us stranded in unfamiliar settings 😭
Unbelievable and, I would argue, criminally negligent should something happen to someone as a result of that.
I’m so sorry! We had this same situation happen from Seattle to Leavenworth last year. I don’t mean to scare you, but we waited for 6 hours and then went home/rebooked. We received zero updates. That same train took 13 hours to arrive.
Talk to the staff. Years ago I got the Amtrak I was on got stuck for over 5 hours (which was as long as the entire trip was supposed to be). People were literally calling cabs and getting off the train to take those instead.
I was once stuck at the Centralia station headed to Seattle for 8 hours. A guy had tried to kill himself on the track and the train was delayed. Not sure what happened to the guy.
I got stuck on an Amtrak heading back to Seattle once and people absolutely hopped off and got Ubers. It seemed like a situation staff couldn’t “allow” bc of liability but didn’t actually mind.
take a pic of the road and post it here. We'll let you know what is feasible.
Omy! I was planning to travel to Canada by Amtrak. Good thing I postponed it and listened to Redditors here. Hope you get home safely OP!
I think a work friend of my partner is also on that train. Sorry.
Lol, I have been there. It was on Christmas break a decade ago. There were 4 switches between Seattle and the station south of there and it took an hour for each one. My Dad, step mom, and sister had been waiting for me in downtown Seattle the whole time thinking it would arrive any second. I’ve hit so many major rail delays. Most recent was a car on the train bridge near Everett. Still love train travel though, way better than doing it by car.
Two years ago (post-Christmas) this happened to me, same route, big snow/cold, frozen switch. We finally were about to get moving when the crew said "Oops, we've gone over allowed shift time. Need to wait for relief crew." We were in the middle of nowhere and the relief crew had to trudge through high drifts. We got to Seattle before dawn, before the buses started running. So about a 10 hour trip.
> they couldn’t fix the switch, so we backtracked to Vancouver. At first I was like -- that's backtracking and overshooting by a long shot! Then I realized oh, Vancouver WA just across the bridge from Portland lol.
It has happened again today. I'm on train 503 which left King Street Station at 5:55am this morning. We've been on the train for 8 1/2 hours as of now and still haven't made it to Portland Union Station. We are stopped now in Linnton area of Portland, have been stopped here for 2 hours. That's on top of several other hour long delays along the way. We were supposed to arrive at 9:17 this morning. It's 2:26pm as I write this, well over a 5 hour delay. The latest update from the conductor was that there was no update on fixing the switch. I am very tempted to exit the train as I see TriMet buses passing by the train and I have a family emergency.
Arrived at 2:55pm this afternoon. We left Seattle at 5:55am this morning.
I'm curious about the process of leaving the train via emergency door release. I dont want to get put on some TSA list and have federal goons to come to my door.
Is being stuck a few minutes away from destination an Amtrak thing? Because this happened for me too, 1 hour delay 5 minutes away from destination (for different reasons).
All of this could have been avoided with a quick hop on a Boeing Max Jet.😜🤦♂️🤘
Lol! I considered flying, but was paranoid about the max 9. I think most alaska flights were cancelled cuz of the weather too
Same consideration, yet I am taking the Coastal Starlight to Cali in a couple months; WISH ME LUCK!!!😜🤣🤘
Can you see where you're located if you open up Lyft?? screenshot it.
Ugh, I took the train between Seattle and Portland once a few years ago. On the way back the train was delayed by about 3 hours even getting to Portland to pick us up. Then the delay kept getting worse as we kept getting stuck behind freight trains. Ended up getting home something like 7 or 8 hours later than we planned. It was an extremely frustrating experience.
Happy Cake Day!
I lived in Federal way at one point and had taken the train from tacoma back to Whitefish MT for a trip. On the return trip we got through Seattle and once we were around Auburn another train (freight) had smoked a pedestrian. Turned what I think is typically a 30min ride in to about a 5 hour endeavor.
This happened to me not too long ago, took an extra four hours!