CHICAGO — Despite icy conditions across the country’s mid-section and into the Northeast Corridor over the last few days, Amtrak has kept most service running, avoiding widespread weather-related cancellations that occurred throughout January. But substantial initial terminal or en route delays to long-distance trains continue. Many can be traced to mechanical breakdowns.
Recent incidents include:
— The Cardinal terminated at Cincinnati today (Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025). The lone locomotive of westbound train No. 51 became disabled between South Portsmouth and Maysville, Ky., after on-time operation from the engine change at Washington, D.C. The train arrived more than 3 hours late at Maysville and waited there for a CSX relief engine to tow it to Cincinnati Union Terminal. After the train arrived there nearly 11 hours late, passengers were bused to Chicago and intermediate stops, while the cars and locomotive were deadheaded to Indianapolis. Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari tells News Wire the equipment is being serviced at the Beech Grove heavy maintenance facility for departure from Indianapolis as the eastbound Cardinal early Friday morning. Buses will handle passengers already booked to depart from Chicago on that train today.
— The Floridian arrived Chicago at 3:31 p.m. today, six hours, 46 minutes late. The train suffered more than four hours of delay in Florida on Tri-Rail and north of Orlando, and was 5½ hours late at Southern Pines, N.C. The Floridian arriving 3½ late into Chicago a day earlier had been delayed four hours leaving Camden, S.C., on CSX’s S-Line for unexplained reasons. Meanwhile, the Miami-bound Floridian departed Chicago at 8:58 p.m. on Feb. 4, two hours, 18 minutes late, even though its westbound counterpart arrived 37 minutes early that morning. It departed Winter Haven, Fla., nearly four hours late today.
— Locomotives on the westbound California Zephyr leaving Chicago on Feb. 4 developed mechanical problems en route to Galesburg, Ill., leaving there 3½ hours late with a borrowed BNSF Railway freight engine. Encountering slow running as a result along with other delays, the train departed Winnemucca, Nev., more than 7 hours late today.
— The westbound Empire Builder departing Chicago on Wednesday, Feb. 5, “experienced a delay west of Stanley, N.D., due to an engine change, which was incurred from ongoing mechanical issues with the current engine,” according to an Amtrak status report. The train was spotted rolling through Rugby, N.D., this morning with a BNSF locomotive leading two P42s, so it isn’t clear which locomotive failed. It departed Williston, N.D., four hours and 44 minutes late today.
In addition to these trains, two southbound Coast Starlights en route Thursday have been badly delayed, with Wednesday’s Seattle departure more than 5 hours late out of Oakland, Calif., and today’s train leaving Seattle three hours, 55 minutes late when its northbound counterpart arrived at 6 a.m., 10 hours late, after it helped tow a disabled Capitol Corridor train to Sacramento, according to published reports.
These delays are more evidence that Amtrak’s long-distance fleet continues to be stretched thin and needs additional standby equipment. News Wire will continue to monitor developments.
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