There was an AP article in the media discussing the about prioritization between NJ Transit and Amtrak trains: NJ Transit, Amtrak at odds on delays

Here was a bit more in depth analysis at The Record: NJ Transit, Amtrak disagree over who’s to blame for delays

After reading this it is quite clear that our woes as commuters will not be clearing up anytime soon.  With two organizations competing for one physical space, there will ALWAYS be someone who loses out.  Everyone tries for these win-win situations but as we all know, no matter how much both parties are winning, someone wins more.  Always remember that.  I’ve been reading and living through this issue ever since I started commuting.  Has it gotten worse over the past few years?  I don’t think so.  Does that mean that it’s gotten any better?  I doubt it.  It feels the same.  Day in and day out.  Do I think that NJ Transit makes announcements about uncontrollable Amtrak problems a bit too much?  Absolutely yes.  I realize that NJ Transit on the NEC and into NY Penn operates on Amtrak tracks.  Don’t sugar coat excuses when I pay $263 a month to NJ Transit - not to Amtrak.   I am NJ Transit’s customer, not Amtrak’s.  If there is a switching problem, don’t try and make me feel better by saying it’s Amtrak’s switch problem because at the end of the day, it doesn’t do anything for you.  Just say there’s a switch problem.  I’m already going to be delayed/late.  You’ve already communicated there’s a problem.  We appreciate that.  Do not, however, play the “this problem is not our fault” card and tell us it’s Amtrak’s switch problem.  It’s a switch problem on the tracks that my monthly pass takes me.  That’s your problem.  Nothing more, nothing less.

Oh, and this comment is for David Michaels who wrote the second article above.  You say “In most cases, the delays are marginal — about 12 minutes or less.”  Most of us ride the train 30-60 minutes I’d say.  Your marginal delays are 20-40%.  Hey David, how about you give me a marginal part of your salary?  Would you say that percentage is marginal then?

Do you think it’s a slight stretch for them to blame Amtrak for switch problems?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/12/28/mexico.ap/index.html

It’s news like this that makes me happy to be in NJ and not commuting today.

Can anyone (Yellowbird? Ticketwhore?) let us know what the real deal is with all the delays the past few days? Friday night…the 7:03pm was cancelled…Monday morning I got to Jersey Ave. at 6:30am and the 6:20am train was still sitting there, It left at 6:45. The 6:32am got into the station at Penn finally at 7:55am.

Last night at PENN was another nightmare to the point that I was afraid for my safety. I got there at 6pm and the 6:13 was cancelled. There were no trains on the Northeast corridor that left for 45 mins. The huddled masses were packed all over Penn Station. I went to the westbound end just because I was afraid that if they announced the 6:32 train on track 12 I would get crushed trying to get down the stairs on the seventh avenue end. I literally couldn’t get near the door when they finally announced the 6:32 or (preferably)the 6:34 so I got onto the 6:47 (never my first choice).

Switching problems was the stated cause but being a conspiracy theorist, could it be a labor slowdown close to the holidays or maybe due to the new double decker cars?

What gives? Should we expect this again tonight? I am planning to leave by 5 today just to avoid this.

THanks!

Tow straight days now the portal bridge was opened during the morning rush, delaying all the trains behind it for hours afterward. Who’s the rocket scientist at Amtrak that continues to let this happen?

Oct 03, 2006 08:05:18 AM

Due to Amtrak power problems, NEC and NJCL service is suspended. Passengers should seek alternate means of transportation.

I realize that the tracks have to be maintained, but how about waiting till passenger service has ceased for the night? Tonight on the 3897 they decide to tell us at the airport that we will be low-leveling at N. Elizabeth and Elizabeth stations. Unfortunately we had two wheelchair bound passsengers who wanted to get off at Elizabeth. One of the disabled passengers was very understanding, but the other one got down right beligerant. He could not understand that I had no prior knowledge of the O.O.S. track, or the fact that I had nothing to do with it. Thanks Amtrak! I always wondered what would happen if we had disabled passengers and we had to low-level. Now I know. Thank God we didn’t have to low-level all the way down. Those passengers would have been S.O.L. Once again, thanks Amtrak.

Looks like we have 2 stalled Amtrak trains in the tunnel. NJT says expect 15-30 minute delays. NICE!

once again…Due to Amtrak power problems, rail service is temporarily suspended between Newark and NY Penn Stations.

Lucky me, I was on one of the trains stuck under the Hudson River yesterday for 5 hours (the news reports on 3 hours are just plain wrong). It wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been (again, reports of sweltering heat were not true). The conductor opened all the doors shortly after we got stuck, which helped things a bit. We had light for 3 hours or so, until the batteries on the train died.

Amtrak/NJT’s handling of the situtation was, however, terrible. We were told, at around 10:00 (give or take) that Amtrak was sending diesels from Sunnyside yard. Said diesels would pull the trains out of the tunnel one at a time (we were third in line). I guess they got the first train out using this method and we were told the second train was getting hooked up. An hour passes and we were told the first train is still getting hooked up. Anyway, around 11:30, we are told the power outage was corrected, and the “diesel plan” was being scrapped, since we’d be able to leave on our own power. Well, since the batteries died, we couldn’t start the train. Finally, a diesel was brought in from the Jersey side and we transfered to the “rescue train.”

I can’t understand why we couldn’t just walk through the tunnel to Penn Station. It was 7/10 of a mile (so we were told) and I know there are some dangers, but come on - it can be done.

In all honesty, the worst part of the ordeal was people talking loudly to each other and on cell phones. A middle-aged man two rows behind me struck up a conversation with a recently-graduated female. They went on and on about every topic you can imagine. And a woman had a conference call with some of her staff, one of which is named “Ophelia,” who sounds dumb as a post. Aside from these few people, most were surprisingly calm and orderly during the situation.

Anyway, we backed out of the tunnel to Secaucus, where I got off and boarded a west-bound train for home. I had enough at that point. So, it was 8 hours door-to-door and I didn’t even make it to work.

“…NJ Transit spokesman Ken Miller said the problem occurred on Amtrak equipment somewhere between Washington and New York, but it was not immediately clear where…”

Oh yeah, that bodes well for tonight’s rush. I say we pull an all-nighter in the Village. Who’s with me?