NEW ORLEANS — Flooding has led to service disruptions on two Amtrak routes serving New Orleans, with the City of New Orleans and Sunset Limited both offering truncated service as a result.
The triweekly Sunset Limited, which normally operates between Los Angeles and New Orleans, is currently unable to operate between Houston (or San Antonio) and New Orleans. This disruption is expected to last for several days; chartered buses will offer substitute transportation for originations through this weekend, and will serve all intermediate stops.
The City of New Orleans, meanwhile, is facing a longer disruption. The service from Chicago will now operate only to and from Jackson, Miss., due to a track closure projected to last through the end of the month. Charter buses are offering substitute transportation between Jackson and New Orleans, with no missed stops.
Anyone with travel plans on the two trains should check train status on Amtrak’s website or Amtrak’s smartphone apps. Amtrak is waiving change fees for those seeking to modify travel plans during the modified schedule by calling the reservation center at 800-USA-RAIL. Refund information is also available on the Amtrak website.
Some little known quirks regarding the City of New Orleans situation: The train still comes in and out of New Orleans, but with no passengers. I’ve seen it and it was reported as such by the local RPA association newsletter. Apparently CN does not want passengers on the trains as it goes over their trestle. I guess it’s OK for the crews to run the risk. CN freights still seem to be using the line. It would be a lot shorter bus trip to get from New Orleans to Hammond and head North from there, but there is no longer a station agent in Hammond. Oh well. Bus to Jackson. And the river keeps rising.
glad my trip on CONO is not until August, hopefully all will dry up by then and back to train all the way. I am upriver in St. Louis and we have had a lot of flooding in area too and what passes us goes on down to NOLA A friend who lives there has told me to stop sending water, they have enough.