CHICAGO — Today’s Empire Builder departures from Chicago and Seattle have been cancelled, reflecting weather concerns across the Amtrak train’s northern route.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said the cancellations were a mutual decision by Amtrak and BNSF Railway, which hosts the train for the majority of its route.
Amtrak had previously modified schedules for many of the regional trains from the Chicago hub. Details on those changes, which continue through Thursday, are available here.
THURDAY – No mail for two days in a row this in PERFECT WEATHER! Not the least bit inclement, in fact the weather is beyond gorgeous.
UPS is delivering everywhere except Louisville, KY. FedEx doesn’t have a service alert so I assume they are in business. Newspaper delivery and trash pickup as normal.
Schools are closed, post office can’t deliver, two government bureaucracies. Everyone else it’s business as usual.
Trains were always,and should still be,the mode of transport that will get you to your destination when all other modes can not. Remember the old slogan “WHEN THE WEATHER SAYS NO,THE TRAINS WILL STILL GO”!
Must be that I am getting old – trains would shine in Winter, you could depend on them, not roads nor air, but trains would take up the slack, people would take pride in tackling the elements ….. been on the Empire Builder when it was -35 in Fargo. Today one can not make plans to travel by any mode and arrive on schedule or close to it ….. is it will or “wimps” – delivered mail in this weather.
DENNIS – As far as I can tell, operations at MKE General Mitchell Airport are normal.
As far as I can tell, freight operations on Canadian Pacific through Waukesha County are normal.
There is no need for de-icing fluid at the airport because in this crystal-clear weather there is no ice.
Post office Amtrak and the public schools can’t operate in this weather, three government bureaucracies. Private-sector companies know that -11F in Wisconsin is business as usual.
If -11F is considered cold, how was it that Great Northern and Northern Pacific, Canadian Northern, Trans-Siberian and Canadian Pacific built.
For all the complainers about Amtrak cancelling trains, consider this. It is so cold there are no planes flying because the deicing fluid freezes. It is so cold that the postal service has halted all service in 10 states today. It is cold folks!
Amazing, the Postal Service won’t deliver today because its -12F. Funny my paper was delivered and my trash picked up. With no place to go – everything is closed – I drove my car three miles to keep the battery going. It looked like just another winter day in Wisconsin. Actually far nice than most. The sun is shining, the sky is crystal blue, the air is dry, the roads are clear.