CHICAGO — Amtrak has announced a significant number of cancellations beginning Thursday, Jan. 11, for long-distance and state-supported trains serving Chicago in anticipation of a major winter storm expected to hit the Midwest Friday and Saturday. The majority of cancellations are Friday and Saturday. Also affected are St. Louis-Kansas City trains and, on the West Coast, the Coast Starlight.
According to a service advisory posted at this evening (Wednesday, Jan. 10) at 7:30 p.m., these long-distance cancellations, or route-shortenings, are in effect:
— The Empire Builder between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest will be cancelled in both directions Jan 11, 12, and 13;
— The eastbound California Zephyr is cancelled between Denver and Chicago on Jan. 11; and the westbound train is cancelled between Chicago and Denver on Jan. 12.
— The eastbound Southwest Chief is cancelled from Los Angeles to Chicago on Jan. 11, and the westbound train from Chicago to Los Angeles on Jan. 12.
— The northbound Coast Starlight is cancelled between Oakland and Seattle is cancelled today, Jan. 12, and Jan. 13; the southbound train is canceled Jan. 11 from Seattle to Oakland and Jan. 12-13 in its entirety.
State-supported cancellations:
These trains have been cancelled on Friday:
Michigan Service
— Chicago-Pontiac trains No. 354, 355.
— Chicago-Port Huron train No. 364.
— Chicago-Grand Rapids train No. 370
Amtrak Hiawatha
— Trains 330, 331, 334, 335, 338, 339, 343.
Missouri River Runner
— St. Louis-Kansas City No. 316
— St. Louis-Kansas City portion of No. 319
Lincoln Service
— Chicago-St. Louis No. 307
Illinois Zephyr-Carl Sandburg
— All trains (Nos. 380, 381, 382, 383)
Cancelled on Saturday, Jan. 13, are:
— Port Huron-Chicago train 365;
— Grand Rapids-Chicago train No. 371
— Milwaukee Chicago train No. 330
— St. Louis-Kansas City trains 311, 318 (Chicago-St. Louis portion of 318 still scheduled)
— Chicago-St. Louis train No. 300
— Chicago-Quincy trains 380-381.
As always, these plans are subject to change. Follow Amtrak Alerts or the Amtrak website for up-to-date information.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for Chicago beginning Friday at 6 a.m., calling for snowfall greater than 6 inches with winds of 40 to 50 mph. Accuweather.com is forecasting 8 to 12 inches of snow.
— Updated Jan. 10 at 4:45 p.m. to correct route of trains Nos. 354-365, and to correct number of St. Louis-Kansas City train cancelled on Saturday.
Remember when Gardner stated Amtrak as being “reliable in bad weather,” as a reasonable justification as to why Amtrak can compete with other transportation modes when being asked as to what purpose the new train from Chicago to St. Paul would serve in June of last year?!
Unh…last I knew, trains 364-365 are Port Huron to Chicago and return trains, not Pontiac to Chicago as the list shows.
What are the class 1’s which control these routes saying about the weather? I understand part of Amtrak’s calculations include passenger terminal travel especially in smaller markets. Just wondering if Amtrak gets class 1 inputs. If class 1’s can run the routs must be open.