CHICAGO — Citing equipment issues, Amtrak has cancelled one Hiawatha today (Jan. 6), after two other cancellations along the same route Sunday.
The cancellations of today’s Milwaukee-Chicago train No. 336, a scheduled 1:05 p.m. departure, as well as Sunday’s St. Paul-Chicago Borealis and Chicago-Milwaukee Hiawatha No. 341, are are all attributed to equipment and separate from the weather-related cancellations announced on Saturday, Jan. 4, and updated Sunday [see “Amtrak announces extensive storm-related cancellations,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 4, 2025]. On the Northeast Corridor, the company also had an equipment-related cancellation of part of an Acela trip on Sunday.
Substitute bus service is being offered for today’s cancellation.
“…attributed to equipment…” is so general as to be completely meaningless.
There is so much blather about this-or-that locomotive/car builder and so little actual information. I realize that we are in the post-truth, post-facts era but it would seem to be pretty simple to find out what equipment was at fault. Does anyone ask Amtrak, “What equipment failed on train #xyz?” Does Amtrak reply? Inquiring minds want to know.
Quite a few years ago my boss stopped me in mid-rant over an equipment failure with a few questions about root cause and plans to avoid recurrence. We started buying equipment based on MTBF instead of glossy pictures.
Guess I spoke too soon. Out here the NEC is still OK.
How can anyone ever depend on the trains????
Well, James, seems I lucked out. This past year (2024) I rode the Cascade, the Hiawatha, the Denver “A” Line, the Seattle light rail line to SeaTac Airport, Metra UP-W, MBTA Providence Line, and the Boring Alice. Total of 13 rides for me (5 R/T and three one-way), four of these (2 R/T) with Mrs. L.
Not too bad for one year and everything ran like a Swiss watch. Comfortable, reliable, on time. That was last year. This year, 2025, our world has already fallen apart.
I agree. Why on earth would anyone travel by train if they have little assurance the train will even be running? “Ooops, sorry, I guess I can’t get to work today… the train was cancelled.”
Amtrak has a serious problem with maintaining the Euro style equipment they seem to be in love with. Poorly performing locomotives and uncomfortable commuter style seating are not the way to progress for the future.
The Borealis utilizes Horizon and GE P42s since Minnesota was not part of the Siemens orders. Not sure the ‘Euro style equipment’ is the singular issue here.
We get the Chargers out here occasionally when the P-42s crap out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiygRCkLvI0