WASHINGTON — Citing “forecasted severe weather conditions,” Amtrak has announced these cancellations and schedule changes in the northeast beginning later today (Tuesday, March 14).
The Amtrak Downeaster website indicates that northbound train No. 689, scheduled to depart Boston at 10:30 p.m., and southbound train No. 688, scheduled to depart Brunswick, Maine, at 5:45 p.m., are cancelled. Cancelled on Wednesday are northbound No. 681, scheduled to depart Boston at 8:50 a.m., and southbound No. 680, scheduled to depart Brunswick at 4:30 a.m.
Meanwhile, according to an alert on the Amtrak website, trains 448 and 449, the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited, are cancelled today between Albany, N.Y., and Boston.
In other changes , the following northbound trains are now scheduled to terminate in New York today rather than continuing to Boston: Acela No. 2160, scheduled to leave Washington at 10 a.m.; Acela No. 2164, scheduled to depart Washington, D.C., at noon; Acela No. 2168, a 2 p.m. departure from Washington; Northeast Regional No. 86, a 5:35 a.m. departure from Richmond, Va.; and No. 174, a 5:39 a.m. departure from Newport News, Va.
The following southbound trains will now originate in New York rather than Boston: Acela No. 2165, scheduled to leave Boston at 12:10 p.m., now departing New York Penn at 4 p.m.; Acela No. 2167, slated to depart Boston at 1:05 p.m., now originating at Penn at 5 p.m.; and Acela No. 2169, scheduled to leave Boston at 2 p.m., now starting in New York at 6 p.m. Also affected are Northeast Regional No. 173, which usually departs Boston at 11:10 a.m. and now originates in New York at 3:35 p.m., and No. 137, which normally originates in Boston at 1:50 p.m. and now will start in New York at 6:25 p.m.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for portions of central, eastern, and western Massachusetts from 8 p.m. Monday through 8 a.m. Wednesday, calling for snow accumulation of 7 to 18 inches with winds up to 45 mph, and warns travel “could be very difficult to impossible.”
Watch the Amtrak website and NEC Twitter feed for updates on other schedule changes.
— Updated at 7:20 a.m. CDT to include Lake Shore Limited Boston section, additional Acela.
At least Amtrak’s corporate management is consistent in its reaction to events:
-Panic decision mode in reaction to the pandemic that decimated ranks of seasoned operating and maintenance crews that still impacts today Amtrak’s ability to run complete consists and trains as scheduled.
-No longer limited to the whims of single track routes of the Class 1s, Amtrak today cancels/limits schedules along its multi-track NEC as the snow falls.
The neophytes in decision-making capacity at Amtrak are oblivious to the history and tradition established by The Pullman Company as rail being the all weather mode. Certainly, this leadership has found a more accommodating environment far from the P/L concerns of a true for profit business operation; the lack of concern for depleting revenue and increasing losses is quite obvious; the federal backstop taken for granted.
Here’s Worcester MA forecast. This is about as ugly as it gets for places with rail passenger service:
This Afternoon: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 32. Breezy, with a north wind around 22 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 7 to 11 inches possible.
Tonight: Snow, mainly before 11pm. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 29. Windy, with a northwest wind 21 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 43 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 36. Breezy, with a northwest wind 21 to 23 mph, with gusts as high as 38 mph.
And here’s what MBTA sez:’
All Commuter Rail lines operate on a regular weekday schedule today, Tuesday, March 14, but passengers may experience severe delays & cancellations due to extreme weather conditions. Speed restrictions will be implemented in the most affected areas.
The bad part is this weather system is driving meteorologists at NWS nuts. A slight change in temperature or wind direction could turn this into a major rain storm not snow.
NWS Boston forecast:
This Afternoon: Snow. Steady temperature around 34. Breezy, with a north wind around 23 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Tonight: Snow, mainly before 1am. Low around 33. Windy, with a northwest wind 21 to 26 mph, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.
Wednesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Breezy, with a northwest wind 18 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 32 mph.
Gone are the days when the railroads were run by men made of steel and courage and would not let a snowstorm or a washout stop them from running their trains and if something got it the way they either went through it or around it. Just picture the brave engineer and his crew operating their train through a howling snowstorm or driving rain. The track crew who would build a temporay track or bridge to replace the one washed out by a flood or raging riverand they would have it place in a matter of hours The railroad CEOs and presidents of years ago would never stop or cancel their trains for anything. It wasn’t the thing to do Service to their customers was what mattered. An old saying by a railroad president comes to mind William Gibbs McAdoo pesident of the old H&M railroad coined the phrase “The public be pleased” and he dideverything to make the traveller and rider pleased and satisfied wth the service and reliability of his railroad. Another quote comes to mind and this is from a famous admiral of the Civli War David Farragut when he was told that the port of New Orleans was blocked by mines and not safe to enter His response “Damm the torpedos, full speed ahead” The same shiuld be said for Amtrak today Damm the snow and rain and bad weather Our trains must and will roll and not stop or be canceled But of course that wont happen The older generations of railroaders and that also goes for our settlers and pioneers were tough, made of steel and courage and were dertermined to get through and nothing was going to stop them . Such was how this country was built on and became great. Today our people are soft, weak and over cautious and of course letting tecnology rule their lives
Joseph C. Markfelder
Yes, Amtrak is learning from UP how to ru(i)n a railroad…
Always remember the airline people are now running amtrak so weather counts just like with the airlines
In Massachusetts it snows. Not in inches, but in feet. Time was when trans got through.
It’s funny how the Pennsy and New Haven would continue to operate.
I guess we can no longer count on trains getting through in bad winter weather. Years ago the railroad prided itself in getting their passengers to their destination even if the winter weather was bad. Of course we don’t have the number of workers that railroads had in the past and with everything now dependent on high tech signal systems
the weather can knock out power to both the overhead electrical system and the signal system needed to run over the railroad today. So I guess just like airline and road conditions being bad we now can’t count on trains getting you there in bad weather.