UP Derailment Hindered Amtrak Service

A Union Pacific derailment last Saturday hindered Amtrak service in Normal, Illinois, leading to the cancellation of some Lincoln Service trains.

UP derailed 16 cars of an intermodal train, the ZG4MQ-13, damaging the track and blocking several grade crossings.

Lincoln Service Train 300 terminated at Springfield, Illinois, and Trains 303, 306, and 307 were canceled.

The northbound Texas Eagle detoured between St. Louis and Chicago, missing seven intermediate stops.

Passengers traveling between St. Louis and Chicago were offered alternative transportation.

Further complications occurred a few days later when fire broke out during the wreck site cleanup process.

Authorities said the fire was caused by refrigeration units on some of the containers being hauled by the intermodal train that derailed.

The fire damaged the vinyl siding of an adjacent apartment building.

The derailment of the southbound train came within 25 feet of an Illinois State University student housing building.

One track was reopened to rail traffic on Sunday, but Amtrak cancelled two Lincoln Service trains and shorted the route of another.

UP and Federal Railroad Administration officials were conducting an investigation into the cause of the derailment.

UP Track Work to Disrupt Lincoln Service, Lead to Texas Eagle Detouring Between Chicago and St. Louis

Amtrak’s Texas Eagle has detoured many times over the former route used by Chicago & Eastern Illinois passenger trains between Chicago and St. Louis. No. 22 is shown passing through Tuscola, Illinois, on Aug. 6, 2012.

The Texas Eagle will detour and certain Lincoln Service trains will operate on modified schedules next week due to Union Pacific track work.

On Sept. 17, Train 307 will operate between Chicago and Bloomington-Normal, Illinois.

Alternate transportation will be provided for the missed stops at Springfield and St. Louis.

On Sept. 18, Trains 300, 302, 304 and 306, will operate between Bloomington-Normal to Chicago. Alternate transportation will be provided between St. Louis and Normal with the buses operating earlier than their corresponding train schedules.

Also on Sept. 18, Trains 301, 303 and 305 will operate between Chicago and Bloomington-Normal.

Alternate transportation will be provided south of Normal with the buses operating later than their corresponding train schedules.

The Eagle on Sept. 18 will detour in both directions between Chicago and St. Louis and miss the scheduled intermediate stops in Illinois at Joliet, Pontiac, Bloomington-Normal, Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville and Alton.

No alternate transportation will be provided for missed stops for passengers traveling from Chicago to those stations.

Passengers traveling to Chicago will remain on board Train 22 upon its arrival in St. Louis from San Antonio.

Passengers traveling to Alton, Carlinville, Springfield, Lincoln, Bloomington-Normal, Pontiac and Joliet will disembark in St. Louis and board bus 3322.

Amtrak said Nos. 21 and 22 may incur up to 60 minutes in delays along the detour route.

Track Work Disrupts Texas Eagle

Operations of Amtrak’s Texas Eagle are being disrupted through today (March 22) due to track work being performed in Texas by Union Pacific.

Passengers traveling between Texarkana, Arkansas, and Mineola, Texas, will ride chartered buses.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said Trains 21/421 will detour between Texarkana and Mineola missing stops at Marshall and Longview.

Passengers to those points, and also also Shreveport, Louisiana, will detrain at Mineola and board Amtrak Thruway Bus 6121 to their destination. Bus 6121 will originate at Mineola instead of Longview.

Passengers scheduled to connect with Thruway service at Longview will also detrain at Mineola. Thruway Bus 6021 to Houston will board passengers at Mineola instead of Longview.

Passengers scheduled to board at Shreveport, Marshall and Longview will be picked up by Thruway Bus 6421 and carried to Mineola to board Train 21/421.

Train 21/421 may be delayed up to 15 to 20 minutes at Mineola to hold for connecting buses.

Track Work to Affect Texas Eagle

Track work being conducted by Union Pacific will disrupt operations of Amtrak’s Texas Eagle between Feb. 24 and March 10.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said that during that time Train No. 21 will detour between Texarkana, Arkansas, and Mineola, Texas, with passengers bound for intermediate stops between those cities riding a bus.

That includes stations in Marshall and Longview, Texas. It also affects passengers riding a thruway bus to Shreveport, Louisiana, that connects with the Eagle at Longview.

Affected passengers will detrain at Mineola and board Amtrak Thruway Bus 6121 to their destination. Bus 6121 will originate at Mineola instead of Longview.

Amtrak said that Train No. 21 may be delayed up to 15 to 20 minutes at Mineola to hold for connecting buses.

Track Work to Affect Lincoln Service, Texas Eagle

Track work being performed on May 4 by Union Pacific will affect certain Lincoln Service trains and the Texas Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis.

Train 300 will be cancelled with no alternate transportation provided. Train 302 will be canceled with bus service being provided to intermediate stops in Illinois at Alton, Carlinville, Springfield, Lincoln, Bloomington-Normal, Pontiac, Dwight, Joliet and Summit.

Bus 5002 will make limited intermediate stops at Alton, Springfield, Bloomington-Normal and Joliet.

Trains 301 and 303 will be cancelled. Alternate transportation will be provided for missed stops will be as follows

Bus 3301 will make all stops for Train 301 at Joliet, Pontiac, Bloomington-Normal, Springfield and Alton. Bus 3303 will make all stops for Train 303 at Summit, Joliet, Dwight, Pontiac, Bloomington-Normal, Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville and Alton. Bus 5003 will make limited intermediate stops at Joliet, Bloomington-Normal, Springfield and Alton.

The Texas Eagle will detour between Chicago and St. Louis and miss all scheduled intermediate stops. Passengers traveling to points other than intermediate stations in Illinois will remain on the train.

No alternative transportation is being provided to the missed intermediate stations in Illinois. However, passengers for those points will be able to ride Lincoln Service trains or buses.

Nos. 21 and 22 may experience up to an hour of delay on the detour route. Buses may arrive or depart stations earlier than the train schedule.

 

Texas Eagle Detouring Again

Union  Pacific track work again has the Texas Eagle detouring in Illinois and has disrupted some Lincoln Service trains through April 5.

Lincoln Service trains are operating only between Chicago and Normal, Illinois, with alternate transportation being provided to missed stops at Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville, Alton and St. Louis.

Amtrak said that St. Louis to Normal buses will operate earlier than the train schedule at St. Louis, Alton, Carlinville, Springfield and Lincoln.

Normal to St. Louis buses will operate later than the train schedule at Bloomington, Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville and Alton.

The Texas Eagle will detour in both directions between Chicago and St. Louis via a former Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad route via Tuscola, Illinois.

Nos. 21 and 22 will miss all intermediate stops at Joliet, Pontiac, Bloomington-Normal, Lincoln, Springfield, Carlinville and Alton.

No alternate transportation is provided southbound. Instead, passengers are being referred to Lincoln Service trains and substitute buses.

However, northbound Texas Eagle passengers traveling to points in Illinois will be able to detrain in St. Louis and transfer to Bus 3022.

Amtrak said in a service advisory that Nos. 21 and 22 may be delayed up to 60 minutes by the detour move.

Texas Eagle Detouring in Texas

BNSF track work had Amtrak’s Texas Eagle making a detour this week in Texas that missed station stops in Cleburne and McGregor.

The detour between Fort Worth and Temple was to last through Feb 9. In a service advisory, Amtrak said passengers could board at Fort Worth or Temple or seek alternate travel dates. Delays of 60 to 120 minutes are expected on the detour route.

Another Texas detour for Nos. 21 and 22 will begin next week due to Union Pacific track work. That will affect the Eagle between Longview and Taylor between Feb. 14 and March 11.

Trains 21/421 and 22/422 will not make stops at Mineola, Dallas, Fort Worth, Cleburne, McGregor and Temple. Bus service will be provided to and from these stations.

Passengers traveling to those intermediate points on Nos. 21/421 will disembark in Longview to board a bus to continue their journey.

Outbound passengers from these cities will also board a bus to Austin where they will transfer back to the train traveling to San Marcos, San Antonio and all stops west.

Passengers traveling on Nos. 22/422 for the missed intermediate stops will disembark in Austin to board a bus to their destination.

Outbound passengers from these cities also will board a bus to Longview where they will transfer back to the train traveling to Chicago and all intermediate points.

Passengers aboard Train 22/422 going to Mineola who board prior to Taylor will remain on the train to Longview for shuttle service back to their destination.

In a service advisory Amtrak said sleeping accommodations can be made on the Texas Eagle between Chicago and Longview and between Austin and San Antonio. Those seeking sleeping car travel should book a room to/from Austin or Longview.

Texas Eagle to Miss Arcadia Valley This Month

Due to Union Pacific track work, the Texas Eagle will be missing its scheduled station stop at Arcadia Valley, Missouri for most of November.

Nos. 21/22 are being detoured between St. Louis and Poplar Bluff, Missouri, and will not be passing through Arcadia Valley between Nov. 9 and 23.

Amtrak said in a service advisory that during this period alternative service will not be provided to or from Arcadia Valley.

Texas Eagle to Detour in Missouri

Union Pacific track work in Missouri will send the Texas Eagle on a detour move between Nov. 9 and 23.

Nos. 21/421 and 22/422 will detour between St. Louis and Poplar Bluff, Missouri, via the Chester Subdivision (River Line). Nos. 421/422 are the through cars to/from the Sunset Limited at San Antonio, to/from Los Angeles.

This post was updated to reflect a change in the date that the detour will begin.

Texas Eagle Delayed 10 Hours En route to St. Louis

A detouring Texas Eagle this week got stuck behind a disabled freight train on Monday in Tuscola, Illinois, and wound up being delayed 10 hours.

The westbound Eagle had departed Chicago on time and was detouring over the former Chicago & Eastern Illinois route of Union Pacific due to track work being done on its regular route via Springfield, Illinois.

No. 21 did not arrive in St. Louis until 3:30 a.m. An Amtrak spokesperson said that a two-hour delay was expected, but not a 10-hour one.

“We were alerted by Amtrak that there might be some delays because apparently there is work on the track,” said passenger Janelle Jones. “Our first delay was about a three-hour standstill. They kept us pretty apprised of what was going on, they let people off the train for a smoke break and what not.

“Then we traveled for about an hour and then we stopped for another three hours. There was a lot of communication at that point that we were gonna get started as soon as possible. We rolled for about five minutes and then the communication stopped and we were at a standstill for another three hours. No one would tell us why we weren’t moving. Apparently, the crew had to switch out because they had been on board for 12 hours, so they were tired.”

Amtrak officials could not say when crew change occurred.

Jones said the café car was open until about 10 p.m.. “There were some hungry people on the train,” Jones said.