CSX Track Work Affects Boston LSL Section

The second phase of a CSX track work program that began this week is affecting operations of the Boston section of Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited.

Nos. 448 and 449 will not operate between Albany-Rensselaer, New York, and Boston on Monday through Thursday through July 21.

Trains will operate as normal on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the construction period. The trains also will operate as normal on July 4.

Alternative transportation is being provided by bus to the Massachusetts stations of Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester and Boston South Station. No alternate transportation is being provided to the missed stop of Framingham.

Passengers ticketed to Back Bay will be bused to Boston  South Station and take an Amtrak or MBTA commuter train to Back Bay.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said passengers at Boston South Station should go to the Amtrak Information Desk for instructions on boarding the buses.

Passengers at Worcester will board the bus at the main entrance in front of the station. Boarding will not occur at the Bus Terminal.

CSX Track Work Disrupts Boston LSL Section

Track work being performed by CSX in Massachusetts is disrupting operations of the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited through June 26.

The disruptions are occurring Monday through Thursday and seeing Nos. 448 and 449 originate and terminate at Albany-Rensselaer, New York.

Alternative transportation is being provided to Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester and Boston South Station.

No alternate transportation is being provided to Framingham and passengers going to or from Boston Back Bay station are being advised to take another Amtrak train or an MBTA commuter train between Back Bay and South Station.

Passengers boarding at South Station should go to the Amtrak Information Desk for instructions on boarding the buses.

Passengers boarding at Worcester will board their bus at the main entrance in front of the station. Boarding will not occur at the Bus Terminal

CSX Track Work May Disrupt Capitol Limited

The CSX track work window that may affect operations of Amtrak’s Capitol Limited has been extended to July 30.

During the period if Train No. 30 is more than 30 minutes late departing Pittsburgh it will terminate there. Train No. 29 that would have originated later that day in Washington will instead originate in Pittsburgh.

Alternate transportation will be provided between Pittsburgh and Washington to the intermediate stations of Connellsville, Pennsylvania; Cumberland, Maryland; Martinsburg, West Virginia; Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; and Rockville, Maryland.

Buses will only discharge passengers and not allow local travel between the affected intermediate stations.

On days when Nos. 29 and 30 pass through the construction zone between Connellsville and Cumberland, they are subject to delays of up to 30 minutes.

CSX Track Work May Disrupt Capitol Limited

CSX track work may affect Amtrak’s Capitol Limited through July 2.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said that work is taking place between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. between Pittsburgh and Connellsville, Pennsylvania.

If the eastbound Capitol would be more than 30 minutes late leaving Pittsburgh, it will terminate in Pittsburgh and passengers will be put aboard a bus that will make all intermediate stops en route to Washington.

In the event that No. 30 terminates in Pittsburgh, westbound No. 29 will originate in Pittsburgh the same day.

Passengers who would have boarded between Washington and Pittsburgh will instead ride a bus.

On days when bus service is substituted for train service the bus will only discharge passengers at intermediate points. It will not provide originating local traffic between those points.

Amtrak said trains traveling through the work zone may be delayed up to 30 minutes.

CSX 2018 Capital Plan Still Cloudy

CSX is still figuring out its priorities for capital spending.

Speaking last week at the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association conference in Los Angeles, Tod Echler, the railroad’s associate vice president, engineering, described the carrier’s 2018 capital plans as uncertain.

“We’re still figuring out where we want the capacity,” Echler said.

CSX has decided to continue upgrading and standardizing its 47 drawbridges, some of which are more than 100 years old and have outdated operating systems.

Another priority will be increasing clearances for auto rack cars.

With the onset of precision scheduled railroading at CSX last year, Echler said the railroad’s work window philosophy has changed.

Whereas workers once had 8- to 10-hour work windows, that has now been shortened to six hours.

“We took some projects that were scheduled for 24 hours and brought them down to 14 hours, and in some cases six,” he said.

Some major projects, most notably bridge replacement, are being done at night.

Last year CSX created 52 miles of new sidings or double track and installed 127 new turnouts.

Track workers used 470 miles of new or relay rail, more than 2.6 million ties, 23,740 bridge ties, and 5,400 switch ties. Workers also resurfaced 1,800 miles of track.

CSX Track Work Alters Amtrak Schedules

CSX track work has Empire Service trains and the New York-Toronto Maple Leaf operating on temporary schedules through Sept. 2.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said some train will depart earlier than the published schedule.

Passengers are advised to check Amtrak.com, use the Amtrak mobile app or call Amtrak personnel at 800-872-7245 for the most up-to-date schedules.

Amtrak Nos. 29/30 Won’t Operate East of Pittsburgh for 2 Days in Early September

Amtrak’s Capitol Limited will not operate between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., for two days in early September due to CSX track work.

Eastbound No. 30 originating in Chicago on Sept. 5 and 6 will terminate in Pittsburgh. Passengers bound for Washington will detrain in Pittsburgh and ride a chartered bus to Washington.

Westbound Capitol Limited passengers originating in Washington on Sept. 6 and 7 will ride a bus to Pittsburgh and then transfer to train No. 29.

On both days the buses operating between Pittsburgh and Washington will bypass the intermediate stops at Rockville, Maryland; Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg, West Virginia; Cumberland, Maryland; and Connellsville, Pennsylvania.

Alternative transportation will not be provided to the intermediate stations in either direction.

Amtrak Extends Delay Warning for LSL

Amtrak has extended through Oct. 29 its notification of possible delays on trains traversing New York State on the CSX Water Level Route.

The Chicago-New York Lake Shore Limited, which serves Northeast Ohio, will be subject to delays of up to 45 minutes on Sunday through Wednesday due to CSX track work between Buffalo and Rome, N.Y.

Also affected are the New York-Toronto Maple Leaf and the New York-Niagara Falls, N.Y., Empire Service trains.

Amtrak said passengers should sign up for delay notifications when booking their travel and to check the status of their train on Amtrak.com, its mobile apps or at 800-USA-RAIL (800-872-7245).

CSX Track Work to Delay Lake Shore Limited

CSX track work is expected to delay Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited, Maple Leaf and Empire Service trains up to 45 minutes between Amsterdam and Utica, N.Y., Amtrak has announced.

The delays are expected to continue through Sept. 17 and occur Sunday through Wednesday.

Amtrak encourages passengers on the affected trains to sign-up for delay notifications when booking their travel and to check the status of their train on Amtrak.com, its free mobile apps or at 800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245)

In a related development, the Maple Leaf is also expected to be delayed due to CSX track work between Niagara Falls and Buffalo, N.Y., through Sept. 17.

Amtrak 448/449 Canceled on Select July Dates

The Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited will not operate on select dates in July as CSX crews undertake a track rehabilitation program on the train’s route east of Albany-Rensselaer. Affected passengers will be bused to and from their destinations.

Eastbound No. 448 will not operates between July 12 and 16, and July 19 and 23. Westbound No. 449 will not operate between July 13 and 16, and July 20 and 23.

Stations affected include Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham and Boston South Station.  Amtrak will not operate buses to Boston Back Bay station during the service disruption and has instead referred passengers to MBTA service to Back Bay.