I’ve been taking Amtrak’s Wolverine train between Chicago and Detroit for the last couple of years. And while Amtrak is consistently cheaper than Greyhound or any major airline, you can count on Amtrak to be late more often than not.
People not used to Amtrak’s “unique” perception of time complain loudly on cell phones or ask their neighbors the inevitable question: “Why is the freakin’ train always late?” Well, the next time you’re on a less-than-punctual Amtrak trip, here are some reasons why your train might be late.
1. Shared tracks
Amtrak owns some of the rails it runs on, but it also uses commercial tracks in quite a few places. Because Amtrak is essentially borrowing these tracks from shipping companies, Amtrak trains will sometimes have to pull aside to let freight trains pass. While it’s an annoyance to sit and wait, think about how much your ticket would’ve cost if Amtrak had to build and maintain separate tracks for all of its routes.
2. Single track zones
In another money-saving decision, many areas that used to have double tracks (one for trains traveling in each direction) have been reduced to single tracks used by trains traveling in both directions. Because fewer people and goods travel by rail today than a hundred years ago, all those tracks became too expensive to maintain. Think of those old math problems: If Train A leaves Union Station at 3:45 p.m., and Train B leaves Detroit at 4:15 p.m., and both trains travel at 87 miles per hour, at what point will they meet in the middle?
While trains are theoretically scheduled to minimize these meetings, one off-schedule train means that some trains (and possibly several trains) will have to pull over onto a second track near a station to wait for the opposite train to pass.
3. Employee turnaround
A week ago, I boarded the Amtrak Wolverine train in Chicago. I was on the first train of the morning at the first station on the route. Unfortunately, even the best laid travel plans can’t stand up to Amtrak’s stubborn refusal to get me anywhere on time. My train sat in the station for half an hour after the departure time. The reason my fellow travelers and I were given was that the conductors got in super-late the night before and needed extra time to prepare for the trip.
4. Trains hit stuff
It’s sad but true; trains hit people, and Amtrak is no exception.
While this has yet to happen to me, this is by far and away the worst delay that can happen on a train. It can take several hours for the police to come, investigate the scene, interview the conductors, and clean up the accident. When this happened to a friend, Amtrak sent shuttle buses to transport passengers to their destinations after a three-hour wait. Not to mention the ickiness and guilt feelings associated with knowing you were on a train that killed someone.
To avoid ending on a gruesome note, I will say that I still like riding Amtrak. Unlike a plane or a bus, you can usually get a seat with an electrical outlet, so you can work on a laptop or watch DVDs without running out of juice two hours into your trip. The café car is a nice touch, and the bathrooms are a little nicer (and more plentiful) than the floating Port-a-Potties on airplanes. The seats have more legroom, and the weekly ticket specials beat the crap out of any discount airline tickets you can find online in the off season.
So I’ll keep riding Amtrak, despite the chronic lateness of the trains. But I always mentally add an hour onto Amtrak’s expected travel time to keep my cool while I wait.
