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Passengers Suffer Through A Hot Night In Broken Down Amtrak Train
Less than a week ago, passenger aboard a Continental Airlines regional jet were stuck on the tarmac in Rochester, MN, during storms for over 12 hours, with no permission to leave the plane and no clearance to resume their flight. They had no food, no room to stretch or properly sleep through the night, and the smell from the bathrooms was overwhelming.
History now repeats itself, but this time it's an Amtrak train that put its passengers through hell. Happening in a different Rochester, this one in NY, an Amtrak train broke down and left passengers with no air conditioning or even lights. The train sat on the tracks for hours until a CSX locomotive was able to tow it into a station. "The train had no power, and passengers say they had to endure hot, sticky conditions inside the cars, with odors from the restrooms adding to their discomfort."
Since we're veteran Amtrak travelers, we've run into littler breakdowns and once a 13-hour one where the train crew fetched fried chicken fast food for the passengers, but nothing overnight and nothing where we would have had to sleep holding our nose. Perhaps we should start traveling with a full-size pillow and a rebreather?
Related Stories:
· Amtrak train towed to NY station after breakdown [Newsday]
· Passengers Forced To Be Cramped Campers Onboard Regional Jet [Jaunted]
· Amtrak Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Jaunted]
Tags: Train Travel / Amtrak / Train Hell / → All Tags
Rusty Bridge Shuts Down Amtrak Service Between New York and Boston
From June 14 through June 17, Amtrak will be shutting down train service between New York and Boston. The cancellations are the result of repair work being done on the 90-year-old Thames River Bridge outside of New London, Connecticut. Train riders from Washington, DC, New Haven and Providence will also be affected by the service changes, as they won't be able to pass through New Haven during those four days.
Amtrak is describing the repairs as "one of the largest engineering endeavors in company history." The project will replace a drawbridge section of the span with a modern "vertical lift" that lets boats go by. The stretch of the Thames River under the bridge is constantly busy thanks to passing Coast Guard ships and submarines, yes submarines, from the nearby New London Naval Submarine Base.
Amtrak says the repairs will "minimize train delays" along the busy Northeast Corridor. Having had the experience of being held up at the bridge because of a sub crossing, this seems like a good idea. But it's going to be a mess when folks going from New York to Boston are stuck with nothing but the Chinatown bus or, even worse, Greyhound during the construction. Luckily, the repairs are being performed by Cianbro Corporation not Amtrak, so maybe they'll actually get done on time!
Related Stories:
· Greyhound Buses Keep Crashing [Jaunted]
· Fung Wah, Bus or Drag Racer? [Jaunted]
· Amtrak coverage [Jaunted]
[Rendering: Amtrak]
