All about the Autotrain
- Thread starter cherylp3
- Start date
It looks like it's losing time on route?
vacationer1954
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2010
Thanks... very troubling info.
We chose to drive southbound this weekend instead of taking the Auto Train so this won't affect us, but we're returning a week from now so I hope that these problems are resolved.
Tink's Pixieduster
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2005
I was curious about what could be causing such significant delays for so long so I called Amtrak and was told it was a combination of:
1. an ice storm between Richmond and Savannah early last week (late Jan.) that froze switches and stopped rail traffic. Although it took some time to dispatch crews to the frozen switches, they were easily thawed once crews arrived. Apparently the frozen switches covered a very broad area so a lot of rail traffic was impacted.
2. After the switches were all thawed and rail traffic was trying to get back on schedule, there was a derailment south of Savannah on Feb. 3 that impacted all traffic on that route again. Rail traffic hadn't quite fully recovered from the frozen switches, so this caused even more delays.
3. Turnaround crews at Sanford and Lorton are working to try to get back on schedule, but with such significant delays in arrivals it will take some time to catch up since cars must be cleaned and food replenished between trips.
My AT trip isn't until later this year, so I'm sure the trains will be back on schedule by then (barring anything else happening), but it still makes me feel a little better to at least have an explanation. I'm sorry some of you affected by this.
1. an ice storm between Richmond and Savannah early last week (late Jan.) that froze switches and stopped rail traffic. Although it took some time to dispatch crews to the frozen switches, they were easily thawed once crews arrived. Apparently the frozen switches covered a very broad area so a lot of rail traffic was impacted.
2. After the switches were all thawed and rail traffic was trying to get back on schedule, there was a derailment south of Savannah on Feb. 3 that impacted all traffic on that route again. Rail traffic hadn't quite fully recovered from the frozen switches, so this caused even more delays.
3. Turnaround crews at Sanford and Lorton are working to try to get back on schedule, but with such significant delays in arrivals it will take some time to catch up since cars must be cleaned and food replenished between trips.
My AT trip isn't until later this year, so I'm sure the trains will be back on schedule by then (barring anything else happening), but it still makes me feel a little better to at least have an explanation. I'm sorry some of you affected by this.
Tink's Pixieduster
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2005
That might be one way of resolving it, but the rep I spoke with didn't raise it as a possibility. OTOH, she may not have access to that type of information.
vacationer1954
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2010
One report I read this morning said that one of the trains was only 2 hours late going through Jessup yesterday.
ffemtmomof4
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2009
Hi. We are going to wdw in Sept and taking the auto train one way and driving the other. I am sure other people have asked these questions but there are 172 pages in this topic and thats alot to read. 
1. We have 5 people going, 2 adults and 3 children. How would they seat us in coach and for meals?
2. We are thinking of the kids and I getting a family bedroom and my husband just sitting in coach due to my husband being over 6'3. How would that work for meals?
Thank you,
Robin
1. We have 5 people going, 2 adults and 3 children. How would they seat us in coach and for meals?
2. We are thinking of the kids and I getting a family bedroom and my husband just sitting in coach due to my husband being over 6'3. How would that work for meals?
Thank you,
Robin
chartle
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2008
Hi. We are going to wdw in Sept and taking the auto train one way and driving the other. I am sure other people have asked these questions but there are 172 pages in this topic and thats alot to read.
1. We have 5 people going, 2 adults and 3 children. How would they seat us in coach and for meals?
2. We are thinking of the kids and I getting a family bedroom and my husband just sitting in coach due to my husband being over 6'3. How would that work for meals?
Thank you,
Robin
1. 2, 2 and 1 for seats. For meals, unless your kids are small, you will be split up. The tables seat 4. If you go 2 and 3 expect at least the table of two to share a table.
2. Pretty sure once on the train you will not see him until you get off in Florida. First class and Coach, what we called steerage
, are separate sections of tbe train with separate menus.monorailsilver
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2002
We are going in April for our first trip from CT.
I live in the lower ct river valley area but we are going to spend the night at my moms in Trumbull since it's about 50 min closer.
We are taking 95. It's just the easiest. Actually the Merritt to the GW assuming there is no traffic, we won't go thru philly but take 195 or 295, whatever it is. We will probably take the Baltimore/DC pkwy and we always take the east loop around DC.
ineedmyblankie
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2009
We live in Monroe and I just didn't trust going the same day. We ended up going down the night before. Fortunately, my sister lives 40 minutes away, so we just stayed there. If she didn't, I would drive down the night before and stay in a cheap hotel. Once you get to the station, there really isn't much to do. When are you going?
Hi. We are going to wdw in Sept and taking the auto train one way and driving the other. I am sure other people have asked these questions but there are 172 pages in this topic and thats alot to read.
1. We have 5 people going, 2 adults and 3 children. How would they seat us in coach and for meals?
2. We are thinking of the kids and I getting a family bedroom and my husband just sitting in coach due to my husband being over 6'3. How would that work for meals?
Thank you,
Robin
We also have 2 adults and 3 children (ages 7, 5 and 2 when we last took the autotrain). We opted to all stay together in coach (due to cost and being together). We are going again in November. The key is to choose the lower level. Some say that the view is better from the upper level, but (a) I heard it sways a little more; and (b) it's laid out like an airplane and people walk passed a lot. On the lower level, there are only 12 seats in a compartment with a sliding door. The only people that access that compartment are those people staying in the compartment and crew. The other 1/2 of the lower level (outside the door) is the bathroom area, which I liked with 3 kids. Passengers from the upper level need to go up and down a small stairway to get to the bathrooms on the lower level.
When we went October 2012, we were traveling with a family of four. There were only 3 people in the compartment that weren't traveling with us. On the way back, it was only our family and the other one. It was great for the kids to be able to spread out. Since the lower level is also for handicap travelers, there is a little extra room to fit a wheelchair. On the way back, the kids used that area to play and they even opted to sleep there. Oh yes...sleeping...the chairs recline well enough that we all slept fine in coach. Like I said, the lower level has less foot traffic and only has 12 people, so I can only assume that it is also much quieter down there. HTH!
Marshay
I'm Goofy for Mickey.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2007
Yay! Happy for all the passengers.
We are going 9/14. Last year we drove to Lorton via 95 the day of departure. We left at 4am. Got there 12-12:30 with a stop for breakfast at a CrackerBarrel.
monorailsilver
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2002
Hi. We are going to wdw in Sept and taking the auto train one way and driving the other. I am sure other people have asked these questions but there are 172 pages in this topic and thats alot to read.
1. We have 5 people going, 2 adults and 3 children. How would they seat us in coach and for meals?
2. We are thinking of the kids and I getting a family bedroom and my husband just sitting in coach due to my husband being over 6'3. How would that work for meals?
Thank you,
Robin
We are a family of 5. Someone a few pages ago said when their kids were younger they'd sit 3 on one side and 2 on the other. My kids are 12, 10 & 8 (in 3 weeks).
So I am not sure. I am willing to sit alone with strangers and leave my dh with the kids....
We did get rooms though. In the way there we have a roomette and a bedroom and on the way back we have the family bedroom. I know it will be tight.
I grew up in Trumbull and I still have family there. I have a few friends from Monroe too.
mykidslovesdisney
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2006
I'm the previous poster that said we sit the kids 3 across when they were younger. We now sit 4 and 2. Usually its the teens that are sitting with others. I feel it can't hurt their conversational skills at all.
We are also from CT. I grew up in Stratford right on the Trumbull town line. We have been taking the AT to WDW the last 10 years. We are heading back end of July for 2 wks. We leave the same day as the train. We head for the train by 2 am from central CT. We take the merritt to 95 right before the GWB.then the NJTP to 95. We stop in MD for breakfast for about an hour. Then we pick which tunnel in MD. From there we pick up 295 down to 95 - completely avoiding the DC loop. We have had really good luck in our travels. We tend to miss all rush hour traffic.
We travel both coach and sleepers. DH works for Amtrak. If there r open sleepers we can get a few. We have split our party btwn both when there r not enough sleeprrs for all.of us. We are required to eat in coach dining. It can be a long walk up to coach dining from sleepers. Last year we fit 4 of us in one
Deluxe bed room. It was amusing. I'm surprised I actually slept! I had ds6 and dd10 on the bottom bunk w me.
Can't wait till July!
We are also from CT. I grew up in Stratford right on the Trumbull town line. We have been taking the AT to WDW the last 10 years. We are heading back end of July for 2 wks. We leave the same day as the train. We head for the train by 2 am from central CT. We take the merritt to 95 right before the GWB.then the NJTP to 95. We stop in MD for breakfast for about an hour. Then we pick which tunnel in MD. From there we pick up 295 down to 95 - completely avoiding the DC loop. We have had really good luck in our travels. We tend to miss all rush hour traffic.
We travel both coach and sleepers. DH works for Amtrak. If there r open sleepers we can get a few. We have split our party btwn both when there r not enough sleeprrs for all.of us. We are required to eat in coach dining. It can be a long walk up to coach dining from sleepers. Last year we fit 4 of us in one
Deluxe bed room. It was amusing. I'm surprised I actually slept! I had ds6 and dd10 on the bottom bunk w me.
Can't wait till July!
vacationer1954
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2010
Auto Train is not operating today (this afternoon's 4pm departures) due to weather.
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...=am/AM_Alert_C/Alerts_Popup&cid=1251625562802
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/Conte...=am/AM_Alert_C/Alerts_Popup&cid=1251625562802
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