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From: EmpireBuilder@yahoogroups.com [mailto:EmpireBuilder@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of VerMontanan@...
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2008 12:00 AM
To: EmpireBuilder@yahoogroups.com
Subject: The Empire Builder: America's Train Empire Builder to detour on UP
(ex-C&NW) in Illinois and Wisconsin




Service Alert: Empire Builder, Southwest Chief and California Zephyr Midwest
Flooding Update


June 27, 2008
4:30 pm CDT

Amtrak has been received approval from Union Pacific Railroad (UP) and
Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) to operate the Amtrak Empire Builder on a
detour route in Illinois and Wisconsin. The train will use this detour route
while CP completes repairs to areas damaged by flooding west of Milwaukee.

Also, damage due to very heavy rainfall has caused BNSF Railway to close the
route of the Amtrak Southwest Chief in Missouri, while the Iowa portion of
the BNSF route of the Amtrak California Zephyr remains closed.

Amtrak appreciates the assistance of UP and the hard work by CP and BNSF
railways to repair Amtrak routes these railroads own, maintain and dispatch.

Through July 1, passengers are urged to call Amtrak at 800-USA-RAIL if they
have travel plans through the affected areas of the routes of the
Chicago-Seattle/Portland Empire Builder; the Los Angeles-Chicago Southwest
Chief; or the San Francisco Bay-Chicago California Zephyr.

Those passengers with telephone contact information in their reservations
are being called by Amtrak and offered options including future travel
dates, if needed.

Empire Builder, Trains 7/27/807 & 8/28/808

Service by the Empire Builder on CP Railway between St. Paul and Chicago,
suspended since June 10 due to flooding in Wisconsin, has resumed using a
Union Pacific detour route, effective June 27. This allows a resumption of
Amtrak rail service at all Minnesota locations, plus La Crosse, Wis.

Alternate transportation by chartered motorcoaches will be provided between
La Crosse and Chicago, with the exception of Glenview, Ill., where
passengers are being offered travel on Amtrak Hiawatha Service trains as
alternate transportation between Glenview and Chicago.

The Amtrak Empire Builder will return to its regular route in Illinois and
Wisconsin on a date to be announced.

Southwest Chief, Trains 3 & 4

Service by the Southwest Chief on BNSF Railway between Kansas City and
Chicago, temporarily suspended since June 17 due to flooding in Iowa, is now
temporarily suspended due to flooding conditions in Missouri.

Alternate transportation by chartered motorcoaches will be provided between
Kansas City and Galesburg or Chicago, with the exceptions of La Plata, Mo.,
Fort Madison, Iowa, and Mendota and Naperville, Ill. Passengers ticketed at
those stops are being offered travel at other Amtrak stations or on other
Amtrak trains.

The Amtrak Southwest Chief will resume service between Denver/Omaha and
Chicago on a date to be announced.

California Zephyr, Trains 5 & 6

Service by the California Zephyr on BNSF Railway between Denver and Chicago
has been temporarily suspended since June 13 due to flooding in Iowa.

Alternate transportation by chartered motorcoaches will be provided between
Denver and points in Nebraska, including Omaha. No alternate transportation
is available to or from points in Iowa. Alternate transportation between
Chicago and other points in Illinois will be provided by other Amtrak
trains.

The Amtrak California Zephyr will resume service between Denver/Omaha and
Chicago on a date to be announced.

Amtrak regrets any inconvenience. This information is correct as of the
above time and date. Information is subject to change as conditions warrant.
Passengers are encouraged to call 800-USA-RAIL or visit Amtrak.com for
schedule information and train status updates.



More on the Empire Builder detour:

Effective with trains 7(27) and 8(25), trains 7 & 8 will resume
operation between Chicago and Minneapolis, via a CP and UP detour
between Chicago and La Crosse via Tunnel City.

A CP Pilot will board train 7(27) in Chicago Union Station. Train 7(27)
will operate from CUS to A5 where the CP pilot is required between A5
and Bryn Marr. The CP pilot will remain on train 7(27) until the meet
point with train 8(25), where the CP pilot will board train 8(25) to
pilot the train between Bryn Marr and A5.

A Union Pacific Pilot will board train 7(27) at Bryn Marr and pilot
train 7(27) between Bryn Marr and Tunnel City, to interchange with the
CP, returning train 7(27) to its normal route. The first station stop
train 7(27) will make after departure from Chicago is La Crosse.

Train 8(25), departing Minneapolis on June 27, 2008, will operate normal
route between Minneapolis and Tunnel City, making station stops at
Redwing, Winona and La Crosse.

Train 8(25) will detour off the CP onto the UP at Tunnel City, where a
Union Pacific pilot will board train 8(25) to pilot the train over the
detour route between Tunnel City and Bryn Marr. As stated above, the CP
pilot required at Bryn Marr will transfer off 7(27) to 8(25) at the meet
point to pilot train 8(25) between Bryn Marr and A5.

This detour operation has been approved for 1 week, longer if necessary,
by the CP, UP and METRA.

Alternate Transportation:
Westbound:
Passengers at Glenview will be directed to Chicago on existing Hiawatha
service
Passengers scheduled to board at Milwaukee will be provided alternate
transportation between Milwaukee and La Crosse, making enroute stops at
Wisconsin Dells and Tomah. No alternate transportation will be provided
from Columbus or Portage during the first days of this detour. These
passengers will be directed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells and La Crosse.
Passengers destined to Columbus and Portage will be provided taxi or van
from Milwaukee.

Eastbound:
Alternate transportation will be provided between Lacrosse and Milwaukee
only for passengers scheduled to board/detain at Tomah, Wisconsin Dells,
Portage Columbus, Milwaukee and Glenview. At Milwaukee, passengers will
be directed to existing Hiawatha service between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Eastbound travel scheduled to board trains 8(25), 28(25) and 808(25) at
Tomah, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, and Columbus on 6/27 who are connecting
to other train service in Chicago should be advised that Amtrak is not
able to offer same day connecting train service in Chicago. These
passengers will be directed to Milwaukee for existing Hiawatha service
to Chicago for these connections.

CP reports that they expect to begin operation of limited "push-pull"
freight service over the flood damaged areas around Reeseville on
Saturday, June 28, 2008, shoving freight cars through the area, with
relief power on the opposite end to pull the freight cars clear. CP is
dumping ballast and making track repairs, and expects to update Amtrak
on Monday, June 30, 2008 of possible service restoration on the normal
route as early as midweek, during the week of June 30, 2008.

-source: AMTRAK





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