Crescent (19/20) Delays at Tuscaloosa, AL

Hytec Apr 21, 2015

  1. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Does anyone have information as to why the Crescent, both 19 and 20, are being delayed almost daily by over an hour in or around Tuscaloosa, AL? I have reservations in early June with connections at NYP northbound and a grandson meeting me at SDL southbound. I can probably negotiate a Plan-B at NYP, but inconveniencing my grandson after a hard day's work is not good.

    What bugs me is that I used 19/20 for business travel every other month between SDL and WAS for seven years in the 1990's. We were within 15 minutes at both ends 90% of the time, and no more than 30 minutes down at worst.
     
  2. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    I received a reasonable explanation on another forum which makes a lot of sense.

    "The NS Meridian-Tuscaloosa-Birmingham is quite busy for what's basically a single track line. South of St Louis, NS has only three routes to get to the Mississippi. Two of them involve Meridian-Birmingham, and the Meridian Speedway has put more pressure on the AGS South district."

    I guess that's a consequence of the KCS/NS upgrade to the Meridian Speedway a few years ago. Unfortunately the Meridian, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham area became a choke point when increased KCS/NS traffic between Shreveport and Atlanta was added to existing traffic from New Orleans, Alabama, and Tennessee. Thus the Crescent's schedule became the lowest priority on the NS dispatcher's list. :crying:
     
  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    When the NRPC first went into business, part of the LAW involved supposedly required the hosting railroads to keep the passenger trains moving. That means ON SCHEDULE. Not their whim. How they've managed to skate around that for decades is a really good head scratcher. Obviously there were no teeth emplaced when that was written. Just more of the incompetence of those who created the NPRC. There should huge fines being levied in the multi, multi-millions every year.
     

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