How Amtrak Reacts to Snow and Extreme Winter Weather
How Amtrak Reacts to Snow and Extreme Winter Weather
When snow makes other modes of travel tough, Amtrak works around-the-clock to monitor snowfall events and keep the trains running. However, in times of upcoming extreme winter weather events, Amtrak will proactively cancel trains for the safety and convenience of passengers to provide more time to find alternative travel arrangements. Read on to learn what to expect during snowy weather for your upcoming Amtrak trip and how to check your train status.
How Amtrak Handles Snowy Weather Conditions
天气监测
Amtrak的全国运行中心和紧急事件管理人员7天24小时监测最新天气条件，实时评估铁路和相关基础设施条件。如果他们认为需要进行时刻表调整，乘客可在Amtrak.com和Amtrak手机应用程序上获取列车状态更新信息。我们会尽可能提前在服务提醒页面上发布时刻表和服务变更公告。若有必要，您可以更改预订，改日出行。
修剪树木
Amtrak全年都会修剪树木，主动将倒下的树木或树枝所产生的影响降至最低，这些树木或树枝可能会损坏架空电力系统或妨碍列车安全通行。如果出现需要额外帮助的情况，Amtrak拥有独立承包商随时待命，协助我们的工作人员快速应对突发事件，使列车保持运行。
增加工作人员
风暴来临时，Amtrak的机械、工程和运行团队将增调车务人员，确保安全高效运行，同时提前部署增设车上工作人员，在原车务人员因天气条件延误时予以顶替。
设备布置
预测有大风及/或强降雪时，在高流量路线沿途战略性配置柴油机车和在轨维护设备，以防止倒伏树木或枝丫损坏高架电路系统或堵塞轨道。情况安全时，柴油机车可为列车运行提供动力，同时安排在轨设备，对基础设施进行必要的维修。
道岔检查
Amtrak会对联锁轨道进行检查，这些轨道又称道岔，供轨道交通控制人员将列车从一条轨道切换到另一条轨道上，以确保列车在恶劣天气中也能正常运行。在寒冷天气中，会启动道岔加热器，以防冻材料对道岔进行润滑和处理，使其能够正常运行。
Jet-Powered Blowers
During heavy snow, Amtrak uses jet-powered blowers to clear snow, ice and other debris off tracks. The blowers are positioned in areas with typically heavy snowfall such as the Northeast Corridor (NEC), Albany, NY and Chicago.
When & Why Amtrak Cancels for Extreme Winter Conditions
Sometimes, factors like ice and dangerously cold temperatures outweigh all of our best efforts to keep the trains running. Extreme conditions can take a significant toll on our trains, displacing passengers and crews and interrupting service for multiple days. The safety of passengers and employees is Amtrak’s top priority.
- We want to give our employees time to plan and avoid travel on snow-covered roads when possible. This helps ensure equipment and crews are in the right place at the right time when demand returns.
- We want to help customers avoid the same risks, and prevent them from waiting long, uninformed hours in our stations. Rail operations are often severely impacted, highly variable and notoriously hard to estimate when storms are raging.
- Our teams consider the risks of stranded trains, or loss of power that puts the well-being of our employees, customers and first responders at risk, if our trains encounter downed trees or other hazards — especially in remote areas.
- And Amtrak must respect decisions made by our host railroads and other partners. They evaluate their own risks, staffing availability and determine what they can support. We adjust.
How to Check for Cancellation Notifications of Your Train
If extreme winter weather conditions compel Amtrak to operate a modified schedule of service or outright cancel a trip, you are encouraged to explore the following train status information options:
- Self-modify reservations via Amtrak.com or the Amtrak app or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245)
- Visit Amtrak.com and select the “Train Status” option in the menu or download the Amtrak app for the latest train status information
- 访问Amtrak.com/DelayAlerts，订阅晚点通知，通过电子邮件或短信接收列车动态
- Follow @AmtrakNECAlerts and @AmtrakAlerts on X for real-time service information on Amtrak trains in the NEC and across the country
