People often ask me does Amtrak run in the snow. Yes, Amtrak does run in the snow & I always say that AmTrak has become very reliable in the last few years, but still delays can occur.
They take the events which cause delays very seriously. One of them out of their control is the weather.
To be more specific, if you are planning to travel by AmTrak in the winter, you might’ve asked yourself does AmTrak run in the snow and I will help you find out.
How Delayed Is Amtrak From Snow?
Quick answer: Yes, AmTrak and any other train will run in the snow, or when it is snowing & their delays can differ immensly.
However…
Weather is unpredictable, snow might cause long delays or cancellations depending on how bad it is.
AmTrak is working around-the-clock to monitor such kind of events and alert their passengers HERE. Make sure to check this link to get up to date Amtrak delays and train times.
Amtrak actively monitor the weather and the railroad infrastructure, in real time, they have a whole team doing it 24/7 , it is called the National Operations Center and Emergency Management.
AmTrak will let you know as early as possible if there are any changes in the schedule.
Professionals such as tree-trimming specialists & railroad switch inspectors are always on standby to make sure trains run on time as often as possible.
Trees falling on tracks, or switches being frozen are both common occurrences, the latter in cold winters.
Of course, each route is susceptible to different delays, especially when it is snowing.
So that’s a factor to consider, even if in general AmTrak can run in the snow, some routes might be extremely challenging simply because of the geographic location.
Why Does Snow and Low Temperatures Create Train Delays?
Snow blizzards are accompanied by wind, which can break tree branches that might fall on the tracks. Low temperatures can affect parts of the railroad infrastructure, like switches. On top of these, low temperature can affect the train.
An example of a train part being affected by the winter’s low temperatures are the doors. If the outside temperature is very low, the doors might get stuck & loosening them takes time.
Depending on the snow depth, if it’s severe the maintenance company will have to run a snow plow train ahead of yours.
The bottom line, any severe weather will delay a train, doesn’t matter if it is passenger or freight.
