Empire Commuter: Never What You Want

When you want the train to move, it stops...

The Consumerist blog reports how an Amtrak train ran out of fuel 8 miles from a station and left the passengers to their own devices:

An Amtrak train traveling from San Diego to Santa Barbara ran out of fuel eight miles from its destination. Hartford Courant Editor Jeanne LeBlanc's daughter happened to be on the train, and recounted Amtrak's puzzling response.

Anyway, the passengers sat on the train for two hours, in the dark for the last 20 minutes, before they were allowed off -- but only if they could arrange their own transportation. She called her boyfriend and got a ride.

What would have happened if she could not arrange a ride? She has no idea how long the other passengers had to wait. The plan, the crew had told them, was to have a freight train push the Amtrak train to an intersection, where a fuel truck could reach them.

This happens just as Amtrak receives a guarantee of six years of funding from Congress and then raises the fares for regular commuters.

On the other hand, the SF Chronicle reported today that:

A pedestrian apparently absorbed in a cell phone call was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in San Leandro today after he walked around a lowered crossing gate and onto the tracks, authorities said.

The victim, a man who was not immediately identified, was struck at 12:30 p.m. by a northbound Capitol Corridor train at the Alvarado Street crossing, about 8 miles south of the Oakland station, Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said.

None of the 20 passengers or crew aboard the train was injured. That train and two others were delayed and another Capitol Corridor train was cancelled, Graham said.

Crew members aboard the Sacramento-bound train told authorities they saw the victim talking on the cell phone before he was struck, Graham said. The warning lights and gates at the crossing were functioning properly, she added.

Fatalities on and around the tracks are a common occurrence and I've heard from a disgruntled former station manager that it's because Amtrak management has determined the occasional lawsuits are cheaper than additional fencing.