[mlindner]

This isn't true. Amtrak has priority by law over freight in the US as long as they are on time. They don't get priority once they area late. What happens is that Amtrak becomes late and then they lose their slot and become further late.

[crote]

The problem is that freight transporters are intentionally running trains which are longer than the sidings. Even if an Amtrak train has priority by law, it is - by design - impossible for the freight train to pull over.

The result is that an on-time Amtrak train has to wait for a delayed freight train, because it is physically impossible to do anything else. This of course results in the Amtrak train now being late, through no fault of its own.

[oxfeed65261]

It is not impossible to deal with this. The Amtrak train could go onto the siding and then the freight train could back up, allowing the Amtrak train to reenter the main track ahead of the freight train.

[nopenopenopeno]

Good point, but at the end of the day it's still ultimately a political problem.

[ThunderSizzle]

> This of course results in the Amtrak train now being late, through no fault of its own.

I'm going to give the tried and true answer everyone receives (at airports at least): it doesn't matter why your late. It's your responsibility. You should've left earlier and predicted the future.

Amtrak should've already built their own rails and should be serving much more of the country. I dont know anyone who can even consider Amtrak for travel.

[bastawhiz]

What happens when late freight makes Amtrak late? You can't just make a freight train evaporate from the track because Amtrak has priority.

[nopenopenopeno]

You can make the freight train wait at the merge. It's not rocket science.

[bastawhiz]

Freight trains can be very long. If it's already occupying the track, it's too late to make it wait.

[stetrain]

But as far as I know there is no enforcement action taken when the freight railroads violate that priority.