No extra trains were scheduled after the evacution order.
The Crescent now terminates in Atlanta-New York,
City of New Orleans now runs Chicago-Memphis.
Sunset limited now just runs LA-San Antonio. (was LA-Orlando via New Orleans.)
I understand they can’t get to New Orleans itself, but thet could get closer to pick up refugees from the nearest point lines are running.
My daughter left NOLA via Amtrak a few days before the evacuation order, fare $112 to Chicago. (She’d spent the weekend in Orleans Parish Prison, and it had become clear that at least one cop had made it her mission to rid the city of my kid. much appreciated.)
I’ve heard, but can’t confirm, that after the order, the fare was raised to $700. I can find no evidence that extra runs were added between the evacuation order and the arrival of Katrina.
Amtrak’s News Release Archive shows nothing related to Katrina.
one might think that after 9/11, our emergency management types would grasp the value of passenger rail in emergencies and have co-ordinated evacuation plans with Amtrak. One might even hope they’d learn from Katrina. nah.
