Hello Reader, it is Kev again!

Welcome back! I'm a week late on a topic, but now you'll know for next time. There's also a new article and an update on the Gold Runner. A new article is now available!

Amtrak and Daylight Saving Time

I know, I know—daylight saving time (DST) ended last Sunday (November 3), and here I am talking about it on November 6. But now you’ll be prepared for next year and the years ahead.

Why This Matters to You

If you’re traveling during a DST weekend, your train’s arrival time might shift by an hour. This matters if someone’s picking you up, you have a tight connection, or you’re trying to catch that early morning meeting. Or you may find that the train has an extra-long station stop.

Spring Forward (March)

When we “spring forward” at 2 AM, clocks jump from 1:59 AM to 3:00 AM. Trains don’t magically teleport an hour into the future, so they can’t stay on their published schedule.

What happens: Any train passing through the 2 AM time change will arrive one hour later than scheduled at all subsequent stops.

Example: The Coast Starlight is scheduled to arrive in Sacramento at 6:15 AM. On spring-forward Sunday, it will come at 7:15 AM instead—even if it’s running perfectly on time by Amtrak’s standards.

If your train is already late, add that delay to the DST hour. A train running 30 minutes late will now be 90 minutes late.

Fall Back (November)

When we “fall back” at 2 AM, clocks go from 1:59 AM back to 1:00 AM. This gives trains an extra hour to operate.

What happens: Trains usually stop at the closest station just before 2 AM and wait for the clock to catch up. Once it’s 2 AM again, they continue on schedule.

If your train is already running late: If the train is delayed by an hour or more before the time change, the conductor might decide to skip the wait and keep moving. This means your late train could arrive closer to its scheduled time—or even make up the delay entirely.

Watch for Renumbered Trains

During DST weekends, Amtrak temporarily assigns new numbers to some trains to prevent scheduling conflicts in its system. You might notice a “1” added to the front of your train number.

Example: Train 49 (Lake Shore Limited) may become Train 1049.

Don't worry about the change; it's normal, and the train number changes due to internal logistics.

Pro Tips

Always check your train’s current status on travel days, especially during DST weekends. Use the Amtrak app or website to see real-time updates.

Communicate with whoever is picking you up. That hour difference can mean someone waiting at the station in the dark for a long time—or missing you completely.

Arizona travelers: You have an easier time since Arizona doesn’t observe DST (except the Navajo Nation), but keep in mind that the times may change to adjust for this.

For more information, please refer to my article on Amtrak and Daylight Saving Time.

New Article: Amtrak in Washington, DC

This weekend, I published a new article as part of my Amtrak In series. This one focuses on Washington, DC. It's a bit different from most because, since Washington Union Station is the only Amtrak station in Washington, DC, I go into more detail about the station itself.

If you haven't visited this station, it's worth a trip!

Learn more about Amtrak in Washington, DC, and the station.

Amtrak San Joaquins Officially Becomes Gold Runner

You might say, He,y Kev, you already told us about this! Yes, that’s true, but as of November 3, 2025, the San Joaquins is officially now the Gold Runner!

If you're interested in this California route, check out my Gold Runner post for schedules, tips, and everything you need to know.

What has Kev been up to?

This week didn’t go exactly as planned, but it had its moments.

Our scheduled tree removal has been postponed to next week because the electric company was unable to come on Tuesday morning. So, that large backyard tree gets to stay a little longer. We are guessing it is a century-plus-year-old, but it is not healthy.

But Tuesday still brought something special—an organ concert featuring the instrument I’d been helping to install and voice over the past few weeks. There’s something surreal about hearing an organ you worked on come to life during a performance, and even more so hearing your name mentioned at the dedication concert.

The performer was Michael T.C. Hey, an exceptional organist now based in New York. If you follow the organ world, you’ve likely heard of him. It brought everything full circle for me—I first saw him perform as a teenager in the Milwaukee area, and years later, I found myself contributing to the instrument he was playing.

In other news, I mailed out postcards to my Patreon members this week! And if you’ve been considering joining, new members in November can get 75% off their first month’s subscription with code 52ABD. Memberships start at $5.

Looking at the Markers

Thanks for joining me this week, and don’t forget about Amtrak's Double Point Plus promotion for travel booked through November 20, 2025.

Interested in supporting this work? Check out my Patreon or other support options. Can't contribute right now? No problem—just sharing this with fellow travelers helps more than you know!

Until Next Week…

Safe travels & Happy Planning,
Kev Monteith