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From Railspot Message: 11 Date: Sat, 03 Sep 2005 17:14:30 -0000 From: "Jim" Subject: Amtrak ... umm ... delayed in evacuation effort

Oh Brother. From Bloomberg.com:

Conditions Improve in New Orleans; Thousands Still Await Help

Sept. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Thousands of people fled New Orleans yesterday as more troops and supplies were sent to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Airplanes, Trains Help from U.S. transportation companies also increased. American Airlines, Southwest Airlines Co. and at least 10 other carriers began evacuating residents from New Orleans, in what officials called the biggest U.S. airlift-rescue effort ever.

The first Amtrak train able to transport 600 passengers was set to arrive in New Orleans at 11 p.m. local time. Officials later said it was delayed.

``We've been working hard to open up another avenue to get folks out of New Orleans,'' said Brian Turmail, a spokesman with the Transportation Department. ``In terms of coordinating security for the train and busing people to the train station, it's taking a little longer than we anticipated.''

Turmail said he didn't know when the Amtrak train, which was in between Livonia, Louisiana, and New Orleans, would make it to the train station.