Amtrak 8, the eastbound Empire Builder, is slowing for its station stop in Staples, Minnesota several hours off the advertised. The dispatcher informed them that they would be waiting for some westbound trains to clear before they could continue, but it should only be a 20-30 minute wait. That turned into 3 hours as the first of five westbounds developed problems with their FRED and had to grab a new lead locomotive from a train in the Staples yard. By the time they were on the move again, they would be 8 hours late.
