ferroequineologist
Train Attendant
Living now in Michigan and when riding the Amtrak from Kalamazoo to Chicago, round trip of course! As for added comfort to the wife and daughter traveling with me, I purchased Club Car reserved seats for 3.
Concern 1. Seating arrangement when traveling on the N.E. corridor, such Club car seating is wide seats and added leg room. This was not the fact on the car we rode, as all the Club car reserved seat were shoved quite tight forward allowing major space for some baggage items which did not pay the extra fare.
Concern 2. The seating arrangement was similar to that in standard coach, two adjoining seats on each side of the center aisle. Sadly, the reserved seating placed the wife three rows ahead and the daughter behind, as the man sleeping next to me kept curling up and using both seats for his better comfort whenever I got up to get us drinks or food. Again the seating of Club Car is at an extra fare and should by common reasoning be as well of added comfort and not less. Ultimately on our trip homeward we chose to sit in standard coach class cars as they had nice roomy seating.
Items like this is what customer relations needs to address, and not with white wash and sneering smiles of "Who cares, and or what can we do about it?"
Myself for many years previous of today and even before and after this sad ride on the train I helped keep our Michigan rail lines operating. The trains were when under Penn Central ran then as they do today, similar in numbers or trains and scheduling of them. They are clean inside, and windows appear too often as equal to P.C. with the exception that along the rails the trees are trimmed away from doing brush cleaning during wet weather when the train is passing green trees with wet leaves as then operated in the glorious 60's.
Train washing is something long hence ignored by the rail operators, save Amtrak who continues to feel monetary crunches, obviously due to limited availability of funds, as well foul weather.
The exceptions were in history as of such railroads as Union Pacific, Santa Fe, Burlington, Western Pacific, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Grand Trunk Western, Southern Ry, and likely a few others I do not know of who kept glass clean year-round. People like to view the countryside and peering through unwashed glass is not the way to earn return business/riders.
If the suggestion strikes a common concern, then by use of pressure washing of trains mid route, at various station trackage, the delight of customers traveling would take a drastic up-turn toward thinking in positive attitude toward using the train again. I would be happy to suggest such an item added to the Kalamazoo station facility, at the city commission meeting. They too have limited funds available, but by suggesting of such an enhancement, the idea is posted in the minutes and made available to bring up the question again.
Many continuing concerns come with operating such a wide variance of routes and trains. Passenger comfort and enjoyment need to be primary, at the least in the marketing and equipment availability.
This opening a smaller forum considering suggestions by passengers for on-train comfort:
Concern 1. Seating arrangement when traveling on the N.E. corridor, such Club car seating is wide seats and added leg room. This was not the fact on the car we rode, as all the Club car reserved seat were shoved quite tight forward allowing major space for some baggage items which did not pay the extra fare.
Concern 2. The seating arrangement was similar to that in standard coach, two adjoining seats on each side of the center aisle. Sadly, the reserved seating placed the wife three rows ahead and the daughter behind, as the man sleeping next to me kept curling up and using both seats for his better comfort whenever I got up to get us drinks or food. Again the seating of Club Car is at an extra fare and should by common reasoning be as well of added comfort and not less. Ultimately on our trip homeward we chose to sit in standard coach class cars as they had nice roomy seating.
Items like this is what customer relations needs to address, and not with white wash and sneering smiles of "Who cares, and or what can we do about it?"
Myself for many years previous of today and even before and after this sad ride on the train I helped keep our Michigan rail lines operating. The trains were when under Penn Central ran then as they do today, similar in numbers or trains and scheduling of them. They are clean inside, and windows appear too often as equal to P.C. with the exception that along the rails the trees are trimmed away from doing brush cleaning during wet weather when the train is passing green trees with wet leaves as then operated in the glorious 60's.
Train washing is something long hence ignored by the rail operators, save Amtrak who continues to feel monetary crunches, obviously due to limited availability of funds, as well foul weather.
The exceptions were in history as of such railroads as Union Pacific, Santa Fe, Burlington, Western Pacific, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Grand Trunk Western, Southern Ry, and likely a few others I do not know of who kept glass clean year-round. People like to view the countryside and peering through unwashed glass is not the way to earn return business/riders.
If the suggestion strikes a common concern, then by use of pressure washing of trains mid route, at various station trackage, the delight of customers traveling would take a drastic up-turn toward thinking in positive attitude toward using the train again. I would be happy to suggest such an item added to the Kalamazoo station facility, at the city commission meeting. They too have limited funds available, but by suggesting of such an enhancement, the idea is posted in the minutes and made available to bring up the question again.
Many continuing concerns come with operating such a wide variance of routes and trains. Passenger comfort and enjoyment need to be primary, at the least in the marketing and equipment availability.
This opening a smaller forum considering suggestions by passengers for on-train comfort: