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I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but as I went to make a reservation today I had the option to get an email notification if my train was late, and I could choose how close to scheduled departure I wanted the notification. I could select between 30 minutes and 3 hours. Given that the method...

Amtrak customer service takes a lot of criticism; some deserved and some not. I suspect most regulars would criticize it for being uneven. I think a related issue is that the nature of train travel, especially long-distance travel, requires more interaction with personnel than flying or taking...

The Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has issued an official report on the causes of Amtrak delays: Report. I hadn't seen this posted previously and I think it'll be of interest here. My only comment is that it proves statistically what many of us believed...

A job opportunity is taking me to the Lehigh Valley (Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton). I've gotten myself there from the Midwest by train before, but it was a long slog via Washington and Newark, including a bus. I'm trying to figure out the best ways to access various parts of Amtrak's network. This...

Apologies if this is old news but I don't remember seeing it discussed before. Wisconsin and Minnesota are discussing requesting a feasibility study from Amtrak for a second daily Chicago-Milwaukee-Twin Cities train. Full story here...

I'm pretty sure I've seen this question asked and answered before but I couldn't find it through searching. I'm doing a round-trip from Chicago to New Orleans next week on the City of New Orleans in a roomette and I wanted to know two things: Is dinner served the first night out of Chicago? Is...

According to the Detroit Free Press the Great Dome is running on the Wolverine next week. It's leaving Chicago on the 352 (23) and returning on the 351 (24). Sadly I won't get a chance to ride it but there should be some great photo ops along the Michigan Line. EDIT: here's another article with...

My commute to work (in Kalamazoo) takes me across the old Michigan Central every day. I was surprised to see this morning (around 7:30-7:35) an Amtrak train cross in front of me. Consist was 2-3 Horizons and 2 Amfleets or so--I didn't get an exact count. P42s on both ends. It's not a dreadfully...

I'm fairly certain this has been answered elsewhere but I fail at searching. I'm looking at doing a 1,000-point special zone coach redemption because a last-minute trip that would be high-bucket. By my calculations it would be an efficient use of points. Having done that, could I then pay cash...

354 (10) experienced a service disruption somewhere between New Buffalo and Niles. Whatever it was must have been pretty bad, because it looks like the equipment didn't make it to Pontiac to get turned and become today's 351. Now Amtrak's website has it leaving Ann Arbor, but nothing earlier?

Yesterday the wife and I made a points run Holland-Chicago, and in Chicago pulled up next to the Pere Marquette was the "Silver Chalet" and at least one other older coach. I didn't have my camera and wasn't able to get a good look at what else was there. When we left later the evening it was...

I'm taking the Pere Marquette HOM-CHI and back next Saturday. I was checking on-time performance for the past couple weeks and was a little disturbed to see it arrive in Chicago 5 hours 42 minutes late on 3/9. It looks like the trouble happened somewhere between Bangor and St. Joseph/Benton...

The wife and I are going CHI-LAX-SEA this May in a roomette. We know there's wireless on the Coast Starlight but that we'll probably have to be in the parlor car to use it. My question is this: are there wireless hotspots (free or otherwise) at any of the stations along the SWC's route, that...

Next spring the wife and I are doing KAL-CHI-LAX-SEA in a roomette on an AGR reward. We're supposed to get into LAX around 8:15 am on the Southwest Chief with a departure two hours later on the Coast Starlight. Is breakfast served on the SWC? Two hours isn't a lot of time to get situated, and...