Amtrak - $10 bus-like experience for only $100!

[Texan Eagle]

Boarded a NE Regional from BOS this morning and 5 miles out of BOS our engine lost power and came to a grinding stop! So much for pre-departure checks.

After a while it sputtered back to life and has been ambling along, losing power every few minutes, and as a result losing speed and time. Already gathered 30 minutes of delay and we are still in Connecticut.

To add to it, ever since we departed BOS, the on-board Wi-fi is not working and the staff has made exactly one announcement that "we have called about it, they will look into it". Don't know when. Maybe tomorrow. Or Tuesday.

So, basically after paying over $100 we have an engine that can barely work, air-con and lights that keep going off every few minutes, and advertised wi-fi that does not work. This would have been OK if I was on a discount Chinese bus that can do the same journey for $10. Well...

 

[Texan Eagle]

Oh and they oversold the train and now we are apparently out of seats and the crew has no idea what to do. The attendant at the back car sent everyone looking to the front, and when they reached the front car the attendant there announced if you looking for seats, go to the BACK of the train.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Sounds like that is worth a call to Customer Service for a Voucher.

 

[A Voice]

Out of curiosity, what type of locomotive?

Hope your trip gets better, regardless.

 

[Texan Eagle]

Out of curiosity, what type of locomotive?

I don't know. Forgot to see before boarding, will check after I get off and report back. The curiosity is killing me too but can't risk leaving my seat midway.

 

[City of Miami]

Funny, all regionals showing green on Amtrak Status.

Maybe chronic seat-hoggers are creating the other problem.

Wifi was spotty on the $37 bus coming over to RVA this morning.

As they say, Relax and enjoy the ride.

PS: why on earth would a voucher be in order??

 

[Texan Eagle]

Funny, all regionals showing green on Amtrak Status.

Maybe chronic seat-hoggers are creating the other problem.

Wifi was spotty on the $37 bus coming over to RVA this morning.

As they say, Relax and enjoy the ride.

PS: why on earth would a voucher be in order??

I didn't want to give away my location, but whatever, check southbound #83. I am tracking it live onboard (using my own cell data, AmtrakConnect is still not working). It is 30+ minutes down and showing "no status".

No seat hoggers. Conductor and attendants are over-aggressive enforcing the "no stuff on seats" policy. A girl in my car got scolded very loudly by the conductor because she left her stuff on the seat while she went to use the restroom! Go figure!

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

LOL, you'd be worse on a Van Hool (aka Chinatown bus). Peter Pan offers rides for $13.50, in case you are ever interested. It is not Greyhound. You'll get the air-conditioning, somewhat-spotty Wi-Fi, and picture windows of sufficient size to allow operation with the interior lights off.

 

[Steve4031]

A bus is a bus is a bus and bus spelled backwards is sub as in substandard. There's. More legroom on a train.

 

[MARC Rider]

A bus is a bus is a bus and bus spelled backwards is sub as in substandard. There's. More legroom on a train.

There's nothing to stop a bus operator from installing few seats with more legroom, and charging more, but still less than the train.

In NEC land, the train does have an advantage of being faster (2:30 BAL-NYP vs 4 hours on the road). But that advantage occasionally gets **** ed away due to breakdowns and other problems.

On the other hand, the busses have to deal with the New Jersey Turnpike and the bridges and tunnels.

 

[Texan Eagle]

Out of curiosity, what type of locomotive?

I don't know. Forgot to see before boarding, will check after I get off and report back. The curiosity is killing me too but can't risk leaving my seat midway.

Sorry I forgot to respond to this- it was a toaster!

Over the weekend I was at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania and was surprised (or maybe not) to see a AEM-7 added to the museum exhibits. I think by now that is the appropriate place for the toasters, not the NEC rails.

 

[rrdude]

Funny, all regionals showing green on Amtrak Status.

Maybe chronic seat-hoggers are creating the other problem.

Wifi was spotty on the $37 bus coming over to RVA this morning.

As they say, Relax and enjoy the ride.

PS: why on earth would a voucher be in order??

Because the train is LATE, and the AC is not working properly. Why should the transportation provider NOT be held accountable? I just do NOT understand........ SMH. Why even have a timetable, or guarantee conx, if you aren't held accountable?

 

[the_traveler]

The attendant at the back car sent everyone looking to the front, and when they reached the front car the attendant there

Conductor and attendants

Are you sure you were on Amtrak and not a bus? :huh: On the NEC there are no attendants - either in the front car or in the back car. There are only a Conductor and 1 or 2 A/C, plus the café LSA.

 

[Texan Eagle]

The attendant at the back car sent everyone looking to the front, and when they reached the front car the attendant there

Conductor and attendants

Are you sure you were on Amtrak and not a bus? :huh: On the NEC there are no attendants - either in the front car or in the back car. There are only a Conductor and 1 or 2 A/C, plus the café LSA.

Ok fine, pull me over for wrong use of Amtrak staff designation terms. I should have just said "humans in Amtrak uniform onboard the train", whatever they are called.. conductors, LSA whatever.

 

[jebr]

The attendant at the back car sent everyone looking to the front, and when they reached the front car the attendant there

Conductor and attendants

Are you sure you were on Amtrak and not a bus? :huh: On the NEC there are no attendants - either in the front car or in the back car. There are only a Conductor and 1 or 2 A/C, plus the café LSA.

What bus service has a conductor, or has multiple attendants/on board customer facing personnel? Even the luxury bus services I've heard of only have the driver and one on board service person. The OP was definitely on the train.
Anyways, while it's always nice to ride the train, delays and lack of services are rightly frustrating and cause for complaint. I'm on a regional this morning that's over an hour down and they didn't stock the cafe car. Now we're without food until the train arrives at 1:45 or so, which is pretty late when I had breakfast at about 6:30 this morning. (Plus, unlike wifi where I can switch to cellular data easily, I cannot simply get up and get more food. I would have had to buy food at 8:30 this morning and been okay with eating it at room temperature. The cafe car, when stocked, at least allows the option of hot or cold food.)

 

[jis]

Understocking food service cars is a chronic Amtrak problem. I have never heard any airline understock flights on which they serve food.