Amtrak Outlines Plan to Improve Ontime Performance

[AlanB]

In a memo to employees in this first week of December, Ed Walker, Amtrak’s vice president of operations, outlined ways the railroad hopes to improve on-time performance. Outside the Northeast Corridor and services in California and the Pacific Northwest, Amtrak’s on-time performance averaged just 58% last fiscal year, down from above 70% a few years ago.

In the Northeast, Amfleet cars will receive the new "Phase 6" paint scheme, which features a dark blue band across the windows, topped by a pair of red pinstripes set on a white background. The cars will be repainted during scheduled maintenance as part of an effort to bring consistency to the railroad’s livery, Walker said. This scheme will replace older liveries or the two-tone-green Acela “lava lamp” scheme, as some observers have tagged it, which will be restricted to the higher-speed Acela Express trains themselves.

You can read the full story from Trains.com by clicking here.

 

[Steve4031]

Thanks for the info. It sounds like Amtrak management is getting its act together. On my trip to Colorado on the Zephyr, worn seat cusions were a problem in the coaches and in my standard room.

 

[AlanB]

It sounds like Amtrak management is getting its act together.

Steve,

It certainly sounds like it. If nothing else, they seem to be taking all the right steps to try and improve things. Only time will tell.

Hopefully they can get a little more money out of Congress to help speed the process.

 

[Viewliner]

Hopefully they can get a little more money out of Congress to help speed the process.

Maybe enough for some decent Viewliners! :lol:

I'd like to see a phase VI Car, maybe when I go to NYP to Take Pics.

Here's my questions:

Since Gunn Seems to prefer the "pointless arrow" do you think we'll be back to it for our logo before the Gunn era ends (which hopefully won't be for a long time)?

Do you prefer the:

1) Pointless Arrow

2) Three Sheets in the Wind (Aka Flying Breast Implant)

 

[tp49]

Even if they don't get anything extra from Congress I'm confident that Gunn and his team will so the best they can with th ecards they are dealt. As for logos I do not particularly like either logo and would design another but if I had to choose I'd go with the pointless arrow.

 

[AlanB]

Even if they don't get anything extra from Congress I'm confident that Gunn and his team will so the best they can with th ecards they are dealt.

Even though your fingers tripped over the key there, I agree 100%. David & team will make every effort that they can to keep the trains running, while trying to make improvements.

If nothing else, the simple fact that David is out there riding the trains and talking to the workers of Amtrak (case in point, see below), has to be heartening to them. Improve the happiness and confidence they have in their jobs, some of that will flow down to the passenger level. That can only be good for Amtrak.

Gunn's stop in New Orleans this week was his first since taking over Amtrak. He spent the day roaming through Union Station and nearby Amtrak warehouses and maintenance yards, where he greeted employees and talked to them about their jobs.
Amtrak worker Earl White was surprised to bump into Gunn in the front section of a locomotive being repaired in a workshop behind the downtown train station. "I've never seen a president here, and I've been here for 20 years," White said.

"I believe in management by walking around," Gunn said later. "You have to understand the physical and human reality of these places. Given all of the uncertainty surrounding Amtrak, it's incumbent on me to give employees access."

You can read the full story from the Times-Picayune of New Orleans, courtesy of Nola.com. Also thanks to Ellis Simon's Amtrak Digest for pointing out this story.

 

[Amfleet]

Guys, I have a couple photos of the Phase IVb Amfleet cars that I found on another board and I would be happy to send them to you. You can email me at [email protected] for them. One thing I don't see the need for is to repaint the already Phase IV cars which could just get the new logo instead of a whole new stripe.

 

[Amfleet]

Do you prefer the:
1) Pointless Arrow

2) Three Sheets in the Wind (Aka Flying Breast Implant)

I've actually grown into Three Sheets to the Wind scheme it looks good up against the new paint scheme. I also think that it might not be a bad idea to keep the new P-42 in the Phase V Scheme. Most railroads in the '50's would paint their locomotives with their signature logo anyway.

 

[Steve4031]

I gues I am more concerned about what is going on inside the cars. Either design would look great if I was riding in a budd dome care through the front range of the rockies.

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

I note that the article referred to in TRAINS MAG. specifically re-affirmed that the Texas Eagle and Sunset are doing better--an extremely obvious pet peeve of mine, as I have it dotted around in several forums.

You know, sometimes people may try to retionalize delays by things like, "If we were in a hurry we wouldn't be on a train anyway", or running late just gives us "that much more time to enjoy the train." Or if we are already on a train for 50 hours, what difference does one more hour make?

I know what people mean by that.....but it can only be carried so far...no matter how much we may enjoy it, we(or others)have connections to make, things to do and places to be.

The longest train trip I ever took without changing trains was four nights straight across Canada on CN's former Super Continental back about 1970,....and I did not get bored for one minute...but then...it DID run on time. One can have one's relaxation and still be on time.

 

[Viewliner]

What Issue?

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

The current issue...I got to it by clicking "here" in Alan B's original notation beginning this forum.

 

[Viewliner]

Oops

Thought you meant the actual magazine.

 

[Amfleet]

I gues I am more concerned about what is going on inside the cars. Either design would look great if I was riding in a budd dome care through the front range of the rockies.

I too am concerned more on the insides as well. Not so much the "moderness" of the cars, but more over the condition and cleaness. I found that the unrefurbished Superliner I Sleeper on the Capitol Limited to be a lot nicer than the refurbished one I was in! Exteriors do have their importants also because they set an image on the company.

 

[Viewliner]

I agree, the interior should be the primary concern. As for Viewliners, I don't like the refurbs, you have a more complicated lock, which can only be opened inside, and that curtain on the door lets too much light in at night when you try to sleep.

As for the exterior, yes it should be clean, and look decent, but the interior is the primary concern. After all, hopefully you're not riding on the Exterior!!! :lol:

 

[Amfleet]

There are many features I don't like about the Viewliner two of them being the ones you mentioned. First, there are way to many buttons just for one room, second if your going to install an entertainment system it should be decent and workable otherwise get rid of it, and thrid way too much flourescent lighting, the new order should have dimmer hall lighting and more natural lighting in the room.

 

[Viewliner]

Hopefully, the next order is a whole fleet built to last by a talgo/temoinsa equipment (i.e. closest thing to Budd/Pullman-Standard as far as quality). I think Amtrak might try what they did with building the prototypes and survey the crew members and passengers on ways they can be improved.

 

[AlanB]

I too am concerned more on the insides as well. Not so much the "moderness" of the cars, but more over the condition and cleaness. I found that the unrefurbished Superliner I Sleeper on the Capitol Limited to be a lot nicer than the refurbished one I was in!

Well in that same article, the first one that I quoted, they also mention that the interior is also one of the areas of concern. So it would appear that David isn't only concerned with the outside of the train.

Just in case you didn't catch it when you first read the article, I'm enclosing the following quote from the first post, where I linked to the Trains.com article.

The Central and Pacific divisions will work together to improve the car fleet assigned to the Zephyr, for example. They’ll first focus on replacing worn or stained seat cushions and upholstery, as well as cleaning and replacing carpets, Walker said.

 

[Amfleet]

I totaly agree that the Long Distance Fleet is in the most desperate need of repair, especially Superliners. Even though I enjoyed my Capitol Limted in July the train was very dirty, coaches worn, and many items in need of repair. However, when on the Silver Meteor last April, which untalizes single-level equipment, I found the cars to be in a clean and good working order. So I'm glad the interiors are also a major focus.

 

[Viewliner]

I totaly agree that the Long Distance Fleet is in the most desperate need of repair, especially Superliners. Even though I enjoyed my Capitol Limted in July the train was very dirty, coaches worn, and many items in need of repair. However, when on the Silver Meteor last April, which untalizes single-level equipment, I found the cars to be in a clean and good working order. So I'm glad the interiors are also a major focus.

I agree, lately the cars seem better, as far as cleanliness, and in a good state of repair. Who knows, with Gunn we might get a Good fleet of Viewliners sooner than we would otherwise.

 

[Amfleet]

I really think Gunn is going to hold off on buying anything. Amtrak can still be run efficently with the equipment already avalable. Now thinking optomisticly, we might see some new cars purchased in 3-4 years down the road.

 

[Viewliner]

Now thinking optomisticly, we might see some new cars purchased in 3-4 years down the road.

That would be a good time frame.

 

[jccollins]

Well, if we get all of the out of service equipment fixed, I think we'd be in a lot better shape. As for the two logos, I really don't know which one I like better. I guess I kind of like both of them - for different purposes. On the street signs directing people to the stations, the pointless arrow is much more effective - it seems to be universally known and accepted, even when it doesn't say Amtrak on the sign, as they often don't. I think the "three sheets in the wind" logo looks better on printed brochures/materials Amtrak produces than the arrow. It seems like Amtrak continues to use both the logos, too, (unless they don't have the money to replace old the old logos-which is probably the case) although they say they are only using the new one.

 

[Amfleet]

See that's one thing Warrington never did. He would never "go out with the old, in with the new" he just came "in with the new" still leaving some of the old showing. I'm assured Gunn will fix this problem and make one universal image, which seems to be the "three sheets to the wind"

 

[Viewliner]

It could be the pointless arrow, after he had his picture painted with the Arrow and there is the one Phase V P-42 which has the arrow also.