California's Station Host Program Is A Success

[AlanB]

On Monday morning, Al and Montie Feiry of Castro Valley were at the Amtrak station in Emeryville, and they had that deer-in-the-headlights look in their eyes.
They were waiting to board the California Zephyr to Reno to celebrate their 60th anniversary, but they couldn't figure out which coach was theirs. Then a tiny woman in a bright red coat, checkered shirt and conductor's hat walked up and said, "Can I help?"

Within a minute, she located their coach and helped them board. The conductor, Mel Jackson, broke into a big smile as soon as he saw her.

Plus could this be our own Amtrak Unlimited contributor, JCCollins?

The station hosts range in age from 21-year-old J.C. Collins of Concord to Briggs herself, who is 84. They include a security guard, limo drive, doctor, sales agent, web designer and the regional director of the Social Security Administration.

If so, then let me be the first to say congratulations. Plus a big thank you for helping to make the Amtrak experience better for the passengers. We need every passenger we can get to ride Amtrak, and it's programs like this that will certainly help increase that number.

You can read the full story from BayArea.com here, with thanks to Ellis Simon's Amtrak Digest for pointing this story out.

 

[Viewliner]

If so, then let me be the first to say congratulations. Plus a big thank you for helping to make the Amtrak experience better for the passengers. We need every passenger we can get to ride Amtrak, and it's programs like this that will certainly help increase that number.

I second that!!! B)

 

[pismobum]

They looked into our program for a "model" several years ago. At SLO (San Luis Obispo CA), the RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) staffs volunteer jobs at many locations, the busiest an information desk at the local airport. It was a "natural" a few years ago to expand the function to an information desk at the Amtrak station, since #11/14 come thru (usually) within an hour of each other. Various people man various days. I usually have Sunday. On a busy day there can easily be 100+ people in an hour or so, and the agent lines get jammed up. If I'm not busy answering lodging/food/taxi etc questions, I go thru the ticket lines and answer questions (this removes all but the people who actually need to pick up a ticket or are checking baggage. Most are just not sure if they need to check in if they already have a ticket and/or want to know the status of their trains. I get a lot of people who are interested in rail travel when I am just at the desk, and having traveled almost every Amtrak line several times, I can usually answer most questions. It's a fun way for a railfan to spend the afternoon!

 

[tp49]

Plus could this be our own Amtrak Unlimited contributor, JCCollins?

From what he has said here on the forum I would believe that in fact is him. He is a host at the Martinez station. Glad to hear they are doing a good job, keep it up!

 

[AlanB]

I usually have Sunday.

Pismobum,

Well then, take a well deserved bow yourself!

 

[jccollins]

Yes, it's me (I'll leave you in suspense on longer) Our program is currently in place at the Emeryville, Oakland, Martinez, and Sacramento stations.

It would be nice if we could expand the program to serve the San Jose station, especially with the expected increase in Capitols coming soon (12-14 months), the two Coast Starlights (11/14) and the CalTrain commuter trains. This station is chaotic, to say the least. It doesn't seem like Amtrak/CalTrain is able to keep the station agents for very long, so there are always new people at the desk who aren't too familiar with the station or surrounding area yet. Hopefully we can fill this void soon. We still have a few kinks to work out of the program, though, so it will probably take a little while before we can expand. Hopefully if any of you live close to the stations we serve you will consider joining the program - it's actually a lot of fun.

I would have replied earlier but I am in the middle of moving (locally-three miles), and consequently don't have access to my computer every day.