Changing Amtrak's culture

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Save Our Trains Michigan

Conductor
Joined
Jun 19, 2003
Messages
1,805
Location
Harrison Michigan
WASHINGTON - Traditionally I've supported Amtrak, though, at times, I've

questioned my own reasoning for doing so.

My misgivings always prompt me to ask questions like: How many more highway

lanes can we widen? How many airport runways can we construct?

When you think long term, it's clear that to sustain our quality of life and

economic growth, America needs a complete package of transportation options

- roads, ports, runways and full-service rails, too. That's why I've

introduced a sweeping Amtrak reform bill aimed not just at keeping Amtrak trains

running another year but at improving rail passenger service and fundamentally

changing Amtrak's culture.

After talks with management, labor, interested members of Congress and

virtually every group associated with Amtrak, the Senate Surface Transportation

Committee, which I chair, introduced a bipartisan reform bill. The Passenger

Rail Investment and Improvement Act has three themes.

First, it will reform Amtrak, making it more accountable. Second, it will

cut Amtrak's operating costs. Third, it will enable states to establish their

own passenger rail service, if needed. In fact, this legislation aims to cut

Amtrak's federal taxpayer subsidy by a whopping 40 percent so that Amtrak

doesn't have to live from congressional appropriation to congressional

appropriation - paycheck to paycheck.

Story
 
In the Senator's article, he says they must change Amtrak's Culture. He speaks of "routes" and "food service". Is he really saying that they want Amtrak to shut down some long distance trains and eliminate food/beverage service (and probably sleeping cars also) on the ones remaining? If this is so, this is still a kill amtrak proposal. Who would ride the SWC, CZ, EB or SL or any Eastern train if there is not an opportunity for meals, drinks and the privacy and comfort of a sleeping car? This would put an end to long distance intercity rail travel in a heartbeat. IT sounds like this is what they are planning.
 
Judging by its Source (Sen. Lott - R), I think that he really does have the best interest of rail passenger service in mind. He spoke in favor of the Bill that would give Amtrak $1.4 billion for next year, when it was proposed a while back.

This shouldnt be taken as another "kill Amtrak" proposal.

Jon Parker
 
Well I certainly hope so, I know he has usually been a pretty firm supporter of Amtrak, and not afraid to buck the administration on this. But his comments about food/beverage service etc. made me just a little nervous.
 
All it says is reform food service. Does Amtrak even make any money selling snacks in the lounge cars? If not then something is wrong! If you can't make money selling bags of chips...well that's just pretty pathetic. Maybe they need to sell fewer items (less damaged items to spoilage) and just focus on only the high profit items.
 
To make money in the dinning car you would have to charge over $40 per meal just to break even.The reason for all this nonense is because of the railway Labor Act that protects all RR employees including Amtrak.Reform is not the answer.
 
No im talking about the snack bar. Just subtract the cost of food and supplies and labor from the revenue. Only one person was in the snackbar so I can't imagine labor costs would be that high and most of the food they sold seems to me that it would be relatively inexespensive. That's why airlines started selling food. They still offer free pop, but many sell $5 snack packs and things like that to make a little extra money.

Why does it cost $40 to microwave a burger?
 
Guest said:
No im talking about the snack bar. Just subtract the cost of food and supplies and labor from the revenue. Only one person was in the snackbar so I can't imagine labor costs would be that high and most of the food they sold seems to me that it would be relatively inexespensive. That's why airlines started selling food. They still offer free pop, but many sell $5 snack packs and things like that to make a little extra money.
Why does it cost $40 to microwave a burger?
Click to expand...
Like i said the biggist reason Amtrak can't turn a profit on any food is because of the amount of money they have to pay the employees to work and the wages are all coverd under the railway labor act amtrak nor any other RR can pay less then what the railway labor act says and i am glad for the railway labor act anyone who does not work for the RR has no idea of how we would be treated with out union protection and with out the railway labor act. :)
 
And I'm leaving him/her a tip in the little plastic cup? Really I don't mind, they put up with a lot standing there for hours. Amtrak has always said the purpose of the snack bar or cafe car or even the dining car isn't to make money but to sell tickets. They won't sell any tickets if there is no food/beverage service on board. I've never seen any spoilage. Have you ever gone to the snack counter within two hundred miles of destination? There ain't much to choose from.
 
You can' just get rid of food and beverage service and I think Lott and most people know this. To think in a business sense, they might want to go to a vending machine setup. You could realistically do this and provide microwaves for people to use for the hot stuff. Alcohol could be a problem, maybe they could issue some kind of swipe card that you can request before travel (for proof of age). This takes away a bit from the "experience" and makes it impersonal, but theft would be eliminated, a bunch of money saved on labor, it would be accessable 24hrs a day, and you might even have a bit more variety. I think it would also speed up the service. The dinning car I would leave alone other than paying someone in there a couple extra bucks and hour to check on the machines at night or whenever.
 
I like the vending machine idea. Sure it would take away the experience, but a lot of people might argue that the government needs to be funding transportation, not "experiences." I like the food service, but there ARE ways to offer food service and have it be profitable or at least less costly.
 
Midland Valley said:
And I'm leaving him/her a tip in the little plastic cup? Really I don't mind, they put up with a lot standing there for hours. Amtrak has always said the purpose of the snack bar or cafe car or even the dining car isn't to make money but to sell tickets. They won't sell any tickets if there is no food/beverage service on board. I've never seen any spoilage. Have you ever gone to the snack counter within two hundred miles of destination? There ain't much to choose from.
Click to expand...
All I know is when I went on the Zephyr they had some bags of candy that looked so old I wouldn't dare eat them. I just saw a show on vending machines on the Food channel. You can get SO many things in vending machines these days.
 
While we're at it, let's eliminate the sightseer lounge. I mean, nobody even pays to sit there, and there are windows at all of the seats already.
 
If you get rid of the LSA, he/she still gets paid for six years; so what's the point of that? Then have Amtrak deal with the syndicates who run the vending business. Then someone spills hot coffe or tea from a microwave on a curve or rough track and you have lawsuites all over the place. Then you have a lounge area that is trashed, splashed, and slippery with a microwave oven with more bacteria than a chickenhouse floor. And worst of all, Instant Coffee! Thats a real cultural improvement.
 
I don't think so! The view from your seat is not near as good as the lounge. It also is a dinning car waiting area. And a place to get away during a long coach trip. It also allows you to meet people and of course provides food service. If you want to take something out, take out a lower level on every train and make a kiddie car like on the Starlight. It helps everybody's nerves.
 
sechs said:
While we're at it, let's eliminate the sightseer lounge. I mean, nobody even pays to sit there, and there are windows at all of the seats already.
Click to expand...
While we're at it, they can reduce the seat size, put in two more seats per row, stuff us all in the coaches so we can't get out, have a load of speechless, self absorbed passengers just like on airliners.
 
Actually, I was just thinking the same thing, but wasn't sure how the decreased seat pitch and 2-3 layout would go....
 

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