Getting Off Early -- Considerations?

[DivMiler]

The littlest DivMiler and I will be traveling from Boston South Station (BOS) to Chicago on the Lake Shore Limited. Our tickets, using AGR points both ways, reflect BOS-Chicago and Chicago-BOS.

However, my plan is for my daughter to disembark at Springfield (SPG) to visit her grandparents (my in-laws), while I continue on to Boston. My in-laws will be at the station before 448 is to arrive (and wait as long as needed if the train is late). I assume that the train will not leave SPG before its scheduled departure.

If I notify our sleeping car attendant my daughter is getting off early, will that be enough? Should I notify the conductor too/instead?

Of course, if for some reason I don't see my in-laws, my daughter is going with me all the way back to Boston.

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

I don't think you need to inform anyone that your daughter will be departing the train sooner (if your in-laws show up). They don't take attendance.

 

[hhswami]

I've disembarked early from the Silvers early many times without a problem, and have always let someone from the train know my intentions ahead of time.

I think in this case you would especially want to let them know ahead of time, so there's no confusion in case the In-laws don't show.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

At least let the Sleeping Car Attendant know just in case he or she have no scheduled departures or boardings at Springfield. That way they will be there to open the door.

 

[Guest]

I don't think you need to inform anyone that your daughter will be departing the train sooner (if your in-laws show up). They don't take attendance.

however if there's a crash and the DivMiller unconscious it's Not Good for the first responders to be searching for somebody who is safe miles away.

 

[the_traveler]

At least let the Sleeping Car Attendant know just in case he or she have no scheduled departures or boardings at Springfield. That way they will be there to open the door.

That, and make sure she does not any checked baggage. You can't check some to SPG and some to BOS, if the res is to BOS. Be sure all her bags are carry on only.

 

[amamba]

Just notify the SCA so you make sure the door to your sleeper gets opened at the stop. I detrained from the LSL at SPG last summer and it was fine, a nice high level platform, too, so you don't have to drag your luggage down the stairs of the viewliner.

 

[Guest]

I don't think you need to inform anyone that your daughter will be departing the train sooner (if your in-laws show up). They don't take attendance.

however if there's a crash and the DivMiller unconscious it's Not Good for the first responders to be searching for somebody who is safe miles away.

You are claiming that the official manifest of passengers will always get updated by the conductor, when someone departs at an earlier station? Do you have any proof of such?

 

[Blackwolf]

I don't think you need to inform anyone that your daughter will be departing the train sooner (if your in-laws show up). They don't take attendance.

however if there's a crash and the DivMiller unconscious it's Not Good for the first responders to be searching for somebody who is safe miles away.

You are claiming that the official manifest of passengers will always get updated by the conductor, when someone departs at an earlier station? Do you have any proof of such?

I am pretty sure that the manifest would not be updated to show an earlier-than-ticketed departure of this nature, unless you had a conductor who was purely by the book and really on top of things. The manifests are electronic since e-Ticking, I believe, and reflect the ticked information when scanned.

In this case, it would be over-thinking (IMHO) to do more than notify the SCA of your daughter's earlier than ticketed departure. It might even be worth an extra dollar or two tip if they are super nice and accommodating about it too. Curious... Since you mention that this is a round trip, would your daughter be returning from Chicago or Springfield? If it is the later, then doing the informal notification method probably won't be enough and updating the reservation with an agent should be done.

 

[DivMiler]

In this case, it would be over-thinking (IMHO) to do more than notify the SCA of your daughter's earlier than ticketed departure. It might even be worth an extra dollar or two tip if they are super nice and accommodating about it too. Curious... Since you mention that this is a round trip, would your daughter be returning from Chicago or Springfield? If it is the later, then doing the informal notification method probably won't be enough and updating the reservation with an agent should be done.

Already planned with a tip.

No, this is two one-ways (BOS-CHI and CHI-BOS). My daughter is to go BOS-CHI-SPG, while I go BOS-CHI-BOS.

Thanks for your suggestions, everybody. I'll notify our SCA when we board in Chicago and also sometime before we get to Springfield.

 

[daveyb99]

How about just change you ticket. Simple. . . . . .

 

[Ryan]

Not really that simple, especially on an AGR award.

You'll have no problems letting her off a little early.

DivMiler, you're correct - the train will not leave before the scheduled time.

 

[DivMiler]

How about just change you ticket. Simple. . . . . .

Well, she is only 7 years old. If (for some reason) her grandparents aren't in Springfield on time, I don't want to have to argue with somebody over letting her go all the way to Boston if she only has a ticket to Springfield.

 

[AlanB]

It is way too hard and complicated to fix things in such a way to get her ticketed to SPG anyhow. So no point in trying. There is nothing wrong with what you want to do. Just be sure to tell the SCA about that, and I'd remind the SCA after leaving Albany or Pittsfield.

 

[SubwayNut]

Just notify the SCA so you make sure the door to your sleeper gets opened at the stop. I detrained from the LSL at SPG last summer and it was fine, a nice high level platform, too, so you don't have to drag your luggage down the stairs of the viewliner.

Springfield doesn't have any high level platforms. I know their being proposed for the mostly abandoned station.

Also the Lake Shore will arrive at the tracks farthest from the station building (operationally has to) so its a long walk across the rest of the station's tracks to actually get to the station depot and exit. The station staff (and an AmCop) did let us out to the platform before the train actually arrived on my one time boarding the Lake Shore in Springfield so hopefully they will let the grandparents out trainside. Springfield is a brief smoke stop to so you should have a minute to get your daughter off the train into the hands of her grandparents too, you probably won't have time to walk her all the way into the small station itself if the Grandparents are waiting inside and then get back on the train. (I've linked to the page on my website for Springfield that should clarify what I'm talking about). I'd warn the grandparents in advance especially if there used to catching the Vermonter, Shuttle, or Regionals at Springfield that always stop directly alongside or at the closer tracks to the current station building and won't expect the Lake Shore to be so far away.

 

[battalion51]

Personally, I would let the Conductor who lifts your tickets out of CHI know of your plan. If they so choose they should be able to change it in their phone so it shows her getting off the train at SPG. It may not seem like a big deal, but if something happens between SPG and BOS and they have to account for everyone they'll be looking for someone who isn't there in the first place.

 

[the_traveler]

And if the conductor changes things in the res, and if the in-laws for some reason do not meet the train in SPG (say they got into a car accident on the way to the station) and she continues on to BOS, she would not have a ticket. He would have to buy a new ticket on board (at high bucket)! Also it's possible that the conductor may "hit the wrong button" and show both getting off at SPG!

I hope it doesn't happen, but a auto accident is much more likely than a train accident. The most dangerous part of an Amtrak trip is the drive to or from the station!

I'd say leave it as it is, but tell the SCA between PIT and SPG that she'll be getting off in SPG, so the door gets opened. Also, you may want to call your in-laws from the train just to verify that they are at the station. I can tell you right now the sleeper will be the first car right behind the baggage car at the front of the trin.

 

[AlanB]

Dave,

I would not expect that the conductor would make such a change until they're close to the SPG stop. For example, the conductor out of CHI wouldn't do it. Tell the conductor out of Albany instead.

And while I won't say that all of Amtrak's conductors are perfect angels, I can't believe that any would be so heartless to force a 4 year old girl off the train at SPG with no Grandparents in sight all because she's not ticketed all the way to BOS in a Roomette with her father. But B51 does have a valid point, the conductor should know who is or isn't on his/her train.

That was one of the bigger problems that the NTSB has had with Amtrak and one of the reasons for eTickets was to have an updated at all times manifest.

 

[amamba]

Subway nut sorry if I was mistaken about the high level platform. I must be misremembering it.

 

[battalion51]

You may be thinking of Worcester. IIRC Worcester has high level platforms (probably due to MBTA).

 

[guest in the west]

I have an AGR award from Chicago to San Francisco in early October on what is now a sold-out train, but I am planning to get off in Salt Lake City and then fly home after a couple of days there.

If I try to rebook it through AGR, I am afraid I will lose the space, so was thinking just to tell the SCA that I am going to get off in Salt Lake City after we leave Grand Junction (or pass Helper, Utah).

Is there any problem I am going to run into here?

 

[calwatch]

No. You can leave at any time.

 

[TraneMan]

You can get off early.

We did that on our last trip, and I made the conductor aware of it, and also our SCA.. WIN is a double spotting station, since we were the only one getting off there, they had us move up a few cars to get off so they didn't have to double spot, and save time.

 

[AlanB]

Just be sure to tell the crew.

 

[the_traveler]

However, if you're certain that you'll be getting off in SLC, why not just call and adjust your reservation? :huh: This way Amtrak can possible sell your seat or room! It is a full day and night trip from SLC to EMY. If someone wanted to book from (say) Elko to Sacramento, there may not be space because you have a reservation for that segment. And if you have checked baggage, you could not check them to SLC if you're ticketed to SF!