Glenview, IL Station Agent Cut

[rtabern]

Another rail forum is reporting the ticket agent job at Glenview, IL (my hometown) will be cut by the end of the year. Sad. 16 trains a day and half his salary was paid by Metra. Hope they reconsider this one if its true.

 

[CCC1007]

I have heard that Metra will be staffing the station, and will be able to sell Amtrak tickets.

 

[KnightRail]

I have heard that Metra will be staffing the station,

Heard correctly

and will be able to sell Amtrak tickets.

Heard not so correctly

 

[mlhughes0522]

Wouldn't have a problem if they put in Quik-Trak koisk that would help

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

So Metra can staff a semi north shore suburban station and not one of their busiest in city, non-downtown stations?

 

[neroden]

Metra treats the Electric Line as a red-headed stepchild, unfortunately. This won't change until the funding stream is reorganized and Metra is merged with CTA.

 

[MikefromCrete]

Metra treats the Electric Line as a red-headed stepchild, unfortunately. This won't change until the funding stream is reorganized and Metra is merged with CTA.

Metra merging with the CTA is the worst possible idea. The CTA will gobble up all money and leave Metra riders with less service and higher fares. That's why the existing RTA was established in the 1980's. A previous RTA managed to raise Metra fares so high that bus charters sprang up to siphon off the ridership, while CTA riders got by with no fare hikes.

 

[Thirdrail7]

The trend continues.

Another rail forum is reporting the ticket agent job at Glenview, IL (my hometown) will be cut by the end of the year. Sad. 16 trains a day and half his salary was paid by Metra. Hope they reconsider this one if its true.

End of the year is quite optimistic. It is scheduled for next month:http://Glenview Station Will No Longer Be Staffed By Amtrak

Glenview Station Will No Longer Be Staffed By Amtrak
Ticket Offices Last Day of Service is May 8, 2016

After the close of business on Sunday, May 8, the Glenview, Ill., ticket office will no longer be staffed by Amtrak personnel. Metra, the Chicago-area commuter railroad, will instead staff the station for its trains under the terms of a new agreement between Amtrak and Metra. Most of the service at Glenview is operated by Metra.

Customers will continue to have access to the waiting room, open daily from 5:15 am – 8:30 pm.
Amtrak personnel on the train will assist passengers boarding and detraining.
Amtrak customers with credit cards can make reservations and obtain eTickets at Amtrak.com, through our free mobile apps or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
Customers who require ticketing or other assistance from Amtrak station personnel can use Chicago Union Station, 18 miles south of Glenview.We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience. Amtrak service continues at Glenview with 14 daily trains to and from Milwaukee (12 on Sundays), and daily service to and from Saint Paul-Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland, and more than 500 other Amtrak destinations.

Thank you for traveling with Amtrak.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Metra treats the Electric Line as a red-headed stepchild, unfortunately. This won't change until the funding stream is reorganized and Metra is merged with CTA.

Metra merging with the CTA is the worst possible idea. The CTA will gobble up all money and leave Metra riders with less service and higher fares. That's why the existing RTA was established in the 1980's. A previous RTA managed to raise Metra fares so high that bus charters sprang up to siphon off the ridership, while CTA riders got by with no fare hikes.

I think the opposite would happen, Metra would stop investing in the CTA (though Chicago is rather powerful) since the new agency would be dominated by suburban board members. I don't see any push to do that other than by transit advocates and the likes of Streetsblog.

It looks like Glenview has more riders than 55-56-57th, but far, far fewer trains (I stopped counting at 30 Monday-Saturday trains on my schedule, and that's just one direction).

 

[fairviewroad]

At least in this case, it does not involve the loss of checked baggage service since Amtrak had dropped check bags at Glenview many, many years ago. (Decades, according to someone on another forum)

With e-ticketing, regular Hiawatha riders at Glenview must surely not use the station agent much, if at all. This will inconvenience the occasional walk-up senior citizen with no smart phone. I understand that (my father fits into that category, but on a different corridor...he uses the station agent for *everything*). But most Empire Builder passengers probably buy their tickets fairly well in advance, so the station agent would play a limited role in that transaction, too. I agree that a Quik-Trak machine would be a smart addition.

 

[CCC1007]

At least in this case, it does not involve the loss of checked baggage service since Amtrak had dropped check bags at Glenview many, many years ago. (Decades, according to someone on another forum)

With e-ticketing, regular Hiawatha riders at Glenview must surely not use the station agent much, if at all. This will inconvenience the occasional walk-up senior citizen with no smart phone. I understand that (my father fits into that category, but on a different corridor...he uses the station agent for *everything*). But most Empire Builder passengers probably buy their tickets fairly well in advance, so the station agent would play a limited role in that transaction, too. I agree that a Quik-Trak machine would be a smart addition.

Last year, there was a very large group getting on at WFH heading to glenview, and their luggage was loaded onto the coach baggage car from Portland. After the train departed, I went to the ticket window to inquire as to why they loaded the baggage there. The agent, a friend of mine, told me that they were going to have special unloading at glenview.this group was memorable because of the size, two complete motor coaches and over 80 patrons.