billthebarn
Train Attendant
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2013
- Messages
- 94
Just joined this forum. I've ridden just about all of Amtrak's system (not the Maine or Oklahoma lines). I love sleeping on the train and sometimes wonder why there hasn't been a contraption invented to simulate the movements of a train. I could use one for my bed at home. I also love when the train is barreling through a blizzard.
For about the past decade, I've been riding up in Canada...probably more than 15 round trips on the Canadian. Most of these were EXPRESS DEALS, off-season or rewards trips. If I had to rate each trip on the Canadian, they would all score 95% or above. I never had a bad attendant. Service in the dinner is supurb. The bed is very comfortable. The bathrooms and showers are spacious and clean. Fellow passangers, for the most part, are very nice. The crews seem to work as a team and do everything possible to make the customer's journey a pleasant one...even more, an unforgetable one.
Sometimes I get a great trip on Amtrak. Sometimes not. A couple weeks ago, someone posted pictures of the "lounge lizards" sleeping in the SSL. I was on the TE a few months ago. A lady was sprawled out on three seats. Other passengers were looking for seats. The conductor came through the car and I thought he would rectify the situation. He did wake her, but only to ascertain her destination. She went back to sleep. This was at 11 AM.
I've had excellent trips on Amtrak. The Coast Starlite is always close to 100% (whatever happened to Richard Talmy). The employees on CS seem to have gone through a separate training facility. They work together well.
As long as I'm bloviating, my pet peeve with Amtrak is the toilets. If Mr Boardman would ask, I would reccomend that the teflon liners on the bowls be replaced. Way overdue. I feel sorry for the SCA's who try to keep the toilets clean. Some have given up. Not a nice situation.
If Amtrak cannot upgrade its training, why not contract for VIARAIL to do the training? If Amtrak doesn't acknowledge it has problems, things will never get better. Canada can't even win a Stanley Cup. Why should it have a better train system than the USA?
For about the past decade, I've been riding up in Canada...probably more than 15 round trips on the Canadian. Most of these were EXPRESS DEALS, off-season or rewards trips. If I had to rate each trip on the Canadian, they would all score 95% or above. I never had a bad attendant. Service in the dinner is supurb. The bed is very comfortable. The bathrooms and showers are spacious and clean. Fellow passangers, for the most part, are very nice. The crews seem to work as a team and do everything possible to make the customer's journey a pleasant one...even more, an unforgetable one.
Sometimes I get a great trip on Amtrak. Sometimes not. A couple weeks ago, someone posted pictures of the "lounge lizards" sleeping in the SSL. I was on the TE a few months ago. A lady was sprawled out on three seats. Other passengers were looking for seats. The conductor came through the car and I thought he would rectify the situation. He did wake her, but only to ascertain her destination. She went back to sleep. This was at 11 AM.
I've had excellent trips on Amtrak. The Coast Starlite is always close to 100% (whatever happened to Richard Talmy). The employees on CS seem to have gone through a separate training facility. They work together well.
As long as I'm bloviating, my pet peeve with Amtrak is the toilets. If Mr Boardman would ask, I would reccomend that the teflon liners on the bowls be replaced. Way overdue. I feel sorry for the SCA's who try to keep the toilets clean. Some have given up. Not a nice situation.
If Amtrak cannot upgrade its training, why not contract for VIARAIL to do the training? If Amtrak doesn't acknowledge it has problems, things will never get better. Canada can't even win a Stanley Cup. Why should it have a better train system than the USA?
