Although I didn't have time to go on a train trip, I visited the Reno Amtrak station during my visit to the "Biggest Little City" to see how things were going.
The snow storm that was hitting the West Coast had made its way over the Sierra Nevadas. Being a Tennessean, snow is a novelty for me, so it was fun to wade through 20 inches in wet cowboy boots just to get one block from my hotel to the station.
I had heard that Amtrak was in a transition in Reno, so I expected to see a temporary station. And there it was, a portable Amshack across the tracks from the old UP station that Amtrak has occupied for 3 decades. The Reno Amshack is actually a double-wide utility trailer, closely resembling contactor offices that you sometimes find on big construction sites.
I called "Julie", and found out that #6 was over an hour late, which was no surprise whatsoever. Snow chains were now mandatory all over Reno, I-80 was closed, almost all airport flights were delayed, and the local news stations were worried that the New Year's Celebration would be much smaller this year.
The station was full to capacity! I could not believe it! I found a place to wait among the crowd. The conductor walked over and explained to everyone why the train was late, and also gave them instructions on baggage, credit card purchases on the train (new rules that prevent fraud!), how to find a seat, what hours the lounge and dining car are open, and so on.
The ticket agent came over and told everyone that the late train would run even later because the tracks over the Sierras were completely covered in snow. "The railroad snow plow went over the mountain once, and then had to go back right back over a second time!" She also told everyone that a snowplow was on its way over to the station to clear the trackside platform.
I saw a very diverse crowd in the station. An elderly couple, a wheelchair-bound passenger, a mother with two young kids, several newly retired couples, two younger couples, several middle-agers, and an entire high-school wrestling team from Colorado! While I was writing down my observations, I thought about a comment a Senator from Texas once said about Amtrak subsidies: "We should not use taxpayer money to pay for old people to go sightseeing". This crowd at Reno proved what I have always known - people from every walk of life ride Amtrak, and people ride for reasons far beyond "sightseeing"!!!
These days, when I observe Amtrak operations, I ask the following questions: (1) How are Amtrak employees performing now that Amtrak has leaner management, (2) how far-reaching are the complaints about Amtrak trains running late, and (3) do we see any evidence that Amtrak's equipment and stations are in better repair?
My observations at Reno left a positive impression. The conductor and the agent at Reno were very hospitable and very up-front with information. I have had past experiences where conductors avoid unnecessary contact with passengers, and where station agents plead ignorance on any questions or concerns that passengers have, especially with regard to late trains. Not so at Reno. The frequent updates the passengers got regarding the status of their train was very calming. Their plain and clear instructions seemed helpful and reassuring, especially to the few firsttimers I saw in the station. I also made a very clear note that I did not hear a single complaint about the train running late! Instead, I heard passengers talking about how the Interstate had closed and how flights were delayed. Everyone seemed very relieved that the train was running at all amidst the winter weather!
All the passengers were very chatty - something I like about train travelers. Listening to their conversations, they brought up things like how much they enjoyed the dining car on their last trip, what movies they saw in the lounge car, how fast they plan to fall asleep when they board the train tonight, and so on. You should have heard the laughter when one of the guys from the wrestling team walked into the station with a TV set! He thought it would be nice if everyone could watch a few programs while they waited for the train, so he walked up to the nearest pawn shop and bought a set for just $5! One of the older passengers planned to buy him a sandwich when they got on the train!
As for the station in Reno, the conductor explained to me and to one of the passengers that Reno and UP are working on a "dig project" that will place the railroad tracks below ground level. You could actually see part of the gap from the Amshack. When it's completed, Amtrak will return to the old station; however, passengers will ride an escalator down to the tracks when it's train time. Apparently, this will be a safer arrangement for Amtrak and for UP. I hope when this happens that the new-old station will be clean and user-friendly. I recall that the old station was in rough shape the last time I came to Reno, and let's hope that the temporary station in Reno does not turn into a "temporary" station like the one in St. Louis!
When the train arrived, over two-hours late, 145 people disembarked! I didn't ask, but I assumed that most of these passengers were ticketed for the Thruway Bus connection from Sacramento and had to ride the train instead because of the I-80 closure. I wish that I had been able to look more closely at the equipment, but they were obviously in a hurry to move on. Since Amtrak opened the new maintenance facility in Oakland, we can safely assume that the Zephyr will benefit.
Maybe next time I'll get to go for a ride! However, I really enjoyed just being an observer this time!
The snow storm that was hitting the West Coast had made its way over the Sierra Nevadas. Being a Tennessean, snow is a novelty for me, so it was fun to wade through 20 inches in wet cowboy boots just to get one block from my hotel to the station.
I had heard that Amtrak was in a transition in Reno, so I expected to see a temporary station. And there it was, a portable Amshack across the tracks from the old UP station that Amtrak has occupied for 3 decades. The Reno Amshack is actually a double-wide utility trailer, closely resembling contactor offices that you sometimes find on big construction sites.
I called "Julie", and found out that #6 was over an hour late, which was no surprise whatsoever. Snow chains were now mandatory all over Reno, I-80 was closed, almost all airport flights were delayed, and the local news stations were worried that the New Year's Celebration would be much smaller this year.
The station was full to capacity! I could not believe it! I found a place to wait among the crowd. The conductor walked over and explained to everyone why the train was late, and also gave them instructions on baggage, credit card purchases on the train (new rules that prevent fraud!), how to find a seat, what hours the lounge and dining car are open, and so on.
The ticket agent came over and told everyone that the late train would run even later because the tracks over the Sierras were completely covered in snow. "The railroad snow plow went over the mountain once, and then had to go back right back over a second time!" She also told everyone that a snowplow was on its way over to the station to clear the trackside platform.
I saw a very diverse crowd in the station. An elderly couple, a wheelchair-bound passenger, a mother with two young kids, several newly retired couples, two younger couples, several middle-agers, and an entire high-school wrestling team from Colorado! While I was writing down my observations, I thought about a comment a Senator from Texas once said about Amtrak subsidies: "We should not use taxpayer money to pay for old people to go sightseeing". This crowd at Reno proved what I have always known - people from every walk of life ride Amtrak, and people ride for reasons far beyond "sightseeing"!!!
These days, when I observe Amtrak operations, I ask the following questions: (1) How are Amtrak employees performing now that Amtrak has leaner management, (2) how far-reaching are the complaints about Amtrak trains running late, and (3) do we see any evidence that Amtrak's equipment and stations are in better repair?
My observations at Reno left a positive impression. The conductor and the agent at Reno were very hospitable and very up-front with information. I have had past experiences where conductors avoid unnecessary contact with passengers, and where station agents plead ignorance on any questions or concerns that passengers have, especially with regard to late trains. Not so at Reno. The frequent updates the passengers got regarding the status of their train was very calming. Their plain and clear instructions seemed helpful and reassuring, especially to the few firsttimers I saw in the station. I also made a very clear note that I did not hear a single complaint about the train running late! Instead, I heard passengers talking about how the Interstate had closed and how flights were delayed. Everyone seemed very relieved that the train was running at all amidst the winter weather!
All the passengers were very chatty - something I like about train travelers. Listening to their conversations, they brought up things like how much they enjoyed the dining car on their last trip, what movies they saw in the lounge car, how fast they plan to fall asleep when they board the train tonight, and so on. You should have heard the laughter when one of the guys from the wrestling team walked into the station with a TV set! He thought it would be nice if everyone could watch a few programs while they waited for the train, so he walked up to the nearest pawn shop and bought a set for just $5! One of the older passengers planned to buy him a sandwich when they got on the train!
As for the station in Reno, the conductor explained to me and to one of the passengers that Reno and UP are working on a "dig project" that will place the railroad tracks below ground level. You could actually see part of the gap from the Amshack. When it's completed, Amtrak will return to the old station; however, passengers will ride an escalator down to the tracks when it's train time. Apparently, this will be a safer arrangement for Amtrak and for UP. I hope when this happens that the new-old station will be clean and user-friendly. I recall that the old station was in rough shape the last time I came to Reno, and let's hope that the temporary station in Reno does not turn into a "temporary" station like the one in St. Louis!
When the train arrived, over two-hours late, 145 people disembarked! I didn't ask, but I assumed that most of these passengers were ticketed for the Thruway Bus connection from Sacramento and had to ride the train instead because of the I-80 closure. I wish that I had been able to look more closely at the equipment, but they were obviously in a hurry to move on. Since Amtrak opened the new maintenance facility in Oakland, we can safely assume that the Zephyr will benefit.
Maybe next time I'll get to go for a ride! However, I really enjoyed just being an observer this time!
