The boss read my letter.

[Torgo90]

Hello Group,

I have been lurking here everyday since about Christmas-time reading your posts.

Took my first long distance Amtrak ride after United Airlines played funny business with their system and cancelled my travel plans on Christmas Eve Day. The Empire Builder got me to Seattle from here in Milwaukee where I ferried over to Victoria, BC to see my lonely brother.

I had a really good experience with the EB and wish I would have tried rail travel sooner. Our Christmas crew was very pleasent and the crew on my return on January 3rd was exceptional. I have since booked another trip on the EB for March, and am taking the Hiawatha and Chicago Metra service to a customer in Glen Ellyn, Illinois this coming Friday to a customer I normally drive to.

I wrote Alex Kummant when I returned. In the letter I credited both train crews for great service, and specifically mentioned two workers on our return trip who were going over and above what I would expect from a transportation employee. But mainly I wanted him to see that LD service is an important option, with talk of splitting LD into multiple regional trains I thought he'd like to know that some people like myself go more than the 700 mile average travel distance.

Today I received a nice letter back from him. It looks like he actually read and signed it himself. He says he is going to personally contact the employees I mentioned in my letter and is forwarding my positive letter to the EB management team.

I'm 34 years old. When I was a little kid I remember seeing the brand new Superliners roll thorugh Watertown as the EB rolled through. When I complained to the old-man that we always either drove or flew on vacation he grumbled "Amtrak takes too long and is only for the poor folks". Now he hates aircraft, gets claustrophobia in cars, and is eager to ride the rails all over when he retires in a few years. Go figure.

Nate Erb

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

 

[AlanB]

Very nice and way cool that he read the letter. B)

And I'm glad that you did have such a great trip.

Ps. Welcome Nate.

 

[The Metropolitan]

First of all, Welcome Nate! Hope you get the chance and desire to do more posting and less lurking!

When I read your post, I couldn't help but smile, as much of it reminded me of my own experience with Amtrak LD. While I'm no amateur at Amtrak, nearly all of my riding had merely been along the NEC with the occasional extended trip to either Albany or Richmond. When I took the chance in booking to Pittsburgh, the seed was planted however, and I really began to appreciate both the ride and the merit of the LD network, and realized what an asset is truly is.

Gradually, I've gotten hooked, and have taken a few other trips aboard the Capitol Limited, and will stretch out in a few months for my first trip on the California Zephyr. It's like the potato chip ad, "once ya pop, ya can't stop!"

Hope you have many more journeys and employees like those you referenced, and that you might one day rub off on others to give it a shot!

 

[jg greenwood]

Hello Group,
I have been lurking here everyday since about Christmas-time reading your posts.

Took my first long distance Amtrak ride after United Airlines played funny business with their system and cancelled my travel plans on Christmas Eve Day. The Empire Builder got me to Seattle from here in Milwaukee where I ferried over to Victoria, BC to see my lonely brother.

I had a really good experience with the EB and wish I would have tried rail travel sooner. Our Christmas crew was very pleasent and the crew on my return on January 3rd was exceptional. I have since booked another trip on the EB for March, and am taking the Hiawatha and Chicago Metra service to a customer in Glen Ellyn, Illinois this coming Friday to a customer I normally drive to.

I wrote Alex Kummant when I returned. In the letter I credited both train crews for great service, and specifically mentioned two workers on our return trip who were going over and above what I would expect from a transportation employee. But mainly I wanted him to see that LD service is an important option, with talk of splitting LD into multiple regional trains I thought he'd like to know that some people like myself go more than the 700 mile average travel distance.

Today I received a nice letter back from him. It looks like he actually read and signed it himself. He says he is going to personally contact the employees I mentioned in my letter and is forwarding my positive letter to the EB management team.

I'm 34 years old. When I was a little kid I remember seeing the brand new Superliners roll thorugh Watertown as the EB rolled through. When I complained to the old-man that we always either drove or flew on vacation he grumbled "Amtrak takes too long and is only for the poor folks". Now he hates aircraft, gets claustrophobia in cars, and is eager to ride the rails all over when he retires in a few years. Go figure.

Nate Erb

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

If you don't mind my asking, what address does one use to contact the high-command?

 

[haolerider]

Hello Group,

I have been lurking here everyday since about Christmas-time reading your posts.

Took my first long distance Amtrak ride after United Airlines played funny business with their system and cancelled my travel plans on Christmas Eve Day. The Empire Builder got me to Seattle from here in Milwaukee where I ferried over to Victoria, BC to see my lonely brother.

I had a really good experience with the EB and wish I would have tried rail travel sooner. Our Christmas crew was very pleasent and the crew on my return on January 3rd was exceptional. I have since booked another trip on the EB for March, and am taking the Hiawatha and Chicago Metra service to a customer in Glen Ellyn, Illinois this coming Friday to a customer I normally drive to.

I wrote Alex Kummant when I returned. In the letter I credited both train crews for great service, and specifically mentioned two workers on our return trip who were going over and above what I would expect from a transportation employee. But mainly I wanted him to see that LD service is an important option, with talk of splitting LD into multiple regional trains I thought he'd like to know that some people like myself go more than the 700 mile average travel distance.

Today I received a nice letter back from him. It looks like he actually read and signed it himself. He says he is going to personally contact the employees I mentioned in my letter and is forwarding my positive letter to the EB management team.

I'm 34 years old. When I was a little kid I remember seeing the brand new Superliners roll thorugh Watertown as the EB rolled through. When I complained to the old-man that we always either drove or flew on vacation he grumbled "Amtrak takes too long and is only for the poor folks". Now he hates aircraft, gets claustrophobia in cars, and is eager to ride the rails all over when he retires in a few years. Go figure.

Nate Erb

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

If you don't mind my asking, what address does one use to contact the high-command?

The headquarters is located at 60 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20002. The offices are in a portoin of Union Station.

 

[Sam Damon]

If you don't mind my asking, what address does one use to contact the high-command?

You're welcome to use the headshed address. Others among us may find it easier to ring 1-800-USA-RAIL, and after obtaining a human on the other end, asking for "Customer Service."

 

[Railbender]

I had many good experiences writing to Mr. Gunn when he was at the helm with good reports and not-so-good. The not-so-good were really horrid actually... Every letter got a very detailed personal response. The citations of misery received travel vouchers each time. Not a whiner; these were really screwed up travels...once with a group of 20 high school students in sleepers from Chicago to Erie...Amtrak disaster...

Anyway...I always am certain to include names of those providing great service and names of those who fail. So beware LSL and Silver Service Crews... (I ride these most often).

 

[Lennie]

I had many good experiences writing to Mr. Gunn when he was at the helm with good reports and not-so-good. The not-so-good were really horrid actually... Every letter got a very detailed personal response. The citations of misery received travel vouchers each time. Not a whiner; these were really screwed up travels...once with a group of 20 high school students in sleepers from Chicago to Erie...Amtrak disaster...
Anyway...I always am certain to include names of those providing great service and names of those who fail. So beware LSL and Silver Service Crews... (I ride these most often).

Haha, at least you weren't in the coach car with our 50 person school group from WAS-MIA on the Meteor, I'm sure you would have had a great time.

 

[VentureForth]

Do you think if we all wrote the Boss, we could get the Sunset running to Orlando again?

Anyone interested in a letter writing campaign?

 

[rmgreenesq]

Do you think if we all wrote the Boss, we could get the Sunset running to Orlando again?
Anyone interested in a letter writing campaign?

I think the Boss would be more likely to listen to us if we lived in cities and towns near the route of the Sunset Ltd. I live in Central Massachusetts. I've ridden the Sunset Ltd. once in my life. I rode it home from Walt Disney World when I lived in Southern California. Since I now live thousands of miles from the route of the Sunset Ltd. I just dont see my letter being all that perusasive.

Rick

 

[AmtrakWPK]

Good luck. When I emailed Amtrak about Sunset, I got an automated email acknowledging my email and promising a response. That's the last I ever heard from them.

 

[PerRock]

Good luck. When I emailed Amtrak about Sunset, I got an automated email acknowledging my email and promising a response. That's the last I ever heard from them.

I'm not sure anyone reads that. I have emailed amtrak numerous times and got no responce (with the exception of the machine). One of those emails was about copywrite stuff and I finally gave up trying to get thru Julie to the switchboard and then to the proper person that I emailed the person incharge of my area's PR (I was expecting to get the same responce as the Contact Us form) and actually got a human who help me out. So...if you need to get thru you might try calling the PR number for your area, and then asking for the switchboard, there's no julie on that line

peter