The Cardinal

[MiRider]

The average traveled shouldn't be required to know who owns the track, I agree.
But if something goes south and CSX closes the tracks, blaming Amtrak doesn't do a bit of good. Amtrak does provide the compensation where required regardless of who is at fault for the delay. But at the end of the day "I didn't have a place to stay because my train was late" doesn't make sense (unless there's more to the story).

Digging your heels in and getting argumentative when given the correct information doesn't help the matter either.

Definitely agree about this.

More information, if there is any, would be helpful.

 

[afigg]

No we get his point, he's just wrong.
If he was making a same day connection at NYP he would have been provided a room. If he wasn't, he should have had a room anyways. What would he have done if the train had been on time?

That is what I don't get. If NYP was his destination, where was he going from there? Was someone going to meet him at NYP? Was he planning to take local transit to a hotel? Of all the US cities to arrive at 2 AM, NYC is indeed the city that never sleeps. The subway is still running at 2 AM, LIRR runs trains in the middle of the night. Shouldn't be difficult to get a cab either.
If I was on an airline flight that was supposed to arrive at 7 PM, but due to weather or other delays, the flight arrived at my destination at 2 AM, I would not expect the airline to put me up in a hotel. I would be irritated at the late arrival, but the airline's responsibility effectively ends when they get me to the terminal at the destination airport and give me my checked baggage.

It should be noted, that between the eastbound LSL and Cardinal, the Cardinal has a far better chance of arriving st NYP at 2 AM.

 

[the_traveler]

I understand your point Joanie, but think of these examples.

You buy a ticket on Greyhound from OKC to FLG. There is a major delay due to construction and heavy traffic in NM on I-40. You arrive in FLG 10 hours late. Is it Greyhound's fault? :huh: (Greyhound doesn't own I-40.)

Using a recent example, you fly United Airlines from JFK to SFO. Due to the crash, SFO is closed and the flight is diverted to LAX or PDX. Is it United's fault? :huh: (United doesn't own SFO.)

 

[zepherdude]

I was taking a bus to Hancock New York, from the Port Authority that left at 5pm the day before on the Short Line Bus Company

The next bus to Hancock did not leave until 12pm the next day!

So, why would I wish to repeat those 10 hours of hell, walking times square with suitcases and no where to go in the city that has no rooms and never sleeps. I dont give a hoot who owns the track, I was left stranded in NYC by the Lake Shore Limited, operated by Amtrak.

But the topic of the post was about the Cardinal, not the Lake Shore Limited.

Ya know...forget, I am going to fly now. Thanks for making my decision.

 

[Ryan]

That'll work, because planes are *never* delayed!

The LSL is scheduled to arrive into New York at 6:35pm. Planning to take a bus that leaves 1h35 before you are scheduled to arrive sounds like an epic failure to me.

Also, I find your signature wildly amusing.

>>>>>>> Why let your trip fail, always ride the Amtrak Rail! <<<<<<

 

[Ispolkom]

I'd rather fly than take the Cardinal in coach. Heck, Mrs. Ispolkom has told me that we aren't riding the Cardinal again, even in sleeper, until they get a proper diner.

 

[MiRider]

I understand your point Joanie, but think of these examples.
You buy a ticket on Greyhound from OKC to FLG. There is a major delay due to construction and heavy traffic in NM on I-40. You arrive in FLG 10 hours late. Is it Greyhound's fault? :huh: (Greyhound doesn't own I-40.)

Using a recent example, you fly United Airlines from JFK to SFO. Due to the crash, SFO is closed and the flight is diverted to LAX or PDX. Is it United's fault? :huh: (United doesn't own SFO.)

Traveler, those are good examples except...

I'm going to guess that the majority of people know that Greyhound doesn't own the roads and that airlines don't own the airports.

That's not the case with the train unless someone tells you or you read it someplace like AU

In the Greyhound example, I would expect GH to have planned ahead and have an alternate route.

 

[MiRider]

That'll work, because planes are *never* delayed!

The LSL is scheduled to arrive into New York at 6:35pm. Planning to take a bus that leaves 1h35 before you are scheduled to arrive sounds like an epic failure to me.

Also, I find your signature wildly amusing.

>>>>>>> Why let your trip fail, always ride the Amtrak Rail! <<<<<<

Man, I'm really getting lost here.

This is all kinds of crazy. :blink:

 

[zepherdude]

Dude, this was not yesterday...........this was 5 years ago, ya'll know so much.

You fracken spend a night on the streets in NYC and you will never forget.

I am finished with this, you guys write until you drop or something like it.

Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ryan]

The two timetables from 2008 show arrival times of 7:40 and 7:25 PM, later than the currently scheduled arrival time. They don't really help your case.

Anyone familiar enough with the history of the LSL schedule to know when it was scheduled for a pre-5:00 arrival?

 

[Rail Freak]

I can see both sides of this debate. But, I keep thinking, "What if it were my wife & daughter"!!!!

 

[AlanB]

Putting aside for a minute whether a connection could have been made or not if only the train had been on time, let me say two things for anyone stuck in such a situation at NYP. Please note that this doesn't apply to many other stations.

1). Be sure to go to the Customer Service office to discuss options. They are the only people who can do anything, assuming that they are allowed to help based upon the circumstances. Attendants on the train, gate agents, and ticket agents if any are left on duty can do nothing.

2). If CS cannot help, rather than walking around the city, head for the Amtrak waiting area. It's open all night, it is safe, it is climate controlled, and you have access to restroom facilities. Yes it is not a hotel by any shape of the imagination. But it is better than Times Square or any other street corner, and a lot safer.

 

[Big Iron]

The two timetables from 2008 show arrival times of 7:40 and 7:25 PM, later than the currently scheduled arrival time. They don't really help your case.
Anyone familiar enough with the history of the LSL schedule to know when it was scheduled for a pre-5:00 arrival?

Not really familiar with the LSL arrival time in NYP but I know I haven't been able to take it EB for quite a while because the only SB connection to RVR was #66, not convenient. In the late 80's, early 90's It used to arrive in NYP around 3:00 ish as I would catch a Silver to RVR. Purely based on memory which fades over time.

 

[the_traveler]

I never took it to NYP at that time, but I do remember in 2003 I took it to BOS where it should have made it in time to connect with 67 with 3 hours to spare. So arrival into BOS must have been around 6:30 pm. Thus NYP could have been 3-4 pm.

Because of a locomotive breakdown, it did not arrive into BOS until after 3 am! I'm never going to take the LSL again! (Well, at last until the next trip!)

 

[dlagrua]

Years back when my employment required me to travel all over the United state (and I was an air traveler) I can't tell you how many times my flights were delayed and/or cancelled. Once I was at the Colorado airport stranded for 6 hours, several times flights were cancelled by the airline because there were too few passengers on it, there were many missed connections, I found myself waiting on the tarmac for hours and so forth. I could go on forever about my bad air travel experiences. Point is that no travel means is without problems. It is unfortunate when bussing, lateness,mechanical breakdowns, excessive rail traffic, bad weather, power failures or missed connections happen but you can't tell me that this doesn't happen with all forms of transportation.

Yes the LSL, Cardinal and other Amtrak trains do experience delays but delays are a part of life..

 

[Alexandria Nick]

I'd completely disagree with that.
Here in DC, VRE and MARC commuters are completely aware that VRE and MARC are at the mercy of CSX.

Just because people believe something doesn't make it right.

Seriously, what are you talking about?

Zepherdude's post was about Amtrak LD trains, not commuter trains in DC.

Believe what?

Believe, perhaps, that when you pay Amtrak for a ticket on an Amtrak train that you're taking Amtrak?

What?!?!?

Again, the average, every day traveler does not care and, more than likely, does not know that Amtrak doesn't own the tracks.

Thanks to AU, I myself know but most people that I've traveled with on trains do not and that's what I base my statement on.

The sheer number of complaints about Amtrak should be more than enough proof of this.

If it's important for every passenger to *know* who owns the tracks that their train will be traveling on then Amtrak needs to have a disclaimer and/or agreement that must be checked or signed before you can buy a ticket.

I was pointing out that its not unusual for non-railfans to know that passenger trains in the US are usually operated on infrastructure owned by someone else.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Just a side note. I just happened to be looking at a previous year's timetable yesterday and noticed (as in it jumped out at me) when flipping the pages that they show who the host railroads are on each route and where they switch. I think it was on the first page of each section (East, South, etc).

 

[jis]

Using a recent example, you fly United Airlines from JFK to SFO. Due to the crash, SFO is closed and the flight is diverted to LAX or PDX. Is it United's fault? :huh: (United doesn't own SFO.)

Whether United does or does not own SFO is irrelevant in this case since this is a classic example of Force Majeure, and is not much different from a hurricane shutting down the airport.

 

[rkymtnrailfan]

*** Moderator's note - The prior posts were made in 2013 ***

So, here it is January of 2015. My wife and I have booked a trip back to SW Ohio in August, of course one leg on the Cardinal. Has anyone ridden the train recently? Does the eastbound train carry a full diner, or just lounge/cafe? I have read where the Cardinal may get a new full diner, perhaps one being currently built? Any news on this?

 

[the_traveler]

The Cardinal still has the cafe/lounge.

 

[battalion51]

The Cardinal does not presently have a full Dining Car. Any possibility of that happening is a couple of years away at the earliest.