The Vermonter

[Walt]

I have been riding Amtrak for years, though mostly heading south. However, for the first time, I headed north, and with that, took the Vermonter.

I have always taken a sleeper car, but with the Vermonter being a "day" train, the best we could do, was Business Class.

Here are some of the noteworthy elements...

• Beverages With Business Class, you get free soft drinks. Now, paying customers from Coach are served regular 12 oz cans of soda. Business Class, however, gets those 8 oz mini-cans. Now, you might think no big deal. They are free so I could just ask for another. The real problem is that while the 12 oz cans are kept and served cold, the 8 oz cans are kept out and served at room temperature. Sorry, but I paid extra for Business Class, and IMHO, it is not extra service to be served warm soda.
  
• Food Apparently, the cafe car is only stocked in Washington. So, for the north bound trip there is a pretty good selection. However, that leaves the south bound trip with only what is left over, which in our case, wasn't very much.
  
• On Time Last year, New England Central started doing some work on their the Vermont tracks. I found an Amtrak notice about this, with a warning to expect a 1 to 2 hour delay, but that notice clearly stated that all such work would be completed by the end of October 2007. I don't know if that work is really completed, or if it was simply a total disaster. In many sections of the New England Central track, our train just lumbered along at, I think, 10 mph. I didn't notice any active work being done anywhere along the route.
  
• Assisting the Handicapped Sitting near us in the car, was a woman who was blind, complete with a seeing eye dog. Now, with the PA system not working (what's new?), this woman specifically asked the conductor if he would please tell her when we got to her station. Well, her stop came, and the conductor never came. I did have a nice chat with her during the trip, and therefore, I told her when we were approaching her station, and confirmed to her, when we actually did. However, it really got to me that the conductor, nor any other Amtrak employee, cared enough to make it a point to help this woman. Forget about the ADA, it should be just down right plain courtesy, no? This really irked me.
  

 

[MrEd]

It has been my experience with the business class that I have to go get ICE from the cafe car, then use that with the small free soda. When I want a coffee, I go to the Cafe and get a little tiny cup if I show my ticket stub.

On the 79/80 train we have an attendant in the car to supervise distribution of the little soda cans, and they always tell you when and where to get off the train.

 

[Walt]

It has been my experience with the business class that I have to go get ICE from the cafe car, then use that with the small free soda.

Ah, I forgot to mention that there was no Business Class attendant for either the north bound or the south bound trip. We had to get all of our own stuff, including the small free soda, from the Cafe ourselves.

The Cafe attendant would confirm that we were from Business Class, and would then hand us the small warm soda. I guess that is what irked me, because I felt he could have handed us a cold soda, or (gasp!) have stored the small sodas in the nearly empty refrigerator too.

 

[Cascadia]

Hey Walt, I am glad you were there to tell the woman when she was approaching her stop, that is pretty poor service on the part of the conductor to not come down or send someone to make sure she didn't miss her stop. That's pretty basic. With the intercom broken, why wouldn't they have sent someone to tell everyone what the stops were? You don't have to be blind to miss a stop if you've never been there before! Or if you're sleeping.

The part about the warm sodas seems pretty stupid. That doesn't even make sense to serve them that way. Who thought that up? I don't drink the stuff but if I did, I'd want it cold, and I don't really like ice in my drinks.

I wish I could ride the trains out east sometime. I've never been out there and I'm sure I would love New England. I always like meeting people from there.

 

[AlanB]

Hmm, very odd. I was on the Maple Leaf last summer in BC, as well as Regional 125, and both times the small sodas were in the fridge.

 

[AlanB]

[*]Assisting the Handicapped Sitting near us in the car, was a woman who was blind, complete with a seeing eye dog. Now, with the PA system not working (what's new?), this woman specifically asked the conductor if he would please tell her when we got to her station. Well, her stop came, and the conductor never came. I did have a nice chat with her during the trip, and therefore, I told her when we were approaching her station, and confirmed to her, when we actually did. However, it really got to me that the conductor, nor any other Amtrak employee, cared enough to make it a point to help this woman. Forget about the ADA, it should be just down right plain courtesy, no? This really irked me.

How certain are you that it was the same conductor? You don't say how where you got on and off, much less where the blind lady did. That train I believe sees 4 sets of conductors and engineers. So it is possible that she told the first conductor who got off many stops before she did. Now I'm not suggesting that it wasn't irresponsible of that first conductor to make sure that he informed the second conductor and so on as needed, but occasionally communication do break down.

We also don't know if the conductor at that point in time wasn't otherwise distracted by some other problem, emergency, or perhaps even someone else with a handicap that required even more attention from him, than did the blind lady.

Clearly something went wrong, but I do think that we need a bit more evidence in this situation before we condemn the crew.

 

[Walt]

How certain are you that it was the same conductor? You don't say how where you got on and off, much less where the blind lady did. That train I believe sees 4 sets of conductors and engineers. So it is possible that she told the first conductor who got off many stops before she did. Now I'm not suggesting that it wasn't irresponsible of that first conductor to make sure that he informed the second conductor and so on as needed, but occasionally communication do break down.
We also don't know if the conductor at that point in time wasn't otherwise distracted by some other problem, emergency, or perhaps even someone else with a handicap that required even more attention from him, than did the blind lady.

Clearly something went wrong, but I do think that we need a bit more evidence in this situation before we condemn the crew.

I have no idea if it was the same conductor. However, that "first" conductor put a green stub with the code for her station hand written on it over her seat. This was in addition to the regular stub. I forget the exact wording on that green stub, but it was something on the order of "special attention required". I would hope that any conductor walking by, would have taken notice of it (I assume that is why it is in green), because a conductor did walk by, looking for new passengers, to collect their tickets after each station.

Well, let me add that the first conductor put two regular stubs over her seat. I assume the second was for the dog.

Could the current conductor been busy when we finally got to her stop? I guess. However, even stopping by to tell (reassure her?), that the next stop is hers, would have been good. That could have happened any time between the station before hers, and hers (about a 30 minute window, if I remember right).

 

[Joel N. Weber II]

Doesn't the conductor have the authority to decide that, if he/she needs a few extra minutes to take care of all of the passengers with special needs, that the stop at a particular station is going to be a few minutes longer than normal? I could see distracted and therefore forgot (which in an ideal world the conductor should learn how to prevent from happening), but I don't understand how busy is a valid excuse.

 

[the_traveler]

On 5/10, I rode from NHV-KIN along with my sister. She uses a rolling walker for assistance. Upon our return to KIN, as we were getting up to leave, the conductor said to have a seat and wait for the second stop. (KIN has a long 10 car+ length low level platform and a 1/2 car length high level platform.)

After detraining the other passengers leaving at KIN, the train pulled forward. (We were seated in one of the rear cars.) When it got to the high level platform, the train stopped! That allowed her to get off without going down the stairs! (Surprisingly, on our morning ride from BOS-KIN, they did not offer this - although they could have done so! )

 

[Guest]

I don't understand how busy is a valid excuse.

It isn't a valid excuse.

Let's face it - people who care will do their jobs whether they are 'required' to do it or not.

Those who don't shouldn't be working.

Whose fault is it that they aren't fired?

 

[jis]

I went out all the way to St. Albans and back on the Vermonter over the last two days. Here is a quick summary of salient observations:

1. On the way out the train was completely sold out upto Springfield MA (4 coaches + 1 cafe/business class). Beyond Springfield there were a few open seats in coach. BC was still full all the way to Bellows Falls. The train completely emptied out by Essex Jct., with only 5 people continuing on to St. Albans.

2. On the way back only 2 people boarded in St. Albans. They were joined by around 40 people in Essex Jct. and by Brattleboro there were well over 170 people on the train and BC was full.

3. Track conditions on NECR need considerable attention. Lots of slow orders. We were 45 minutes late into St. Albans on the way out and 30 minutes late into Springfield on the way back. All of the lost time had been made up completely by the time we got into New York on the way back.

4. The consist is not Y-ed at St. Albans. But it is serviced there.

5. The crew north of Springfield was one of the friendliest and most helpful that I have come across in a while. It was a delightful trip. And of course, it was the same crew coming back from St. Albans to Springfield.

6. Additional cafe supplies were delivered to the train at New York both on the way up and on the way back.

I think if the DMU substitution happens there will be some fall in ridership simply because of inadequate capacity. Of course that may be compensated by increased frequency.

Jishnu.

 

[wayman]

1. On the way out the train was completely sold out upto Springfield MA (4 coaches + 1 cafe/business class). Beyond Springfield there were a few open seats in coach. BC was still full all the way to Bellows Falls. The train completely emptied out by Essex Jct., with only 5 people continuing on to St. Albans.
2. On the way back only 2 people boarded in St. Albans. They were joined by around 40 people in Essex Jct. and by Brattleboro there were well over 170 people on the train and BC was full.

St. Albans just doesn't seem to be a "destination town". I wonder if ridership on the northernmost stretch of the line would be much higher if the Vermonter continued all the way to Montreal. (Assuming, of course, that track conditions were improved such that it was a more reasonable way to get to Montreal.)

 

[Walt]

6. Additional cafe supplies were delivered to the train at New York both on the way up and on the way back.

Ah, that's why there was plenty to pick from on the northbound trip, but very little on the southbound since we got off at NYP.

 

[Walt]

3. Track conditions on NECR need considerable attention. Lots of slow orders. We were 45 minutes late into St. Albans on the way out and 30 minutes late into Springfield on the way back. All of the lost time had been made up completely by the time we got into New York on the way back.

I know that our southbound engineer attempted to make up time too. He was chugging along pretty fast. However, we kept being pulled over onto a siding, and stopping for a while (we missed out track time "window"?). So, any attempt to make up time proved fruitless.

However, we made our connection in NY with two minutes to spare!

 

[Mike S.]

Back to the original post......In BC on the Empire Service Trains, soda is in full 12oz cans. I think it's cold too. They usually give you a cup of ice so it seems like a moot point to me. And yes, the 12oz cans are unlimited too.

 

[had8ley]

Hmm, very odd. I was on the Maple Leaf last summer in BC, as well as Regional 125, and both times the small sodas were in the fridge.

You must have found an LSA that enjoyed cold drinks like most other people~COLD ,and he/she had the presence of mind to do the sensible thing and plop them into the refrigerator. I've yet to get a cold one so you're batting 1,000 and everyone else is batting a big fat goose egg. Oh well, it's only Amtrak. Spent a week with some friends in Florida who had rented a condo in Boca Raton. The condo ran out of toilet paper, so they had housekeeping bring some up. When they checked out there was a 50 cent charge for TP. Go figure...

 

[Guest]

Before you condemn the Conductor and dismiss "busy" as being a valid excuse. Walk a mile in the Conductor's shoes. There are lots of speed restrictions, work zones, and other issues along the railroad. He/She has to constantly be on top of those issues to remind the engineer. A Conductor can be very busy and although he may not get to the passenger right away, they will eventually. Would you rather a train go through a 10mph speed restriction at full speed or the passenger not being notified of their stop right away. Personally I'll go with safety first.

Stop with the Conductor bashing already. We're not Flight Attendants.

 

[Guest]

"is pretty poor service on the part of the conductor"

Step back for a minute. How did conductors ever become responsible for you getting OFF the train at the right stop. People get on and off subways without instruction. (Forget for a moment the handicap which changes the situation.) What happens if you're on the train past the stop specified on the ticket?

 

[jis]

Before you condemn the Conductor and dismiss "busy" as being a valid excuse. Walk a mile in the Conductor's shoes. There are lots of speed restrictions, work zones, and other issues along the railroad. He/She has to constantly be on top of those issues to remind the engineer. A Conductor can be very busy and although he may not get to the passenger right away, they will eventually. Would you rather a train go through a 10mph speed restriction at full speed or the passenger not being notified of their stop right away. Personally I'll go with safety first.

On my trip I thought the Conductor and the Assistant Conductor divvied up their work between them nicely. They took care of wheelchair bound passengers and a few elderly with walking sticks just fine. When the conductor was attending to one of them the Assistant Conductor was calling out the speed restrictions (of which there were literally dozens on NECR) and track warrants on the radio to the Engineer, and vice-versa. I was actually quite impressed with the teamwork. Of course once they were on CSX and Amtrak things calmed down considerably.

And as far as the pressing issue of whether the cans of soda were cold or not, they were cold and still served with a plastic cup full of ice. And within reason there was no limit to the number that were served as far as I could tell. I had about 4 or 5 cans of soda a can of apple juice and a can of orange juice all as part of my BC perks.