Train #40 8/11/04 long delay

[air5k]

Hi,

For anyone who is not aware of this, the Three Rivers Train from Chicago to New York that left Chicago on August 11th at about 11 PM was over nine hours delayed by the time it reached Philadelphia. I was on board with my daughter and fortunately was just going home with no consequences for our lateness other than my husband having to go to the train station in the middle of the night (I think we got in around 2:30 or 3:00 AM Friday the 13th) rather than after work as anticiapted. However, many of the other passengers were missing connections, including trans-Atlantic flights, and events, including graduations. No employee on board made an effort to speak to those with such concerns; there was no list made of concerns to send ahead to Philadelphia so the issues could be prelimanarily addressed before our arrival; in fact, there were not even any regular announcements during our trip to advise us of our progress, just the occasional employee walking down the car with one update, which was usually Pollyannish in its estimates of when we would get started again during a delay.

My questions are as follows. I am a new Amtrak rider. My husband says "never again" but I am more willing to believe this is a very unusual occurrence. Is it? When the train ran out of food, they brought KFC meals on board for everyone who had been on the train for awhile and gave them to us for free. However, I and at least several other passengers were vegetarians and were left eating coleslaw and a biscuit, being unable to eat the three-piece chicken meal and the mashed potatoes and gravy. Couldn't Amtrak have a better policy where they actually communicate with passengers in those situations to help those with special dietary needs? I understand they can't take care of every preference, but many people are vegetarian and it is not very difficult to find vegetarian food, even at fast food restaurants. I am pregnant and had a small child and we really needed to eat.

Why does Amtrak not have a policy of helping people with their missed connections before arrival, as many airlines do? There is a lot more time to handle such problems when you are still six hours from your destination and know you will be late. And why were there no announcements or any other type of communication with passengers to try to address concerns? It seemed to me one of the employees should have been assigned to go from person to person and ask if there was a connection, reservation, etc. that was going to be missed, if the person needed access to a phone or wanted to forward a concern to the customer service desk at their destination so they would be prepared to help them upon arrival.

To add insult to injury, at midnight last night, when we were running 9 hours plus behind schedule and were going to arrive in the wee hours of the morning instead of 5 or so in the afternoon, they CHARGED us for coffee! It seems like such a small thing to let that be on the house--not an announcement or anything that would create a stampede, but just when you go to get it, they give it to you.

I would consider trying Amtrak again but I expect them to do something for every passenger on that train who was so inconvenienced. Not necessarily the passengers who boarded later, knowing how late it was, but the ones who were trapped on board for 27 hours or more when they were expecting 18. In everyone's experience, what can I realistically expect from Amtrak? Will they do right by all those people who missed connections, reservations, meetings, etc.?

Thanks

 

[railman]

I am sorry to hear that you had such an extensive delay and that the crew seemed so apathetic to the situation. But concerning some of the points you raised in your trip report:

Passengers with special dietary needs are expected to alert Amtrak at the time they book their trip. A special coded message is placed in those passengers' reservations that notifies a whole host of folks including Customer Service, Commissary, On-Board Service staff, etc. If you did not alert Amtrak at the time you booked your trip then they are not expecting to have to accommodate your needs. That could explain why everyone was simply handed the KFC meal.

Connections are a reall slippery subject with Amtrak and train delays. First let me say that Amtrak in no way accepts responsibility for a passenger's connections to another carrier or transportation provider - unless that onward travel in contracted by Amtrak specifically for its passengers (i.e. Thuway service). So passengers such as those with trans-Atlantic flights who book same-day connections at the train's destination are taking their own risks.

Now Amtrak's train-to-train connection policy is a little more clear cut. If someone on your late train was booked to travel onward to let's say Boston, Amtrak would put those passengers on the next train they run going to Boston. If there isn't any other train until the next day, the passengers are generally offered accommodation in an area hotel for the night. Other arrangements are also possible - it depends on the circumstances involved. But Amtrak only protects connections to/from it's own services.

If you're still willing to give Amtrak another try then do it. But I also urge you to write a letter detailing your experience to Amtrak Customer Relations Department at 60 Mass. Ave., Wash., DC 20002. Amtrak cannot correct deficiencies in staff or service if the company doesn't hear from its customers about it. And they do respond to every letter....

 

[air5k]

About the dietary requirements, the Three Rivers train does not have a dining car, only a snack bar with microwave things and some pre-packaged sandwiches. They provide several very satisfactory vegetarian options at the snack bar. However, when they ran out of food, they did not then choose to provide meals that mimicked the options that they offer in the snack bar. Not that there should have been five choices or anything, but given the number of people they had on board, getting 10 or 15 vegetarian meals would have been wise. Is it really expected when there is only a snack bar that you bother to register your meal preferences? This was certainly not provided as an option when purchasing my ticket or checking in.

 

[Guest]

About the dietary requirements, the Three Rivers train does not have a dining car, only a snack bar with microwave things and some pre-packaged sandwiches. They provide several very satisfactory vegetarian options at the snack bar. However, when they ran out of food, they did not then choose to provide meals that mimicked the options that they offer in the snack bar. Not that there should have been five choices or anything, but given the number of people they had on board, getting 10 or 15 vegetarian meals would have been wise. Is it really expected when there is only a snack bar that you bother to register your meal preferences? This was certainly not provided as an option when purchasing my ticket or checking in.

I can't stress this enough. If you travel, and plan on using any entity other than your own car whether it be an airline, bus, train, etc, ALWAYS ASK lots of questions! This way you will be armed and ready for your trip. The travel industry as a whole WILL NOT ask you if you are aware of every detail in regard to your trip. This is true in the hospitality industry, too. I am not placing total blame on you for how your trip turned out. However, the best way to be in the know is to be NOSEY! If the employee decides to have a snotty attitude, then shame on them. They represent the company they are employed with. So with respect to your situation, if it were me, I would write Amtrak, as the previous poster has suggested,, and go through the proper channels. It also might not be a bad idea to write the CEO David Gunn and tell him about your trip. I have always had good luck with Amtrak, and they usually do respond their customers' complaints. Mr. Gunn, I understand is usually very good about answering his letters whether they are good news or complaints. There is no harm in trying. Now in the future, just be sure to have a very inquisitive mindset, and ask LOTS of questions. This IMO is the best way to manuever around in the travel/hospitality industry. Good luck!!!

 

[railman]

Having your reservation contain information about dietary [or medical] requirements is not precipitated by the type of food service the train offers or doesn't offer. What if the commissary didn't bother to put those vegetarian options on board the Three Rivers the day you traveled? What if they only loaded on one or two of 'em? If you had a note in your reservation about your needs then at least perhaps the attendant would have 'hid' them for you.

Amtrak can accommodate pre-stated vegetarian or other meal needs on virtually any of its trains - even the NEC Regionals and Acela Expresses. The selections they provide are in keeping with the general style of food service provided on your particular train.

Information is power, and having you informed and making Amtrak informed is only gonna smooth out some of the potential bumps.

 

[air5k]

The fact is, I carried most of my food aboard and was not concerned about meals other than getting supplementary items like milk and whatever snacks I could find for variety. I had no problem with food whether or not they were going to have what I needed UNTIL the train was delayed by over nine hours, necessitating essentially two additional meals. I had also taken the precaution when I knew we were running late of buying a few items before the cafe ran out of food, like cheese and crackers, and putting them in my cooler. So I was neither naive nor unprepared. I feel the additional food they brought onboard was a special circumstance given our lateness, and should have warranted a little additional effort on the part of the crew in terms of making sure everyone had what they needed. The Muslim mother and two children seated in front of me had brought no food on board. I do not know if they had registered dietary preferences or not. My suspicion is that it would not have mattered. The crew realized food was needed and coordinated picking it up at one fo our stops, and I think the thought they put into it ended there.

 

[Trogdor]

I can see both sides of the issue on this one. On the one hand, if you have special dietary needs, you should communicate them ahead of time. On the other hand, when certain situations are out of the ordinary (late trains aren't out of the ordinary, but running so late that they have to have additional meals brought on board from fast-food restaurants is somewhat out of the ordinary, though it still happens occasionally).

The crew knew ahead of time that they would be ordering additional food. They should have announced to the passengers what they were planning, and asked if anyone had special requirements.

Many people bring their own food on board so they don't have to worry about having the right food available. However, when the train runs so late that they need extra meals, Amtrak should accommodate this somehow, even if the traveler initially didn't plan on eating anything that Amtrak had (which is why they may not have made a note in their reservation regarding dietary needs).

In May, my Texas Eagle train suffered a HEP failure before lunch and the dining and lounge cars were unable to serve food. Subway sandwiches were brought on at Springfield, IL. I wasn't asked whether I had any special needs (which I don't), and I don't think anyone else was, either. The car attendant had a box full of sandwiches, and he just pulled a bag out and handed it to me, which makes me assume they were all the same.

I know a few other folks who were in similar situations over the last few years, and in their cases, nobody was asked about special needs either. I would suggest you write Amtrak customer service about this, as it seems to be a constant problem whenever they have to bring outside food on board.

Make sure that you keep your letter short (preferably one page, two pages at most), as anything longer will probably not even get read. Send a note to David Gunn about it as well.

 

[Guest]

There is really no way to be totally prepared for such a circumstance. However, (and please make note of what I mentioned in my previous reply) the travel/hospitality industry is ONLY going to do so much in these types of situations. It is totally impossible to satisfy every customers absolute needs and wants (yeah I had to add wants)! This is what I have found regarding the industry as a whole (actually everywhere where customer service is involved), not just Amtrak. This was a bad situation for you as well as Amtrak. Really and truthfully, all you can do now is ask Amtrak if they will compensate you for at least part of your inconvienience, and give them another try. Basically, I am suggesting you do that. My experiences with Amtrak in that regard have been good. Amtrak has shown me they want to keep me as a customer! In other words they have made it clear they are not perfect, and will try to do the best they can.

Employees who work in the travel/hospitality industry should understand (those who don't, need to), the customer looks to YOU for their answers. If you cannot answer your customers' questions or concerns, then out them in the right direction to the ones who may be able to, ie managment, etc. I find Amtrak is good on response to complaints and recognition of good service. But I think it is easier to deal with the travel/hospitality industry as a whole by having several alternate plans in place to deal with potential situations. For example, a nine hour late Amtrak train isn't necessarily the norm. But it occurs from time to time. I have seen twenty hour late trains before. With an airplane trip, don't necessarily make plans on the day of the arrival. Something like this recent hurricane in FL may interupt those plans ie an airport closure, etc. Have alternate plans in place. So I make alternate plans in order to cope with the potential situation, being I now know how the travel/hospitality industry is as a whole.

I was on a late train of about five hours behind scheduled time on one occasion. I had made the mistake of making an appointment on the evening of the arrival. I had to get off the train at the next available station and hire a taxi (with a $350 cab fare) to get me where I was going at the time I needed to be there, and I made it with time to spare! This is a reason which justifys my "emergency credit card" where I can get a cash advance, or some means of footing the bill for the charges. No, I didn't want to spend this money, and yeah, expensive like any alternate plans are, but well worth my time by saving me hassle and the major inconvienience which would have occured with my present situation at that time. But U really don't know what I would have done in that situation you were in because I wasn't there. But personally, I really wouldn't expect anything out of the crew (going on the info you described of them). Wow, I have literally written a book! Oh well, this all is only my opinion. Have a great day, all!

 

[Miami Joe]

Having had the luxury of eating some KFC after the train arrived, maybe I can add some info.

1) Just like the airlines, dietary requests are available. The passenger must request this option at the time of booking.

2) Like any food service provider, we run out items occassionally. I've noticed food signs with tape over the item.

3) Buying 75-150 boxes of food from one store, and trying to figure out when the train is going to get to the delivery point must be one hell of a challenge!! It's easy when you have daily delays, but if it's a one time delay, the variables are many. Cellphone reception is sporadic at times.

With airline delays, what do they do when the plane taxi's out and sits on the taxiway for a few hours? Even if the meals were passed out on the ground, I'm sure the plane wasn't restocked before take-off.

Considering that cookies have become a meal, KFC sounds like great!!

MJ

B)

 

[battalion51]

I know most of the time it's the local Station Superintendent that gets the meals, and he gets whatever he can get in a pinch. Sometimes down here we get local BBQ, sometimes we get KFC/Popeyes, sometimes we get meals from Wal Mart. I think what they do in a short period of time is amazing, and be glad they at least made the gesture. Free meals are becoming a rarer breed all the time.

 

[Miami Joe]

BBQ? :blink:

I've never had BBQ!!!! :angry:

Must be N/B!!! :lol:

MJ B)

 

[battalion51]

SB Meteor in March.