What should Amtrak change?

[jis]

Curious for any links to pictures of these "Ampad" interiors please? I searched for a very short time and didn't find any.

They used Superliner Roomette modules, so they substantially looked like Superliner Roomettes inside.

 

[railiner]

Yes, I looked for photo's too, but haven't seen any posted either. As #jis said, they were modified Superliner "Economy Rooms", as they were originally called.
They had to be modified to conform to the curved Amfleet carbody sides, and thus only contained a single lower bunk.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Electrification of the Pacific Surfliner route, the 2nd busiest passenger rail corridor in th0e U.S.

They probably need to stabilize the tracks first! Probably the entire LA area commuter network (and many other cities) being electrified at the same would helpful.

Maybe improving their terrible hiring practices and speeding them up a bit would help.

Finding employee's is hard right now - my boss and I were talking about how hard it is to hire qualified staff in a professional environment and I know that construction is having a hard time hiring and retaining staff, so even with poor HR processes it's hard to staff up.

 

[daybeers]

Finding employee's is hard right now - my boss and I were talking about how hard it is to hire qualified staff in a professional environment and I know that construction is having a hard time hiring and retaining staff, so even with poor HR processes it's hard to staff up.

Sounds to me like people know what they should be getting paid.

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Sounds to me like people know what they should be getting paid.

I'll give you a concrete example: I have a contractor who had a crew to work on a project lined up ready to go. The entire crew got an offer from somebody else and jumped on it leaving my contractor back at square one having to recruit a new crew. There is a labor shortage thanks to the roaring economy (yes, it is roaring, construction is having trouble keeping up) and I'm sure Amtrak, in needing skilled labor, is having trouble finding people just like everybody else.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

They probably need to stabilize the tracks first! Probably the entire LA area commuter network (and many other cities) being electrified at the same would helpful.

If they proceed with the proposal to move the tracks inland in a tunnel, hopefully they would have the foresight to provide infrastructure for electrification of that segment at the same time even if the rest of the line isn't done yet.

 

[Ray Way]

This forum complains a lot about Amtrak. Though I think we all share a love of what we have been given (no matter how much it may test our love), we will all admit that the company has its shortcomings.

I think most on this forum would agree however, that many of Amtrak’s issues do actually stem from being starved of cash. Moreover, Amtrak is forced to do what most other transportation modes are incapable of doing. Run a company, and pay for most of its infrastructure. Now however, Amtrak is flush with cash, and poised to make some monumental changes.

Therefore, what are three major things you would change, or actions that you would take, post 66 billion to improve Amtrak on the whole? Let’s try to avoid too much talk of dining (we have 100 pages of that already).

My big concern is a decent train station for Salt Lake City, They have a new Intermodal Station for bus and light rail but they still have the "shack" they are using (I think). A miserable solution that I had to endure a few years ago. It was supposed to be temporary but Amtrak website is not clear about when the station will move to the Intermodal Station, if at all. If anyone has information about this, please let me know.

 

[wrowland]

This forum complains a lot about Amtrak. Though I think we all share a love of what we have been given (no matter how much it may test our love), we will all admit that the company has its shortcomings.

I think most on this forum would agree however, that many of Amtrak’s issues do actually stem from being starved of cash. Moreover, Amtrak is forced to do what most other transportation modes are incapable of doing. Run a company, and pay for most of its infrastructure. Now however, Amtrak is flush with cash, and poised to make some monumental changes.

Therefore, what are three major things you would change, or actions that you would take, post 66 billion to improve Amtrak on the whole? Let’s try to avoid too much talk of dining (we have 100 pages of that already).

Self serve ice cream, located in each car and including toppings, for all sleeper car passengers.

Screens and Netflix available in all roomettes and bedrooms (all bedroom types).

Priority over freight trains.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Self serve ice cream, located in each car and including toppings, for all sleeper car passengers.

Screens and Netflix available in all roomettes and bedrooms (all bedroom types).

Priority over freight trains.

Priority over freight trains might be the easiest to implement of those 3. I'd settle for WiFi internet access on all long-distance trains. And although self-serve ice cream would be nice, I'd settle for hot water at the coffee stations in the sleeping cars (so passengers could prepare tea, oatmeal, ramen, etc. as desired).

 

[wrowland]

Priority over freight trains might be the easiest to implement of those 3. I'd settle for WiFi internet access on all long-distance trains. And although self-serve ice cream would be nice, I'd settle for hot water at the coffee stations in the sleeping cars (so passengers could prepare tea, oatmeal, ramen, etc. as desired).

That's a fair assessment! Hot chocolate would have been nice on our trip as I'm not really a coffee person.

 

[Tlcooper93]

Self serve ice cream, located in each car and including toppings, for all sleeper car passengers.

Screens and Netflix available in all roomettes and bedrooms (all bedroom types).

Priority over freight trains.

I’d ask for a lot of things before I got to entertainment and ice cream, but I guess that’s me.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Almost everyone has their own devices now, if I could get nice, clean and safe hotels with no TV for anything much over $20 less per night, I'd take them. And I like watching local small-town news on road trips, but only up to a point. Better Wi-Fi would be more than enough. I wasn't that bothered by the spottiness on my cross-country trip last year.

 

[MIrailfan]

A Beech Grove like repair facility for the Western U.S. to help rehab and repair cars/locos faster.

 

[TrackWalker]

Start afresh. Rebrand Amtrak and get a new logo.

Give priority hiring of on-board staff to graduates with hospitality services training. Immediately begin sending present employees to a short training course every few years. (recertification?)

Train everyone from conductors on down to customer service reps to understand they are transporting people not cargo.

 

[Bob Dylan]

A Beech Grove like repair facility for the Western U.S. to help rehab and repair cars/locos faster.

Yep, the West Coast needs one as does the Middle of the Country since Chicago turns out Junk regularly, and has for years!

 

[danasgoodstuff]

Start afresh. Rebrand Amtrak and get a new logo.

Give priority hiring of on-board staff to graduates with hospitality services training. Immediately begin sending present employees to a short training course every few years. (recertification?)

Train everyone from conductors on down to customer service reps to understand they are transporting people not cargo.

While I can understand the appeal of this idea, given Amrak's struggles over the years and the historic opportunity to transform it into something quite different, I don't think this is what they need to be spending time and money on right now. Let them get some new services and other improvements up and running and then maybe think about rebranding. Even then I think I'd go for 'not your grandfather's Amtrak' rather than going thru a name and logo search.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

Start afresh. Rebrand Amtrak and get a new logo.

They already did that when they went from pointless arrow to the current wavy logo. How is that rebranding working out for us?

 

[railiner]

They already did that when they went from pointless arrow to the current wavy logo. How is that rebranding working out for us?

I wonder how much they paid the firm that designed that current logo?
As an aside, I think the large one on the current conductor's cap looks cartoonish, as compared to the original cap and badge...

 

[AmtrakFlyer]

Start afresh. Rebrand Amtrak and get a new logo.

Give priority hiring of on-board staff to graduates with hospitality services training. Immediately begin sending present employees to a short training course every few years. (recertification?)

Train everyone from conductors on down to customer service reps to understand they are transporting people not cargo.

That actually may be closer to reality if Congress doesn’t get a more appropriate BOD, than the current nominees and chairman. I think congress is realizing they don’t have as much control over the national network considering the appropriation it gets. They shouldn’t have to mandate things such as Amtrak operate daily service or operate long distance trains.

Back to the original quote. Take the network trains away from Amtrak, rebrand, retrain employees and get management that knows hospitality and common sense. I mentioned it on his website, Lamar from, “come ride with me” could be the next Amtrak brand Ambassador or Brian Rosenwald type person. The great employees are there in all departments I’m sure and it has to be discouraging for them to work for such an inept company.

 

[lordsigma]

I think congress is realizing they don’t have as much control over the national network considering the appropriation it gets. They shouldn’t have to mandate things such as Amtrak operate daily service or operate long distance trains.

Yes they do have to. Amtrak’s very existence comes from acts of Congress - Congress determines what they are allowed to spend federal money on. Service largely went to tri weekly during the pandemic due to a Congressional failure to pass more Covid relief after Amtrak’s initial relief ran out. Additional follies such as food service and other cuts came as a result by congressional meddling and failure to make up its mind on what Amtrak’s mission should be. I think you’re letting our elected reps off the hook way too much on Amtrak issues. They are just as much at fault for Amtrak’s back and forth inconsistency as anything or anyone else and as the real power perhaps the most at fault.

What would make Amtrak better is a multi year operational funding model that would insulate the company a bit from the year to year partisan politics and maintain a longer term direction. Having to shift directions constantly because of changes in power in Washington doesn’t help things. I don’t disagree about reforming the board but that’s not the only thing that’s needed.

 

[Bostontoallpoints]

Yes they do have to. Amtrak’s very existence comes from acts of Congress - Congress determines what they are allowed to spend federal money on. Service largely went to tri weekly during the pandemic due to a Congressional failure to pass more Covid relief after Amtrak’s initial relief ran out. Additional follies such as food service and other cuts came as a result by congressional meddling and failure to make up its mind on what Amtrak’s mission should be. I think you’re letting our elected reps off the hook way too much on Amtrak issues. They are just as much at fault for Amtrak’s back and forth inconsistency as anything or anyone else and as the real power perhaps the most at fault.

What would make Amtrak better is a multi year operational funding model that would insulate the company a bit from the year to year partisan politics and maintain a longer term direction. Having to shift directions constantly because of changes in power in Washington doesn’t help things. I don’t disagree about reforming the board but that’s not the only thing that’s needed.

If Amtrak turned a profit congress would have almost no say in their operation. Not saying that should be the goal but congress meddles in Amtrak's business because Amtrak has to ask congress for funding.

 

[lordsigma]

Certainly and so long as it is a ward of the state Congress it will be subject to Congressional tinkering - and that's not going to change. But I think there are things that could be done to allow for better long term planning at Amtrak with a bit more certainty regarding funding as they point out every year. I think a multi year trust fund type of setup is one approach that would give them a bit more flexibility to plan rather than having to be subject to the annual appropriations process every single year and all the politics involved with that. Would probably be an uphill climb to actually achieve it given how many years Amtrak has asked for it and it hasn't happened but it would be worthwhile if it ever became feasible. The IIJA is a great example of the benefits of some certainty in multi year funding at least for the larger projects. Obviously more accountability and transparency is needed for any government funded body not less and I'm certainly not arguing that Amtrak's board not be subject to Congressional oversight.

 

[TheCrescent]

Amtrak’s approach: plenty of nasty employees combined with a system that emphasizes lots of contact between employees and passengers likely compounds customer dissatisfaction.

For example:

1. If I could order dinner online, then I wouldn’t have to deal with employee attitude when the Amtrak employee comes by to take my order. (One time when I asked for a glass of wine with dinner, the employee fussed at me and said that it wasn’t her job to wait in line in the cafe car for me.)

2. I don’t need a wake-up call, particularly when my stop is before dawn and particularly when the wake-up call is often 30 minutes or more before arrival.

3. I would prefer to be able to just get off the train by myself. (I’ve been yelled at when I came to the door nearest my room to get off.)

4. I don’t need someone interrupting me to tell me how to use the room. I’m Select Plus; I’ve taken Amtrak sleeping cars many times before, which Amtrak should know.

5. I can raise and lower the bed myself.

6. Why doesn’t Amtrak have a place where you can put your ticket so that it can be scanned without the ticket collector needing to knock on your door and interrupt? I’ve been fussed at for NOT leaving my ticket in the window of the sleeping car, and fussed at for needing to unlock the door so that the ticket collector can come in; either way, I get fussed at.

If Amtrak had consistently helpful employees, the “high touch” level of service would be fine. But since each interaction with an Amtrak employee increases the chance of the employee yelling at the customer and the customer being dissatisfied, Amtrak should move as much as it can to be online and reduce the contacts unless the customer wants them.

If I had simply been left alone by one sleeping car attendant on the Crescent, I would still be an Amtrak regular. But thanks to Amtrak employees, I am an American Airlines twice-a-week flyer.

 

[west point]

The reservation system will need a major upgrade to do some of these things.
Allow sleeper passengers to order what meals they want when making a reservation. For reservations more than 2 weeks ahead e mail them at about 2 - 4 weeks to make selection since meals will change.
Coach passengers can purchase meal up to 2 weeks before trip. No refund for meal part of ticket if trip cancelled unless Amtrak' fault.
Any leftover meals sold at/after normal last call.
Intermediate catering for routes where needed.

As loads get larger a crew chief assigned to train. Chiefs will rotate between different crew.

 

[jis]

The reservation system will need a major upgrade to do some of these things.
Allow sleeper passengers to order what meals they want when making a reservation. For reservations more than 2 weeks ahead e mail them at about 2 - 4 weeks to make selection since meals will change.
Coach passengers can purchase meal up to 2 weeks before trip. No refund for meal part of ticket if trip cancelled unless Amtrak' fault.
Any leftover meals sold at/after normal last call.
Intermediate catering for routes where needed.

As loads get larger a crew chief assigned to train. Chiefs will rotate between different crew.

At least on the arilines that offer pre-selection of food choices, you do not have to do so when you make a reservation. You can do so later. Who knows what one would want to eat six months in advance? I certainly don't. Even two weeks is pushing it. I think there should be a choice which says I will have food, whatever item is available. This is what I generally do with airlines, since I don;t care usually what I can get as long as it is good edible food. I would not want to be arm twisted into amking choices that I do not want to make way in advance.