What should Amtrak change?

[Nick Farr]

I disagree with this entirely. Service standards for a 50 hour transcontinental run in sleeper (or even coach) requires completely different standards from that of a 2-hour ride in a corridor.

You're talking about two different service types. On one 50 hour transcontinental run, I've run into up to three different sets of rules. On the CZ, for example, how the lounge car is treated between SLC and DEN is almost entirely up to the train crew. How or whether or not there is a meal seating, whether or not the LSA comes to your room to take your dinner reservation, who to place your to-go order with, whether or not your SCA is available and how to find them, etc. all seem to be different depending on who is in the position.

While Amtrak management may need to do more to ensure that all service staff have a commitment to making their passengers happy, as I think most do, they can't do it by imposing inflexible rules and disempowering staff from making adjustments, as may be necessary from time to time due to operational reasons.

I agree with you on all of that. I know that they need to make operational adjustments every so often. Consistency is key, and Amtrak suffers from a lack of consistency...except for things like...

.... staff ... tying up space in public areas like lounges, cafes and dining cars, ...

 

[Qapla]

I have ridden coach several times on both Silvers. I have noticed the crew (Conductor included) using a table in the cafe car - it has always been the same table location on both Silvers each time. While it is true that it takes a table away from paying passengers, it also makes it easy to find service personnel (like the conductor) if you need or want to talk to them.

 

[Nick Farr]

I have ridden coach several times on both Silvers. I have noticed the crew (Conductor included) using a table in the cafe car - it has always been the same table location on both Silvers each time. While it is true that it takes a table away from paying passengers, it also makes it easy to find service personnel (like the conductor) if you need or want to talk to them.

I applaud that consistency! Whether it's the crew rest seat in first class, or a table in the cafe car, the OBS should have a dedicated area that is the same on each train. Even DB has an office for the OBS on Intercity trains, this should also be done for Amtrak services.

 

[TheCrescent]

I applaud that consistency! Whether it's the crew rest seat in first class, or a table in the cafe car, the OBS should have a dedicated area that is the same on each train. Even DB has an office for the OBS on Intercity trains, this should also be done for Amtrak services.

Why don’t the crew rooms in the Viewliner baggage-dorms suffice for this?

 

[jis]

Why don’t the crew rooms in the Viewliner baggage-dorms suffice for this?

They potentially could. Similarly there is room for such in the Superliner Trans-Dorms.

The problem with Viewliner Bag-Dorms of course is that most single level trains do not have those cars. I guess only the Crescent and the Cardinal have those.

 

[AFS1970]

For example, Hartford (BDL) could easily have a shuttle meet trains at the Windsor Locks the station. That would make the train a viable option over driving for people who live between New Haven and Vermont.

Having used the bus stop enclosure on a wooden deck that is the Windsor Locks station, this would have to be improved to become attractive. As an aside, there are existing train lines that run onto the airport or adjoining property, although I am not sure where they connect to. It seems a train into Bradley is possible.

 

[Mailliw]

Why don’t the crew rooms in the Viewliner baggage-dorms suffice for this?

When they're available they do (though the conductor's desk should be somewhere passenger accessible), but Amtrak ended up order too many full baggage cars and not enough bag-dorms.

 

[Cal]

When they're available they do (though the conductor's desk should be somewhere passenger accessible), but Amtrak ended up order too many full baggage cars and not enough bag-dorms.

On my Cardinal trip staff took up the cafe IIRC

 

[Cal]

It’s actually owned by the government and private railroads (or, in the case of Penn Central, its successor) but that’s not the question, or the issue.

How is Amtrak owned by private railroads? That's new to me...

 

[Siegmund]

How is Amtrak owned by private railroads? That's new to me...

When Amtrak was first formed, railroads were "paid" in stock for buying in to the network and for equipment they turned over. It never paid dividends and was never traded on the open market.

There was a proposal over a decade ago for Amtrak to officially buy those shares back and retire them. I don't happen to know whether they actually did it.

 

[AmtrakMaineiac]

On my first-ever Amtrak trip, I took the Wolverine from Chicago. There was no information on my ticket, via email or text, or upon arriving at Union Station as to where passengers gather for the Wolverine. I knew that there were Amtrak gate areas. But it turns out you gather in the Great Hall. I guess I was just supposed to know that? Now I'm the type that is comfortable to just go find an Amtrak employee and ask them, but I don't think everyone is going to take that step.

Amtrak is unique in having this "kindergarten walk" approach to getting people to their train. When I traveled in the UK or Europe the procedure seemed to be:
1) upon entering the station look for a signboard or display which clearly showed your train number and what platform or track it arrived at.
2) look for signs directing you to said track and proceed there.
3) once at the platform, if applicable i.e.sleeper or other reserved space, look for signs indicating what location on the platform to stand at which were always clearly marked.
4) when train arrives, board train.
This worked flawlessly even in places where I did not speak the language.
I don't know why Amtrak cannot do something like this.

 

[TheCrescent]

Amtrak is unique in having this "kindergarten walk" approach to getting people to their train. When I traveled in the UK or Europe the procedure seemed to be:
1) upon entering the station look for a signboard or display which clearly showed your train number and what platform or track it arrived at.
2) look for signs directing you to said track and proceed there.
3) once at the platform, if applicable i.e.sleeper or other reserved space, look for signs indicating what location on the platform to stand at which were always clearly marked.
4) when train arrives, board train.
This worked flawlessly even in places where I did not speak the language.
I don't know why Amtrak cannot do something like this.

Agreed and every other railroad that I've taken in the US does NOT make people line up and wait and be shepherded to their train. Even in crowded stations. Even in stations that they share with Amtrak.

I don't know why Amtrak doesn't just have employees standing at various places in the terminal and on the platforms to direct people who want help, leaving the rest of us alone.

 

[MARC Rider]

Amtrak is unique in having this "kindergarten walk" approach to getting people to their train. When I traveled in the UK or Europe the procedure seemed to be:
1) upon entering the station look for a signboard or display which clearly showed your train number and what platform or track it arrived at.
2) look for signs directing you to said track and proceed there.
3) once at the platform, if applicable i.e.sleeper or other reserved space, look for signs indicating what location on the platform to stand at which were always clearly marked.
4) when train arrives, board train.
This worked flawlessly even in places where I did not speak the language.
I don't know why Amtrak cannot do something like this.

That's the way Amtrak used to do it, too. At some stations (New York, Chicago) where the platforms are narrow, they kept people off the platform until the train was ready to board. New York Penn in the old days was great. The crowd would be milling about in the concourse looking at the Solari board, and the minute a track number was posted, the crowd would stir, and individuals would start moving, and then masses of people would head for the indicated gate. It was kind of like those nature videos of the Serengeti, where one zebra smells a lion and starts fidgeting, and then all of a sudden, the whole herd would be running.

This "kindergarten walk" stuff is only at terminal stations. At Baltimore, you just go down to the tracks when they announce your train. This time of year, you don't want to go down too early, unless you like standing around in the cold. Most of the time, they announce where the special cars are found (business class and quiet car to the rear), where the sleepers are, etc. I usually don't pay attention because I ride so much, I know where the cars are. Philly is similar, though people tend to line up at the gate, and that's what happens in Boston, New York and Washington, too.

 

[jis]

The car position announcement for NEC trains matter only when they very occasionally get the orientation of an Acela set out of whack. Otherwise everything is at their standard locations.

 

[Joe from PA]

How does the use of AGR points affect train revenues? I mean, maybe the trains are full, but it's from people cashing in their points, so no cash is actually coming into Amtrak's coffers.

I do not get all of my Amtrak travel free, by a longshot. But it encourages me to pay for trips (and get points) to visit my daughter's family in Boston 3 times a year, and to take various trips to NYC rather than drive 2 hours. Also, I do not know if Amtrak gets a small cut of the credit card interest...maybe they do. You may ask the same question about the airlines "loosing revenue". My wife has a American Airlines credit card. Since AA is a hub airline in Philadelphia, we would use them for most of our flights anyway.

 

[Barb Stout]

Here's a different way to put it. I have admittedly not taken Amtrak a ton to this point in life. Most has been corridor service out of or to Chicago. As an irregular passenger, I often don't know what I should be doing or where I should be going. Here's a couple examples:

- On my first-ever Amtrak trip, I took the Wolverine from Chicago. There was no information on my ticket, via email or text, or upon arriving at Union Station as to where passengers gather for the Wolverine. I knew that there were Amtrak gate areas. But it turns out you gather in the Great Hall. I guess I was just supposed to know that? Now I'm the type that is comfortable to just go find an Amtrak employee and ask them, but I don't think everyone is going to take that step.

- On that same first trip, we did the kindergarten walk from the Great Hall to the entryway to the tracks. At the start of the tracks, an Amtrak employee checked our tickets. I was headed to Ann Arbor. The employee made a vague guttural noise and point signifying I was to board one of the cars further down the platform. Now, every single car had open doors. So...I had no idea where to go. There was another Amtrak employee toward the front of the train on the platform, so I walked forward to him, who instructed me I could board the car where he was standing. Again, this is not a catastrophe of any sort, but my very first impression of Amtrak travel was that I was somehow responsible on my own to know where to be and where to go.

- I've read here that some train crews group people by destination, regardless of whether there are open seats elsewhere. I don't agree with that personally, but again, you could communicate that info beforehand. You'll be in the Washington DC car, which is car #3 forward from the back of the train.

I can't be alone in this as a first time/irregular traveler. I think part of any customer service experience is customers know what to expect. So rather than a rigorous set of standards for employees to follow, set a rigorous set of customer expectations, and empower your employees to meet those expectations to the best of their abilities.

Yes, the large stations are confusing to new or infrequent users. Also, I remember being confused by all the talk on AU that seats weren't assigned because where I board in ABQ, the station agent assigns coach seats prior to boarding and I believe it has also happened on the LSL, so I had thought all the trains did that. I didn't know what to think when taking the Empire Service and we "were on our own" and couldn't find seats together because they were all taken by single passengers. It was alright though; we both got to meet 2 other interesting people.

 

[Joe from PA]

This "kindergarten walk" stuff is only at terminal stations. At Baltimore, you just go down to the tracks when they announce your train.
Philly is similar, though people tend to line up at the gate, and that's what happens in Boston, New York and Washington, too.

New York City does not let everyone down until the train is unloaded. So many people get off (and on) in NYC it would be madness to do otherwise. That's probably the reason for the station stop being 15 minutes. In Philadelphia, a line forms, but you are allowed to go down to the platform about 5-10 minutes before arrival. However, when we take a "overnighter" in a sleeping car, we give a red cap our luggage, wait in the Acela/sleeper lounge, then the red cap takes us, with our luggage, on an elevator to the platform position for the sleeping cars.
In NYC, you are smart if you give a red cap $5. to take you down to the platform ahead of time. New Yorkers are crazy (and I was born in Queens).

 

[Trollopian]

New York Penn in the old days was great. The crowd would be milling about in the concourse looking at the Solari board, and the minute a track number was posted, the crowd would stir, and individuals would start moving, and then masses of people would head for the indicated gate. It was kind of like those nature videos of the Serengeti, where one zebra smells a lion and starts fidgeting, and then all of a sudden, the whole herd would be running...

Laughed out loud at the Serengeti analogy. I've taken many trains around Europe, where I don't speak the languages except the high school French drilled into me by the excellent Soeur Patrice of the Sisters of St. Joseph more decades ago than I care to count, and admired the speed and efficiency of the boarding process. New York Penn isn't so bad because at least the info shows up on a screen and the zebra herd can start moving. I have hearing loss and the worst, very worst, situations are where there is no screen but just an Amtrak staffer making announcements aloud. Not always clearly and loudly and understandably. Seems like an ADA issue to me.

 

[jis]

You have not really experience the Penn Station Serengeti until you have boarded an LIRR or NJT train during rush hours, specially after an unplanned track change. Amtrak simply does not carry enough passengers on any of its trains to get the effect just right

 

[UserNameRequired]

New York City does not let everyone down until the train is unloaded. So many people get off (and on) in NYC it would be madness to do otherwise. That's probably the reason for the station stop being 15 minutes. In Philadelphia, a line forms, but you are allowed to go down to the platform about 5-10 minutes before arrival. However, when we take a "overnighter" in a sleeping car, we give a red cap our luggage, wait in the Acela/sleeper lounge, then the red cap takes us, with our luggage, on an elevator to the platform position for the sleeping cars.
In NYC, you are smart if you give a red cap $5. to take you down to the platform ahead of time. New Yorkers are crazy (and I was born in Queens).

NYP, I am curious if one uses the method of bypassing the lineup by going to the lower level concourse first to go down to the tracks and platform area instead of going to the tracks and platform straight from the the street level main concourse, is one still not allowed to go down early?

 

[daybeers]

NYP, I am curious if one uses the method of bypassing the lineup by going to the lower level concourse first to go down to the tracks and platform area instead of going to the tracks and platform straight from the the street level main concourse, is one still not allowed to go down early?

sshhhh...

 

[UserNameRequired]

sshhhh...

Uh, is that an Affirm or a Negative sshhhh... ?

 

[jis]

NYP, I am curious if one uses the method of bypassing the lineup by going to the lower level concourse first to go down to the tracks and platform area instead of going to the tracks and platform straight from the the street level main concourse, is one still not allowed to go down early?

I did that often. Only immediately after 9/11 they had fierce looking people with big guns protecting those entry points, but during normal times they are very very seldom checked.

BTW, the main boarding concourse is one level below street level at Penn Station.

 

[rs9]

I don't so much mind the kindergarten walk at Chicago Union Station as much as the uncertainty. I agree it's over the top.

A simple email of "what to expect when you arrive at your station" for terminal departures would not be that difficult to put together. Or signs in the terminal. All there is at CUS is a sign that says "To trains." Which is not accurate since you're not supposed to follow that sign to get to certain Amtrak trains lol.

Now I will say, as someone who has been fortunate enough to travel broadly internationally, we as a country are unique in providing terrible information and signage for travelers. The city I live in, Chicago, bills itself as an international destination and features flights from six continents at O'Hare Airport. Naturally, the only language O'Hare signage features is English. Watching international arrivals with limited English trying to buy Chicago "L" fare at O'Hare is a sad but repetitive experience.

 

[jis]

While Amtrak and METRA cannot do anything about signage at O'Hare, they could indeed improve signage and while at it, add a language or two to the signage at Union Station. In general the US is not very good at being multi-lingual, though states like California and Florida are better than the average in the US.

Notwithstanding that, Amtrak by itself could certainly improve the boarding experience in Chicago quite a bit by following some of the suggestions made in the posts above.