Passenger Trains > Who says Amtrak is always late?

Continuing a 120 year tradition, Train Number 1, The Sunset, arrives in Pomona, CA this morning. It used to be one of Amtrak's poorest performers, but this morning it was 30 Minutes early...

Enjoy the timeless experience of a predawn passenger train arrival (and departure)...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/14 05:03 by ats90mph.

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Ah yes, the proof ;-)

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On time is ruined on this route by LA area arrival times that are in the middle of the night. There are hours of padding in the schedule between Houston and LAX. I am glad for a good performer, but Amtrak needs to move the schedule back about 2 hours westbound. Earlier this month I arrived LA on train #1 about 4:45 am. Our attendant in the sleeper, who had given very good service on the trip, announced at 5:15 am that the train had arrived in LA and everyone was to leave the train. The timetable promise of sleeping car people remaining in their accommodations until 6:30 am was ignored.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/14 05:53 by railaddict.

Hey, it is Halloween!! And what could be better than arriving in Los Angeles at 4:15 a.m.???

I would have refused to leave and summoned the Conductor. If that didn't work, I'd go to Customer Service in the station (oh wait, I'd probably have to wait until they opened) and demand compensation. Why can't this company even follow their own rules?

If you boarded the train in the Central time zone, which most do, 5am is the equivalent of 7am where you boarded. So it's no big deal. The people that complain the loudest about this probably never ride the train. The times I have ridden it I was awake before 5am PT. The current schedule gives better times to people in Houston and San Antonio and better connections with the Eagle. It may be an issue for Tucson and Maricopa boarders, but I doubt it

jfrank39 Wrote:
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> If you boarded the train in the Central time zone,
> which most do, 5am is the equivalent of 7am where
> you boarded. So it's no big deal. The people
> that complain the loudest about this probably
> never ride the train. The times I have ridden it
> I was awake before 5am PT. The current schedule
> gives better times to people in Houston and San
> Antonio and better connections with the Eagle. It
> may be an issue for Tucson and Maricopa boarders,
> but I doubt it

I disagree - just because it worked for you doesn't mean it works for everyone. There's a big difference between being put off the train at 5am, before any of the station's concessions are open, and at 6:30. If Amtrak says the train can be occupied until 6:30 (they do), then they should honor that.

Dave

The Manager of this train needs to sit down with his Sleeping Car OBS and insist that every one of them...1) Understands the policy and 2) Commits to carrying it out and doing right by the passenger. Reports from this train are mixed whereby some Train Attendants have honored the policy and some have not - either outright or through passive aggression. Some have told pax that they're to get off upon arrival in LA, and others just make it untenable to stay by banging cabinets, slamming doors, and making frequent announcements. In other words, "You are holding me up and pissing me off." And that doesn't jibe with the language Amtrak uses in its timetable:

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andersonb109 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would have refused to leave and summoned the
> Conductor. If that didn't work, I'd go to Customer
> Service in the station (oh wait, I'd probably have
> to wait until they opened) and demand
> compensation. Why can't this company even follow
> their own rules?

I agree. And unless memory fails, one didn't even have to get out of bed until 8-ish in the morning NO MATTER WHAT. Guess I'll have to check my schedules more carefully before that "over the rainbow" next train ride, because my years of "Hard Livin" are behind me and BIG TIME. And I will ***NOT*** be arising on a train a 0415A, or, before 0730 or 8A unless there has been a serious derailment of something. So there you go again, Amtrak. You lost another customer: ME.

I saw that #1 arrived at LAX @ 422am on Wednesday! That is the most bizarre arrival time that Amtrak has ever had for an end point. I can just imagine some of the comments from the passengers. The Red Eye Ltd. LOL!