Passenger Trains > Amtrak Lincoln Service - September

I have planned a trip to the Midwest to ride the new Hoosier Express and sight see a variety of locations, watch a few Major Baseball games.  Planned a trip from Indianapolis to Chicago on Sunday Sept. 20 with Cubs tickets the same day and riding the Lincoln service the next morning, (Sept 21) since the Sunday evening trains were full, to the next stop, St. Louis (Cardinal Game the next evening, 21st).  

Well so much for comparing Amtrak Lincoln service to Hoosier Express with Iowa Pacific, Amtrak has already failed.  All Lincoln service on Monday during the day has been cancelled with the offer of a three hour longer (eight hours total) alternative bus ride.  No increased capacity on the earlier trains or explanation offered for the cancellations.  Guess I will be looking at last minute airline tickets.  THANKS AMTRAK!

I understand circumstances come up, but a planned service disruption with only two weeks notice with minimal alternatives is not acceptable.  Clearly demand was near peak with the Sunday evening with trains sold out already.  It would have been prudent to delay the work to midweek and or add capacity to Sunday's trains. This is obviously not an on board crew issue, but a decision that rests on the manager for the corridor. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/15 00:39 by GrandePete.

You could look at Megabus. Might be a good comparision.

By the time the "high speed" trains are up and running all potential passengers will
already have been alienated.

I think we would all love to see Iowa Pacific's service expanded to Chicago - St. Louis.
Lets hope his proof of concept Indy sevice is a huge success.

I wonder what the UP is doing with their hot intermodal trains on those days?

Long way from GM&O days when they could field two 21 car specials in one day
to the State Fair.
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3822271,3824092#msg-3824092



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/15 04:11 by Englewood.

People always say that everyone will have been alienated, but they come back, or replacements do, as long as the eventual service is good and consistent enough.

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> I think we would all love to see Iowa Pacific's
> service expanded to Chicago - St. Louis.
> Lets hope his proof of concept Indy sevice is a
> huge success.
>

Remember, IPH is only providing the equipment and on-board services for the Hoosier State.  Amtrak is still the operator and sales agent.  So even if the model were to be applied to Lincloln Service the concept of having to stop running passenger trains for days on end to make track improvements would still be there.  Unfortunately Amtrak, the RRs, and the governments that fund passenger infrastructure have adopted a passive-aggressive mind set that on one hand promotes passenger rail investment as essential, but on the other thinks nothing of shutting down supposedly essential existing service for considerable periods of time to implement various incremental improvements.

Dave

How difficult could it be, at the very least, to put additional coaches on the Eagle during these planned service disruptions?!

stuporchief Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How difficult could it be, at the very least, to
> put additional coaches on the Eagle during these
> planned service disruptions?!

If it's Amtrak, it's difficult.  Flexibility and response to customer demand are not in their playbook.

Ah yes, every is all excited about upgrading this corridor to 110 mph operation, but nobody wants to be inconvienced at all by construction delays. You can't have it both ways.  As to the sold out trains, that's normal for the northern half of this route. If you want to be sure to get a seat book a few months early.

Amtrak has no control as to whenthey can run trains.  In this case take out your fusturation with the state of Illinois who is upgrading the line.

Yes, would have been nice if Amtrak had placed more cars on the Texas Eagle,  however it is on a detour, which can result in several hour delays.  Corridor travelers would have been upset with this too!

  Oh yes, factor in the eyes of the accountants, would have required a 2nd locomotive.  But it needs it everyday anyway.

tcarl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ah yes, every is all excited about upgrading this
> corridor to 110 mph operation, but nobody wants to
> be inconvienced at all by construction delays. You
> can't have it both ways.  As to the sold out
> trains, that's normal for the northern half of
> this route. If you want to be sure to get a seat
> book a few months early.

If the trains are so popular that they are sold out months ahead
why aren't extra cars added to accomodate the passengers and
increase the revenue?

I don't think trips between the stops on the north end are the kind that
are planned months ahead.  If someone wants to go two weeks from now
and are told the train is full, they are going to find an alternative and not 
come back.

Everyone understands that track work must be done.  The original poster
was asking why it is scheduled on days where heavy travel is expected.
Another example was days during the State Fair when there were no 
trains operating between Chicago and Springfield.

Anyone know where I can find ridership figures for this corridor?  Everyone claims
that increased frequency is the key to increased ridership.  Frequency was increased
several years ago.

tcarl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ah yes, every is all excited about upgrading this
> corridor to 110 mph operation, but nobody wants to
> be inconvienced at all by construction delays. You
> can't have it both ways.  As to the sold out
> trains, that's normal for the northern half of
> this route. If you want to be sure to get a seat
> book a few months early.

I get your point but.......... upgrades have been going on for years and the end is in sight?
New equipment to use the upgraded route is in sight?
Booking in advance, Months for a corridor train?  I think the point made is when you downgrade the Monday service you push people back to Sunday and
degrade the alternate of Monday travel.

Bob

mundo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak has no control as to whenthey can run
> trains.  In this case take out your fusturation
> with the state of Illinois who is upgrading the
> line.
>
Which leads me to believe thay my original assesment 
of the high speed project, that it is corporate welfare for the UPRR
and contractors, is correct.  If the state
of Illinois was interested in upgrading the passenger service
on the line the rebuilding would be coordinated to maintain a 
level of service; adequate buses, additional cars on other trains, etc.


 

I absolutely understand that track work must be done, but have a hard time understanding why in could not be scheduled during off hours or if the work window needed to be longer, why it could not have been scheduled farther in advance.  I am sure part of this, if not all is an issue with the host railroad, but one alternative I would have liked was adding car(s) to the last two trains on Sunday night that were sold out prior to the service interruption.  When planning the trip, I would not have made all the hotel reservations etc...if this was scheduled 4 to 6 weeks out.  With the exception of several fantastic folks that I have come across travelling by rail, it feels like the corporate culture of the organization is to treat the passenger only as a problem to deal with, rather than a customer to serve.

It speaks volumes to the individual employee when management causes significate problems for a dozens of customers with little or no regard to the impact, yet on-board crews are expected to provide outstanding service.  "Don't do as I do, do as I say."

All Transortion is subject "Change without notice"

Does your auto give you a heads up, when it will not start in the morning?

"Track work" is too simplistic. Some work such as bridge construction can only be done at certain times of the year due to fish spawning or migration issues. That's not the UPs fault. There is a lot of work going on out there now. Once the materials are ordered and the massive amount of RR labor is brought on, stopping has big financial consequences. The budget has decided the trade offs between trains running and how/when the work gets done.

Posted from iPhone

In the UK, there are regular cancellations for trackwork.  See http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/currentAndFuture.aspx?TravelDate=13%2F09%2F2015&TOC=  and click on UPDATE for an example....  For Sunday, September 13, there are lots of buses running....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/15 14:47 by eee.

mundo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All Transortion is subject "Change without
> notice"
>
> Does your auto give you a heads up, when it will
> not start in the morning?

I've never heard of "Transortion".  What is that?​

Englewood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> By the time the "high speed" trains are up and
> running all potential passengers will
> already have been alienated.
>
> I think we would all love to see Iowa Pacific's
> service expanded to Chicago - St. Louis.
> Lets hope his proof of concept Indy sevice is a
> huge success.
>
> I wonder what the UP is doing with their hot
> intermodal trains on those days?
>
> Long way from GM&O days when they could field two
> 21 car specials in one day
> to the State Fair.
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,
> 3822271,3824092#msg-3824092

All SPSL trains where annulled, UPS traffic will trucked at great expense, foamers need to relax, the work needs to be done.

Posted from Mobile Safari



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/15 17:35 by sd24b.

I find this thread interesting and the comments enlightening regarding the railroad mindset.

In response to Mundo - "Does your auto give you a heads up when it will not start in the morning" the obvious answer for me is yes it does!  I take pride in maintaining my vehicles so if something is going wrong with vehicle I know prior to being stranded.  If you do not understand that, than you have a problem.  Reliability is possible with effort.  Your analogy would be like Delta Airlines having the attitude that if the airplane engines quit at 30,000 feet - oh well deal with it.  I have worked for many years in emergency services, and if someone calls 911 we don't have the option of saying "Sorry we're closed today for maintenance".  Subject to change without notice - yes for circumstances beyond your control.  Close a major air route for maintenance and the congress shows up asking questions.  If Amtrak expects the tax paying public to lobby congress for funding, then they must treat the public in a way that will build that support!  If you treat me like crap, don't expect me to call my congressman and tell him he needs to vote for you.

My reply to SD24b is simple - you sound like a key part of the problem, really "Foamers need to relax" ?  I am not a foamer, I am what is referred to in the business world as a Customer.  I am paying for a service! I think the word "customer" is a foreign term for many railroad or Amtrak employees.  Their pay is not based on providing a satisfactory service to a customer to yield a profit.  I will say again - there are fantastic examples of great customer service in some On-board Amtrak employees, but this event shows a management disregard for the customer.  Cancelling the trains has cost me money and due to obligations requires me to fly and purchase last minute air travel.  With advance notice I could have avoided this expense.  If as you say arrangements have already been made to truck UPS freight, it sure would have been nice to have had the same notice.  Maybe I am wrong, maybe this was not an Amtrak issue and just a problem with the host railroad for the cancellation - but how the customer is treated still falls to Amtrak.  I guess it would be nice to be treated with the same respect as a UPS box - just saying.

 

Maybe some people plan on overhauling their automobile engine the day they are
due to leave on vacation.  They would have a great career at amtrak.

Not a foamer.  42 years in the railroad industry including 11 at amtrak.

Tired of seeing the Chicago - St. Louis corridor used as a consultant playground.
The state of Illinois' interest in the corridor ended when the photo op with then
governor Quinn and Senator Durbin pointing to 111 mph on the speedometer
in the business car was over.  Illinois politicians would trade their grandmother for
one vote, so who cares if a billion is spent to get 10 votes.  Its not their campaign
money being spent to rebuild the track for the UP.  They could care less if anyone
rides the train as long as they can point to how the saved the "service".  I am a
life long Illinois resident so I know whereof I speak.

Of what purpose is 110 mph on a single track route when meets with opposing trains
are required.  "Rolling meets" generaly occur only in signal supplier, and railroad hype.
Of course the big plan is probably to double track the entire route.  How many years
and total train shutdowns will be required for that?

Opportunities to increase ridership for special events like Cubs - Cardinal series, and
State Fair are worse than ignored, service is cut for trackwork on those days.

This route is the perfect money pit for endless excuse makers:
The ICG left it in poor condition.
Too many railroads involved.
Poor route through Springfield.
Poor route into Chicago. 
We couldn't make ITCS work.
We couldn't make cab signals work.
We are going to have to wait for PTC.
Geniuses with laptops can't design a car to FRA crash standards.
We need 2, 4000hp units to make 5 cars go 110mph for 15 (?) miles
(enter your excuse here)

Next stunt will probably be to bring the turbos out of storage.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/15 10:59 by Englewood.