Passenger Trains > empire builder winter consist between seattle and spokane

took the eb on a round trip spokane-seattle earlier this week and was surprised at the consist.  only 1 coach and 1 sleeper plus the half of the dorm car open for revenue.  out of spokane the coach was completely full.  not a seat to be had after we spokane passengers boarded.  the attendant told me the sleeper was also full.  he said this consist had started earlier in january and would continue until spring break.  it allowed amtrak to furlough 1 dining car employee as there was need for only 1 server for the diner.  what is amtrak's thinking here?  are they focused on the savings from the furloughed server?  it would seem to me that there is a good possibility they could have sold more seats, accomodations and food had the "normal" winter consist of 2 coaches and 2 sleepers been running.  after all they are supposed to be a transportation company.

These questions are nothing new to this board. Most trains are reduced this time of year.

yarrow Wrote:
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>  after all they are
> supposed to be a transportation company.

"Supposed to" being the key phrase here.  I don't think carrying passengers ranks very highly on the priority list any more.

Andy

How many are getting on/off at Whitefish for the winter season?

Reason I ask, is it possible to set-out a coach or sleeper here to run back and forth between Seattle and Whitefish?

Whitefish setout cars are not likely. The Portland section probably has two coaches but that doesn't do
the other side any good.

Setting out a car at Whitefish can be done eastbound, but for them to pick it up westbound would require a switch engine due to only east facing switches off the main next to the depot. And then, I believe the Portland section is on the rear of No. 7, so the switch engine would have to cut the Seattle car in, causing more delay.

Dave in Msla

I have noted that some trains are packed and difficult to ride even in winter.  Some friends of mine in Seattle who are skiers and snowboarders, recently commented about the full trains to/from Whitefish.  I get the feeling that people are not able to use the service because there isn't enough room, (or there is the impression that there is not enough room to/from Whitefish).  Trust me, when the snow is as good in Montana as it is this year, Amtrak should be in the service mood and ensure that adequate space to/from Seattle is available and then talk it up in Seattle.  If they don't have the optimum soace available to accomodate people searching for reservations, the potential passengers could likely not be using the EB in the future.  To be sure, skiers/boarders can fill seats.   But you have to ensure that the ability to make a reservation and an available seat will be there.

In the case of the EB, why can't an extra coach ne assigned to 8 in Seattle and be set out and re-connected to 7 westbound at Essex, MT?   Essex has plenty of room and equipment and it is not far from Whitefish.  It just makes sense to me to have ample room for extra passengers.  Who cares if there is an extra crew member onboard to/from Essex...  Wouldn't the revenue generated by the extra car and food/beverage purchases onboard, cover the cost of the crew mernber and car from Seattle to Essex to Seattle? 

I'd like to see what marketing plan Amtrak has to attract skiers/boarders in Seattle, travelling to/from Whitefish.  I dont mean to pre-judge Amtrak, because I am not part of the brainstorming regarding sales, but I am curious and wish to see better load factors and service for the passengers.

They got rid of 1 coach to save one chef or server.

The Silver Star lost 1 coach to save 1 OBS person in the dinette car, with which they could run a Cardinal diner-lite.

It's called stepping on a dollar bill to pick up a dime.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/16 06:44 by joemvcnj.

Starting today I know train 3, 4, 11, and 14 will have only one server in the dinner instead of 2.
Dennis

In order to have an cut off car from Seattle, would require the train to make a switch, with car in the middle.  Remeber the :Porlland section is on the rear from Spokane.

mundo Wrote:
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> Remeber the :Porlland section is
> on the rear from Spokane.

Crazy, outside-the-box, would take a blue-ribbon advisory panel several months of feasibility study to make it happen idea: put the Seattle section behind the Portland section.

NYC4096 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have noted that some trains are packed and
> difficult to ride even in winter.  Some friends
> of mine in Seattle who are skiers and
> snowboarders, recently commented about the full
> trains to/from Whitefish.  I get the feeling that
> people are not able to use the service because
> there isn't enough room, (or there is the
> impression that there is not enough room to/from
> Whitefish).  Trust me, when the snow is as good
> in Montana as it is this year, Amtrak should be in
> the service mood and ensure that adequate space
> to/from Seattle is available and then talk it up
> in Seattle.  If they don't have the
> optimum soace available to accomodate people
> searching for reservations, the potential
> passengers could likely not be using the EB in
> the future.  To be sure, skiers/boarders can fill
> seats.   But you have to ensure that the ability
> to make a reservation and an available seat will
> be there.
>
> In the case of the EB, why can't an extra coach ne
> assigned to 8 in Seattle and be set out and
> re-connected to 7 westbound at Essex, MT?  
> Essex has plenty of room and equipment and it is
> not far from Whitefish.  It just makes sense to
> me to have ample room for extra passengers.  Who
> cares if there is an extra crew member onboard
> to/from Essex...  Wouldn't the revenue generated
> by the extra car and food/beverage purchases
> onboard, cover the cost of the crew mernber and
> car from Seattle to Essex to Seattle? 
>
> I'd like to see what marketing plan Amtrak has to
> attract skiers/boarders in Seattle, travelling
> to/from Whitefish.  I dont mean to pre-judge
> Amtrak, because I am not part of the brainstorming
> regarding sales, but I am curious and wish to see
> better load factors and service for the
> passengers.

This is not good......reason being Whitefish puts a lot of revenue advertising dollars in Amtrak's pocket. I can often remember a group filling one coach to themselves on the Empire Builder. So I sure hope Seattle to Whitefish and vice versa does not run sold out, as these are largely coach passengers on that route - WHO COULD ACTUALLY SPEND MONEY IN THE DINER!  

They want to cut costs many times over as much as they want more revenue, whether it be fares or food service revenue.