Passenger Trains > New Amtrak Chicago Boarding Procedure

I'm riding from Chicago to Champaign on tonight's City of New Orleans #59, a trip I've taken many times before. But today was different. I got an email about new boarding procedures this morning, and when I arrived at the station I headed for the great hall as directed, got my sticker pass from an employee at the first working computer in the kiosk and waited Southwest style as C46 (I think it's one letter per train). Around 7:30 an employee carrying a Track 22 sign led us through the concourse to the train, and the conductor standing next to the first vestibule directed everyone to their car. Maybe this is old news, but it's a big change since the last time I rode. It wasn't completely smooth, but I'm cautiously optimistic. The great hall sure beats the old coach boarding lounge. Pictures to follow.

Posted from iPhone

Pics, With odd rotation because I'm posting from my phone

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I boarded tr 3, Southwest Chief, in the sleepers this afternoon. Waited in Metropolitan Lounge until boarding was called. Was told the track number and had no problem finding my track, train, or car. No rushing or confusion.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/16 18:40 by ATKCentralCoast.

Worked well for me a  few weeks ago. They  might want to turn down the music and  a few less tv distractions in the  lounge. We will see  how it  shakes out.

Good at least it's better than the stupid Chinese Fire Drill they did for a long time that my friend Cristal encountered a few years ago!

< and the conductor standing next to the first vestibule directed everyone to their car>

They did not tell you where to sit in that car ?

Hello from Prague. Here's todays boarding procedure. Track no. Posted 045 minutes prior. Find track. Wait for train. Find 1st class car. Open door. Find seat if reserved. Never talked to or saw any staff until the Guard checked my pass once in route. 15 minutes. Much apologizing. Why does Amtrack make it so complicated!

Why ? Incompetent people need to establish a phony sense of order so as to feel in control, so they play Romper Room.
Why does NYPS have Passport Check-in, but not any station from Yonkers to Buffalo or Rousses Pt for the same train ? Same reason.

Not sure what's wrong with this procedure.....?

This sure beats being crammed into a huge line in the 'pit' waiting rooms while you wait for your train - which you still have to do if you ride some of the corridor trains (IL Zephyr/Carl Sandburg, for example).

Remember, your average American probably doesn't have the layout of Union Station memorized (nor do they care), so if there wasn't some sort of boarding process like this they could end up on the wrong track/concourse/train and miss their train, then get mad at Amtrak because of their own mistake.

RutledgeRadio Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
(snip)
>
> Remember, your average American probably doesn't
> have the layout of Union Station memorized (nor do
> they care), so if there wasn't some sort of
> boarding process like this they could end up on
> the wrong track/concourse/train and miss their
> train, then get mad at Amtrak because of their own
> mistake.

In Italy, many stations have large overhead signs at each platform with the car positions marked.  Your ticket or smartphone has the car position on it.  There are often poster sized signs with the layout of the train  2nd, 2nd, 2nd, diner, 1st, 2nd, 2nd.  Even a dumb tourist like me can figure it out in a nanosecond

In Florence, the platform has / had the door opening positions painted at your feet  and a triangle to allow for exiting passengers

One time we boarded an Empire Builder in Chicago, which has the MSP cut car and was deadheading 2 more cars. So by destination, they told us a number of how many cars to walk forward to get yo you coach or sleeper, i.e. walk 8 cars up, 10 cars up, 12 cars up. Most of us lost count on the way and I had to keep turning my head back to recount how many cars I had walked forward and then add 2 to the cars that disappeared around the curve. 

Amtrak also foolishly abolished consist numbers on Amfleet-2 coaches. The numbers on the end doors have been plated over on the inside, and the ones display outside have been paneled over on the inside, displaying whatever settings they had been set to when they were capstoned.

> In Italy, many stations have large overhead signs
> at each platform with the car positions marked. 
> Your ticket or smartphone has the car position on
> it.  There are often poster sized signs with the
> layout of the train  2nd, 2nd, 2nd, diner, 1st,
> 2nd, 2nd.  Even a dumb tourist like me can figure
> it out in a nanosecond
>
> In Florence, the platform has / had the door
> opening positions painted at your feet  and a
> triangle to allow for exiting passengers

Ditto for one of these in Japan and all over Europe. Plus each car has the car number brightly lit next to each entrance door.

If Amtrak requires reservations on a train, it should also issue mandatory seat reservations. (It could even charge more for more desirable coach seats like the airlines do). Get the coach attendants out of the business of assigning seats for their own convenience and other spurious reasons. It would also allow more leisurely boarding without the mad scrum and the "need" to treat passengers like unruly fourth-graders on a school trip.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/16 13:33 by Dcmcrider.

The car assignments, at least, have a logic to them. Many Silver Service trains have a "Virginia car" and a "Carolinas car" and a "Georgia car" etc.  Having the Georgia people in one car means you don't have to turn the lights on in every car to get the four people debarking in Jesup, etc.  It also means as the Virginia car empties out, you have lots of open seats for people boarding in Rocky Mount and farther down the line.

Some of the stuff is kiddie car variety, but there's some logic to some of the procedures.