Passenger Trains > Long Distance going tri-weekly

Amtrak just announced to their employees that effective October 1, NEC services will be reduced by 32%, State supported reduced by 24%, and all LD services will operate tri-weekly service through FY 21. The LD exceptions are that the Autotrain will continue to operate daily and the Silver Meteor will operate four times weekly. Finally some sensible decisions to at least slow the bleeding. Now they need to develop a sensible food service solution that provides a good quality meal with a reasonably sized onboard crew. A full service dining car is not part of that solution.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/20 13:48 by another_view.

I agree 100%.  All transportation modes need to be minimizing cash burn to the greatest extent possible right now.  

Do you have a link to the source? 

Amtrak has a new Service Alert today, but it doesn't have specifics that you have mentioned.  It's updates as of today.

https://www.amtrak.com/alert.html#

The Amtrak letter dated May 25 to Congress has some of the information you mention.  Is there something in addition to that letter?

https://media.amtrak.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Amtrak-Supplemental-FY21-Funding-Letter-to-Congress-Final-Signed-5.25.20.pdf


 

Also that service alert lists the Carolinian, trains 79,80, as suspended and they are running. In most cases this is the same alert that has been posted since April.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

another_view Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak just announced to their employees that
> effective October 1, NEC services will be reduced
> by 32%, State supported reduced by 24%, and all LD
> services will operate tri-weekly service through
> FY 21. The LD exceptions are that the Autotrain
> will continue to operate daily and the Silver
> Meteor will operate four times weekly. Finally
> some sensible decisions to at least slow the
> bleeding. Now they need to develop a sensible food
> service solution that provides a good quality meal
> with a reasonably sized onboard crew. A full
> service dining car is not part of that solution.

Cutting LD frequencies did not stop the bleeding in the 1990's, but enhanced it. That's why they reverted. Overhead costs don't vanish, while passenger revenue dropped faster. Cutting service 57% will cut passenger revenue even more so because of impossible connections and people cannot change the days they wish to travel. Notice they cutting only 20% of staff. This must be Steven Gardner not letting a crisis go to waste to carry out his agenda. 25 years later, Amtrak is still addicted to their Fully Allocated Cost Acocunting, which was proven then to be bogus. 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/20 14:30 by joemvcnj.

You know, word on the street is that ridership has picked up considerably in the last several weeks. Why wait until ridership is on the rebound to start limiting options even further. This organization often does everything bass ackwards.

Posted from Android

P Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You know, word on the street is that ridership has
> picked up considerably in the last several weeks.
> Why wait until ridership is on the rebound to
> start limiting options even further. This
> organization often does everything bass ackwards.

Your comment makes sense.

Would it not be wise to monitor conditions and adjust frequency accordingly? Granted the needed to stop bleeding cash, in the long run a blanket decision that lasts an entire FY could make things worse. It is possible that potential riders who would have chosen train travel in the future might be discouraged by these cutbacks, never to return to Amtrak. 

It also seems likely that reduced service will mainly attract people who have flexible schedules, like retirees or leisure travlers. People who travel on business might be less inclined to choose the train. This would reinforce the current mistaken perception that long-distance trains are mainly for the benefit of people who don't really need the services Amtrak provides but who simply enjoy train travel as a hobby or pastime. 

 
 

So the Sunset Limited will be going to one day a week.

Reducing LDT to tri-weekly for the off-peak season October-May is entirely reasonable. 
Frequencies can come back for the summer peak season as warranted. 
Airlines plan this way. Amtrak should too.

colehour Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> P Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You know, word on the street is that ridership
> has
> > picked up considerably in the last several
> weeks.
> > Why wait until ridership is on the rebound to
> > start limiting options even further. This
> > organization often does everything bass
> ackwards.
>
> Your comment makes sense.
>
> Would it not be wise to monitor conditions and
> adjust frequency accordingly? Granted the needed
> to stop bleeding cash, in the long run a blanket
> decision that lasts an entire FY could make things
> worse. It is possible that potential riders who
> would have chosen train travel in the future might
> be discouraged by these cutbacks, never to return
> to Amtrak. 
>
> It also seems likely that reduced service will
> mainly attract people who have flexible schedules,
> like retirees or leisure travlers. People who
> travel on business might be less inclined to
> choose the train. This would reinforce the current
> mistaken perception that long-distance trains are
> mainly for the benefit of people who don't really
> need the services Amtrak provides but who simply
> enjoy train travel as a hobby or pastime. 
>
>  
>  


There are business people in suits going to a meeting to save their business in the middle of one of the worst business climates in recent history banging at the door to get on a long distance train. Really?

If past history is any guide then this going tri-weekly will probably prove to be Act 1 in a 2 Act play the spells the end of LDT's. All previous times trains have gone to tri-weekly their ridership has fallen and never recovered. This will be especially problematic for those customers wanting to make connections in Chicago when a missed connection ( and they happen far too frequently) will mean a 2 night stay in a Chicago hotel.  

   Hope I'm wrong but this is bad news for the LDT's.

    Ross Rowland 

The official "new" service alert at the Amtrak website mentions nothing about any LD train going to tri-weekly. I can still book a trip on any day on both Florida trains well after October 1st, and even well into next year. Of course, all of TO just goes crazy with a rumor. Just like the Weather Channel when there is a new tropical system that will "possibly" affect the US. They go ballistic with all kinds of scenarios..

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/06/15-amtrak-plans-triweekly-service-for-almost-all-long-distance-trains-as-of-oct-1
    
"....In response, Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds said in a statement, “We are still in the planning phase, so we can’t answer most of your questions at this time. Due to the long=term impact of COVID-19 on ridership, Amtrak has made the decision to operate with reduced capacity through FY21. We are planning 32% fewer frequencies on the NEC, 24% fewer for our state-supported, service and plan to reduce most long-distance trains to three days per week, beginning Oct. 1, 2020. Our goal is to restore daily service on these routes as demand warrants, potentially by the summer of 2021. We will use specific and measurable metrics to guide our restoration of frequencies and service.”..........

A three day a week train is a bummer.  My access to Amtrak is at Cincinnati and the tri-weekly Cardinal.  If going to the west coast, I have to plan to return to Chicago on a day the Cardinal is running.  Either that or spend a night in Chicago.  It's about the same thing in the East.  I had to cut my last trip short a day due to the tri-weekly schedule.

John

This is what went out today, as an "Employee Advisory"

---

Long Distance Business Line – Service Update
A Message from Roger Harris



To All Amtrak Employees,

We remain committed to operating a national network that serves our customers across America. However, we need to be smart about how we deliver our service in this market environment. Congress is not going to support us indefinitely to run mostly empty trains. We need to demonstrate that we are using our resources efficiently and responsibly.

Amtrak has made the decision to operate with reduced capacity through FY21. We are planning 32% fewer frequencies on the Northeast Corridor, 24% fewer for our state-supported service and plan to reduce most long-distance trains to three days per week, beginning October 1, 2020.

This is an appropriate response, given the current and near-term market conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our ridership has been down by as much as 95% year-over-year. It’s climbing back slowly – and it is going to take a long time to return to normal. The demand for our Long Distance service is down by 70%, even as some U.S. states begin to reopen. We expect our systemwide ridership in Fiscal Year 2021 to be only 50% of what it was in 2019.

Low ridership on long-distance trains has significantly increased our operating losses, which already exceeded $500 million annually on these services before the pandemic. We expect these long-distance frequency reductions will save as much as $150 million in FY21 vs. the losses that would have been incurred with daily service. These savings are part of our pledge to Congress to reduce costs by $500 million.

Our goal is to restore daily service on these routes as demand warrants, potentially by the summer of 2021.

We recognize these changes will impact our employees who support the Long Distance Service Line. While we have a broad plan on our FY21 service frequency, we still have work to do to determine how that will impact the employees who support this work. We are sensitive to the uncertainty that this announcement brings to our Long Distance team. We will work quickly to determine what staffing reductions or furloughs will occur, and we will communicate these changes to you as soon as possible.

A few additional points:

The Auto Train is an exception to Amtrak’s long-distance reduction plan and will continue its daily operation. The Sunset Limited and the Cardinal are currently tri-weekly and will remain tri-weekly. We expect to run the Silver Meteor four times a week so the stations that are common between it and the Silver Star have daily service.
Amtrak remains concerned about the potential for a second wave of the pandemic in the fall, which could further impact demand across the system.
Amtrak is developing specific and measurable metrics to guide our restoration of frequencies and service, and we will share those with you, Congressional staff and other stakeholders.
To ensure all stakeholders understand changes to our service, we will continue to communicate with our union leadership, our state partners, the federal government, the Rail Passengers Association, host railroads, our customers and you.

We appreciate your continued support as we work together to manage Amtrak through this difficult period.


Roger Harris
EVP, Chief Marketing and Revenue Officer

----

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

Ok great. There is also a bill in the House waiting a vote that would give Amtrak around 5 billion a year for 10 years. If this passes the House and Senate, you can bet your behind the tri weekly garbage won't last. The one positive is Amtrak has a lot of friends in the House and Senate. How about TO members write their politicians instead of bitching on this forum..

From another board, an appropriate comment, given Amtrak's demonstrated history and accounting procedures:

"Worth noting, continuing to pay rent, wages, utilities for less than half the trains is a fast route to faking higher losses."

Amtrak EVP Roger Harris said, in his message to employees:

"...During the COVID-19 pandemic, our ridership has been down by as much as 95% year-over-year. It’s climbing back slowly – and it is going to take a long time to return to normal. The demand for our Long Distance service is down by 70%, even as some U.S. states begin to reopen..."

This long distance statistic is substantially better than the "off 85%" (also reported as '15% of prior year's ridership') that had been reported earlier, and even that reflected far higher retention of business in the long distance routes than in the short corridors and the vaunted Northeast Corridor. I smell "spin."

How do you suppose multi-day OBS crews get their rest and then return to their home terminal?
It may take several days of wait time as I see it.

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA

Cutting daily NYP - JAX / TPA / MIA round trips on the Silver Service during winter is not a good thing.   It appears that airlines are cutting flights on that and other routes. The need for LDT service between New York and Florida may be greater than suspected