Passenger Trains > Day 1 of Florida Train Cuts

Effective today, 97/98 are quad weekly, and 91/92 are tri-weekly. There is no 91 until FRIDAY. 97 runs Monday Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday, and 91 Friday Saturday Sunday.

Also, Amtrak's press release boasts of "5 refreshed Amfleet coaches, and 3 sleeping cars". So far the manifest shows just 3 coaches and two sleepers. Anyone who can get a actual visual please report.

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PA:METTO unchanged??

will be on 98 on Tuesday, July 14 from Miami -- will share my experience then.  

I had been booked on 92 for that day (easier with the 4 hour drive norrh to the Miami station) but was switched automatically about 3 weeks ago.  Now booked into Room 1 in the 10 car, so I suspect the load is light. Had been in the second sleeper on 92 so it sounds like the load has diminished from back in February when I booked. 

My plan is to keep my distance at the station (easily done at Miami with ample outdoors only a few feet from the building), retire to my roomette and close the door to create my own little bubble of protection from others. I will clean with santizing wipes, bring my own air ionizer, and hole up in there until my destination. Meals can be left outside my door so I don't need to have any human contact,  Especially compared to an air experience it sounds both safe and pleasant. 

More next week!

 

RevAndy,  Have a great trip. Your precautions should suffice. look forward to seeing your trip report. Wife and I are booked on 49/48 and 3/4 late this month to do a Syracuse-Lamy NM roundtrip.  I'll also write a trip report. 

  Safe travels, Ross

Take lots of wipes. I've been in 3 sleepers since the virus started. Three showed no dirt on the wipes. But on the Crescent the wipe was black. Carpeting didn't look too clean either. You would think with reduced days and consists, they could fine a clean sleeper. I wouldn't be too worried about the crews. All wore masks when in proximity of other passengers. But on the eastern trains, there really isn't anyplace to sit other than your room. One other thing I noticed. On the three two eastern trains I rode, blankets were in plastic bags like on the airlines. You then completed the bed yourself. That's been going on pre pandemic. But on the Chief the blankets weren't. I meant to ask the attendant why but forgot. He did say they are suppose to change both beds in the room after every occupancy even if there is only one passenger. Have a fun trip. The odds of you being exposed are far less than many other daily undertakings you might be engaged in. 

Amtrak Passenger Advisory:

Silver Star and Silver Meteor Changes

• Expanded capacity will be offered for each departure
  
  • Five fully refreshed Amfleet II Coach cars offering new seating cushions, carpets, curtains, LED reading lights and ample space for physical distancing
  • Three Viewliner Sleeping cars offer customers the option to book a private Bedroom or Roomette for their trip
  • One Amfleet Café Car offering meals, snacks, and beverages for sale
  • One Viewliner II Sleeper Lounge offering an exclusive space for customers in private rooms with flexible dining service available

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/20 08:17 by jeff56.

Thing is there is a 91 out of NYC today, probably the last until Friday, but one is headed though to Miami.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Both 91 and 97 went into Miami today, 7/6/2020, and there will be both into Miami tomorrow. Each morning only one train will leave so there will be 2 extra train sets sitting there. Maybe going to store some of the extra cars in Miami? The one that went through Ashland this evening was a 'regular' consist not the new expanded one.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/20 14:24 by RNinRVR.

Sorry - but I can't make ANY sense of the why Amtrak would be scheduling the Meteor to run four days in a row, and then have the Star run three days in a row, especially when Friday and Sunday would be the heaviest travel days. This schedule makes absolutely NO sense. When a train would go three or four times a week, you tried to balance out between heavy travel days or offer some sort of "balance." This schedule seems out of right field - and not in the political way. Absolutely a horrible scheduling decision - and I've tried to find out some rhyme or reason. Nada, nothing!!!! Can someone else explain it?

The weekend Florida traffic to/from Boston and any points north of NYP are basically killed off. The Star leaves too early and arrived in too late. I get that they are trying to cover NP to Miami (end points) on a daily basis, but that's not necessarily going to lead to the best optimization.

I also understand we are in a pandemic and travel may be down. But the Florida market is likely still got some pep to it, Auto Train does, in its daily operation. ADD more sleepers and try to get people to bump up from coach!

And for people to be cramped into coach and sleeper rooms for the whole journey - limited trips to the Amfleet II Lounge/Cafe car (aka Amfleet Diner Lite car), WHY NOT put a Viewliner Diner on the train, just as a lounge car to provide some "space" for people to unwind at. Allows people to spread out and social distance more........

Appears Hialeah's getting a fare amount of single level LD cars to store - Viewliner based baggage cars, Viewliner Diners/Sleeper Lounges, Viewliner Bagg/Dorms, Viewliner Sleepers (both I and II). I realize cash flow is stressed, but it would be the perfect time to do a refresh on the Viewliner I's.   

Is anyone even remotely home at Amtrak in trying to offer a descent service product?

It's tough times, but gosh, the labor costs are WAY down for the LD trains, Amtrak could try to be customer focused. If anyone has access to passenger loads from previous weeks and in coming weeks, that'd be an interesting comparative. Otherwise, it appears Gardner is getting his way of trying to kill the LD trains, and I've never really played into this line of thinking over the years, but this seems to obvious now...........Perfect excuse and cover - to use COVID-19. 

jeff56 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak Passenger Advisory:
>
> Silver Star and Silver Meteor Changes
>
> [*]Expanded capacity will be offered for each
> departure
>
> [*]Five fully refreshed Amfleet II Coach cars
> offering new seating cushions, carpets, curtains,
> LED reading lights and ample space for physical
> distancing
> [*]Three Viewliner Sleeping cars offer customers
> the option to book a private Bedroom or Roomette
> for their trip
> [*]One Amfleet Café Car offering meals, snacks,
> and beverages for sale
> [*]One Viewliner II Sleeper Lounge offering an
> exclusive space for customers in private rooms
> with flexible dining service available
>
>

Nice, a great advertisement on 2 trains that might meet their death sentence in the not too distant future! That Infastructure Bill can't get into law fast enough!

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/20 17:24 by ProAmtrak.

Yes, Amtrak proclaims all the service advancements of their equipped trains, but CUTS the service by 50%.  The usual corporate B.S.   Try to dress up sow's ear to look like a silk purse.  

I'm on 98 tomorrow from Orlando to DC in sleeping car 9812 Rm 01. I'll let you know how it all pans out.

97 had it's regular 7 car consist tonight viewed via Ashland cam

98 this morning on the Ashland cam had the new consist.
5 coaches; Cafe; Viewliner Diner and 3 sleepers.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sorry - but I can't make ANY sense of the why
> Amtrak would be scheduling the Meteor to run four
> days in a row, and then have the Star run three
> days in a row, especially when Friday and Sunday
> would be the heaviest travel days. This schedule
> makes absolutely NO sense. When a train would go
> three or four times a week, you tried to balance
> out between heavy travel days or offer some sort
> of "balance." This schedule seems out of right
> field - and not in the political way. Absolutely a
> horrible scheduling decision - and I've tried to
> find out some rhyme or reason. Nada, nothing!!!!
> Can someone else explain it?

Probably more for operational convenience than from any market analysis. Not a good sign!

I suspect Amtrak is running the Star on the weekends because they want to retain as much intra-Florida traffic as they can. It's a major contributor to economics of the Star. Not so much for the Meteor, which doesn't reach Tampa. 

ctillnc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I suspect Amtrak is running the Star on the
> weekends because they want to retain as much
> intra-Florida traffic as they can. It's a major
> contributor to economics of the Star. Not so much
> for the Meteor, which doesn't reach Tampa. 

Interesting thought! Sounds a bit like the tail wagging the dog.

My inclination would be to forget the Star and run the Meteor daily, possibly splitting off a Tampa section.

However that would belie the notion of the service cuts to three days a week elsewhere and could constitute a service abandonment in South and North Carolina. Maybe bus connections could get around that and the states still would be served by several Amtrak trains. If the state government of South Carolina ever changed its mind about railroad passenger service, I think the emerging network would be a bit different than the current Silver Star route. 

jeff56 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 98 this morning on the Ashland cam had the new
> consist.
> 5 coaches; Cafe; Viewliner Diner and 3 sleepers.

Sorry - but that would be a RESTORED consist! The Meteor has been operating with THREE Viewliner sleepers for most of the past decade. Whether it's been four or five coaches OR a Heritage Diner is the only main variable. Sad state of affairs for Florida "service." Just not sure how much of this is being dictated by COVID-19 or how much is being blamed on COVID-19 to destroy the LD network. 

To the wise planners in Amtrak, daily service remains to the end point cities.  No one rides to points in between remember.


Th.

 

Update! Boarded 98 in Orlando with a full compliment of 5 coaches, a dining car, and three sleeper cars. Will go exploring later.

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