Passenger Trains > Sold Out Again

This is an edit of the original post, illustrating the amtrak.com response to a request for travel from Fort Worth, Texas to Chicago on 10-16.  The Texas Eagle shows 'sold out'.  I have a short explaination a few posts down. 

This says it all.  Going to achieve the metrics for return to daily service?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/20 16:07 by regalstream1516.

          Nothing there.

Not your original link but the same point, LD trains are now sold out or exhorbantly expensive while NEC trains are bleeding Amtrak to insolvency.


https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/With-cutbacks-some-Amtrak-trains-now-sold-out-15644829.php


​https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amtrak-wants-billions-in-additional-funding-for-the-northeast-corridor/ar-BB19Z5HZ

Flynn has one hell of a lot of nerve to ask for any NEC funding. Let him take his groveling to the 8 state legislatures along the NEC. 

The link to availability did not hold in the post after a few minutes.  The link originally showed the Texas Eagle sold out for travel on October 16th from Texas to Chicago.  The consist has been reduced to four cars, a sleeper for crew and passengers, a diner-lounge, a coach-baggae, and one coach.  The frequency has been reduced to tri-weekly.  Amtrak does not want the business that they have.

This is an interesting chain of events given that 12 months ago and less this was supposed to be "Amtrak's future", bringing a profit to boot.

I brought this matter up a few weeks ago but the experts said it would not be a problem
because ridership was low and I was challenged for evidence.
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,5100410,page=1



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/20 16:16 by Englewood.

Empire Builder hasn't even gone to tri-weekly service and its sleeper capacity is running pretty high. Trains are only supposed to be 50% full and Empire Builder's been there and more lately,,,,,,

I observed the eastbound Empire Builder at Richmond Beach, WA (on Puget Sound) on 12 October with a baggage car, dorm sleeper, sleeper, diner, and two coaches.

Reduce operating and labor costs nearly 70%, while retaining @60% of the passengers and revenue and forcing them on the remaining trains.
And reduce consists, so you can run up the prices with yield management, further enhancing the revenue.

Well when you turn daily trains into tri weekly and take a car or two off and there still is a customer base wanting to get from here to there, then yes, it will sell out. Not rocket science. The base will get tired of it eventually and will start to fall off, but for now, the trains will be full.

Maybe go to every 3rd day service, cut another car and raise prices. They will be making a bigger profit and less of those pesky passengers to deal with in the long run. Win win scenario and nice bonus for the CEO.

        Cutting servive to once every three days, removing cars from the consist and providing lousey service does NOT equate to making a profit in any business manual. Even if reduced to one car and all the seats removed but one does NOT make the statement ' sold out ' anything but a BS lie. If Amtrak could not make a profit before, they would have to increase prices by 3 at minumum now and probably more now to make anything.
        With the current business model, Amtrak should make more money by parking everything thereby reducing 'costs' 100% and leaving whats left ( ???? ) as all profit. The company I used to work for tried that and it worked so well, they closed all of their stores. I think the accountants are adding up the final profit now . . . . . . . . 
        The most important information here will be for someone to post a photo on TrainOrders of the very last customer Amtrak will have. Sort of like the 'millionth customer' celebrations businesses used to have but in reverse.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/20 07:39 by dcfbalcoS1.

This is deliberate malfeasance to run off business so as to fail criteria to restore daily service.
These shenanigans should be reported to Congressional committees. 

Halting the Amfleet-1 replacement procurement process should get Amtrak's attention, and also should demand immediate resignations of COO Gardner and Chair Coscia.

Congress should also yank the NEC infrastructure away from them, form a separate infrastructure company to make a major stab at their accounting games, since APT was never intended as a financial decision-maker, and refuse any furthering of the Gateway project until that is done. 

Does Congress care?

I am not convinced Amtrak shows up in the top 100 issues of concern to voters

Posted from Android

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does Congress care?
>
> I am not convinced Amtrak shows up in the top 100
> issues of concern to voters
>
> Posted from Android

especially to those in arrears on their mortgage, rents, vehicle payments, credit card payments, utilities payments, etc..........

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steamloco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe go to every 3rd day service, cut another car
> and raise prices. They will be making a bigger
> profit and less of those pesky passengers to deal
> with in the long run. Win win scenario and nice
> bonus for the CEO.

This is right out of the Ernie Harrison playbook (praise be upon him) and his PSR cultists. Modern railroading 101 sez bleed the SOB dry and run off with the money, what’s left is for the Plebs to worry about, the Patricians will be in the Caribbean with their wives and mistresses. SMH and counting down the years, months and days until I get off the crazy train.🤨

Posted from iPhone

I rarely go down this path - but I find this VERY interesting for a THURSDAY. Train #8/28 coming in to Chicago today, Thursday, Oct 15th, here are the stats:

1) On its trek from MPS to Chicago it hits a high of 70% max in coach, and stays in the 60 percentile all the way to Chicago, with sales still allowed, meaning it could still ADD to coach, and likely will. This train #8/28 operates daily right now, but when switching to tri-weekly will retain a Thursday eastbound arrival into Chicago. 

2) Two Sleepers - Seattle Sleeper and Portland Sleeper - only bedroom A was into used in entire journey. 

Again, Empire Builder stil running daily with normal consist this time of season. Goes tri-weekly next week.....should be interesting if Amtrak tries to pull off  the Trans Dorm/Sleeper or any coaches. They aren't supposed to be selling more than 50% capacity. 

Amtrak has told everyone to buy tickets in advance for Thanksgiving, but what will this really be looking like?

Amtrak is trying to be VIA Rail, but is too dumb to realize they have a very crappy product.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-jobless-claims-remain-high-layoffs-persist-73626632

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