Passenger Trains > Amtrak Advertising

Has anyone noticed the new Amtrak ads on Radio and TV ? There are new ads running on local radio and YouTube here in the Los Angeles market. One in particular pomotes private accomodations and complemntary "meals" on long ditance trains. The other promotes Amtrak as a clean in safe travel alternative. Ironic that they are finally advertising again...just in time for service major cuts! One has to wonder if marketing has any idea of what operations is doing and vice versa. Leave it to the government !

especailly galling when many of these triweekly trains are close to sold out for the near future.
What is wrong with this picture?

SanDiegan Wrote:
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> Ironic that they are finally
> advertising again...just in time for service major
> cuts! One has to wonder if marketing has any idea
> of what operations is doing and vice versa. Leave
> it to the government !

You are implying they are clueless. I don't think so. Even stupid people can be "clueful" and plan things (which ultimately won't work).

I don't think it was coincidence that no advertisement happened with the threat off layoff/furlough looming over the organization. I've speculated before that "tri-weekly" plan was mixed in to scare the employees to quit. Remember one Amtrak "proponent" here openly scaring Amtrak employees to leave?

There's rightful suspicion here on TO that LD trains actually generate enough revenue (plus subsidies) to support the entire organization, even the "profitable" NEC. Actions speak louder than words, if these ads are promoting LD trains, no? Once the layoff/furlough happened, big bosses probably told marketing to start advertising again, because they need the revenues, especially from the LD trains.

But as WP17 said, with the LD trains going tri-weekly, how do they get the extra revenue they need?

If you assume the organization is smart, my post sounds ridiculous. However, as I said about people who think they are "clueful..." :-)

I've noticed a huge amount of social media advertising by Amtrak that began in the last several weeks.

I really don't get it. Why would you start advertising a service that you are not providing?

The ads are generally good, but the service was just cut to almost unusability.

Posted from Android

Why Amtrak is bothering to advertise a bad product that they have hacked to near death is a bit puzzling. However, the focus of the ads look at private rooms on sleeper cars!

This is all very mysterious given Amtrak. Is it possible that they recognize the fact that maskless public travel which is available via sleeper just might be appealing? Also - something I'm not totally clear on - aren't they able to sell sleepers 100% since they are private accomodations? 

P Wrote:
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> I've noticed a huge amount of social media
> advertising by Amtrak that began in the last
> several weeks.
>
> I really don't get it. Why would you start
> advertising a service that you are not providing?
>
>
> The ads are generally good, but the service was
> just cut to almost unusability.
>
> Posted from Android

A day late and a dollar short !

I see a lot of Amtrak California advertising too. But the Surfliners, San Joaquins and the Capitol Corridor trains run everyday.

Amtrak is placing several promotional posts a day on their Facebook page, which is good.  But I never fail to take advantage of their posts to comment on the reduction in LD service, shorter train consists, sell-outs, and horrible food.  I believe people need to know about these things.

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