Passenger Trains > South Bend CSR

Amtrak over the last year has quietly not filled the ticket agent position at South Bend.  Mayor Pete, where are you?

Is Amtrak's SOB station not open to serve customers?  I don't understand why this is even an issue.

Amtrak's management is truly dishonest, clueless, and hostile to anything that is not their own idea.  Past Amtrak laws have mandated ticket agents, levels of service, equipment, etc.  Such detail was necessary only because Finley and his cronies are absolutely arrogant beyond description.  

On a sleeper trip on train 21 2 weeks ago,, the attendant said they aren't bringing back the LSA in the sightseers lounge when the Texas Eagle goes back to daily service in May. So expect the cafe to be closed when the 40 plus meals are being served in the sleeper section.

Posted from Android

mp51w Wrote:
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> Amtrak over the last year has quietly not filled
> the ticket agent position at South Bend.  Mayor
> Pete, where are you?

Where is Mayor Pete?   Only trying to get Congress to approve a major transportation funding measure with record amounts for passenger rail.

I have never understood that US Department of Transportation Secretaries would get involved in Amtrak issues like station staffing.  If you know of previous DOT secretaries making decisions on such Amtrak details, feel free to post them here.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/21 15:51 by RuleG.

Amtrak is still pretty dumb to play a game of chicken with the Secretary's hometown station. Yes I know it must be a trivial item to him now with a lot on his plate.

Posted from Android

grlhughes Wrote:
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> On a sleeper trip on train 21 2 weeks ago,, the
> attendant said they aren't bringing back the LSA
> in the sightseers lounge when the Texas Eagle goes
> back to daily service in May. So expect the cafe
> to be closed when the 40 plus meals are being
> served in the sleeper section.
>
> Posted from Android

So the coach passengers will go hungry, then?

They can buy food in the Cross Country Cafe as they do currently.

Amtrak has posted a vacancy for the job at South Bend on their website....plus Ft Madison, Ottumwa, Indianapolis and Cincinnati...power down folks...

sums007 Wrote:
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> grlhughes Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > On a sleeper trip on train 21 2 weeks ago,, the
> > attendant said they aren't bringing back the
> LSA
> > in the sightseers lounge when the Texas Eagle
> goes
> > back to daily service in May. So expect the
> cafe
> > to be closed when the 40 plus meals are being
> > served in the sleeper section.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> So the coach passengers will go hungry, then?

Likely a Superliner Cross Country Cafe Car  (37000 series) will sub be the "Diner" on the Texas Eagle and they'll operate a combined sit down Diner area on one half and the other half of the car with the abbreviated lounge and cafe counter will have the LSA staffed their. Thus the food service combined into one car, which really doesn't make all that much sense if it is just "re-locating" personnel from the Sightseer Cafe on the lower level to the Cross Country Cafe Car..... The Capitol Limited currently operates with a Cross Country Cafe Car (37000 series) car and has for years. But when it did have full service dining, one really didn't know the difference as the service and selections were the same. It was a more modern interior...... Amtrak has 17 of these 37000 series cars in the fleet - refurbished former Superliner I Diners. When the Cross Country Cafe concept went out the window, these cars were sort of orphaned to the Capitol Limited, City of New Orleans, and Texas Eagle......And until the flex dining etc., they operated largely inline as regular Dining Cars. 

Yes. Sorry about that. I meant that they close the cafe car during the times they feed the sleepers because of the amount of meals. Before it went tri weekly, their was 2 LSA's on the Texas Eagle (1 in the diner, 1 in the lounge).
The jobs for ticket agents are listed as part time only. So I guess Amtrak can get away with cutting OBS and ticket/customer service agents, who seems to have weak union representation. I bet all the management came back after they got the money.lol



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/21 16:20 by grlhughes.

dispr Wrote:
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> Amtrak has posted a vacancy for the job at South
> Bend on their website....plus Ft Madison, Ottumwa,
> Indianapolis and Cincinnati...power down folks...

It has been many months since the current appropriation bill passed with the ticket agency language. Does this outfit know how to use Indeed.com to fill positions in a prompt matter when the unemployment rate is 7 or 8% ?  
 

dispr Wrote:
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> Amtrak has posted a vacancy for the job at South
> Bend on their website....plus Ft Madison, Ottumwa,
> Indianapolis and Cincinnati...power down folks...

Sure enough!  I stand corrected!  Full time too!
https://careers.amtrak.com/job/South-Bend-IN-46628/731006000/

As I am told for one of the stations manned recently, clerks have no computer  to issue tickets.
They obtain their info via their own lap top or smart phone.

Saves money and sure they hope the entire requirement will go away.

With limited hours, its not much more then being caretakers.

As to cafe service on the Eagle.  What happens is during meal service the attendant on the cafe end of the Cross Country diner assists in the meal service.  At other times the cafe counter is open as usual.
Sounds like they become the waiter, while the other staff heats the meals downstairs..