Passenger Trains > Amtraks cut backs

Sure would be nice to know what days there running LDT and how long this will last.

Posted from Android

Until ridership comes back from Covid.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

It's not ridership, it's employees.  Ridership hasn't been bad, at least in the sleepers.  However, Amtrak let so many people go when the long distance trains went to three times a day, and so many others took early retirement, that it doesn't have enough to handle the COVID absences. The stupidity of letting people go rather than furloughing them is now obvious, assuming that it was stupidity rather than part of a plan to get rid of the trains permanently.  Now that Congress has ended that plan, at least for a while, Amtrak is left with its pants down.  It does claim, however, to be hiring and training new people and promises to return to daily trains by March 27, if not before.  It doesn't say anything about all the equipment that it could have serviced and repaired rather than letting sit idle during the three times a week period.

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> Until ridership comes back from Covid.

Can we all please stop blaming Covid for everything that is currently going wrong in the country. Amtrak is at fault here. I rode many times during the last two years and all trains were quite well patronized even in off season. 

That's the worse part, not taking advantage of getting the equipment in great shape, nothing new there!

BobB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's not ridership, it's employees.  Ridership
> hasn't been bad, at least in the sleepers. 
> However, Amtrak let so many people go when the
> long distance trains went to three times a day,
> and so many others took early retirement, that it
> doesn't have enough to handle the COVID absences.
> The stupidity of letting people go rather than
> furloughing them is now obvious, assuming that it
> was stupidity rather than part of a plan to get
> rid of the trains permanently.  Now that Congress
> has ended that plan, at least for a while, Amtrak
> is left with its pants down.  It does claim,
> however, to be hiring and training new people and
> promises to return to daily trains by March 27, if
> not before.  It doesn't say anything about all
> the equipment that it could have serviced and
> repaired rather than letting sit idle during the
> three times a week period.
>
> MojaveBill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Until ridership comes back from Covid.

I’m not sure where you’re getting your information but not a single agreement covered employee was let go in the last two years. If any employees left the company it was totally voluntary on their part. Amtrak did not offer any agreement covered employees early retirement. They did offer a small number of management employees early retirement very early in the pandemic.

Posted from iPhone

So true. Great Presidents of railroads that ran first class trains would be devasted watching Amtrak kill passenger service. I think of Santa Fe, Burlington, Rio Grande, Southern, and Union Pacfic. Your past was great. Thank you. 

Burlington was great until Menk took over!

With the Railfan press getting the word out on the reduction I have two trains affected on my upcoming trip in February. No word from Amtrak on the cancellations until I checked on my reservations and one didn't even show up. My trip was going to be from Albany to Tampa and return. Checked to find out that 234 out of Albany was cancelled but I could take the earlier train. Returning was reserved on the Amtrak Bus Tampa to Orlando to NYP then on 283 to Albany. Now it would have been on the last train from NYP to Albany getting in around 11:30pm 
Since I live 3 1/2 hour drive from Albany I replanned the trip now driving to Harrisburg (Same driving time) then catching #646 to Philadelphia to get the Star. Returning back north on the Star then back to Harrisburg.
First call to Amtrak was on hold for 45 minutes. Second call left it for a return call that took over an hour then on hold for 15 minutes before an Agent came on. Got everything changed okay. Even was able to keep a bedroom as I was expecting that space would have been already been booked.

another_view Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BobB Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's not ridership, it's employees.  Ridership
> > hasn't been bad, at least in the sleepers. 
> > However, Amtrak let so many people go when the
> > long distance trains went to three times a day,
> > and so many others took early retirement, that
> it
> > doesn't have enough to handle the COVID
> absences.
> > The stupidity of letting people go rather than
> > furloughing them is now obvious, assuming that
> it
> > was stupidity rather than part of a plan to get
> > rid of the trains permanently.  Now that
> Congress
> > has ended that plan, at least for a while,
> Amtrak
> > is left with its pants down.  It does claim,
> > however, to be hiring and training new people
> and
> > promises to return to daily trains by March 27,
> if
> > not before.  It doesn't say anything about all
> > the equipment that it could have serviced and
> > repaired rather than letting sit idle during
> the
> > three times a week period.
> >
> > MojaveBill Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Until ridership comes back from Covid.
>
> I’m not sure where you’re getting your
> information but not a single agreement covered
> employee was let go in the last two years. If any
> employees left the company it was totally
> voluntary on their part. Amtrak did not offer any
> agreement covered employees early retirement. They
> did offer a small number of management employees
> early retirement very early in the pandemic.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Then why are they having short staffs all over the place View!

MojaveBill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Until ridership comes back from Covid.

Oh please. I’m in Florida now. The airports are packed. The highways are packed. The hotels are extremely busy. But Amtrak with their already skeletal service between the northeast and Florida decides to cut service 50% in the middle of prime Florida travel season. And the two trains are already far shorter than they used to be. All I can say is pathetic. Let’s just pull the plug on the whole thing.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/16/22 04:30 by alan2955.

another_view Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BobB Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It's not ridership, it's employees.  Ridership
> > hasn't been bad, at least in the sleepers. 
> > However, Amtrak let so many people go when the
> > long distance trains went to three times a day,
> > and so many others took early retirement, that
> it
> > doesn't have enough to handle the COVID
> absences.
> > The stupidity of letting people go rather than
> > furloughing them is now obvious, assuming that
> it
> > was stupidity rather than part of a plan to get
> > rid of the trains permanently.  Now that
> Congress
> > has ended that plan, at least for a while,
> Amtrak
> > is left with its pants down.  It does claim,
> > however, to be hiring and training new people
> and
> > promises to return to daily trains by March 27,
> if
> > not before.  It doesn't say anything about all
> > the equipment that it could have serviced and
> > repaired rather than letting sit idle during
> the
> > three times a week period.
> >
> > MojaveBill Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Until ridership comes back from Covid.
>
> I’m not sure where you’re getting your
> information but not a single agreement covered
> employee was let go in the last two years. If any
> employees left the company it was totally
> voluntary on their part. Amtrak did not offer any
> agreement covered employees early retirement. They
> did offer a small number of management employees
> early retirement very early in the pandemic.

They did do a retirement incentive for agreement employees and then many were furloughed. Yes the furloughed employees were technically not permanently terminated and they kept paying health care and had right of return. But with no paycheck many people can’t afford to wait for recall - and some did not return.

          The place I used to work had ignoramous and moronic mis management also. It seems that may be a prerequisit to being a top end employee. Their main goal was to cut costs in any way, shape or form. In all the meetings I went to, none ever talked about what do we need to do to increase revenue. Absolutely none of them. It was quite obvious that all of them took their marching orders to heart and besides, it is considered easier by many to cut back and cut back instead of growing your customer base and revenue. Those who have grown their business find it very rewarding.        Amtrak may not know how to spell 'rewarding' .

Complete annulment of the Silver Meteor?  I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one!

I waited about 90 minutes to speak with an Amtrak agent yesterday afternoon.  The agent confirmed that my train (No. 3 of 13 March) was still scheduled to run.
I asked if she saw No. 5 returning to daily service after March 27.   She scanned availability after March 27 and concluded that it appears to be returning to daily service.  

With all due respect to the agent, who was polite and helpful, it didn't seem that she had much more information than I did.

mp51w Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Complete annulment of the Silver Meteor?  I'm
> still trying to wrap my head around that one!

Really? That's dumb on Amtrak's part!

Sanibel2020-_ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With all due respect to the agent, who was polite
> and helpful, it didn't seem that she had much more
> information than I did.

That's what happens when you fire the knowledgable ones in Riverside and contract out the work to the agency in Florida that also handles Delta's calls. It looks better on the books but customer service suffers as a result.

This is a typical problem that I saw in my few years consulting on transit.

As long as the Cities are on the Map,  management and board members seem happy.
So who cares their are no or few connections...the city shows....vote for me to protect your interest the Board Director say!

Mundo, Gardner starts tomorrow, watch it start getting worse!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> another_view Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BobB Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > It's not ridership, it's employees. 
> Ridership
> > > hasn't been bad, at least in the sleepers. 
> > > However, Amtrak let so many people go when
> the
> > > long distance trains went to three times a
> day,
> > > and so many others took early retirement,
> that
> > it
> > > doesn't have enough to handle the COVID
> > absences.
> > > The stupidity of letting people go rather
> than
> > > furloughing them is now obvious, assuming
> that
> > it
> > > was stupidity rather than part of a plan to
> get
> > > rid of the trains permanently.  Now that
> > Congress
> > > has ended that plan, at least for a while,
> > Amtrak
> > > is left with its pants down.  It does claim,
> > > however, to be hiring and training new people
> > and
> > > promises to return to daily trains by March
> 27,
> > if
> > > not before.  It doesn't say anything about
> all
> > > the equipment that it could have serviced and
> > > repaired rather than letting sit idle during
> > the
> > > three times a week period.
> > >
> > > MojaveBill Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > Until ridership comes back from Covid.
> >
> > I’m not sure where you’re getting your
> > information but not a single agreement covered
> > employee was let go in the last two years. If
> any
> > employees left the company it was totally
> > voluntary on their part. Amtrak did not offer
> any
> > agreement covered employees early retirement.
> They
> > did offer a small number of management
> employees
> > early retirement very early in the pandemic.
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> Then why are they having short staffs all over the
> place View!

The same reason that airlines, restaurants, hotels and virtually every other hospitality related industry are having issues filling positions. Amtrak was prohibited from reducing forces during the pandemic as a condition of their funding.  Not a single employee was dismissed or furloughed during the pandemic.  Every single agreement covered employee recived their full "guarantee hours" during the pandemic. While it varies dependent on the craft it is usually equal to 180 houes of pay per month whether you work or sit at home.  In additon, anyone who claimed sick leave due to Covid received full pay.  If you have proof otherwise, let's see it, I'll wait.  No, wait a minute, I won't wait because it doesn't exist, it's the law!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/22 16:40 by another_view.