Passenger Trains > Trains Newsline piece on Amtrak winter season cut-backs

Bob Johnston Trains magazine Newswire article outlining the winter cuts, with details about days of operation, missed connections, and potential crew inefficiencies. Trains being cut to five-day operation will run five consecutive days, with two consecutive "off" days. Also a run-down on the NEC and state-supported trains being suspended.

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/analysis-a-closer-look-at-the-impact-of-amtraks-cancellations/

Johnston concludes by taking Amtrak to the woodshed:

Congress has repeatedly telegraphed to Amtrak management over the past year that it expects robust investment in the national network, first appropriating COVID-19 relief funds in 2020 and early 2021, then doubling down in the recently passed Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The Amtrak reauthorization language in that legislation stresses the importance of long-distance service, and includes $16 billion for national-network investment over five years.

The language was in the bill long before it was passed in November, but Amtrak management has yet to prove it intends to make serious attempts to grow its business rather than fall victim to events precipitated by a lack of vision or investment planning. The latest cutbacks are evidence company leaders still haven’t taken seriously the stated mission to provide national mobility.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/22 07:43 by Dcmcrider.

Would you like some cheese with that whine?

EVERY segment of society is currently experiencing work force problems.

All the whiners complaining about Amtrak need to open their eyes and experience a reality check.

They cancelled my train (#14 on 1/27) two days ago. No text or email advisory as of this writing.

No refund posted to my card yet. I booked a workaround but this is an absolutely abominable way to treat your patrons.

Had it not been for the railfan community, I would still be in the dark.

Cue all the Amtrak apologists to tell me I should be more understanding and that my travel plans should be more flexible.
I'll give you 66 billion reasons why their lame excuses and defenses fall on deaf ears.

I see that one of them has already posted.

This is my third trip in two years and every one of them has had either a segment cancellation, poor service or some other mishap.
As a railfan, I am more tolerant than a regular traveler. Good luck tying to get Joe Q. Public to come back for repeat business.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/22 08:43 by yankingeorgia.

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Would you like some cheese with that whine?
>
> EVERY segment of society is currently experiencing
> work force problems.
>
> All the whiners complaining about Amtrak need to
> open their eyes and experience a reality check.

Well the reality check will be whether they can maintain the scheduled trains on the days they list. 
Perhaps some Amtrak employees can chime in how the running 5 days in a row will alleviate crew shortages.  Will some employees actually lose runs.  Wil they be paid anyway.?
Ie there is a shortage at one crew base only.

The problem is you now cancelling  peoples reservations.  Bookings may be a little slow but there are still people affected.
Is there available space to accomodate everyone.  What will room pricing look like.

I no longer look at room pricing.  A couple trips I took I ened up in coach on  the outbound.  The price of a room was literally equal to 1/2 the cost of the rest of my 1 week trip.
I could fly round trip and pay for my rental car and meals with cost of a room one way.

Other shortages, OK but often that is up front.  We had to wait for appliances but we knew that when we ordered.  A new shower took monthes instead of weeks.

Culvers is closed indooors so we eat in the car.  That is not the same as haveing a trip planned, oh by the way you have to wait a couple days.

Bob

 

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All the whiners complaining about Amtrak need to
> open their eyes and experience a reality check.

The reality being that Amtrak as currently run is a ridiculous waste of money and its mission needs to be seriously examined.
When a customer service company is run for the convenience of its employees and managers and ceases to provide whatever its service is, it is a failure.
I always stop short of saying it's time to pull the plug, because I know there are many conscientous, hard working employees out there (including personal friends of mine), but really, how long are we, collectively, going to tolerate the way the clowns that run this outfit perform their jobs?

Andy

Why are the 2 cancelled days consecutive days ? 

And the whiners speak out.

Try flying lately?

Or riding a bus?

Or renting a car?

Or going to a store?

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And the whiners speak out.
>
> Try flying lately?

Yes - just last week.  RDU to CVG via ATL for railroad meetings.  CVG to DTW for more meetings.  DTW back to RDU Direct.  All Delta. all but one leg on time (ATL to CVG had equipment problems so a replacement aircrfit was supplied costing about a hour delay).  CGV to DTW late evening leg was the only one not 100% full.  Same for my RDU to DTW a couple weeks prior.

>
> Or riding a bus?
>
> Or renting a car?

Yes - National at both CVG and DTW (x2).  No problems at all

> Or going to a store?

Not everything is as bad as the hand wringers on the interwebs would have you beleive.  I'm sure that's true with Amtrak too.  Its just that people that have a good experience with airtline, car rental agencies, and even Amtrak usually don't say anything while all the bad stuff is screamed from the roof tops and repeted by every keyboard warrier who want to get their two cents in.  But then again, maybe I'm just too easy going and realize that the world is a F'ed up place that DOESNT revole around ME. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/22 10:42 by scraphauler.

i don't know those city codes, but the coasts got hit first with this wave again, and the west , here in  Denver seems to be on the down side, everyone has allready got it that are going to display symptoms, rural america that lags in Vaxxes is all that is left for omnicron to conquor, i suspect by the time the cuts take place america will be feeling bteer for the most part except flyover country.

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Try flying lately?
> Or riding a bus?
> Or renting a car?
> Or going to a store?

Yes, no, yes, yes.  And in each of the 3 affirmative cases, the service that I paid for was provided, which is more than many recent Amtrak customers (or hopeful customers) can claim.

Andy

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And the whiners speak out.
>
> Try flying lately?


Yep no issues and the flights were on time. 
>
> Or riding a bus?

God no

>
> Or renting a car?

yep.  A little higher price than I paid two years ago but what isn't.  

>
> Or going to a store?

Yes. It had what I wanted.  

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And the whiners speak out.
>
> Try flying lately?
>
> Or riding a bus?
>
> Or renting a car?
>
> Or going to a store?

Deflection to others does not excuse Amtrak

To answer:

Yes - no issues 
No
Yes - no issues
Yes - no issues

How many people is Amtrak going to furlough this time ? 

Things are just fine down here in Free Florida.

Eric Lanctot

ewlanctot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Things are just fine down here in Free Florida.

You don't have to pay for things in Florida anymore?  I'm on my way!

Dave

jst3751 Wrote:
------------------------------------------
> Try flying lately?

Yes. American Airlines.

> Or riding a bus?

Yes.
>
> Or renting a car?

Not this month. But last month, Hertz... yes.

> Or going to a store?

Just got back.


All went fine. No need to wait for a five day/wk "schedule" or to make do with what could be had or less than I wanted. Had I wanted a bushel of zucchini there could have been an issue. But I didn't.

And I am aware that some Amtrak apologists may say that because I flew and took a bus, it shows disloyalty to Amtrak. When Amtrak won't or can't get me where I want to go, there is no issue of loyalty, only of inability.

Yes, multiple times (9 legs since Omichron, most full, all OT)
No (no need)
No (no need)
Yes with no problems

That said, it is a fact that there have been thousands of flight cancellations (I don't know what percentage of total flights that represents but I would guess less than 5%).  So there have been people inconvenienced.  Because there typically are multiple flights a day most (but not all) delayed passengers got where they were going the same day.  With LD trains operating, at most, daily Amtrak doesn't have the same recovery potential as the airlines.  That does not, however, excuse poor planning and especially poor communications.
  --  Gordon

Gordon
 

yankingeorgia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They cancelled my train (#14 on 1/27) two days
> ago. No text or email advisory as of this
> writing.
>
> No refund posted to my card yet. I booked a
> workaround but this is an absolutely abominable
> way to treat your patrons.
>
> Had it not been for the railfan community, I would
> still be in the dark.
>
> Cue all the Amtrak apologists to tell me I should
> be more understanding and that my travel plans
> should be more flexible.
> I'll give you 66 billion reasons why their lame
> excuses and defenses fall on deaf ears.
>
> I see that one of them has already posted.
>
> This is my third trip in two years and every one
> of them has had either a segment cancellation,
> poor service or some other mishap.
> As a railfan, I am more tolerant than a regular
> traveler. Good luck tying to get Joe Q. Public to
> come back for repeat business.


Yup, if I wasn't a train buff after getting left Stranded and having to find my own way home I'd be a never a again... as it is, I'm probably never taking Amtrak during the winter across the country like I was planning... I don't want to take the chance of getting stranded again and Amtrak saying to piss off.

Posted from Android

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> i don't know those city codes, but the coasts got
> hit first with this wave again, and the west ,
> here in  Denver seems to be on the down side,
>

RDU = Raleigh-Durham
CVG = Cincinnati
ATL = Atlanta
DTW = Detroit


Now you know.

jst3751 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And the whiners speak out.
>
> Try flying lately?
>
> Or riding a bus?
>
> Or renting a car?
>
> Or going to a store?


Had no issues getting home same day flying and I have been all over... I may have been a few hours late a couple of times, but nbd...

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/17/22 15:27 by goduckies.