Passenger Trains > Amtrak Midwest - No cafe service

Posted on the Amtrak Fans facebook page by Frank V. 

"On the 6 hour+ ride from Chicago to Detroit on a sold out train just now, most people haven't had breakfast. It's a Midwest train, nice and new - announcement over the (PA system) 1 minute after we depart that there's no Cafe car available today. I'm not a complainer by habit but that's appalling service."

I also saw an alert on Amtrak Alerts that 365 has no cafe service either. I suspect that the folks on the 4 and 1/2 hour late 364 departure ate the cafe out of house and home. May not have had a place to restock in port Huron? However there's NO excuse for no cafe out of Chicago. Amtrak advertises having a cafe car, at the end of the day, they did not provide it. 

At the very least should have been text, email before so you can pickup something.

Bob

Posted from Android

robj Wrote:
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> At the very least should have been text, email
> before so you can pickup something.
>
> Bob
>
> Posted from Android

I agree. Or an announcement before they began to board the train. Could have allowed passengers to go upstairs to Dunkin, Starbucks, or CFA. 

Am I to understand that they now have Venture coaches on the Chicago-Detroit route?  I thought Amtrak was going to equip the full Chicago-St. Louis route first.
 

NPRocky Wrote:
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> Am I to understand that they now have Venture
> coaches on the Chicago-Detroit route?  I thought
> Amtrak was going to equip the full Chicago-St.
> Louis route first.

They run on 350/355 as of a few weeks ago. 318/319 runs with Ventures also. Not sure on the other Lincoln Service set, haven't seen one of those sets recently. 

Thanks very much.  My guess is that they've re-equipped both of the Lincoln Service sets and have now started on Chicago-Detroit as I believe was originally planned.

Is canceling the train a better option than not having cafe service? Seems that is the only other option.

Train 93 also did not have food service between Boston and New York City today due to staffing issues.

Posted from Android

Amtrak is short employees still and Covid is lingering. Last week I was on the Carl Sandburg and we only had 1 conductor for the whole train. They’re running full length regionals out east with 1 conductor as well. I’m surprised Amtrak can even get away with that.

Posted from iPhone

Chicago has a lack of LSA's to service the cafe car. No one on the extra board.  Same with the T&E staff.  Very very very hard to hire anyone that wants to work on a train. The hires that can pass a drug and alcohol test, don't hang around very long.   Definately going back to 5-days a week service on long distance trains.  And, many senior people are retiring within a year as they're getting burnt out. 

None of the Venture cars are food service cars. 
Their lack of communication is not excusable. 

DevalDragon Wrote:
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> Is canceling the train a better option than not
> having cafe service? Seems that is the only other
> option.

The train was sold out so no canceling it would’ve been much worse.

Posted from iPhone

Here in Washington state, we have fewer of our state corridor services restored than any state in the country as far as I know, but at least, to my knowledge, we've had no train or food service cancellations due to crew shortages.  Out on our Puget Sound waters, our state Ferry System is constantly canceling sailings due to crew shortages, even with reduced schedules.

Wolverine350 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak is short employees still and Covid is
> lingering. Last week I was on the Carl Sandburg
> and we only had 1 conductor for the whole train.
> They’re running full length regionals out east
> with 1 conductor as well. I’m surprised Amtrak
> can even get away with that.

They don't open more than 6 coaches, even if there are 7 or 8 of them in the consist. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wolverine350 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amtrak is short employees still and Covid is
> > lingering. Last week I was on the Carl Sandburg
> > and we only had 1 conductor for the whole
> train.
> > They’re running full length regionals out
> east
> > with 1 conductor as well. I’m surprised
> Amtrak
> > can even get away with that.
>
> They don't open more than 6 coaches, even if there
> are 7 or 8 of them in the consist. 

Don’t regulations require at the very least one conductor and one asst conductor? More cars added requires conductors as well.

Posted from iPhone

If  they  saw    this  coming  jioce, voffee, Danish!!

Move along folks, nothing to see here, just another group of people swearing to never again ride Amtrak.

Victor B.

Wolverine350 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wolverine350 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Amtrak is short employees still and Covid is
> > > lingering. Last week I was on the Carl
> Sandburg
> > > and we only had 1 conductor for the whole
> > train.
> > > They’re running full length regionals out
> > east
> > > with 1 conductor as well. I’m surprised
> > Amtrak
> > > can even get away with that.
> >
> > They don't open more than 6 coaches, even if
> there
> > are 7 or 8 of them in the consist. 
>
> Don’t regulations require at the very least one
> conductor and one asst conductor? More cars added
> requires conductors as well.

Not sure of any regulations that require any of this.  I can tell you it's not uncommon for Amtrak to send out a train with only 1 conductor because they don't have the people.

Maybe the one remaining gets a bonus for the run ? 

You know, most of us are sick and tired of all the Bull S--- that is spread around here about Amtrak being short handed, therefore they cannot operate their trains efficiently.  What about some of management getting out here and working on these trains?  No, I don't mean actually running them, unless they are certified qualified railroad engineers and conductors; however, what I'm talking about is working on-board these trains doing some actual work, like being a porter on the sleeping cars and helping in food service like working in the cafe service where they sell packaged foods and snacks along with coffee and other beverages.  In many companies in our great country, when they are short on workers, then management is expected to get in there and do the job to keep the company going.  This is absurd that these people at Amtrak cannot operate these trains much better than they are doing, especially sending out a train for a 3, 4 or more hours without any kind of refreshments available.  Also, there is absolutely no excuse for a passenger car to be put into a train set with inoperable and/or uncleaned restrooms.  This is ridiculous and intolerable in this day and age.  People must be accountable no matter where they are employed, and this goes for Amtrak as well because it's our tax money that is paying for this service overall.
John in White Marsh, Maryland