Passenger Trains > Amtrak CEO answers

From a retiree:Get the latest lies, half-truths and non-answers straight from the horse's ***!  If you have access (I do not, as noted, this came from a retiree), you can even ask your own questions by going to: All CEO Questions (amtrak.com)


Amtrak's CEO Answers Your Questions - Defecating Drivers, Low Service Standards & Filthy Trains Highlighted:  three questions below from the forum:

  1.) We are having problems with Amtrak being able to provide safe and reliable transportation for the job that I am on. We deadhead to Kingman, Arizona, as a result of five-day a week service. Many times, we have had to sit and wait for Crew Management Services to find a ride for us. There are documented instances of the drivers speeding, vaping, stopping on the tracks, stopping to vomit and defecating on themselves while driving. I file Travelliance complaint forms and have been working with local managers as these events are happening – but I believe they have their hands tied in this process. What is corporate level Amtrak doing to make sure we have safe and reliable transportation to our away from home terminal?

Scot Naparstek, EVP, Service Delivery & Operations: While the issue of extended deadhead van moves to Kingman, Arizona, became moot with the Southwest Chief’s return to daily service the week of May 23, providing reliable ground transportation service to our crews remains an ongoing challenge. Just like Amtrak, our ground transportation partners are struggling to fill vacancies. The number of providers available to Amtrak is very limited, particularly those serving smaller cities and towns. Amtrak, through Travelliance, will look for alternative service providers if the contracted provider fails to meet its commitments. Crews are not expected to tolerate unsafe ground transportation. As always, crews are empowered to stop the operation if they feel it is unsafe. Complaints about ground transportation are taken very seriously, and each complaint is reviewed with the provider. Failure to address legitimate concerns can result in the provider having its contract terminated. For any issues with crew hotels or ground transportation, please continue to fill out and submit the formal complaint form (redacted), as per the standard operating procedure instructions, to help us hold our providers accountable. (6/3/22)


  2.) As a customer service representative (CSR), it becomes difficult to do my job when the product that I am selling does not meet the standard of our passengers. From extremely late trains, old equipment, passengers having to sit in the Cafe Car due to AC not working, short-staffed stations limiting our ADA services – the list goes on. What are we doing to assure a great experience as opposed to just giving out the Customer Relations phone number to make problems go away? It seems the odds are stacked against us.

Gery Williams, EVP, Service Delivery & Operations: We greatly appreciate the effort by all of our CSRs during these challenging times. We are experiencing significant delays to our trains such as host railroad freight interference and derailments, weather, equipment issues due to the age of the equipment, vehicle and trespasser strikes, short staffing and equipment, and of course, infrastructure failures. The team is working hard to address and mitigate these issues to improve the customer experience. We are hiring and training at historical levels, buying new equipment, working on the infrastructure, challenging the host railroads to perform better, and working with the rest of the organization to take a lead in addressing the vehicle and trespasser strikes. You will see our performance improve as we progress these initiatives. Thank you for reaching out with your concerns. (7/22/22)


  3.) I have asked various versions of this question since 2018, and at one point one of the answers indicated there was a capital project in 2019 to replace the car wash brushes. And yet Northeast Regional and Acela exteriors on the Northeast Corridor are nearly always filthy. This issue is not specific to any one maintenance facility – it’s a regular issue on our trains. It makes a poor first impression when people board and sets the wrong tone for level of service and pride our passengers should expect. When will we figure out how to dispatch clean trains?

George Hull, VP, Chief Mechanical Officer: Currently the train wash project is active and will take several years to complete. The train wash in New York has been very problematic, and its replacement has been tied up in the East Side Access project. This should be moving this year. Currently we are hand washing the Northeast Regional Amfleet cars in Washington when they are in for their 92-day preventative maintenance, and we rely on the old automated car washes in Washington and Boston to carry much of the daily turn duty for the NEC. The Boston car wash is only a seasonal operation when temperature permits. We have a capital program in the Mechanical budget that started last year and have begun design work on a national car wash replacement effort. It is a priority issue, but unfortunately there is not a quick resolution. (8/16/22)

      



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/22 11:45 by GenePoon.

Amtrak and Via clean exteriors of trains en route. In places like Albuquerque and Jasper.  Rather than wait YEARS for a mechanical washer to be installed,why doesn't Amtrak rent a few more of these mobile washing trucks and deploy them in Seattle, NY- Sunnyside, etc?  Washing cars every 92 days sounds like a pitiful excuse.  How much was his bonus for last year?

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak and Via clean exteriors of trains en route.
> In places like Albuquerque and Jasper.  Rather
> than wait YEARS for a mechanical washer to be
> installed,why doesn't Amtrak rent a few more of
> these mobile washing trucks and deploy them in
> Seattle, NY- Sunnyside, etc?  Washing cars every
> 92 days sounds like a pitiful excuse.  How much
> was his bonus for last year?

Freight railroads wash on about the same schedule or even less often...somebody gotta pay for all that water and soap after all....

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak and Via clean exteriors of trains en route.
> In places like Albuquerque and Jasper.  Rather
> than wait YEARS for a mechanical washer to be
> installed,why doesn't Amtrak rent a few more of
> these mobile washing trucks and deploy them in
> Seattle, NY- Sunnyside, etc?  Washing cars every
> 92 days sounds like a pitiful excuse.  How much
> was his bonus for last year?

Not worth the money. DIrty trains move passengers just as well as clean ones.

DevalDragon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amtrak and Via clean exteriors of trains en
> route.
> > In places like Albuquerque and Jasper.  Rather
> > than wait YEARS for a mechanical washer to be
> > installed,why doesn't Amtrak rent a few more of
> > these mobile washing trucks and deploy them in
> > Seattle, NY- Sunnyside, etc?  Washing cars
> every
> > 92 days sounds like a pitiful excuse.  How
> much
> > was his bonus for last year?
>
> Not worth the money. DIrty trains move passengers
> just as well as clean ones.

Another cockamamie excuse from DevalDragon out of Penn Central or New York City Transit Authority 1960's playbook, saying dirty cars better protected the steel from corrosion.

It means dirty windows and dirty train exteriors implying poor maintenance, deficient and apathetic management, which drives business away.

I'll tell what what is not worth hundreds of millions of federal dollars annually - federal funding for the NEC. I hope the next Congress terminates it.

When are going to learn your feeble attempts at controlling social media on Amtrak's behalf doesn't work here.

Posted from Android

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amtrak and Via clean exteriors of trains en
> route.
> > In places like Albuquerque and Jasper.  Rather
> > than wait YEARS for a mechanical washer to be
> > installed,why doesn't Amtrak rent a few more of
> > these mobile washing trucks and deploy them in
> > Seattle, NY- Sunnyside, etc?  Washing cars
> every
> > 92 days sounds like a pitiful excuse.  How
> much
> > was his bonus for last year?
>
> Freight railroads wash on about the same schedule
> or even less often...somebody gotta pay for all
> that water and soap after all....

It's not the soap and water, it's what you do with that "grey" water after you're done that is the problem. You just can't dump it anywhere, ask any RV owner!

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Another cockamamie excuse from DevalDragon out of
> Penn Central or New York City Transit Authority
> 1960's playbook, saying dirty cars better
> protected the steel from corrosion.

You said that, not me. Please don't put words in my mouth.


> It means dirty windows and dirty train exteriors
> implying poor maintenance, deficient and apathetic
> management, which drives business away.

Most trains are sold out. Sounds like Amtrak has no shortage of customers.


> I'll tell what what is not worth hundreds of
> millions of federal dollars annually - federal
> funding for the NEC. I hope the next Congress
> terminates it.

Congress does not agree with your assessment.



> When are going to learn your feeble attempts at
> controlling social media on Amtrak's behalf
> doesn't work here.

I don't attempt to control anything, espcially not anything related to social media. Keep in mind this internet message board predates "social media" by several decades, so many people don't consider it "social media."

They are sold out because they are running consists 2/3rds the size of normal, even less than what was regarded normal for winter. 

They are numerous corridor frequency cuts all over the country. 

Furthermore, their revenue and yield management is very stupid, meaning trains such as those that go south of St Louis and west of Albany to Buffalo can be sold out, yet be half empty since they don't properly ration seats on the Albany and St Louis portion. The Berkshire Flyer was "sold out" to Pittsfield, even though its load factor was often 20% north of Albany.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/22 14:49 by joemvcnj.

Forget the excuses. Dirty windows on passenger train service = poor business practice. By far, not a new problem for Amtrak either. If the East Side Access Project is affecting "passenger car window cleaning," Amtrak should have sought to mitigate this at the onset when negotiating the Project details (e.g. MTA is charged for window washers as a result of Sunnyside's window washing being knocked out of service). 

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DevalDragon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Amtrak and Via clean exteriors of trains en
> > route.
> > > In places like Albuquerque and Jasper. 
> Rather
> > > than wait YEARS for a mechanical washer to be
> > > installed,why doesn't Amtrak rent a few more
> of
> > > these mobile washing trucks and deploy them
> in
> > > Seattle, NY- Sunnyside, etc?  Washing cars
> > every
> > > 92 days sounds like a pitiful excuse.  How
> > much
> > > was his bonus for last year?
> >
> > Not worth the money. DIrty trains move
> passengers
> > just as well as clean ones.
>
> Another cockamamie excuse from DevalDragon out of
> Penn Central or New York City Transit Authority
> 1960's playbook, saying dirty cars better
> protected the steel from corrosion.
>
> It means dirty windows and dirty train exteriors
> implying poor maintenance, deficient and apathetic
> management, which drives business away.
>
> I'll tell what what is not worth hundreds of
> millions of federal dollars annually - federal
> funding for the NEC. I hope the next Congress
> terminates it.
>
> When are going to learn your feeble attempts at
> controlling social media on Amtrak's behalf
> doesn't work here.
>
> Posted from Android

This is some pure derangement, imagine thinking any congress would defund the only section of somewhat modern passenger tracks in the country. More nonsense from flyover country foamers huffing diesel exhaust. 

Wolverine350 Wrote:

> This is some pure derangement, imagine thinking
> any congress would defund the only section of
> somewhat modern passenger tracks in the country.
> More nonsense from flyover country foamers huffing
> diesel exhaust. 

I'm from New Jersey.

Imagine a Congress who could do simple math and determine 456 miles between Boston and Washington is less than the statutory 750 miles from PRIIA-209, so those 8 states should fund it themselves like every other corridor, even those that Amtrak owns like Michigan's, when the other 42 states get minimal LD consists if anything and gas station food for 2 day trips for their generosity to the NEC so the starched shirts on Acela can go 160MPH and the NEC Regional trains are running 8 - 9 car trains as usual, yet only cost cutting on the national network determines management bonuses.    

Keep up the double standard and Karma will come. 

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> engineerinvirginia Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Amtrak and Via clean exteriors of trains en
> > route.
> > > In places like Albuquerque and Jasper. 
> Rather
> > > than wait YEARS for a mechanical washer to be
> > > installed,why doesn't Amtrak rent a few more
> of
> > > these mobile washing trucks and deploy them
> in
> > > Seattle, NY- Sunnyside, etc?  Washing cars
> > every
> > > 92 days sounds like a pitiful excuse.  How
> > much
> > > was his bonus for last year?
> >
> > Freight railroads wash on about the same
> schedule
> > or even less often...somebody gotta pay for all
> > that water and soap after all....
>
> It's not the soap and water, it's what you do with
> that "grey" water after you're done that is the
> problem. You just can't dump it anywhere, ask any
> RV owner!

Soap and water are not what gets the EPA people whining, its the dirt that's washed off. It can't be sent down a storm drain but can be sent down sewer drains or you can use a captive containment that settles out the dirt and then the water can be sent to a storm drain.

It's wating to strike Joe because yeah I knew how Southern Pacific was when it came to their locomotives being dirty and all, but bad managment within them resulted in that since as a kid back in the early 80s their engines where nice and clean and no thanks to Bigianni running SP into the ground resulted in a big time turnaround from late 80s all the way to the UP Merger! Ammanagment has the same mindset SP had, but with Amtrak, it's more concentraing on corridors (which is backfirind) and keep downgrading LD Trains!

It is simply bad planning and apathy to turn off car washers for a year or two because they forget to plan it into the construction programs.That would be for Sunnyside. I don't know what happened in Chicago, nor why they can't wash the windows in Portland when they can wash them in Denver, enroute, right in the station, without the EPA or Sierra Club going bazerk. 

This whole car washing debacle is a great example of the Modern North American Railroading mindset. Denver is a great example of this; a whopping TWO(2) trains a day operate thru Denver and the railroad acts like a EPA superfund site would have to be set up if a wash rack like the Q had was set up.

What pray tell is the difference of car and truck washes that see hundreds of cars a day, and Amjokes two damn passenger trains? As it is 5&6 should be washed every trip at Chicago, Denver and Oakland.

This is but a microcosm of the ineptitude of Amjoke.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

Failure to plan is planning to fail.

joemvcnj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wolverine350 Wrote:
>
> > This is some pure derangement, imagine thinking
> > any congress would defund the only section of
> > somewhat modern passenger tracks in the
> country.
> > More nonsense from flyover country foamers
> huffing
> > diesel exhaust. 
>
> I'm from New Jersey.
>
> Imagine a Congress who could do simple math and
> determine 456 miles between Boston and Washington
> is less than the statutory 750 miles from
> PRIIA-209, so those 8 states should fund it
> themselves like every other corridor, even those
> that Amtrak owns like Michigan's, when the other
> 42 states get minimal LD consists if anything and
> gas station food for 2 day trips for their
> generosity to the NEC so the starched shirts on
> Acela can go 160MPH and the NEC Regional trains
> are running 8 - 9 car trains as usual, yet only
> cost cutting on the national network determines
> management bonuses.    
>
> Keep up the double standard and Karma will come. 

Amtrak owns the NEC just like they own that short stretch in Indiana and Michigan. The PRIIA deals with the running the running cost of trains, not who owns the infrastructure. 

Wolverine350 Wrote:

> Amtrak owns the NEC just like they own that short
> stretch in Indiana and Michigan. The PRIIA deals
> with the running the running cost of trains, not
> who owns the infrastructure. 

Correct. So you proved my point there is little justification for federal support of the NEC other than the NEC Congressional Delegation want it that way, and Steven Gardner was one of their partisan staffers who wrote PRIIA. All bets are off come January. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/19/22 17:28 by joemvcnj.

Gardner shouldn't of done that anyway, look how bad it got when Amtrak put that new law in effect 13 years ago, and now they're using the carrot trick to convince states how this "expansion" plan for 2035 will work and most can read between the lines!

In pitting the national network trains against the corridors, they threw the baby out with the bath water with Chicago Mechanical so the Chicago corridors can barely function at all, and they robbed LD trains of their Superliners and Amfleet-2 to keep them from further collapsing. Now the Connect-US plan looks all the more stupid, and the states aren't going for it anyway, except what has been in the pipeline for years.

Posted from Android