Passenger Trains > Today's Vermonter to Claremont, NH

I am presently on board the Vermonter headed home via Claremont rather than Boston (from DC).  I am in biz class, seat 5A, which is a "post seat" in the Amfleet cafe.  No big deal, but not the best location. 

The train is super clean on the exterior.  Inside, right out of DC, a guy came through with a bag to collect garbage.  Just north of Baltimore, he came through again.  Um, there is very little garbage yet, the train just originated!  Maybe this guy could be redeployed to a sightseeer lounge on the Cap Ltd?  Just saying...partly toungue-in-cheek.  Good crew.

Now for the one complaint...I arrived at the Metropolitan Lounge at 730 am.  As I checked in, I asked if an announcement would be made before boarding. "No, I only announce Acela trains, not regionals."  So I turned to leave and she asked, from behind her plexiglass fortress, where I was going.  I told her I would go outside where announcments are made so I would know when to go.  I am old enough now that I have little time for useless folks and I just walk away!  Try it...  Anyhow, she said to watch the board and she would find out what track for me, which she did.  But come on, that is all I wanted at the start.  Do not tell me that you do not announce such trains.  You are sitting at a desk with 10 people in a lounge.  You have the time.  Sigh.  I am not sure why some folks in customer service do not seem to understand customer service.  This is no longer unique to Amtrak.  I ran into it at the Boston airport flying to Charleston last week.  Same story, different uniform.

But so far, so good.  Nice day, good ride, clean windows, fine crew.  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/23 06:14 by Chessie1963.

The Business Class is one half of a cafe car?? Midwest reader who has never seen Business Class..

CP8888 Wrote:
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> The Business Class is one half of a cafe car??
> Midwest reader who has never seen Business Class..

Yes, with 2-1 seating.  It's the configuration originally sold as "Amclub" almost fifty years ago when the cars were first deployed.

Dave

DavidP Wrote:
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> CP8888 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The Business Class is one half of a cafe car??
> > Midwest reader who has never seen Business
> Class..
>
> Yes, with 2-1 seating.  It's the configuration
> originally sold as "Amclub" almost fifty years ago
> when the cars were first deployed.
>
> Dave

Yes, but there are also full business class cars with 2-2 seating, and a little more leg room than coach.  Most Northeast Regionals have those.

Jim

I was unaware that Business Class passengers were allowed in Metropolitan Lounges on the NEC.

Is this something new?

In my experience, walk through the train to collect trash is pretty common on NEC both on Accelas and Regionals.  Would definitely make sense more broadly.

DavidP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CP8888 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The Business Class is one half of a cafe car??
> > Midwest reader who has never seen Business
> Class..
>
> Yes, with 2-1 seating.  It's the configuration
> originally sold as "Amclub" almost fifty years ago
> when the cars were first deployed.
>
> Dave

It varies. Most NEC Regionals,Carolinian, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian, it is a 60-seat Amcoach, in the late 1970's and early 1980's known "long distance Amfleet-1".
If a Boston section of the Lake Shore has a bad-ordered Amfleet-2 in Boston, they'll put one of those on instead, and it might cycle there for a few weeks.

I think you have to have a "Select Plus" Guest Rewards card to use the lounge if going Business class.  Also, unfortunately, it is standard practice in the DC lounge not to announce Regional trains.

ABB Wrote:
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> I think you have to have a "Select Plus" Guest
> Rewards card to use the lounge if going Business
> class.  Also, unfortunately, it is standard
> practice in the DC lounge not to announce Regional
> trains.

In my experiance all the lounges anounce all trains that people who check in are riding. I also keep track of the time and watch the display boards.

Yes, I am Amtrak Executive, so lounge access comes with it.

As for announcements, they can manage it at New York, so...  But what is consistency in service delivery, after all?


ABB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think you have to have a "Select Plus" Guest
> Rewards card to use the lounge if going Business
> class.  Also, unfortunately, it is standard
> practice in the DC lounge not to announce Regional
> trains.

mbrotzman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ABB Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think you have to have a "Select Plus" Guest
> > Rewards card to use the lounge if going
> Business
> > class.  Also, unfortunately, it is standard
> > practice in the DC lounge not to announce
> Regional
> > trains.
>
> In my experiance all the lounges anounce all
> trains that people who check in are riding. I also
> keep track of the time and watch the display
> boards.

That's always been my experience as well, and its not that hard to do. 

No, it is not that hard to do, but this woman apparently decided it was not in her job description yesterday.  Maybe on other days it is.  I mean, how can she possibly check someone in every 2 to 5 minutes AND watch for train 56 along with announcing the Acelas that leave once an hour???  It is just not possible to cover all of that.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> mbrotzman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ABB Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I think you have to have a "Select Plus"
> Guest
> > > Rewards card to use the lounge if going
> > Business
> > > class.  Also, unfortunately, it is standard
> > > practice in the DC lounge not to announce
> > Regional
> > > trains.
> >
> > In my experiance all the lounges anounce all
> > trains that people who check in are riding. I
> also
> > keep track of the time and watch the display
> > boards.
>
> That's always been my experience as well, and its
> not that hard to do. 

Business Class can go to the Metro Lounge. So Regional Business Class is treated inferior to Acela Business Class apparently. There is not a huge price differential. 

What about sleeper passengers - are LD trains not announced for the fortune people are spending on them ? 

I was in the lounge on Tuesday 5/16 and was told that the my Regional would not be announced.  However, I have heard trains announced that have sleeper passengers.