Passenger Trains > San Berdnardino Station Closes

AMTRAK CLOSES ITS TICKET OFFICE AT SANTA FE DEPOT SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Amtrak pulled its ticket office out of the Santa Fe Depot in San Bernardino and the company has not made a commitment to occupy space in the renovated station, said an Amtrak spokeswoman to the Press-Enterprise.

The rail company won't be able to move into the renovated depot until its ticket counter has been wired for electricity, phone and data, said Vernae Graham, an Amtrak spokeswoman.

But Graham said that, although state funding was not available to install the wiring, Amtrak plans to use its money make the improvements, Graham said.

"It's safe to say it's a temporary situation," she said.

At restored depots served by the Pacific Surfliner train, which runs from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, Amtrak was able to get state funding to make tenant improvements, said Cheryl Donahue, spokeswoman for San Bernardino Associated Governments, the county's transportation agency.

Because San Bernardino is not on the Surfliner route, the depot did not receive the funding for Amtrak, Donahue said.

Other tenants have paid for necessary improvements, including Metrolink, which spent $350,000 to upgrade its offices.

Under a previous agreement, Amtrak did not pay a rental fee for its space at the depot, Graham said.

The Amtrak ticket office has been housed in a trailer since 2002, when restoration on the depot began, but the trailer was moved last week to allow for repaving of the parking lot it was sitting on, she said.

Until a ticket counter is open, passengers wishing to buy tickets can either buy online or go to the ticket sales office in Riverside, 4066 Vine St.

(This item appeared in the Press-Enterprise May 20, 2004)

There has to be a construction company smart enough to say-
"This is not the 1920's when one light bulb and one phone line are plenty for any office
They should look at the whole picture and automatically add a few conduit runs just in case they might want to add a few outlets or a few phones in the future"
They can add it to the bill and even come back later to run the electrical and phone/data lines because the building owner or the occupant are not stupid enough to say No I don’t need power or phone lines nor will I in the future"

Such a novel idea!
A job done right the first time!

Do not try to come to Riverside to purchase tickets.

It has no ticket outlet either. Just typical of errors in the news of today.

If the temp trailer from San Bernardino is available, set it up at Riverside on the east side making Riverside a manned station
Also get 1&2's crews qualified to run over the LA sub skipping the Ontario stop and the sever bottlenecks of City of Industry and West Colton and Alhambra sub and have them stop at Riverside with #3 & 4
Tell the city of San Bernardino thanks but since no one who worked on the depot was smart enough to put in power, phones, data and other lines this must be interpitted (spelling) by Amtrak that the City of San Bernardino does not want them there and never will.
As a business man if I check out a building to rent that has no electric or phone capabilities and just down the street there is one with everything I need and more, I go for the 2nd option and tell the 1st option to get a clue!

Might as well just have 4 and 3 highball San Berdoo until this situation is said and done guys!

parts545 Wrote:
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> If the temp trailer from San Bernardino is
> available, set it up at Riverside on the east
> side making Riverside a manned station.

I thought Amtrak already moved out of the trailer it was using at San Bernardino.

parts545 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
"There has to be a construction company smart enough to say- ..."

"They should look at the whole picture and automatically add a few conduit runs just in case they might want to add a few outlets or a few phones in the future"
"They can add it to the bill and even come back later ...."

I don't know how business works on your planet but here we do exactly what the customer puts on the plans. Doing anything otherwise, even if it makes perfect sense opens you up to breach of contract and other liabilities.
Place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the city and it's tenant for putting the bid out this way in the first place.


TCS - johnny payczech

TopcoatSmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> parts545 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> "There has to be a construction company smart
> enough to say- ..."
>
> "They should look at the whole picture and
> automatically add a few conduit runs just in case
> they might want to add a few outlets or a few
> phones in the future"
> "They can add it to the bill and even come back
> later ...."
>
> I don't know how business works on your planet but
> here we do exactly what the customer puts on the
> plans. Doing anything otherwise, even if it makes
> perfect sense opens you up to breach of contract
> and other liabilities.


> Place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the
> city and it's tenant for putting the bid out this
> way in the first place.
>
>
> TCS - johnny payczech


Ok I will admit Amtrak and the City should have been right in the middle of the construction watching out for the lack of phone and data drops
BUT even the contractor cant be that lame and should have said something about the serious lack of electrical outlets!
How much taxpayer money will go to fix this screw up!
Didnt the city and/or the contractor do a pre construction walk through to see what exactly Amtrak was going to need?

It is NOT the contractors responsibility to think for the city and amtrak.
IF they chose to add materials to a project, they would not be paid for them as they are not part of the bid.
It's very simple, this is the same bs the city of Santa Barbara pulled when they refurbished their station.
The contractors do what the bid they are awarded states, no more, no less.


TCS - it's a business, not a charity.