What should Amtrak change?

[jis]

Why not?
More and more cruise lines are switching from their current satellite internet provider’s to Starlink, for lower cost and better service…

At least then we will only hear complaints about Amtrak's inability to provide internet service in tunnels, canyons and forests, unless they do a hybrid modem/antenna pack which can choose between Starlink and terrestrial Cell signals dynamically., and equip all tunnels with leaky coax carried cell signals. Technically all that can be done, the question as usual boils down to funding.

Just doing Starlink would probably be a significant improvement at least in the flyover country of the west, specially where the rail alignment is far from highways.

 

[drdumont]

Why not?
More and more cruise lines are switching from their current satellite internet provider’s to Starlink, for lower cost and better service…

Oh, to be sure. I'm serious as a heart attack. Even though I am in the Dallas area, I got the RV package, set it up, and dispatched Frontier (nee' Verizon FiOS) to the scrap track. I did this on the recommendation of a couple of long distance RVers who praise it to the skies.

 

[drdumont]

At least then we will only hear complaints about Amtrak's inability to provide internet service in tunnels, canyons and forests, unless they do a hybrid modem/antenna pack which can choose between Starlink and terrestrial Cell signals dynamically., and equip all tunnels with leaky coax carried cell signals. Technically all that can be done, the question as usual boils down to funding.

Just doing Starlink would probably be a significant improvement at least in the flyover country of the west, specially where the rail alignment is far from highways.

The cost of tunnel Internet service when automobile traffic is not involved would be hideous. Not enough traffic to justify it. It was tried with the IMTS mobile phones installed on some of the Northeast Corridor, using highly ruggedized Motorola TLD-1100 radios. he game wasn't worth the candle, and the service was unreliable.
To date, the Starlink solution would appear to be the best bet.
Even if AMTRAK charged me a fee, presuming it were nominal, I would go for it..

 

[MIrailfan]

Elevated tracks in heavy freight areas.

 

[MIrailfan]

Amtrak needs to reduce unprofitable routes

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/26/amtrak-loses-money-on-long-distance-routes-like-th/

This would be a win win. They would reduce losses, and equipment could be reallocated to other routes, and some of the crews as well.

 

[Bostontoallpoints]

Amtrak needs to reduce unprofitable routes

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/26/amtrak-loses-money-on-long-distance-routes-like-th/

This would be a win win. They would reduce losses, and equipment could be reallocated to other routes, and some of the crews as well.

Every Amtrak route with the exception of the Autotrain is unprofitable year after year. The Northeast Corridor has a $31 Billion repair backlog. So you would be reallocating all equipment to the Autotrain? I am old enough to remember all the Amtrak route reductions. Any money saved was temporary and far below projections. Equipment reallocations barely made a dent in inventory. Every route that is cut that is less revenue for Amtrak and less customers.

 

[John from RI]

This forum complains a lot about Amtrak. Though I think we all share a love of what we have been given (no matter how much it may test our love), we will all admit that the company has its shortcomings.

I think most on this forum would agree however, that many of Amtrak’s issues do actually stem from being starved of cash. Moreover, Amtrak is forced to do what most other transportation modes are incapable of doing. Run a company, and pay for most of its infrastructure. Now however, Amtrak is flush with cash, and poised to make some monumental changes.

Therefore, what are three major things you would change, or actions that you would take, post 66 billion to improve Amtrak on the whole? Let’s try to avoid too much talk of dining (we have 100 pages of that already).

Amtrak needs to reform its rider hostile ticket system. Amtrak claims to be an intercity railroad but it sells tickets as if everyone is a long distance passenger. And once you buy a ticket you are locked in. If something happens so you have to take the next train be prepared to pay a small fortune for your change. That is if you are lucky; If you are unlucky you lose your money.
Amtrak justifies this by saying airline companies do it. But Amtrak is not an airline. A trip from New Brunswick to New Haven is not like a trip from New York to St. Louis or Los Angeles. With a fair system for changing train fares Amtrak could attract more passengers and make more money. Even now Amtrak offers fare gimmicks to get people on its trains. If it stopped the unfair fares it would not need its gimmicks.

 

[crescent2]

Please understand that this situation exists only on trains east of the Mississippi. The trains originating in Chicago and New Orleans traveling to west coast destinations are given first-class service. This includes full menu diner meals served with wine by gracious servers, observation cars with swivel lounge chairs and adult beverage availability. No expense spared for a first-class rail travel experience.

I'm happy for the western long distance trains, but what do the eastern LD trains have to do to get on Amtrak management's "good list"?? Why are they treated as Amtrak's red-headed step-child?

It makes me sick to read how my beloved Crescent has declined.

And once again (beating a dead horse) it is shameful, wasteful, and imo counterproductive how those expensive new VL dining cars with their kitchens are not being fully utilized. Amtrak needs to bring back full dining car service, for all passengers, on all their long distance trains.

Charge a little more if absolutely necessary. It was always optional for coach passengers, and with the cost of sleepers, what's a few more dollars when the bang for the buck would be worth it for many?

The Crescent (as do most other LD trains) has long segments that are day trips, NOL to ATL and ATL to NOL for example. Coach passengers need the option to pay for full dining car meals, too. Whether riding coach or in a sleeper, the dining car experience was an integral and very pleasant part of train travel.

I've traveled on the Crescent many times and would love to do so again if the major service cuts are ever reversed. In the past their service crews were the friendliest and most helpful, in my experience. Apparently even this has changed for the worse, although most likely ymmv. sigh

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I'm happy for the western long distance trains, but what do the eastern LD trains have to do to get on Amtrak management's "good list"?? Why are they treated as Amtrak's red-headed step-child?

It makes me sick to read how my beloved Crescent has declined.

And once again (beating a dead horse) it is shameful, wasteful, and imo counterproductive how those expensive new VL dining cars with their kitchens are not being fully utilized. Amtrak needs to bring back full dining car service, for all passengers, on all their long distance trains.

Charge a little more if absolutely necessary. It was always optional for coach passengers, and with the cost of sleepers, what's a few more dollars when the bang for the buck would be worth it for many?

The Crescent (as do most other LD trains) has long segments that are day trips, NOL to ATL and ATL to NOL for example. Coach passengers need the option to pay for full dining car meals, too. Whether riding coach or in a sleeper, the dining car experience was an integral and very pleasant part of train travel.

I've traveled on the Crescent many times and would love to do so again if the major service cuts are ever reversed. In the past their service crews were the friendliest and most helpful, in my experience. Apparently even this has changed for the worse, although most likely ymmv. sigh

Charging higher ticket prices is not going to make staff numbers increase magically. They are trying to hire & train enough diner staff for the routes. As I’m sure you know, many businesses have “We’re Hiring” signs up.

 

[user 14106]

I'm happy for the western long distance trains, but what do the eastern LD trains have to do to get on Amtrak management's "good list"?? Why are they treated as Amtrak's red-headed step-child?

It will expand in time I predict. They’ve already done the Florida trains now. I think more will happen in FY24. Unfortunately the manner in which is was eliminated in the east requires it to be rebuilt from scratch. It took quite a while for them to get it done on the Florida trains.

 

[zephyr17]

It will expand in time I predict. They’ve already done the Florida trains now. I think more will happen in FY24. Unfortunately the manner in which is was eliminated in the east requires it to be rebuilt from scratch. It took quite a while for them to get it done on the Florida trains.

Agree, although to clarify the "manner in which it was eliminated" included firing, not just furloughing, the food prep staff in the Eastern OBS crew bases. They had to rehire from scratch. That is at least partly the cause of the lengthy delay in reintroducing traditional dining in the east. "Contemporary"/"Flex" was intended as a permanent change in the East. In the West, it was seen as a temporary COVID measure and reductions in staff were part of COVID furloughs.

The one thing we can be thankful for in this Anderson inspired Charlie Foxtrot is they didn’t go through with the plans to gut the galleys in the Viewliner diners and replace them with banks of convection ovens. Had they been gutted as planned, returning to traditional dining would have been impossible. The equipment would have been gone.

 

[user 14106]

Agree, although to clarify the "manner in which it was eliminated" included firing, not just furloughing, the food prep staff in the Eastern OBS crew bases. They had to rehire from scratch.

Yep which is basically what I was implying.

 

[west point]

IMO do not let Amtrak off the hook. FY 2022 had funds for getting the necessary OBS for dining. However, posting for those positions dd begin in late March 2022 - June 2022. That left a hole that limited all dining for the full summer of 2022. Now Amtrak is still short OBS for full dining. this summer. What is needed IMO is convert some parked Amfleets into dorm cars to allow more staff. As well sell more sleeper space.

Quick admittedly uncertain math would ======= Say 5 additional roomettes sold for a train each day at average of $500.. $2,5000 revenue $ 75,000 revenue per month. For 10 months per year a total of $ .75M additional revenue. More than enough to pay for Refurbishing a car to be dorm car for a train set.

Note: this is for just each train set. Amtrak could find a vendor that could do the interiors fairly quickly. But it has to start now to have even a few train routes ready by say May 2023.

 

[jis]

IMO do not let Amtrak off the hook. FY 2022 had funds for getting the necessary OBS for dining. However, posting for those positions dd begin in late March 2022 - June 2022. That left a hole that limited all dining for the full summer of 2022. Now Amtrak is still short OBS for full dining. this summer. What is needed IMO is convert some parked Amfleets into dorm cars to allow more staff. As well sell more sleeper space.

Quick admittedly uncertain math would ======= Say 5 additional roomettes sold for a train each day at average of $500.. $2,5000 revenue $ 75,000 revenue per month. For 10 months per year a total of $ .75M additional revenue. More than enough to pay for Refurbishing a car to be dorm car for a train set.

Note: this is for just each train set. Amtrak could find a vendor that could do the interiors fairly quickly. But it has to start now to have even a few train routes ready by say May 2023.

Since you advise us to not let Amtrak off the hook and then give a plausible list of things to do, let me throw it back to you and not let you off the hook (following your advice ). Please tell us specifically how you would go about not letting Amtrak off the hook and get them to carry out your good plan. I am just curious since if you could then all the problems would have been solved by now including getting new train routes since we are past May 2023.

 

[MARC Rider]

What is needed IMO is convert some parked Amfleets into dorm cars to allow more staff. As well sell more sleeper space.

Given that an "Amfleet sleeping car" doesn't exist in this alternate reality, an "Amfleet dorm car" would be 100% coach seating. Are you suggesting that the staff should be sleeping in coach seats during their off-hours? Aside from the union's reaction, I would think that wouldn't be helpful for recruiting OBS staff who will be spending multiple nights on the road as part of their job.

 

[west point]

Amtrak has seemed to delay or cancelled overhauls of its rolling stock. Some how Amtrak needs to use the funds allocated to do these overhauls. The routes I was speaking of are current routes. especially the Crescent which is in this thread. WAG an average of the private room rates listed from ATL - WAS. Amtrak should not let the upgrades be expensed as current operations. Instead be a capital expense. Amfleet cars certainly are fully depreciated.

There is so much uncertainly as to Amtrak's future management decisions. One major factor is how the Board of directors appointments finally become fact. Only if the new members from outside the NEC can put in the decisions to change from present directions.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Amtrak has seemed to delay or cancelled overhauls of its rolling stock.

Did/does Amtrak have the manpower to do the overhauls? Again, staffing issues. And Amtrak is not the the only company having difficulties filling many of their jobs...many of which are "skilled labor" jobs that can't be filled by just anyone off the street.

 

[MIrailfan]

Electrification of the Pacific Surfliner route, the 2nd busiest passenger rail corridor in th0e U.S.

 

[lsfinn]

If Amtrak is to grow and thrive it needs to improve its reliability, its accessibility, and its treatment of its passengers. Examples are given below. As passenger it is hard to diagnose and make recommendation regarding the operations side of the business. What the solutions look like on the operational side is beyond most of our expertise.

• Phone and other customer service agents need better training and better access to information. The misinformation promulgated by reservation and customer relation agents is a serious problem. When problems occur, and Amtrak agents respond with bad or contradictory information, riders are less likely to return and less likely to recommend Amtrak to family or friends.
• Greatly improved ar/dp reliability. When median station arrival times are, over the course of a year, an hour or more late, then the published scheduled can’t even be considered aspirational.
• Ok, this one is operational. Assuming that delays on the long haul routes are delayed owing to freight traffic as often as is claimed by station agents or conductors, laws that provide for passenger traffic priority need to be better/more strictly enforced and/or strengthened.
• Passenger bill-of-rights. Passengers that are enroute are in a very vulnerable situation. When things go wrong, passengers need to be have some assurance that they will be protected and things put right. No more stranding people without meals, or a place to sleep, or a knowledge of ”what comes next”, or a sense that no one is looking out for their interests.
• More frequent trains, especially on long-haul routes. Coach on a train is much more comfortable than on a bus, especially for long distances, and nearly as inexpensive. People will take coach seats on a train if the train runs when they need it (and if it is reliable: see above). But, if there’s only one train a day and it’s at an impossible time of day, then it‘s a non-starter. Schedules need to reflect the needs of the target market.
• There is a real, strong need for N/S routes west of Chicago. The front-range of The Rockies - e.g., the I-25 corridor - is a great example. If you want to take the train to Glacier from points south, you shouldn’t have to travel first to Chicago. States are stepping-up, but Amtrak has not been cooperative, let alone helpful.

 

[daybeers]

Did/does Amtrak have the manpower to do the overhauls? Again, staffing issues. And Amtrak is not the the only company having difficulties filling many of their jobs...many of which are "skilled labor" jobs that can't be filled by just anyone off the street.

Maybe improving their terrible hiring practices and speeding them up a bit would help.

 

[railiner]

Given that an "Amfleet sleeping car" doesn't exist in this alternate reality, an "Amfleet dorm car" would be 100% coach seating. Are you suggesting that the staff should be sleeping in coach seats during their off-hours? Aside from the union's reaction, I would think that wouldn't be helpful for recruiting OBS staff who will be spending multiple nights on the road as part of their job.

It didn't take them very long to convert a couple of Amfleet coaches into "Ampads" for the Shenandoah, .and later, back to regular coaches.

An interesting idea, but first of all, is there really a surplus of Amfleet coaches? And secondly, aren't they retiring them due to age related structural integrity?
Doesn't seem like it would be a wise choice for a rather costly investment....

 

[jis]

It didn't take them very long to convert a couple of Amfleet coaches into "Ampads" for the Shenandoah, .and later, back to regular coaches.

An interesting idea, but first of all, is there really a surplus of Amfleet coaches? And secondly, aren't they retiring them due to age related structural integrity?
Doesn't seem like it would be a wise choice for a rather costly investment....

You are correct. In my reckoning the Amfleets will be retired before anyone hypothetically manages to get sufficient number of Ampad modules to install in some Amfleet cars. Just getting one car won;t do it. You need at least 4 (for the LSL and 5 for the remaining single level trains each. That is a lot of Amfleet cars that are hypothetically parked and ready to go.

 

[railiner]

This got me curious...I wonder if they saved and stored those modules somewhere, or just destroyed them when they were removed?

 

[UserNameRequired]

Curious for any links to pictures of these "Ampad" interiors please? I searched for a very short time and didn't find any.

 

[PVD]

I know the Quik-Traks had a mixed history, but with today's technology, what about kiosks with a video screen that can connect to an agent. A group of agents could cover multiple stations from a central location or call center?