Anyone know what's up with the Maple Leaf bike service?

[mulveyr]

As per the subject... there's a huge ( nearly 1000 rider ) yearly bike trip along the Erie Canal in NY between Buffalo and Albany, and a substantial number of people use the Maple Leaf to return to the start with their bikes.

As of a couple days ago, Amtrak started notifying people that they have removed bike service from the train, and since the ride starts next week, it has royally messed up plans for a lot of people. While Empire Service still offers bike slots on the appropriate days, they were all snapped up, leaving a lot of people in the lurch.

Based on what posters in the ride group have said, none of the customer service people have explained why they cancelled the bike reservations, and people with Empire Service and LSL bike reservations are worried that it will happen on those lines, too.

 

[IndyLions]

Sorry I don’t have any insight - but as a bike guy - I have serious empathy.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Is there any difference between Amfleet I and Amfleet II equipment with regards to bikes? It appears that the Maple Leaf has switched back from Amfleet I to Amfleet II coaches with the resumption of service to Toronto, so I'm wondering if that's related.

 

[zephyr17]

Is there any difference between Amfleet I and Amfleet II equipment with regards to bikes? It appears that the Maple Leaf has switched back from Amfleet I to Amfleet II coaches with the resumption of service to Toronto, so I'm wondering if that's related.

The timing made me think it had something to do with service to Canada returning. An equipment change may be a good hypothesis.

 

[Amtrak25]

Pre-Covid, the Maple Leaf had 3 Am-2 and 1 Am-1 coach. Given the load factor to Toronto, there is little need for more than 1 Am-2 coach, at most 2.

The Adirondack used to have 2 of each and hauled a heck of a lot more people to Canada, usually 3 coaches open. More often than not, the conductors would put the Canadian passengers that are from south of Albany in the Am-1 coaches anyhow.

Since extension to Toronto, the Maple Leaf has been running all Am-1 cars.

It goes to show Amtrak had Am-2 coaches available for long distance and chose not to deploy them all along, or else where are they taking Am-2 coaches from to reequip the Maple Leaf ?

Amtrak has again shot themselves where the sun doesn't shine with the bikes.

 

[jis]

Must be those 5 AM-2s that were sitting at JAX forever. Are they still there or have they been deployed again?

 

[mulveyr]

One of the people with cancelled reservations just reported that Amtrak told them the removal of bike reservations was "due to an unforseen equipment change, it will extend until May, 2023."

After spending the past three years extolling the ease of taking bikes on their upstate NY routes, they've certainly managed to **** off dozens of people in one fell swoop, and killed their chances of gaining more customers there.

 

[Amtrak25]

All they need to do is swap 2 Am-2's for 2 Am1-s, like between the "Night Owl" and Maple Leaf for some minimal bike capacity.

They also cut Maple Leaf seat capacity 17% (288 to 240), needed desperately between NYC and Buffalo, for a tiny market into Ontario as a lame excuse, in addition throwing bicycle revenue into the Erie Canal.

I do hope the rather vocal bike advocate community raises hell. Am-management needs a massive enema.

Some in ESPA propose a baggage car. Will never happen. Customs will go bazerk even if empty and VIA does not want a 6 car train - too much trouble to wye.

 

[desertflyer]

I wasn't even notified by Amtrak. My bike cost was refunded, and luckily I took a moment to double check that bikes were still on my reservation - which of course they were not. Very, very frustrating. Ended up on the Lake Shore Limited a day earlier since (luckily) it was the only train with bike space still available.

Sidenote: I just finished riding the Erie Canal yesterday and it was a lovely trip, but now I'm beat tired.

Here was my first post about the Maple Leaf and bikes on June 27th:

I was booked on the Maple Leaf next week with two bikes from Albany to Syracuse. A few days ago I got a voucher for $40 with no explanation from Amtrak. Sure enough, the bikes had been removed from my reservation without any notice other than a $40 refund. There's no bike space available anymore. Luckily I knew to check my reservation and change to a later train, otherwise this could have been a bad situation. I wonder if the Canadian service restoration played a role? Very odd.

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/maple-leafs-back-to-toronto.82426/post-964287

 

[joelkfla]

Pre-Covid, the Maple Leaf had 3 Am-2 and 1 Am-1 coach. Given the load factor to Toronto, there is little need for more than 1 Am-2 coach, at most 2.

The Adirondack used to have 2 of each and hauled a heck of a lot more people to Canada, usually 3 coaches open. More often than not, the conductors would put the Canadian passengers that are from south of Albany in the Am-1 coaches anyhow.

Since extension to Toronto, the Maple Leaf has been running all Am-1 cars.

It goes to show Amtrak had Am-2 coaches available for long distance and chose not to deploy them all along, or else where are they taking Am-2 coaches from to reequip the Maple Leaf ?

Amtrak has again shot themselves where the sun doesn't shine with the bikes.

Did it usually have a baggage car? Is there a shortage of baggage cars too? Seems like they could easily add one for a special biking event, just like they had one for skis on the Winter Park Express.

 

[Amtrak25]

It hasn't had a baggage car in decades. There's issues with Customs and with VIA Rail in adding a baggage car (i.e. 6 car train harder to wye in Mimico), plus NYS-DOT would have to request it and pay for it.

DOT shouldn't have to because this is an under-handed, sneaky move Amtrak pulled by effectively slashing the consist 17%. I think it was to donate Am-1 cars to the NEC and Roanoke service. DOT should be all over Amtrak like a polyester suit.

 

[Rambling Robert]

I was surprise to find Toronto to be such a bike city. In Toronto there are excellent bicyclists and terrible ones. But there are a lot of them! I saw one rider walk their bike the opposite way on one-way street - like I learned when I was 10. Then a guy flying into an intersection - hit the brakes - jump off and walk his bike in the crosswalk.

A letter to SecPete and AmtrakCEO regarding the Erie Canal event 2023; AND Toronto bicyclists using the Maple Leaf. Maybe adopt a saying like “Bikes are the T in DOT, not chopped liver”. lol

 

[daybeers]

This is absolutely crazy. I would be furious.

 

[Amtrak25]

If you want bicyles to go to Canada, then don't advocate for a baggage car because that will cause more issues with Customs, besides VIA Rail doesn't want to wye a 6 car train.

Demand answers from Amtrak because the excuse they gave (it's a long ride) is utter BS. Few take the Maple Leaf into Canada. It takes longer to get to Charlotte where a lot of the trainload goes, and the Carolinean is all Amfleet-1's.