I have been taking the Coast Starlight for years, first from California to Oregon; more recently, I have begun going from Oregon to California to visit my terminally ill . We drive two and a half hours from Coquille OR to Eugene OR to catch the train at 5:15 pm. It arrives in Chico CA around 4:30 am. On the return, I catch the train in Chico around 1:30 am and arrive in Eugene around 12:30. The hours work because we are both seniors and driving over the coastal range in the dark is not doable for us. Last week I took the train on Wednesday, November 13th and returned on Sunday, the 17th. I have experienced delays before, but never very long and usually gains it back. At 10 pm on the 16th I was notified that the train was an hour late. BMy sisters home is 25 miles away, we left around 12 am Chico station isn't open at this time. Somehow the train lost time and we left Chico around 3 am. A freight trains broke down by Dunsmuir, a mandatory crew change, etc. all led to my train arriving in Eugene 6 hours late. I want to say that the Amtrak train staff were very helpful; offering complimentary snacks and water and stew. The restrooms were kept clean and the staff was great about answering questions. My issue is with the Amtrak customer service center and the Amtrak Customer Relations Center. Our train doesn't get good reception going over the Cascades so I had to use the chat option. My husband had driven from Coquille to pick me up. However, once we realized that I would arrive six hours late and it would be dark, he got a hotel room in Eugene. I got in touch with the customer service center. They said they couldn't do anything, I could call Customer Relations when I got to Eugene, and I reminded them that they would be closed. Then I was told they'd be closed until tomorrow. We are seniors on fixed incomes and don't have a budget for hotels and food, etc. I was hoping Amtrak could help with something or at least give me a refund on the trip to help offset the other costs. (By the way, a refund would help but not cover the whole thing.) In addition, I have COPD and use a nebulizer. I had enough medicine to last until I got home. But COPD can be exacerbated by stress as well, and when one feels like no one is really listening, plus being so late, knowing that we had to find somewhere to stay and, borrow the money to stay was stressful. What was most stressful was the seeming disregard for the customers and the condescending attitude of the customer representatives. I say that not from only my interactions with them, but because the Customer Relations Office is closed on weekends. If you have a business that operates on weekends, and you choose to close certain departments, fine. But there should be some resource available for customers who are affected by your product or services. I could not speak with anyone above a chat level. When I asked to speak to a supervisor, I was told they weren't there. And when I asked for the name of the person I was speaking with, one chat completely disregarded it and refused. The other one said she was Julie, the Amtrak chat bot. I love the train, I love Amtrak and the train staff. I don't mind when the train is a bit late because they do make up time. And I have had excellent customer service until this trip. I've had to reschedule two trips (that's why I get the flex option), and each time, the staff was courteous, efficient and friendly. Now I'm disappointed.
