Amtrak’s Failure
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Bostontoallpoints
Service Attendant
"And all of this requires understanding that, on a basic level, Amtrak is best described as a mishmash of the worst features of every European and East Asian railway: speed, fares, frequency, reliability, coverage. Each country that I know of misses on at least one of these aspects – Swiss trains are slow, the Shinkansen is expensive, the TGV has multi-hour midday gaps, German trains barely run on a schedule, China puts its train stations at inconvenient locations. Amtrak misses on all of those, at once."
Pretty scathing, but I'm glad someone's detailing this out. I think pro-passenger rail folks see political opposition and feel the need to throw the blame game (Class I, lack of funding, lack of political will), but Amtrak also doesn't manage itself to a point of excellence where they can wipe their hands clean.
I mostly see the management issues in customer experience on board. Every train feels unique based on their crew districts and what the LSA/SCA/conductor is used to doing. At best it feels charming, at worst like Amtrak management couldn't be bothered to check. Boarding feels arbitrarily airport-like, even when there is enough platform space. Lots of low hanging fruit that isn't stopped by funding.
I mostly see the management issues in customer experience on board. Every train feels unique based on their crew districts and what the LSA/SCA/conductor is used to doing. At best it feels charming, at worst like Amtrak management couldn't be bothered to check. Boarding feels arbitrarily airport-like, even when there is enough platform space. Lots of low hanging fruit that isn't stopped by funding.
Bostontoallpoints
Service Attendant
I think Amtrak trains are more comfortable and spacious compared to most other countries. Most EU trains do not have a cafe car. There is almost no "diner" car comparison to Amtrak for the most part. Amtrak can change their culture.
But I see the big problem with the U.S. is that you cannot reach the bulk of town centers without a car. Even in areas with decent mass transit the suburbs are serviced by commuter rail stations outside the town centers (car parks). This phenomenon barely exists outside North America. Now it can change. The right of ways exist all over the U.S. Stations can be placed in town centers again. We just need the will.
But I see the big problem with the U.S. is that you cannot reach the bulk of town centers without a car. Even in areas with decent mass transit the suburbs are serviced by commuter rail stations outside the town centers (car parks). This phenomenon barely exists outside North America. Now it can change. The right of ways exist all over the U.S. Stations can be placed in town centers again. We just need the will.
"Customer experience" is different in the long-distance trains than on the corridor trains. When I ride the NEC, my main problem with the "customer experience" is the cattle lines and gate dragons at Washington, Philadelphia, and Boston. (New York Penn gets a pass because of the limited platform area and those in the know can use the West End Concourse or lower-level stairs to avoid the cattle lines.) Some of the resulting crowding and shoving could be eliminated by having assigned seating in coach. Beyond that, for a 1-4 hour ride you really don't need much customer service. Frequent trains that are more or less on time are what really counts.
For the long-distance trains, you do need more service, as in sleeping car attendants, coach attendants who need to keep the restrooms clean, and food service. They also have a real problem with on-time service and reliability and unexpected cancellations. There's not much Amtrak management can do about a lot of that, but they could make it a point *never* to leave ticked passengers stranded by always providing bus or plane substitutions, hotel stays, or both. Most of the time, it seems that they do, but there are a lot of exceptions, and the exception appear to be increasing. Also, assigned seating in coach, which would make boarding faster and reduce station dwell time.
Unfortunately charter bus availability has declined in recent years. Lately Amtrak has had an increasing number of situations where they simply cannot get alternate transportation because no busses are available - particularly in the short notice situations.
One of the side effects of deregulation of motor carriers is the disappearance of middle management and even entry level management. This saves money, but they are the ones who knew how to find a driver and a bus in an emergency. Sometimes that was even buses from another company.
That may apply from the Amtrak direction, too. Long-term employees learn where alternatives might be available.
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All true but there's more. There is NO REASON why any station with an (unmanned) waiting room can't have a virtual connection to an agent in another location. This includes the ability to purchase tickets, ask questions, print boarding passes and baggage tags (the last so a train-manned baggage attendant can pick them up or drop them off from/to a designated location). No reason why there is no way to see on a screen where the coach/sleeper boarding place is. The ability to check bags reduces dwell time as passengers struggle to climb stairs to board with their bags. Knowing where to wait to board reduces confusion and being located at the wrong end of the train.
Debarking passengers should exit from a different door than embarking ones so the times can overlap.
