Amtrak long term service cancellations and restorations (2022-2023H1)

[joelkfla]

The mechanical trades are certainly a problem. Just look at CHI even before this mass resignation. It is time for the pols to require Amtrak to post actual shortages.

Perhaps Amtrak or the U.S. government should partner with some technical colleges or high schools to train future railroad mechanics.

 

[Railroad Bill]

The Amtrak cancelation notices continued all last evening. Agents say these are errors and should stop (soon?).

 

[20th Century Rider]

Yesterday they cancelled the LSL for the May date I was traveling... necessitating leaving NYP early in the morning for accommodations on the Capitol out of WAS. Fortunately there was an H room. Today I received notice of cancellation of the CZ on the outbound date I am traveling... with wait times to talk with a rep in excess of 30 minutes [Select Executive line] and yesterday I waited 45 minutes.

While they will accommodate same accommodation on another train... there is no other compensation for extra hotel stay... and if the H room is not available they will put you in a roomette if available but not upgrade you to a bedroom if you need facilities in the room... customer service told me they would be happy to take extra money... and there are only top bucket fares available now for May.

Haven't had much luck with 'Select Executive service.' [BTW, Chrome causes problems with sign-in but Safari is a go.]

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions to deal with rescheduling? Seems that if you schedule the trip for another time one must pay the highest bucket and loses the advantage of having booked early.

Running out of patience and ideas... ready to cancel this one. Pandemic and economy have derailed Amtrak service.

 

[sggriffith]

I was really looking forward to riding the California Zephyr in April, but it was just cancelled. Are they going to make me fly? That's no fun!

 

[20th Century Rider]

I was really looking forward to riding the California Zephyr in April, but it was just cancelled. Are they going to make me fly? That's no fun!

If you fly you gotta buy the ticket. Amtrak will put you on the CZ for a date that it's running for no additional charge... however if you change the accommodation you are holding you must pay the difference. For example, if you are holding a roomette and it's not available, you must pay the difference for the bedroom... which is probably at the highest bucket level due to supply and demand from service cutbacks. They told me that any extra hotel charges must be paid by the customer.

 

[Sidney]

If you fly you gotta buy the ticket. Amtrak will put you on the CZ for a date that it's running for no additional charge... however if you change the accommodation you are holding you must pay the difference. For example, if you are holding a roomette and it's not available, you must pay the difference for the bedroom... which is probably at the highest bucket level due to supply and demand from service cutbacks. They told me that any extra hotel charges must be paid by the customer.

We are on the CZ in July on a Sunday. I'm pessimistic about the return of daily service beyond May. The difference in the price of a roomette and bedroom on the day we are scheduled is almost $2000. My concern is when and if the official announcement comes extending five day a week service further roomettes will be sold out on the day before.

 

[jis]

If you fly you gotta buy the ticket. Amtrak will put you on the CZ for a date that it's running for no additional charge... however if you change the accommodation you are holding you must pay the difference. For example, if you are holding a roomette and it's not available, you must pay the difference for the bedroom... which is probably at the highest bucket level due to supply and demand from service cutbacks. They told me that any extra hotel charges must be paid by the customer.

In the past I have found that in such situation taking a refund even after paying a penalty and then flying comes out cheaper overall. I have done it a couple of times, though I was somehow able to argue myself out of a cancellation penalty those times since Amtrak could not get me to my destination within days of the original booking. Only true railfans can afford to wait for Amtrak to get its act together. Others have other engagements to worry about in their lives.

 

[20th Century Rider]

We are on the CZ in July on a Sunday. I'm pessimistic about the return of daily service beyond May. The difference in the price of a roomette and bedroom on the day we are scheduled is almost $2000. My concern is when and if the official announcement comes extending five day a week service further roomettes will be sold out on the day before.

Your concerns are well noted... Amtrak is disrupting a lot of plans for a lot of faithful customers. In the past I've always thought that I can have just as much fun on a car trip and be in control of where I go and what I see... but now with gas shooting up I may be doing my traveling in an armchair with youtube bloggers as my guide.

Sooo getting back to Amtrak... all things being compounded customer service being unavailable due to the NEC derailment... we can only hope things will improve.

 

[Todd]

We are on the CZ in July on a Sunday. I'm pessimistic about the return of daily service beyond May. The difference in the price of a roomette and bedroom on the day we are scheduled is almost $2000. My concern is when and if the official announcement comes extending five day a week service further roomettes will be sold out on the day before.

Just pay close attention and jump on changes immediately after Amtrak cancels your train. I just did that for my April cross-country loop trip; I had to reschedule Empire Builder and LSL each by a day. I got through to Amtrak a few hours after Amtrak announcement of April cancellations and was able to get same accommodation at no additional cost.

 

[jis]

Just pay close attention and jump on changes immediately after Amtrak cancels your train. I just did that for my April cross-country loop trip; I had to reschedule Empire Builder and LSL each by a day. I got through to Amtrak a few hours after Amtrak announcement of April cancellations and was able to get same accommodation at no additional cost.

If you can get the same accommodation it should always be at no additional cost when the change is due to a change that Amtrak caused, notwithstanding what some ignorant agents might try to convince you. Either they are lazy or no one has trained them on how to force price an itinerary.

 

[Todd]

If you can get the same accommodation it should always be at no additional cost when the change is due to a change that Amtrak caused, notwithstanding what some ignorant agents might try to convince you. Either they are lazy or no one has trained them on how to force price an itinerary.

They will only give the same accommodation at no cost on legs that they cancelled which does cause problems...for instance I was scheduled New Orleans to Buffalo...only the Chicago to Buffalo segment was cancelled, so I had to move that piece out a day...which leaves me to pay for a night in Chicago that I hadn't planned on...

 

[PeeweeTM]

Seems the CZ has been bitten by the same bug the SWC was bitten with. Lots of posts in FB.
A few people are thinking Amtrak got hacked. I doubt it.

The Amtrak cancelation notices continued all last evening. Agents say these are errors and should stop (soon?).

I hope these cancelations are mistakes (I got one too, for an April SAC-CHI trip), but why is that not stated on the website and/or why is Amtrak not sending emails to cancel the cancelations?

 

[jis]

I hope these cancelations are mistakes (I got one too, for an April SAC-CHI trip), but why is that not stated on the website and/or why is Amtrak not sending emails to cancel the cancelations?

Maybe they are still trying to figure out who or what is sending them out

 

[Trogdor]

I hope these cancelations are mistakes (I got one too, for an April SAC-CHI trip), but why is that not stated on the website and/or why is Amtrak not sending emails to cancel the cancelations?

Knowing Amtrak, they’ll probably send the “cancel the cancellation” notice to everybody, including those whose trains actually are cancelled.

 

[SouthwestDude]

They’re in a hole. Maybe no more digging for awhile?

 

[user 14106]

We are on the CZ in July on a Sunday. I'm pessimistic about the return of daily service beyond May. The difference in the price of a roomette and bedroom on the day we are scheduled is almost $2000. My concern is when and if the official announcement comes extending five day a week service further roomettes will be sold out on the day before.

I suspect that some additional trains will return to daily in May just as we are getting 3 in March - which ones they will be - we will have to see. I suspect (though this is just a prediction) that those that do a bulk of their business in the summer months would be a priority - but we’ll just have to see. I would expect the last to come back will be the meteor just given its route is served by other trains.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-rev...lack-of-national-network-investment-analysis/

 

[sggriffith]

If you fly you gotta buy the ticket. Amtrak will put you on the CZ for a date that it's running for no additional charge... however if you change the accommodation you are holding you must pay the difference. For example, if you are holding a roomette and it's not available, you must pay the difference for the bedroom... which is probably at the highest bucket level due to supply and demand from service cutbacks. They told me that any extra hotel charges must be paid by the customer.

This was apparently a mistake. The agent I was talking to figured it out, then asked if I wanted to book a return. Sheesh! My nerves can't handle it!

 

[SouthwestDude]

Here’s the latest: In looking at my tickets today I saw that I was now booked in 3 roomettes (?) and my SWC train had been canceled again - red letters across the reservation and no QR code.

I call again (only 35 minutes on hold) and they again say it’s wrong and send me a new ticket.


Please make it stop.

 

[20th Century Rider]

This was apparently a mistake. The agent I was talking to figured it out, then asked if I wanted to book a return. Sheesh! My nerves can't handle it!

Here’s the latest: In looking at my tickets today I saw that I was now booked in 3 roomettes (?) and my SWC train had been canceled again - red letters across the reservation and no QR code.

I call again (only 35 minutes on hold) and they again say it’s wrong and send me a new ticket.


Please make it stop.

I feel your pain... I feel your frustration... and you're not alone... Amtrak is alienating their most loyal customers but they are unable to help due to system dysfunction and lack of leadership to fix it!

I was on hold this morning for over an hour after attempting several times over the weekend... and finally reached an agent who told me that the train they said was cancelled was not really cancelled.

The other problem I am having with Amtrak is that I can't sign in to their website... which has been going on since they started the ridiculous new fangled double identification sign in. They've suggested everything under the sun... and I've done it. Now they're suggesting I change my email address and Amtrak customer number... and on and on. Life's too short for all this nonsense.

BTW... as a Select Executive top tier member I have 0 benefits because I can't sign in. I also have 0 priority on wait times... 0 access to my account. They can't figure out why... and their IT can't figure it out either.

But they are attempting to be patient and polite as my anger anguishes. Ok! Great!

 

[Palmland]

We have friends traveling to Washington from Providence for a wedding in August. They want to try Acela one way and because of their schedule looks like 66 might work on the return. Question- Amtrak shows the train - and sleeper- are bookable starting in June. Is that for real?

 

[trimetbusfan]

We have friends traveling to Washington from Providence for a wedding in August. They want to try Acela one way and because of their schedule looks like 66 might work on the return. Question- Amtrak shows the train - and sleeper- are bookable starting in June. Is that for real?

As of now, it's 'running' starting in May, but there is no guarantee that Amtrak will restore that service then. They could end up extending those cancelations it for the summer. So, just be prepared to do something else if they cancel that train.

 

[Bob Dylan]

As of now, it's 'running' starting in May, but there is no guarantee that Amtrak will restore that service then. They could end up extending those cancelations it for the summer. So, just be prepared to do something else if they cancel that train.

Yep, they might have to do a layover in Boston if they want to ride the Train back, there's No Guarantee any of Amtrak's Management Promises will actually happen!

 

[Palmland]

Yep, they might have to do a layover in Boston if they want to ride the Train back, there's No Guarantee any of Amtrak's Management Promises will actually happen!

Helluva way to run a railroad!

 

[west point]

If Amtrak's claim that it is equipment availability, then the government should be able to verify that claim by auditing hires and shortages if any of maintenance workers.