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

[jis]

Maybe he's referring to them hiring only 18 people.

Well, overall Amtrak has more than 4,500 openings that they are actively trying to fill. I guess the rest of the opening they are trying to fill don't matter when one is on a roll to assign incompetence Anyhow to give a perspective on how large a number that is, the total Amtrak employee strength work out to somewhere a little less than 18,000.

Frankly there is one thing that puzzled me and that is what IMHO was over-downsizing of the HR department who you need to be around to restore staff levels. Apparently finally Amtrak has restored the HR department to a state where they can become effective again. Initially that was a big problem.

There were three factors working in tandem. They were (1) restoring personnel to fill positions that were downsized to stay financially afloat, and training new staff, which on even good days takes time. This was hampered by shortages in the HR department initially. (2) Scourge of the pandemic where existing staff were sidelined due to infections and quarantines. And (3) relative dearth of candidates looking for jobs who can manage to pass the drug test apparently.

The fact that they have finally started restoring train frequencies and starting to get a handle of maintenance suggests that they may be slowly sorting out that mess.

But the bottom line is shouting "Incompetence" from the rooftops does not make people competent, it just makes the shouters look foolish after a while, because of the lack of effectiveness of their act in solving anything.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Wait…trying to hire people when they’re short-staffed is a sign of incompetence?

It is when they're the ones who pushed experienced Employees out when COVID hit, and then sat on their hands for a year as Travel picked up!

It's a toss up as to which is a worse run Department @ Amtrak, IT or HR, but the blame goes to the Top!( Yes, this is True of most Companies now experiencing Staffing Shortages)

Moving on to other Train Topics.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Wait…trying to hire people when they’re short-staffed is a sign of incompetence?

YEP, 18 is a pathetically Low Number!

 

[Northwestern]

RE Cascades/Canada no service until late 2022

“WSDOT and ODOT expressed extreme dissatisfaction with this plan..”

see attached email

***********************************************************

I think there is a lot of politics going on. As WSDOT and ODOT have suggested, why can't they re-establish partial service into Vancouver?

 

[Trogdor]

YEP, 18 is a pathetically Low Number!

How many should they be hiring?

Further, how do you know each of those job postings in Seattle translates to exactly one employee?

 

[west point]

The incompetence came at OCT 1, 2021. By that time Amtrak knew what their budget for FY 2022 was going to be. But it did not really start advertising opening until late January 2022 - February. That is IMO completely incompetent. And it starts with Corsica. Do not reappoint him. Time to get Senate to turn him down

 

[Tlcooper44]

Does Amtrak usually run a 6am NYP-BOS Acela on Saturdays? Is there any chance they will introduce an additional morning frequency on June 4th?

Kind of surprised there's a BOS-NYP 6am but not a reverse. Though it does make sense since its going to NYC.

 

[fdaley]

Does Amtrak usually run a 6am NYP-BOS Acela on Saturdays? Is there any chance they will introduce an additional morning frequency on June 4th?

Kind of surprised there's a BOS-NYP 6am but not a reverse. Though it does make sense since its going to NYC.

Pre-pandemic, I don't remember any NYP-BOS departure on weekends before the Regional at 7a or a few minutes earlier. Weekdays, there was an earlier Acela.

 

[jis]

Just thought I'd mention that as of 5/23/22 all Western LD trains have been restored to their pre-COVID frequencies.

There are still a few Eastern trains waiting to be restored and currently targeted for 9/11/22.

See Amtrak LD days of operation through September 2022

 

[Brian Battuello]

Just thought I'd mention that as of 5/23/22 all Western LD trains have been restored to their pre-COVID frequencies.

That's a tiny amount of good news, especially as we come into the summer travel season. Of course prices will continue to be high until they can somehow magically add more equipment to each train. I tend to avoid summer long distance travel, saving my points for off season. I sort of miss the fixed price zones that were available for any open room. I did a lot of NYC-Florida trips to stay in the 15K single zone for sleepers. But those days are long gone.

 

[jis]

MODERATOR'S NOTE: Several posts on historical fixed price zone AGR awards have been moved to the Amtrak Guest Reward Forum in the following thread:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/historical-fixed-price-zone-agr-awards.82155/

 

[daybeers]

There are still a few Eastern trains waiting to be restored and currently targeted for 9/11/22.

lol ridiculous.

 

[Brian Battuello]

The good news was that (IIRC) all Western trains that were once daily are again daily. The moderators sensibly moved the digression into the old AGR point system to a new topic.

I agree that simply returning things to where they were originally is pretty weak good news. Now if they restored white tablecloth full dining to Eastern trains, THAT would be good news!

 

[acelafan]

I discovered the overnight WAS - BOS service (65 / 66 / 67) is scheduled to start running again on Monday, July 11. I have been checking Amtrak's reservation system and it appeared today. I hope it doesn't get pushed back as I will be taking it in early August.

If I missed this announcement and this is a duplicate post, my apologies.

 

[trimetbusfan]

I discovered the overnight WAS - BOS service (65 / 66 / 67) is scheduled to start running again on Monday, July 11. I have been checking Amtrak's reservation system and it appeared today. I hope it doesn't get pushed back as I will be taking it in early August.

If I missed this announcement and this is a duplicate post, my apologies.

Looks like no sleepers available though.

 

[jis]

Silver Meteor 97/98 is now available for booking starting Sept 12 for 98 ex-Miami and Sept 14 for 97 ex-New York.

An official announcement is apparently forthcoming in a few days according to some unofficial rumblings from RPA.

 

[west point]

Hope this is true. A train orders report says that Starlight today had a Baggage, Trans dorm and another coach. Supposed to be the consist now.
If so starlight of 6/8 would be 10 cars?

 

[Cal]

Hope this is true. A train orders report says that Starlight today had a Baggage, Trans dorm and another coach. Supposed to be the consist now.
If so starlight of 6/8 would be 10 cars?

Yesterdays 14 had 8 cars past the Chehalis cam. You can check it tomorrow to see todays 14/tomorrows 11.

 

[Steve4031]

I have tried to book a same day round trip from Chicago to Springfield, IL for next week. This is no longer possible. There are 3 morning trains from St. Louis, but there is no 304 or 306 on multiple days. What is going on here?

 

[jebr]

I have tried to book a same day round trip from Chicago to Springfield, IL for next week. This is no longer possible. There are 3 morning trains from St. Louis, but there is no 304 or 306 on multiple days. What is going on here?

304 became 318 and runs on the same schedule. 306 still shows for me on Wednesday, 6/15 from SPI to CHI, along with 318.

 

[Steve4031]

That is weird. I was using the website and nothing was showing up for 6/17. But the app shows what you told me.

 

[Steve4031]

Even more frustrating. The damn App won't let me book, and the damn website freezes. Just ridiculous.

 

[Steve4031]

I got the website to work in Safari. GF and I are doing a round trip to New Buffalo next Friday. She enjoyed the gathering trip from last year and wants to experience the fresh air again.

 

[Fenway]

Might be a glitch but I see 66/67 is back on the schedule as of July 11th

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Might be a glitch but I see 66/67 is back on the schedule as of July 11th

View attachment 28656

Not a glitch. I've heard from reliable sources that it was returning on July 11. And apparently it's only running between WAS and BOS. Guess VA isn't ready for it.