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

[Shanson]

Regarding the inability to check bags on the Lake Shore Limited beyond Albany (for Boston passengers), should I consider checking to Albany and retrieving those bags there for that final leg? Is there time to get them and return to the room? We hate having bags (other than our overnight backpacks) in the room.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Regarding the inability to check bags on the Lake Shore Limited beyond Albany (for Boston passengers), should I consider checking to Albany and retrieving those bags there for that final leg? Is there time to get them and return to the room? We hate having bags (other than our overnight backpacks) in the room.

How many bags do you have? Roomettes have a cubby over the hallway and in the new Viewliner (4812 as I recall) an airline carryon size bag fits nicely under the step where the toilet used to be.

 

[Shanson]

How many bags do you have? Roomettes have a cubby over the hallway and in the new Viewliner (4812 as I recall) an airline carryon size bag fits nicely under the step where the toilet used to be.

We are in a bedroom. We have two bags which meet airline overhead dimensions (meaning they aren't real big) and two backpacks which are smaller "personal item" size.

Really would prefer the two larger bags be transfered in CHI rather than move them ourselves from the Eagle to the LSL when we reach Chicago.

 

[trimetbusfan]

How many bags do you have? Roomettes have a cubby over the hallway and in the new Viewliner (4812 as I recall) an airline carryon size bag fits nicely under the step where the toilet used to be.

The Boston section is a VI

 

[MARC Rider]

We are in a bedroom. We have two bags which meet airline overhead dimensions (meaning they aren't real big) and two backpacks which are smaller "personal item" size.

Really would prefer the two larger bags be transfered in CHI rather than move them ourselves from the Eagle to the LSL when we reach Chicago.

There's always the option of getting a redcap to help you with the bags in Chicago.

 

[joelkfla]

There's always the option of getting a redcap to help you with the bags in Chicago.

Or trying to get a redcap to help. Even though I had an assistance request, last time I went to NYP they were all on their way out with other passengers' bags by the time I got off the train. Fortunately, I was able to flag one down who agreed to piggy-back me with another party, but only as far as wasn't out of his way.

Boarding at WAS, I was escorted to the elevator by some guy in a shirt & tie with a radio, and then left to struggle on my own.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

The Boston section is a VI

Oops, forgot that.

 

[Rasputin]

Regarding the inability to check bags on the Lake Shore Limited beyond Albany (for Boston passengers), should I consider checking to Albany and retrieving thosvae bags there for that final leg? Is there time to get them and return to the room? We hate having bags (other than our overnight backpacks) in the room.

Welcome to the Boston section of the Lake Shore.

On my most recent Boston sleeping car trips (after the Boston baggage car was removed), the Boston sleeping car attendant would stack excess passenger luggage in a vacant roomette or if none was available, then in the shower entry. Or they would take excess luggage to the cafe/business car and store the luggage in the space behind the business car seating. These methods seemed to work reasonably well unless someone needed access to their luggage when it was at the bottom of the pile or if someone wanted to take a shower.

Now that the business class/cafe has been replaced (if I understand correctly) I assume the practice of storing luggage in the cafe car is no longer an option.

An update from someone who has recently travelled in the Boston sleeper would be appreciated.

 

[jis]

MODERATOR'S NOTE: Discussion of the effect of the potential rail strike has a thread dedicated to it at:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/the-effect-of-the-potential-rail-strike-on-amtrak.83129/
Please continue the discussion of strike related cancellations on that thread and leave this thread for discussing general staffing and equipment related long term cancellations and restorations

Thank you for your understanding, cooperation and participation.

 

[thully]

It seems that Wolverine train 350 and 355, scheduled to resume on Monday, October 24th, have been canceled according to Arrow. They are still showing as available on Tuesday, October 25th and beyond. Either they just need one extra day to resume service or they’re in the process of cancelling more trains…

 

[thully]

Today’s expected resumption of 350 and 355 (pushed back from yesterday last week) was cancelled with only a few hours notice to those boarding 350 in CHI. No details as to why this happened - wondering if the staff/equipment needed for the resumption was not available in time. If I was booked on tomorrow’s 350 or 355, I’d definitely be a bit worried they’d do the same to me…

 

[Rasputin]

Today’s expected resumption of 350 and 355 (pushed back from yesterday last week) was cancelled with only a few hours notice to those boarding 350 in CHI. No details as to why this happened - wondering if the staff/equipment needed for the resumption was not available in time. If I was booked on tomorrow’s 350 or 355, I’d definitely be a bit worried they’d do the same to me…

The way this outfit operates you would think that operating passenger trains was a side business.

 

[rs9]

The way this outfit operates you would think that operating passenger trains was a side business.

While there might be a good reason to explain what happened, what I do find odd about Amtrak's operations regarding cancellations/delays is that it seems like Amtrak's executive leadership is staffed by former airline folks.

If the airlines have improved anything over the past decade, it's their proactive behavior and communication regarding delays and cancellations.

My personal experience with Amtrak cancellations has been "you'll find out about it when you find out about it."

 

[thully]

They are at least providing alternative transportation for 355 - figure 350 passengers probably could be accommodated on 352 and/or 354 (though I hope you weren’t planning something this afternoon in Michigan), though 355 passengers don’t really have another option unless they wanted to leave much earlier.

 

[thully]

350 (and presumably 355 this evening) is back today for the first time in over a month. Curious if this is running with Venture cars - may head down to the Ann Arbor station tonight to see what’s on 355.

 

[TheMalahat]

I apologize as this has probably been discussed and I missed it. But how are there equipment shortages? Firstly, where did the equipment go? With reduced ridership on many parts of Amtrak I would have expected a surplus. Obviously I'm wrong about that. And a few weeks ago I saw lines of new Venture cars. Realizing there are no cafe cars or whatever they're going to be called, there's still a lot of new equipment.

It's just hard to understand as someone who hasn't watched this very closely!

 

[BlackDiamond]

I apologize as this has probably been discussed and I missed it. But how are there equipment shortages? Firstly, where did the equipment go? With reduced ridership on many parts of Amtrak I would have expected a surplus. Obviously I'm wrong about that. And a few weeks ago I saw lines of new Venture cars. Realizing there are no cafe cars or whatever they're going to be called, there's still a lot of new equipment.

It's just hard to understand as someone who hasn't watched this very closely!

Briefly, when the pandemic hit they laid off a lot of people including many of the skilled maintenance people and they have had trouble filling those positions so cars are not getting repaired.

 

[MARC Rider]

Briefly, when the pandemic hit they laid off a lot of people including many of the skilled maintenance people and they have had trouble filling those positions so cars are not getting repaired.

...And all of the equipment, whether it's being used or not, has to undergo regular maintenance. This is not just a good idea, it's required by the law.

 

[jis]

...And all of the equipment, whether it's being used or not, has to undergo regular maintenance. This is not just a good idea, it's required by the law.

Indeed. The biggest problem at present is that cars in perfectly good running order needing just a regulation required inspection are sitting off road because there is not enough staff to carry out those periodic inspections.

 

[demonizedwater]

My question is this - when will weekday Northeast Corridor service from NYC southbound to DC resume after ~8 pm? Up until COVID (if not later), the last frequencies were 9 and 10 pm. Last week, Amtrak was showing 9:05 and 9:10 pm trains from Penn to DC as bookable in the January timetable; now they seem to have vanished again.

8:13pm for the Acela and 7:40pm for the Regional are very early if you have any kind of job that requires work past 6pm or so. Prior to COVID, the 9pm and 10pm Regional services were pretty packed, so there should be a market for service running a bit later (if not all the way until 10pm). Saturdays end at basically 7 pm. The only day with decent hours of operation is Sunday, where service actually runs most of the day, from 2:53am to 11:05pm.

 

[PaulM]

I'm planning a 5 segment trip: Quincy, Galesburg, Denver, Chicago, NY, Tampa departing Nov 19, with 2 nights in the ill-fated 32 car on the California Zephyr. When I received that dreaded robo call from Amtrak, I feared he worst. But it merely notified us that the short QCY-GBB segment would be bustitution.

The only information I could find was an article in the Whig, Quincy's newspaper. It stated "Amtrak is cutting train service to and from Quincy in half through the middle of January, according to an Amtrak spokesman." The morning northbound Illinois Zephyr 380 and morning southbound Carl Sandburg 381 are being cut.

Just in time for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

 

[Brian Battuello]

Looking forward to your trip reports!

 

[Amtrak25]

I don't get what the cut is. Do the inbound Illinois Zephyr and outbound Carl Sandburg trains become Galesburg - Chicago trains or gone completely ?

 

[John Bredin]

I don't get what the cut is. Do the inbound Illinois Zephyr and outbound Carl Sandburg trains become Galesburg - Chicago trains or gone completely ?

I don't get it either. The train that goes Chicago-Quincy in the evening is either (1) still in Quincy in the morning to be the morning Quincy-Chicago train, or (2) being wastefully deadheaded to Chicago after arriving at Quincy around 10pm.

It would make some sense to cut one of the two round-trips, more likely the "reverse" trip to Quincy in the morning and back to Chicago in the evening. Cutting half of each round-trip makes no sense as (unless I'm missing something) it strands a crew, a trainset, or both.

 

[PaulM]

To clarify, the evening Carl Sandburg 382 from Quincy to Chicago and the evening Illinois Zephyr 383 from Chicago to Quincy are still running. I suppose that means 383 will lay over in West Quincy from about 10:30PM until about 5:30PM the next day. And 382 which arrives in Chicago about 10:00PM would spend the night there waiting for another assignment the next morning.

During the height of the pandemic the Carl Sandburg was cut leaving the Illinois Zephyr, a morning departure from Quincy and an evening departure from Chicago. Of the 4 trains, I suspect the latter two were the most heavily patronized.