Amtrak potential service reduction due to staff shortage

[niemi24s]

Was told yesterday direct from the top that Coast Starlight and Zephyr going triweekly starting the week after Thanksgiving until at least March.

Both the CS and CZ are currently bookable every day of the first weeks of December and February, so you'd better get hold of "the top" and tell 'em to get off their butts and make the changes in Arrow before too many more worthless reservations get made!

 

[CACharger262]

Do you know which three days 14 and 6 will be running? I have reservations on both (as part of a large cross country circle trip) the week after Thanksgiving.

Same days as it ran during the height of the pandemic

 

[CACharger262]

Both the CS and CZ are currently bookable every day of the first weeks of December and February, so you'd better get hold of "the top" and tell 'em to get off their butts and make the changes in Arrow before too many more worthless reservations get made!

Alas I am merely one of the boots on the ground and have no control over anything. Members on this site have shared valuable information so I thought I would do the same.

Optimistic me hopes that more vaccine numbers roll in the next several weeks and the "top" decides not to go through with this and passengers are none the wiser.

Pessimistic me guesses that the "top" waits until the very last minute to tell passengers and make changes in Arrow and everything turns into a circus.

 

[pennyk]

Same days as it ran during the height of the pandemic

Since I live in Florida and did not travel during that period, I do not know what days those trains ran during the height of the pandemic. Anyone remember? Thanks.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Same days as it ran during the height of the pandemic

Well, that is certainly helpful for those of us who don't remember what days the trains ran on during the height of the pandemic.

 

[jebr]

I wish you could speak frankly since I would like to know more about what is going on from the inside. I agree the antivax narrative struggles to explain this many delays and cancellations on its own but some factors like paused separation for exception requests did seem to line up.

From what I've read, the call-out rates for the days where issues were occurring weren't abnormally high. I don't remember as many details about the AA cancellations, but I know with the Southwest/WN ones both the union and the company were saying that call-out rates weren't higher than normal. If there was a major action happening, I would think that we'd see that number go up, and it'd be used as a semi-official talking point, either by the company as a way to deflect blame, or by the union to show that they mean business.

There might have been a few that called out over the mandate those weekends, but everything points to more fundamental issues, particularly very tight staffing and trying to run 90ish% of the 2019 schedule with 75ish% of the 2019 staffing numbers (I don't recall exact percentages, but the general proportion is correct from my understanding.) When staffing is that tight, minor delays can quickly cascade into catastrophic failures. Add in overworked staff who may not be as willing to pick up an extra shift to help get things back to normal (particularly over Halloween weekend when many have other plans) and it's harder to pick up the pieces and get things back to normal.

Note: I don't have any inside knowledge so all of this is just what I've read/heard.

 

[PRR 60]

Well, that is certainly helpful for those of us who don't remember what days the trains ran on during the height of the pandemic.

The prior tri-weekly schedule from Trains, 8/13/20:

Amtrak sets schedules for triweekly long-distance operation - Trains

 

[Seaboard92]

From what I've read, the call-out rates for the days where issues were occurring weren't abnormally high. I don't remember as many details about the AA cancellations, but I know with the Southwest/WN ones both the union and the company were saying that call-out rates weren't higher than normal. If there was a major action happening, I would think that we'd see that number go up, and it'd be used as a semi-official talking point, either by the company as a way to deflect blame, or by the union to show that they mean business.

There might have been a few that called out over the mandate those weekends, but everything points to more fundamental issues, particularly very tight staffing and trying to run 90ish% of the 2019 schedule with 75ish% of the 2019 staffing numbers (I don't recall exact percentages, but the general proportion is correct from my understanding.) When staffing is that tight, minor delays can quickly cascade into catastrophic failures. Add in overworked staff who may not be as willing to pick up an extra shift to help get things back to normal (particularly over Halloween weekend when many have other plans) and it's harder to pick up the pieces and get things back to normal.

Note: I don't have any inside knowledge so all of this is just what I've read/heard.

That is very accurate. Of course there are some other things too. I know a lot of my comrades called out sick on Halloween because they wanted to go to Halloween parties and my opinion on that is they need to grow up and be adults. You have a job and thousands of people a day rely on you to show up. So you should show up and do your job. And if you don't like that please quit especially if you are above me in seniority. I delayed a flight that day because they wanted me to do a turn that departed at the same time I landed on the other side of the airport. But I was at least willing to work it.

 

[pennyk]

The prior tri-weekly schedule from Trains, 8/13/20:

Amtrak sets schedules for triweekly long-distance operation - Trains

Thanks for the link. Hopefully, the change to triweekly does not start the week after Thanksgiving using the same days as the prior schedule. If so, my upcoming early December trip is seriously at risk.

 

[McIntyre2K7]

That is very accurate. Of course there are some other things too. I know a lot of my comrades called out sick on Halloween because they wanted to go to Halloween parties and my opinion on that is they need to grow up and be adults. You have a job and thousands of people a day rely on you to show up. So you should show up and do your job. And if you don't like that please quit especially if you are above me in seniority. I delayed a flight that day because they wanted me to do a turn that departed at the same time I landed on the other side of the airport. But I was at least willing to work it.

If we can make Thanksgiving the last Thursday in November then we can make Halloween the last Friday in October. Trick or Treating on a Sunday or even throwing a Halloween party on a Sunday seems weird.

 

[me_little_me]

If we can make Thanksgiving the last Thursday in November then we can make Halloween the last Friday in October. Trick or Treating on a Sunday or even throwing a Halloween party on a Sunday seems weird.

Halloween is not a holiday. Once, like Christmas and Easter, it had a religious meaning and so meant something to those who wanted to observe it for that purpose. For many in Mexico and of Mexican heritage, it is still celebrated for its religious meaning. But for others in this country not from Mexico or of Mexican culture, that's rarely the case. Other holidays were moved to insure that workers got a day off and were not cheated out of the day when the holiday fell on a Sunday.
Halloween was once called All Hallows Eve because it was the evening before All Saints Day which was a special religious day, especially to Catholics. I remember those days. Now, any resemblance to religion is purely coincidental, it seems, an any originally religious holy day.

 

[Cal]

Well, that is certainly helpful for those of us who don't remember what days the trains ran on during the height of the pandemic.

You should check the amazing Amtrak Timetable Archives - Home

 

[Triley]

Was told yesterday direct from the top that Coast Starlight and Zephyr going triweekly starting the week after Thanksgiving until at least March. Longer trains will be ran to accommodate passengers with changed reservations

That’s really interesting….because a few weeks back that the potential plan was 4x weekly for the Starlight…and nothing has been introduced internally yet. No updates to the consist plans or train schedules either.

In a previous post you said you work in the PNW, but you’re in contact with people directly at the top about what’s going on reading the Starlight and Zephyr?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

You should check the amazing Amtrak Timetable Archives - Home

Why should I have to look it up when the poster obviously already know the days? Why didn’t s/he provide the days in his/her post?

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

It would be unconscionable to change the holiday schedule this close in, people will start heading to see family in 4 weeks or so. If they can’t do the current schedule or have grave concerns about it they need to announce it now. Ive already looked at airline back ups for our trip on 12/23 and they are insanely priced. We’re semi flexible at least.

 

[Cal]

Why should I have to look it up when the poster obviously already know the days? Why didn’t s/he provide the days in his/her post?

Just providing a resource so you can get the information we all want.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Just providing a resource so you can get the information we all want.

If the poster had bothered to tell us … I have doubts about his claim to know anything … we wouldn’t need your resource.
I don’t have any LD plans for at least 7 months, so I don’t have a need to know.

 

[jis]

Alas I am merely one of the boots on the ground and have no control over anything. Members on this site have shared valuable information so I thought I would do the same.

Optimistic me hopes that more vaccine numbers roll in the next several weeks and the "top" decides not to go through with this and passengers are none the wiser.

Pessimistic me guesses that the "top" waits until the very last minute to tell passengers and make changes in Arrow and everything turns into a circus.

Could you at least give us a hint about which "top" you are talking to? As it stands your statement here sounds like a rumor mill kinda thing with reference to some alleged but unknown "top" I am sorry to say.

 

[niemi24s]

CZ's still bookable the whole first weeks in December and February, so I'm calling BS on CACharger262!

 

[TheTuck]

CZ's still bookable the whole first weeks in December and February, so I'm calling BS on CACharger262!

As a front line employee, I can confirm its not BS. Actually its OBS...

Sorry were so vague but until plans are confirmed publicly, we can face discipline if we reveal too much. And there are other employees on here that would rat us out if we say too much.

 

[pennyk]

As a front line employee, I can confirm its not BS. Actually its OBS...

Sorry were so vague but until plans are confirmed publicly, we can face discipline if we reveal too much. And there are other employees on here that would rat us out if we say too much.

I can honestly say that, as someone who has reservations the week after Thanksgiving, this information is causing me great angst. Because I cannot confirm any of the information or determine the source (other than from the "top"), I am unable to do anything other than get stressed out and lose sleep trying to figure out alternatives.

 

[Ziv]

I am not sure which part of this could be the worst aspect. That Amtrak is going to spring a large reduction in service prior to the holidays or that they are going to reduce service and are silly enough to try to keep it secret for as long as possible, leaving it to a handful of employees to leak the bad news.
I truly hope that this reduction in service won't happen because it is such a huge own goal, and one that is so painfully ill-timed.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

I can honestly say that, as someone who has reservations the week after Thanksgiving, this information is causing me great angst. Because I cannot confirm any of the information or determine the source (other than from the "top"), I am unable to do anything other than get stressed out and lose sleep trying to figure out alternatives.

I also have a trip planned and it is definitely very difficult to make adjustments at this point. It seems certain that the cuts are going to happen, but we still don't know how severe they will be in terms of the routes impacted or much each route be reduced.

 

[MikefromCrete]

It seems like everyone is going nuts over some post from a person with only 19 previous posts who claims to have information from "the top." Unless this person is related to Flynn or Gardner, then I doubt their connection to "the top." Everyone should calm down until we actually hear something official. If Amtrak had serious plans to reduce LD service they wouldn't continue to accept reservations.

 

[me_little_me]

I am not sure which part of this could be the worst aspect. That Amtrak is going to spring a large reduction in service prior to the holidays or that they are going to reduce service and are silly enough to try to keep it secret for as long as possible, leaving it to a handful of employees to leak the bad news.
I truly hope that this reduction in service won't happen because it is such a huge own goal, and one that is so painfully ill-timed.

The worst would be that Amtrak executives once again make themselves out to be the biggest idiots in customer service. So hopefully, it is just a rumor and Amtrak has this wonderful plan to provide maximum customer satisfaction and not continue to be the Grinch they have shown themselves to be.

Anyone offering odds?