Amtrak Service Standards Manual

[Investroll]

I just stumbled on this gem via a Google search. It is a 299 page service manual that documents lots of interesting things about how Amtrak employees are supposed to handle various situations.

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/...-service-standards-manual-011121-redacted.pdf
I haven't read it all yet, but I suspect there is some interesting stuff in there. Curious about what others find in it.

 

[GAT]

Verrrry interesting! Passengers will now have a guide to measuring the service they receive. I wonder if a manual for Amtrak customer service representatives is also out there.

 

[Ryan]

Several of us have had copies of versions of this for many years. While interesting, there isn’t too much earth shattering in there. Biggest use for me is referring to the allowable room accuracy tables over and over and over again.

 

[me_little_me]

Like Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", it is an old story but is mostly fictitious with some elements of fact about the conditions of life. In fact, I'd say Dickens wrote more factual information than Amtrak did. The only real difference is that Dickens never claimed it was fact.

 

[MARC Rider]

I find it interesting (and reassuring) that the first part of the book focuses on safety and evacuation procedures. It was also interesting to see pictures of how the folding stairs on the Acela are deployed.

 

[denmarks]

I wonder how many other interesting documents are hidden that deep in the website. Every lower directory shows an error so there is no way to search.

 

[Ryan]

Once upon a time, google was able to index and turned up some interesting stuff from which one could guess URLs (bulletin numbers, etc) of other documents. Nothing terribly earth shattering, but an interesting look “behind the curtain”.

 

[neroden]

I am glad that people keep FOIAing this manual every few years. Useful thing to have.

 

[PVD]

I am glad that people keep FOIAing this manual every few years. Useful thing to have.

No longer need to foia, it is in a wide open area of the website, along with other docs and stuff

 

[PVD]

To clarify, on the main page of the website, at the bottom, there s a link called FOIA which will take you to information about Amtrak FOIA procedures and affairs, and it also includes a group of most requested reports and manuals Someone finally figured out it was a waste of time and resources both for the requesting party and Amtrak to deal with constant requests for things that don't exactly contain "state secrets" Some info pertaining to anti terror issues is redacted, but that is to be expected.

 

[Acela150]

The best part is that version of the blue book is outdated by several updates now.

 

[jis]

I have wondered what changes in the Blue Books, since I can seldom see any change in what they actually do on the ground.

 

[denmarks]

Since the one listed is "amtrak-service-standards-manual-011121-redacted" someone with plenty of time could try all dates for the past year. It is part of the URL for the manual. I do not know what "redacted" means in the address but you many have to try with and without it. Good luck.

 

[01piglet_patinas]

Several of us have had copies of versions of this for many years. While interesting, there isn’t too much earth shattering in there. Biggest use for me is referring to the allowable room accuracy tables over and over and over again.

Newest one I could find - Amtrak Service Standards Manual for Train Service and Onboard Service Employees (SSM) – effective 12:01am, February 14, 2022. 2022 Amtrak Service Standards for Train Service & Onboard Service Employees : Amtrak : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

 

[joelkfla]

Newest one I could find - Amtrak Service Standards Manual for Train Service and Onboard Service Employees (SSM) – effective 12:01am, February 14, 2022. 2022 Amtrak Service Standards for Train Service & Onboard Service Employees : Amtrak : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

The current one is always available on Amtrak Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), under "Other Materials".

It seems to be updated every 2 or 3 months. Current version is dated 10/09/23.

 

[01piglet_patinas]

The current one is always available on Amtrak Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), under "Other Materials".

It seems to be updated every 2 or 3 months. Current version is dated 10/09/23.

The link is greatly appreciated. An amazing group of contributors on this blog.

 

[Acela150]

It’s updated every month.

 

[Cal]

It’s updated every month.

Curious, why does it need to be updated monthly? What changes happen? Pretty much the same equipment has been in use for the past few decades, so why do they need to constantly update the way service happens?

 

[Acela150]

It’s just little things that update monthly.