Auto Train Cuts

[Allypet]

Thank you FormerOBS for your insightful posts. I myself took the AT 6 times last year alone so I understand what the issues are. One of the things I see is the lounge car is there to make money. By making it inconvenient to sleeper car passengers they are actually hurting income in the long run. Some people would still be nothing but overjoyed if Amtrak reduced LD service to a red Radio Flyer wagon tied behind a bicycle, however their numbers won't be able to sustain Amtrak. Amtrak has to attract all types of riders, not just foamers, to become even remotely profitable.

 

[jis]

As for the "18 hour" schedule, it's possible. The current schedule calls for a 17-1/2 hour run: 4 PM to 9:30 AM. Actual arrival is often before 8:30, because the train does not have to hold at intermediate stations waiting for "time". CSX operations can make it longer or shorter, and potential passengers should never make plans that include a close connection at the destination (such as a cruise with an early afternoon departure).

You're quite correct. A brain fart on my part. :blush:

Some people would still be nothing but overjoyed if Amtrak reduced LD service to a red Radio Flyer wagon tied behind a bicycle, however their numbers won't be able to sustain Amtrak. Amtrak has to attract all types of riders, not just foamers, to become even remotely profitable.

So just to set ourselves a baseline, what percentage of Amtrak ridership do you suppose is "foamres"? Use whatever definition of "foamer" suits you. Just let us know what the definition is. Oh you were merely using it as a rhetorical device? That's OK then.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

You, Jishnu, are a foamer.

 

[FormerOBS]

I don't think Allypet's shorthand description was intended as a slight to anybody. It's hard to define Foamers. I can tell you that the Auto train has only a few true railfan or AU types among its regular ridership. My completely unscientific assessment is that there are probably not many more of those on the A-Train than you would find in the general population. Many passengers --- perhaps most --- are almost completely in the dark about the way railroads operate. But our repeat riders keep coming back; our first-time riders tend to enjoy the experience; and we have many first-timers who vow that they will be back. That's the nature of the train, the quality of the onboard service, the route, the schedule, and the demographics. I can say with some degree of pride that the onboard service crews are still doing the best they can manage with diminished resources, and I hope recent service "compromises" won't hurt our train's reputation too badly. I still believe in it and am proud to have been a part of it for well over twenty years, including its very best years.

 

[Allypet]

I consider myself a foamer. I love trains. I commute everyday on trains. I take them whenever I can. I do however have a keen sense of value. When I can get better value and service driving to Florida instead of taking the AT, I'll do it, because I also have a responsibility to my family that takes precedence over my love of train rides. If I can be "service cut" enough to give up the AT, then the average uninformed consumer really have been given no reason to make a repeat trip.

 

[Dovecote]

I don't think Allypet's shorthand description was intended as a slight to anybody. It's hard to define Foamers. I can tell you that the Auto train has only a few true railfan or AU types among its regular ridership. My completely unscientific assessment is that there are probably not many more of those on the A-Train than you would find in the general population. Many passengers --- perhaps most --- are almost completely in the dark about the way railroads operate. But our repeat riders keep coming back; our first-time riders tend to enjoy the experience; and we have many first-timers who vow that they will be back. That's the nature of the train, the quality of the onboard service, the route, the schedule, and the demographics. I can say with some degree of pride that the onboard service crews are still doing the best they can manage with diminished resources, and I hope recent service "compromises" won't hurt our train's reputation too badly. I still believe in it and am proud to have been a part of it for well over twenty years, including its very best years.

I was a frequent rider on the AT from 2009-2013. During that time the onboard service was stellar. I am sure our paths crossed a time or two. Thank you for your service on the Auto Train and the informative posts on AU.

 

[neroden]

I wish there were some way to communicate my idea of energy-efficient retrofits to someone in charge at Amtrak.

Amtrak has generally not bothered with energy-efficiency retrofits except when it's already rebuilding cars for some other reason; and this makes sense given that fuel is a relatively small cost compared to staffing. However, in the specific case of the Auto Train, the claim is that limitations on HEP are preventing it from being made longer. Adding a coach seems to be worth $1.7 million in revenue per *month* judging by April 2013 vs. 2014 (although this is probably an overestimate due to the date of Easter).

Therefore, if retrofitting the cars on the Auto Train for greater energy efficiency would allow for a longer train, it would pay for itself remarkably quickly. Quite possibly within the first two *months*. I'm going to wildly guess $30,000 per car for the retrofits (you aren't replacing everything, just lighting and parts of the HVAC). Call me optimistic, but I bet you could add three cars to the train by reducing the HEP load per car: make it the lounge for sleeper passengers, another sleeper, and yet another coach.

 

[Bob Dylan]

How dare you try to tell Amtrak Management something that makes sense and that would enhance their "Green" Image as well as enhance revenue??!!

The NIH (Not Invented Here!_) mindset is very strong in WAS and your idea is being sent to the appropriate department for study! (ie the circular file!)

 

[FormerOBS]

L.E.D. lighting has recently been installed in at least one Auto Train lounge, and there are plans to refit additional cars. I don't know whether the project will include other mods, & I don't know how many cars are to be modified.

My last trip was memorable. I got a lot of good wishes from a lot of long-time passengers and crew members. I was the beneficiary of countless hugs & kisses from other guys' wives, as well as handshakes from their approving husbands. Not everybody can have that experience and live to tell about it!

Dovecote, I don't know who you are, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'd recognize your face. That's the way Auto Train has always been. May it always be so!

 

[I always rode the Southern]

L.E.D. lighting has recently been installed in at least one Auto Train lounge, and there are plans to refit additional cars. I don't know whether the project will include other mods, & I don't know how many cars are to be modified.

My last trip was memorable. I got a lot of good wishes from a lot of long-time passengers and crew members. I was the beneficiary of countless hugs & kisses from other guys' wives, as well as handshakes from their approving husbands. Not everybody can have that experience and live to tell about it!

Dovecote, I don't know who you are, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'd recognize your face. That's the way Auto Train has always been. May it always be so!

I too am a long time and frequent auto train rider. The chances are, I have probably had some interaction with you,and I'm sure it was a very positive one as all the OBS crews have been great to outstanding on our trips. Thank you!

 

[Dovecote]

L.E.D. lighting has recently been installed in at least one Auto Train lounge, and there are plans to refit additional cars. I don't know whether the project will include other mods, & I don't know how many cars are to be modified.

My last trip was memorable. I got a lot of good wishes from a lot of long-time passengers and crew members. I was the beneficiary of countless hugs & kisses from other guys' wives, as well as handshakes from their approving husbands. Not everybody can have that experience and live to tell about it!

Dovecote, I don't know who you are, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'd recognize your face. That's the way Auto Train has always been. May it always be so!

I am pretty sure I would recognize you as well riding the AT fifteen times during a four year period. My favorite On Board Chief is John M. Favorite SCA's are Sally, Spencer, and Donnie (sometimes acts as On Board Chief). The Dining Car staff who I don't know by name were always top notch. One gentlemen who always was very personable was an ex Continental Airlines employee.

I hope you are enjoying life after your service on the AT!

 

[ronkstevens]

Dear Mr. Ron

Thank you for your interest in Amtrak.

We appreciate your comments and suggestions regarding Auto Train. The comments we receive from customers helps us to calibrate our services and make adjustments where warranted. Your concerns will be noted for management review, and made a part of our permanent records. Amtrak's Operations staff reviews the comments, opinions and suggestions of our customers and this feedback is taken into consideration for future updates. To address your specific concern, we are presently unable to provide any time frames. However, please be assured that we are constantly working to improve our service.

We thank you again for taking the time to write to us and we look forward to serving you aboard Amtrak.

Sincerely,

Amtrak Customer Relations

 

[yarrow]

Dear Mr. Ron

Thank you for your interest in Amtrak.

We appreciate your comments and suggestions regarding Auto Train. The comments we receive from customers helps us to calibrate our services and make adjustments where warranted. Your concerns will be noted for management review, and made a part of our permanent records. Amtrak's Operations staff reviews the comments, opinions and suggestions of our customers and this feedback is taken into consideration for future updates. To address your specific concern, we are presently unable to provide any time frames. However, please be assured that we are constantly working to improve our service.

We thank you again for taking the time to write to us and we look forward to serving you aboard Amtrak.

Sincerely,

Amtrak Customer Relations

gosh, that's the nicest form letter i've seen since the last one i got from my congressperson

 

[Allypet]

Dear Mr. Ron

Thank you for your interest in Amtrak.

We appreciate your comments and suggestions regarding Auto Train. The comments we receive from customers helps us to calibrate our services and make adjustments where warranted. Your concerns will be noted for management review, and made a part of our permanent records. Amtrak's Operations staff reviews the comments, opinions and suggestions of our customers and this feedback is taken into consideration for future updates. To address your specific concern, we are presently unable to provide any time frames. However, please be assured that we are constantly working to improve our service.

We thank you again for taking the time to write to us and we look forward to serving you aboard Amtrak.

Sincerely,

Amtrak Customer Relations

But at least it's part of the "permanent record"!

 

[rrdude]

I had sent an email to Amtrak concerning my AT trip last month, and listed some of the things that made me feel that it was the worst LD experience I have had. It took one week to get an email reply, stating that my email had been forwarded to someone in customer service, but it may take several weeks until I hear from them, due to a high volume of customer comments.

Amen brother, thee worst. What pisses me off too, is how Amtrak mgmt put the crack AT staff on the front line, under staffed, and having to be the ear that the customers yell into.

 

[rrdude]

L.E.D. lighting has recently been installed in at least one Auto Train lounge, and there are plans to refit additional cars. I don't know whether the project will include other mods, & I don't know how many cars are to be modified.

My last trip was memorable. I got a lot of good wishes from a lot of long-time passengers and crew members. I was the beneficiary of countless hugs & kisses from other guys' wives, as well as handshakes from their approving husbands. Not everybody can have that experience and live to tell about it!

Dovecote, I don't know who you are, but I wouldn't be surprised if I'd recognize your face. That's the way Auto Train has always been. May it always be so!

I am pretty sure I would recognize you as well riding the AT fifteen times during a four year period. My favorite On Board Chief is John M. Favorite SCA's are Sally, Spencer, and Donnie (sometimes acts as On Board Chief). The Dining Car staff who I don't know by name were always top notch. One gentlemen who always was very personable was an ex Continental Airlines employee.

I hope you are enjoying life after your service on the AT!

assume u mean John M, true, best Chief I've met on board.

 

[ronkstevens]

I had sent an email to Amtrak concerning my AT trip last month, and listed some of the things that made me feel that it was the worst LD experience I have had. It took one week to get an email reply, stating that my email had been forwarded to someone in customer service, but it may take several weeks until I hear from them, due to a high volume of customer comments.

Amen brother, thee worst. What pisses me off too, is how Amtrak mgmt put the crack AT staff on the front line, under staffed, and having to be the ear that the customers yell into.

That's why I wrote Amtrak. The poor crew is doing the best with the cutbacks that have been given to them. I'm sure that their morale has to be suffering because of it, and with people taking their frustrations out on them. I wanted to make management aware that the decisions being made are hurting customer service, and the overall product. I guess I will never know how effective I was, but the effort was made.

 

[neroden]

L.E.D. lighting has recently been installed in at least one Auto Train lounge, and there are plans to refit additional cars. I don't know whether the project will include other mods, & I don't know how many cars are to be modified.

Well, at least that's something. Maybe it'll be sufficient to lengthen the train next year. We can hope.

 

[priller]

We were first time Amtrak riders taking the Auto Train SB on 6/13. We had purchased our tickets prior to the cuts being announced and we not happy at all about it. But, being our first trip we ending up being very happy travelers. Maybe because we didn't know what we were missing. Here are some of our observations and comments from seasoned AT travels we talked to on board.

There were 4 seatings for the sleeper dining car: 4:30, 6:00, 7:30, 9:00.

+ There were linen table cloths and real silverware. Flowers on the table.

+ The plastic plates were just fine. Actually, at first glance, they appeared to be china.

+ The service was very good, as was the quality of the food.

+ Beer and wine were for sale by the attendant.

There were 3 seating for the coach dining car: 5:00, 7:00, 9:00.

With the consist being coach-cafe-sleeper diner-sleepers, there were a lot of coach passenger using the sleeper diner for breakfast. A 2 car walk vs a 5 or 6 car walk to the coach diners. There was eventually an announcement requesting that passengers please use the same diner you had dinner in.

We checked out the cafe car around 9:00. It was about half full. Not a very inviting place, so we didn't hang around.

The handful of seasoned passengers we talked to mostly had a common observation:

+ Pretty unhappy about the loss off the sleeper lounge.

+ Could care less about no more wine and cheese reception.

+ No wine on the table wasn't a big deal.

 

[neroden]

Hopefully Amtrak will figure out how to deal with the power supply problem through energy efficiency, and get an extra lounge back on. It does not need to be staffed.

 

[SubwayNut]

Dumb question:

I've never ridden the Auto Train but know from reading consists here that the train has an extra dining car used as a Table Car for the coaches, the kitchen below unstaffed has there been any thought to consolidating dining (and having all three dining cars together) so the overflow from both Coach and Sleepers can use the 'Table Car' to avoid needing four sleeping car diner seatings?

 

[priller]

…. any thought to consolidating dining (and having all three dining cars together) so the overflow from both Coach and Sleepers can use the 'Table Car' to avoid needing four sleeping car diner seatings?

The 4 seatings for the sleeper diner is very new. Even our sleeping car attendant was not aware of it and was very confused when we boarded. Perhaps just an experiment as they continue to fine tune the changes.

Until the changes in March, the coach and sleeper diner menus were different, with the sleeper being more "upscale". For example, the fish entree for coach was cod and for sleepers it was salmon. However, now the menus are the same. So, placing the 3 dining cars together may be an option now. But, somebody much more familiar with the operations and logistics of it would have to comment on it's practically.

 

[user 1215]

I think the problem here is that there wasn't a $2Mil study done first to determine if they can save $100 per year on engery by switching lightbulbs, thus being able to maintain a single HEP.

I think Neroden, rrdude, and jimhudson should team up, write up a study proposal, make a ton of money and watch Amtrak ignore their suggestions.

Sigh.

 

[user 1215]

…. any thought to consolidating dining (and having all three dining cars together) so the overflow from both Coach and Sleepers can use the 'Table Car' to avoid needing four sleeping car diner seatings?

The 4 seatings for the sleeper diner is very new. Even our sleeping car attendant was not aware of it and was very confused when we boarded. Perhaps just an experiment as they continue to fine tune the changes.

Until the changes in March, the coach and sleeper diner menus were different, with the sleeper being more "upscale". For example, the fish entree for coach was cod and for sleepers it was salmon. However, now the menus are the same. So, placing the 3 dining cars together may be an option now. But, somebody much more familiar with the operations and logistics of it would have to comment on it's practically.

That's funny. I just bought cod and salmon at Walmart yesterday and the cod was more expensive.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

When you buy the really crappy overpriced "food" they sell at Walmart, anything can happen.

Try Aldi.