Best and worst of Amtrak staff on our recent trip

[flitcraft]

I mentioned in Eric and Pat's excellent trip report that we'd done a similar trip recently and I'd be providing a trip report. Well, life has intervened and a full trip report will have to wait, but while things are fresh in my mind I thought I'd comment on the highs and lows we experienced of Amtrak staff on the Lake Shore Limited and the Southwest Chief.

We were two old folks and a 10 year old granddaughter, with a bedroom and roomette on both trains. Our SCA on the LSL was, unfortunately, not a good advertisement for Amtrak service standards. She was AWOL the whole trip, though she did warn us that we needed to have our beds made up at 7 pm if we wanted her help. When I clarified--thinking that she must have meant we needed to contact her by 7 pm, she clarified--"No, that's when I'll make them up!" When I tried to bargain, "How about 8;30?" she replied, "I have a lot of stuff to do. But you can do them yourself if you want to stay up late." Of course, she was nowhere to be found when we went to dinner, so I checked the other roomettes to see if she was around, and did find her on her phone. She reluctantly agreed to make up the beds for us "if I have time." She did, but then failed to turn up to put them back down in the morning, which we did ourselves. Only time I have ever failed to tip a SCA, though she had her hand out for one. And I have to say that I have had great, good, and not-so-good SCAs on previous trips, but she took the cake.

On the Southwest Chief we had one very good staff experience and one not so good one. Let me start with the good: our SCA, Julio, was friendly, hard-working, and stopped by our rooms several times to ask if we needed anything. He was exemplary, on a trip where a lot of people were unhappy, and earned his tip (plus the one we didn't give our LSL SCA!) I told him that I intended to give him an online commendation, and he seemed surprised and grateful. (And I did the day we got back home.) The other staff experience was, frankly, unprecedented in all our trips on Amtrak over the years. We boarded in Chicago and of course, we knew that we needed our ticket scanned as we had an onward train, so we stayed in the room waiting for the ticket to be scanned. And waited. And waited. Naperville, the next stop, came and went with no sign of the conductor. We got our dinner reservation, and still no ticket scan. We heard the announcement for the next station stop after Naperville--and still no sign of a conductor. I went out looking for him, and ran into the assistant conductor. He said he'd get the conductor to come to our room, and I heard him make an announcement over the public intercom telling the conductor to report to Room E on the car to scan our tickets. I was a little surprised this went over the public intercom.

When the conductor arrived, I explained that we'd boarded in Chicago and hadn't had our ticket scanned. He responded by pointing to our granddaughter and telling us that we needed to pay for her ticket. When I showed him our paper ticket, clearly noting that one of our three tickets was a child fare, and it was paid for, he seemed not to be able to read the ticket, having to look at it for a couple of minutes. Finally he acknowledged that we were paid up, and did scan the ticket. He then proceeded to go on a rant about suing Canada for the smoke, though it was hard to understand him, as his speech was slurred. Later on, I was talking to another women in our sleeper who was having difficulty about her connecting train, the Coast Starlight. I asked her if it was on the same ticket as the SWC, and it was, and I also asked whether her ticket on the Chief had been scanned. It hadn't been. Luckily, Julio was around and offered to get the conductor to help her. I wonder if anyone in our car got scanned... At best, the conductor screwed up at least two sleeping rooms by not scanning our tickets. At worst, he may have missed more. And either he was having some medical issues which made him unable to read our paper ticket correctly and slurring his speech, or substances were involved. I have never seen this before, and it made me wonder whether the call by the assistant conductor over the regular intercom was an indication that this was not a one-off...

 

[zephyr17]

Not scanning is inexcusable. I would have tracked the conductor down, too. I would not have waited for the AC to find the conductor, I would have continued the hunt myself. I have experienced the consequences of not having a ticket scanned and am very proactive about it now. I don't accept that the attendant told the conductor everyone manifested for the sleeper was onboard, I will chase the conductor down if told that.

Also, I find it strange that the AC was unable to scan your ticket. AC's carry the iPhone based device as well as conductors and I have often had my ticket scanned by the AC.

The slurring by the conductor is worrisome, as is the inability to read a boarding pass, they aren't exactly complex. They only have the ability to communicate over the intercom or the road channel if not within earshot of each other. The road channel is recorded, so I don't know if the intercom was used to so as to keep the channel clear for operationally related broadcasts or to avoid having it recorded. However, I will say that over many years of compulsive scanner use when onboard, I've almost never heard a communication over the road channel about a passenger issue, other than something that has operational impacts, like a carry by.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Well, one out of three ain't bad. Wait, yes it is. Sorry about these experiences.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I've had several SCA's with "my way or MIA" attitudes but I am genuinely shocked at your description of the conductor. That does not match my experience at all and it honestly sounds like a potential safety issue, to the point that I would suggest you report your experience to Amtrak so they can hopefully look into it before something horrible happens.

 

[Asher]

I mentioned in Eric and Pat's excellent trip report that we'd done a similar trip recently and I'd be providing a trip report. Well, life has intervened and a full trip report will have to wait, but while things are fresh in my mind I thought I'd comment on the highs and lows we experienced of Amtrak staff on the Lake Shore Limited and the Southwest Chief.

We were two old folks and a 10 year old granddaughter, with a bedroom and roomette on both trains. Our SCA on the LSL was, unfortunately, not a good advertisement for Amtrak service standards. She was AWOL the whole trip, though she did warn us that we needed to have our beds made up at 7 pm if we wanted her help. When I clarified--thinking that she must have meant we needed to contact her by 7 pm, she clarified--"No, that's when I'll make them up!" When I tried to bargain, "How about 8;30?" she replied, "I have a lot of stuff to do. But you can do them yourself if you want to stay up late." Of course, she was nowhere to be found when we went to dinner, so I checked the other roomettes to see if she was around, and did find her on her phone. She reluctantly agreed to make up the beds for us "if I have time." She did, but then failed to turn up to put them back down in the morning, which we did ourselves. Only time I have ever failed to tip a SCA, though she had her hand out for one. And I have to say that I have had great, good, and not-so-good SCAs on previous trips, but she took the cake.

On the Southwest Chief we had one very good staff experience and one not so good one. Let me start with the good: our SCA, Julio, was friendly, hard-working, and stopped by our rooms several times to ask if we needed anything. He was exemplary, on a trip where a lot of people were unhappy, and earned his tip (plus the one we didn't give our LSL SCA!) I told him that I intended to give him an online commendation, and he seemed surprised and grateful. (And I did the day we got back home.) The other staff experience was, frankly, unprecedented in all our trips on Amtrak over the years. We boarded in Chicago and of course, we knew that we needed our ticket scanned as we had an onward train, so we stayed in the room waiting for the ticket to be scanned. And waited. And waited. Naperville, the next stop, came and went with no sign of the conductor. We got our dinner reservation, and still no ticket scan. We heard the announcement for the next station stop after Naperville--and still no sign of a conductor. I went out looking for him, and ran into the assistant conductor. He said he'd get the conductor to come to our room, and I heard him make an announcement over the public intercom telling the conductor to report to Room E on the car to scan our tickets. I was a little surprised this went over the public intercom.

When the conductor arrived, I explained that we'd boarded in Chicago and hadn't had our ticket scanned. He responded by pointing to our granddaughter and telling us that we needed to pay for her ticket. When I showed him our paper ticket, clearly noting that one of our three tickets was a child fare, and it was paid for, he seemed not to be able to read the ticket, having to look at it for a couple of minutes. Finally he acknowledged that we were paid up, and did scan the ticket. He then proceeded to go on a rant about suing Canada for the smoke, though it was hard to understand him, as his speech was slurred. Later on, I was talking to another women in our sleeper who was having difficulty about her connecting train, the Coast Starlight. I asked her if it was on the same ticket as the SWC, and it was, and I also asked whether her ticket on the Chief had been scanned. It hadn't been. Luckily, Julio was around and offered to get the conductor to help her. I wonder if anyone in our car got scanned... At best, the conductor screwed up at least two sleeping rooms by not scanning our tickets. At worst, he may have missed more. And either he was having some medical issues which made him unable to read our paper ticket correctly and slurring his speech, or substances were involved. I have never seen this before, and it made me wonder whether the call by the assistant conductor over the regular intercom was an indication that this was not a one-off...

Did you say he was suing Canada for the stuff he smoked.

 

[zephyr17]

Did you say he was suing Canada for the stuff he smoked.

No need for Canada. Recreational weed is legal and easily purchasable in Illinois itself. Still, of course, illegal for Federally regulated transport workers.

 

[striker71]

I used the cafe on two occasions as I was traveling coach. One morning the female attendant was very helpful as the credit card scanner wasn't working correctly. She was patient and friendly. Next morning I wasn't even greated by male attendant, "want your bagel heated". Told him no, I didn't want to put him out. Not friendly at all.

 

[lsfinn]

Except for the last half of 2020 and all of 2021 we typically ride Superchief Lamy-LAX-Lamy, Coast Starlight LAX-OKJ, Capital Corridor RIC-SAC, and San Jauquin SAC-LAX twice a year. We haven't been scanned on either the SC or the CS since we began riding again in 2022. In fact, we've never seen the conductor at all on either of these routes.

SCAs on the CS have been very uneven. On the most recent CS to LAX the SCA just plained disappeared on us after boarding. When time came for dinner, and then again after dinner, I searched our sleeping car, and the adjoining sleeping car, and could not find any SCA. Eventually went to make up the beds myself: found there were no sheets or blankets. I eventually found some sheets in the adjoining sleeping car with the luggage. No towels in the shower in the AM and none to be found in either sleeping car. Had to put the beds back up in the AM, too.

The SCA was on the platform when we debarked in LA. Didn't help with luggage, but did have hand-out for tip.

I've reported this to Amtrak. Phone is impossible. Letter gets a "we're so sorry" response. Have not yet seen a change in service on the SC. Will be traveling that route twice more this year - Oct and Dec - and will see if things get better.

 

[Jdub]

On several LD trains, I've seen the Conductor maybe once. I've been told that the Conductor is the boss of the train. If I have a problem with something, I should speak with him/her. What should I do if I need to find the Conductor? How is a passenger supposed to contact the Conductor?

I recently read an account of a woman who was menaced by a fellow passenger. She didn't know what to do and had no idea that the Conductor should be her point of contact.

 

[zephyr17]

On several LD trains, I've seen the Conductor maybe once. I've been told that the Conductor is the boss of the train. If I have a problem with something, I should speak with him/her. What should I do if I need to find the Conductor? How is a passenger supposed to contact the Conductor?

I recently read an account of a woman who was menaced by a fellow passenger. She didn't know what to do and had no idea that the Conductor should be her point of contact.

On long distance trains, if they are not walking through the train, they are usually in the dining car. In any case, there are not a lot of places they can be and a walk through the train will usually turn up a conductor or an AC. Also, any crew member can call for the conductor to a car or to the intercom over the PA (the inevitable "conductor to the IC!" announcements).

The Conductor is formally in charge of the train. As a practical matter, they mostly concern themselves with operational and safety matters. If there is a passenger who is disorderly, overly loud, or otherwise out of control, by all means report them to the conductor. The conductor will likely tell them to settle down or be removed. They mean it and have the authority to do it. On many trips of my trips someone has been put off the train into the arms of a local County Mountie.

However, if the issue is with one of the onboard service staff, Conductors generally do not like to become involved and will not intervene. Operating crew members and onboard service crews are in entirely different reporting chains, plus the Conductor will be getting off in a few hours, so they largely don't mess with OBS unless there is an obvious safety related problem, like being drunk on duty. There is no real supervision of the onboard service crew in any practical sense. That is why I like VIA's practice of every train having an empowered Service Manager onboard.

 

[Jdub]

I thought that is the role of the Conductor. My great grandfather was a Conductor on the Boston and Maine RR and he was respected for his position as a manager of a system.

 

[Bembidion]

Except for the last half of 2020 and all of 2021 we typically ride Superchief Lamy-LAX-Lamy, Coast Starlight LAX-OKJ, Capital Corridor RIC-SAC, and San Jauquin SAC-LAX twice a year. We haven't been scanned on either the SC or the CS since we began riding again in 2022. In fact, we've never seen the conductor at all on either of these routes.

SCAs on the CS have been very uneven. On the most recent CS to LAX the SCA just plained disappeared on us after boarding. When time came for dinner, and then again after dinner, I searched our sleeping car, and the adjoining sleeping car, and could not find any SCA. Eventually went to make up the beds myself: found there were no sheets or blankets. I eventually found some sheets in the adjoining sleeping car with the luggage. No towels in the shower in the AM and none to be found in either sleeping car. Had to put the beds back up in the AM, too.

The SCA was on the platform when we debarked in LA. Didn't help with luggage, but did have hand-out for tip.

I've reported this to Amtrak. Phone is impossible. Letter gets a "we're so sorry" response. Have not yet seen a change in service on the SC. Will be traveling that route twice more this year - Oct and Dec - and will see if things get better.

We went from CT to FL round trip last week and on both north and southbound trips all of the staff were fine. Our SCAs were fine and attentive. One even warned us not to lower the upper bed as someone had gotten injured doing it recently, despite being warned themselves. I did an Amtrak survey they sent and commended two particularly excellent staff members.

 

[zephyr17]

I thought that is the role of the Conductor. My great grandfather was a Conductor on the Boston and Maine RR and he was respected for his position as a manager of a system.

Things change.

The formal role hasn't changed much. How it works in practice on Amtrak today has changed from your great grandfather's time on the B&M.

T&E and OBS largely do not interfere with each other. Only in relatively rare, extreme cases do conductors exercise their formal authority over OBS.

 

[wrowland]

Not scanning is inexcusable. I would have tracked the conductor down, too. I would not have waited for the AC to find the conductor, I would have continued the hunt myself. I have experienced the consequences of not having a ticket scanned and am very proactive about it now. I don't accept that the attendant told the conductor everyone manifested for the sleeper was onboard, I will chase the conductor down if told that.

Also, I find it strange that the AC was unable to scan your ticket. AC's carry the iPhone based device as well as conductors and I have often had my ticket scanned by the AC.

The slurring by the conductor is worrisome, as is the inability to read a boarding pass, they aren't exactly complex. They only have the ability to communicate over the intercom or the road channel if not within earshot of each other. The road channel is recorded, so I don't know if the intercom was used to so as to keep the channel clear for operationally related broadcasts or to avoid having it recorded. However, I will say that over many years of compulsive scanner use when onboard, I've almost never heard a communication over the road channel about a passenger issue, other than something that has operational impacts, like a carry by.

This is amazing stuff to me. I am no train expert and will be quite clear, my primary focus when boarding is my wife and our children and getting them all onboard and situated. I had no idea I should try to track down the conductor to get my ticket scanned or it could cause cause significant issues (can you more clearly detail what issues this causes) if they don't scan it themselves. Is this a term or condition somewhere I missed? A casual train traveler will not know this and would just wait to be asked for tickets when they show up. Scary stuff I am learning here.

 

[railiner]

This is amazing stuff to me. I am no train expert and will be quite clear, my primary focus when boarding is my wife and our children and getting them all onboard and situated. I had no idea I should try to track down the conductor to get my ticket scanned or it could cause cause significant issues (can you more clearly detail what issues this causes) if they don't scan it themselves. Is this a term or condition somewhere I missed? A casual train traveler will not know this and would just wait to be asked for tickets when they show up. Scary stuff I am learning here.

Probably the biggest issue that I am aware of, is that if you are not scanned, after a time you will be considered a "no show" and any subsequent connections accommodations as well as any return will be canceled. If that happens, your space may be sold, and you might not be able to get it back.
A minor consequence is not receiving loyalty points in your account...

 

[Bonser]

Probably the biggest issue that I am aware of, is that if you are not scanned, after a time you will be considered a "no show" and any subsequent connections accommodations as well as any return will be canceled. If that happens, your space may be sold, and you might not be able to get it back.
A minor consequence is not receiving loyalty points in your account...

I travel cross country twice yearly (transferring in Chicago) and am very rarely scanned by a conductor or, for that matter, anyone else. I've never had an issue when I transfer trains.

 

[jis]

I travel cross country twice yearly (transferring in Chicago) and am very rarely scanned by a conductor or, for that matter, anyone else. I've never had an issue when I transfer trains.

Actually "scanned" does not necessarily involve scanning the ticket. Specially in Sleepers, often the SCA simply reports that you have boarded and occupied your accommodation to the Conductor, and the Conductor marks you "scanned". Sometimes when the CA checks you off while boarding on his list, the same thing may happen.

 

[Bonser]

Actually "scanned" does not necessarily involve scanning the ticket. Specially in Sleepers, often the SCA simply reports that you have boarded and occupied your accommodation to the conductor, and the conductor marks you "scanned". Sometimes when the CA checks you off while boarding on his list, the same thing may happen.

How would I know this was in fact done? Could I be surprised when boarding a train in Chicago and be told that I was cancelled as a no show because, unbeknownst to me, I wasn't checked off on my previous train?

 

[jis]

How would I know this was in fact done? Could I be surprised when boarding a train in Chicago and be told that I was cancelled as a no show because, unbeknownst to me, I wasn't checked off on my previous train?

Asking the Conductor is the ultimate guaranteed way to know. Usually they can be found in the Cafe Car. It is perfectly acceptable to ask to have your ticket scanned as no one has done so so far.

Yes, you could be surprised to find that your itinerary has been canceled because of "no show", because the Conductor did not mark your ticket picked on a previous segment. I always check with the SCA and/or the Conductor when I have one or more subsequent segments on the itinerary.

Oddly enough the opposite has happened too, specially on crowded trains, where the Conductor might just do a mass sweep scan (they can record the entire train scanned as in the manifest), marking all of the manifest scanned. I have had my ticket scanned even when I had to cancel my travel, but did not take the trouble to cancel the ticket since I was not going to get any refund anyway. To my surprise the ticket was scanned and I got the AGR points even though I was nowhere near the train.

 

[wrowland]

Probably the biggest issue that I am aware of, is that if you are not scanned, after a time you will be considered a "no show" and any subsequent connections accommodations as well as any return will be canceled. If that happens, your space may be sold, and you might not be able to get it back.
A minor consequence is not receiving loyalty points in your account...

I am glad I asked. Most of my travel has been sleepers and I don't believe we were scanned. When in coach we've definitely been scanned. I will be diligent going forward as we have a few trips booked coming up!

 

[jis]

I am glad I asked. Most of my travel has been sleepers and I don't believe we were scanned. When in coach we've definitely been scanned. I will be diligent going forward as we have a few trips booked coming up!

In Sleeper you can ask the SCA whether your presence has been recorded by the Conductor. In many cases the SCA reports all boardings to the Conductor and they record them scanned.

But better to go to the source and ask the Conductor or the Assistant Conductor, since they are the only ones capable of lifting a ticket.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I travel cross country twice yearly (transferring in Chicago) and am very rarely scanned by a conductor or, for that matter, anyone else. I've never had an issue when I transfer trains.

Don't press your luck, it can happen any time!

 

[zephyr17]

I travel cross country twice yearly (transferring in Chicago) and am very rarely scanned by a conductor or, for that matter, anyone else. I've never had an issue when I transfer trains.

You're lucky then.

If you are not checked in as being onboard by scanning, or otherwise being ticked off electronically on the manifest by the conductor, Amtrak's systems will automatically class you as a "no show" and cancel all remaining segments on that reservation.

I know, it has happened to me. My return was cancelled on a trip. Happily the ultimate result was just the loss of a Business Class seat, so it was a cheap lesson. I don't need a second one having more severe impacts.

No one but the conductors have the iPhone based devices. SCAs can and do report that everyone manifested is present to the conductor and they can check everyone off, but this puts in a middleman and the SCA cannot know for sure, he doesn't carry or use that special iPhone. So if not scanned, I check with the source now. On an expensive, complicated multiple segment trip the consequences of not being scanned/checked in are too severe not to be certain, so now I will always verify if my ticket is not personally scanned by a conductor or AC.

Reports are the grace period for scanning/getting checked in is 2 hours or 2 station stops, whichever is longer, on the LDs.

 

[Trollopian]

The Conductor is formally in charge of the train. As a practical matter, they mostly concern themselves with operational and safety matters. If there is a passenger who is disorderly, overly loud, or otherwise out of control, by all means report them to the conductor. The conductor will likely tell them to settle down or be removed. They mean it and have the authority to do it. On many trips of my trips someone has been put off the train into the arms of a local County Mountie.

What exciting trips you take, Zephyr17 !

 

[zephyr17]

In Sleeper you can ask the SCA whether your presence has been recorded by the Conductor. In many cases the SCA reports all boardings to the Conductor and they record them scanned.

The SCA knows what they themselves did in reporting, not what the conductor did. The conductor could get busy and forget to complete the check in. People are fallible. That is why now I verify with the conductor themselves. Only they have the devices and only they can tell for sure.