Car numbers

[Hytec]

IIRC from my 25 years of riding 19/20, there usually has been one or more employee standing at a vestibule to ask for locating the correct car. I have little tolerance for people who wander aimlessly up and down a platform assuming someone will magically appear to lead them by the hand.

 

[PerRock]

Though I don't think coach pax tickets have car #'s on them.

The crews use them for their loading plans. I don't think they are printed on tickets these days.

It doesn't make that much sense the current way Amtrak does things to put them on the tickets. As different crews do things differently. I've been boarded in coach based off from where my destination is, based off from which ever single door they decide to open and been allowed to choose the car.

In Europe, 'coach' (or 2nd class) passengers have their choice of any 2nd class car on the train; so no need to car number assignments there. Unless you've reserved a specific compartment, then you'll be assigned a car & compartment. In addition to that info being on your ticket, they also usually put your name outside the compartment so you know your in the right one.

peter

 

[PaulM]

IIRC from my 25 years of riding 19/20, there usually has been one or more employee standing at a vestibule to ask for locating the correct car. I have little tolerance for people who wander aimlessly up and down a platform assuming someone will magically appear to lead them by the hand.

This is fine if there is an employee standing at the vestibule and if the passenger can't read.

We are talking Denver here. The OP didn't mention coach or sleeper; but it doesn't matter. Of course sleepers have the car # and room #. Coach and Sleeper passengers now line up on the platform near the station with luggage in all types of weather to have their tickets scanned. Coach passengers are given a boarding pass with the car number. I definitely don't think it is unreasonable to expect some physical indication that matches the car number assigned. If it is considered bad form or impossible to have correct car numbers on the car, they should be duct taped over; there should be a movable sign on the platform indicating the car. Even European stations have Wagenstandanzeiger's that shows the position of each car.

Denver is an odd situation in that the paranoia factor has disappeared with the station reconfiguration. Before, when the train arrived, the conductors would get behind two desks (coach & sleeper), punch tickets, give coach passengers a boarding pass. At some point they would open the ramp to the platform from the tunnel. Before that time a rent-a-cop would keep everyone off the platform. Even if you arrived via Light Rail at the other end of the tunnel and wanted to rest with your luggage on the bench in the tunnel near the ramp to the train while your spouse handled the ticket stuff, the cop would try to move you.

Now, they don't even announce when the train has arrived or is boarding. You have to watch the small, low situated electronic board closely to know when to go outside. I say closely because the estimated arrival time can jump around, and then unexpectedly it's here.

The sign board will tell you the track number; but there are no signs indicating where it is. Experienced riders know to detour left, and make a U-turn around the end of the platform. Then it is easy enough to see the queue and train. But if you take the escalator or elevator down to the tunnel, there is no sign telling you which elevator to take to get back up to the CZ.

Once you get your boarding pass, it is still quite a walk to the train, presumably because the engine has to be spotted at the only place the fuel truck can sit.

In summary, it's almost like Amtrak doesn't exist at Denver Union Station; and I can see why non-AU types expect a little help.

 

[crescent2]

IIRC from my 25 years of riding 19/20, there usually has been one or more employee standing at a vestibule to ask for locating the correct car. I have little tolerance for people who wander aimlessly up and down a platform assuming someone will magically appear to lead them by the hand.

This is fine if there is an employee standing at the vestibule and if the passenger can't read.

We are talking Denver here. The OP didn't mention coach or sleeper; but it doesn't matter. Of course sleepers have the car # and room #. Coach and Sleeper passengers now line up on the platform near the station with luggage in all types of weather to have their tickets scanned. Coach passengers are given a boarding pass with the car number. I definitely don't think it is unreasonable to expect some physical indication that matches the car number assigned. If it is considered bad form or impossible to have correct car numbers on the car, they should be duct taped over; there should be a movable sign on the platform indicating the car. Even European stations have Wagenstandanzeiger's that shows the position of each car.

Denver is an odd situation in that the paranoia factor has disappeared with the station reconfiguration. Before, when the train arrived, the conductors would get behind two desks (coach & sleeper), punch tickets, give coach passengers a boarding pass. At some point they would open the ramp to the platform from the tunnel. Before that time a rent-a-cop would keep everyone off the platform. Even if you arrived via Light Rail at the other end of the tunnel and wanted to rest with your luggage on the bench in the tunnel near the ramp to the train while your spouse handled the ticket stuff, the cop would try to move you.

Now, they don't even announce when the train has arrived or is boarding. You have to watch the small, low situated electronic board closely to know when to go outside. I say closely because the estimated arrival time can jump around, and then unexpectedly it's here.

The sign board will tell you the track number; but there are no signs indicating where it is. Experienced riders know to detour left, and make a U-turn around the end of the platform. Then it is easy enough to see the queue and train. But if you take the escalator or elevator down to the tunnel, there is no sign telling you which elevator to take to get back up to the CZ.

Once you get your boarding pass, it is still quite a walk to the train, presumably because the engine has to be spotted at the only place the fuel truck can sit.

In summary, it's almost like Amtrak doesn't exist at Denver Union Station; and I can see why non-AU types expect a little help.

PaulM, thanks for your post! A friend and I are taking the Zephyr west from DEN later this month. I didn't realize boarding would be other than very simple. :unsure: Please explain about the tunnel, the walk to the train, and any other info you can share. Neither of us has ever been to Denver. Only one Amtrak train there--we had visions of walking out a door, across a platform, and getting on the train. Silly us! :blush: Thanks

 

[Hytec]

IIRC from my 25 years of riding 19/20, there usually has been one or more employee standing at a vestibule to ask for locating the correct car. I have little tolerance for people who wander aimlessly up and down a platform assuming someone will magically appear to lead them by the hand.

This is fine if there is an employee standing at the vestibule and if the passenger can't read.

We are talking Denver here. The OP didn't mention coach or sleeper; but it doesn't matter. Of course sleepers have the car # and room #. Coach and Sleeper passengers now line up on the platform near the station with luggage in all types of weather to have their tickets scanned. Coach passengers are given a boarding pass with the car number. I definitely don't think it is unreasonable to expect some physical indication that matches the car number assigned. If it is considered bad form or impossible to have correct car numbers on the car, they should be duct taped over; there should be a movable sign on the platform indicating the car. Even European stations have Wagenstandanzeiger's that shows the position of each car.

Denver is an odd situation in that the paranoia factor has disappeared with the station reconfiguration. Before, when the train arrived, the conductors would get behind two desks (coach & sleeper), punch tickets, give coach passengers a boarding pass. At some point they would open the ramp to the platform from the tunnel. Before that time a rent-a-cop would keep everyone off the platform. Even if you arrived via Light Rail at the other end of the tunnel and wanted to rest with your luggage on the bench in the tunnel near the ramp to the train while your spouse handled the ticket stuff, the cop would try to move you.

Now, they don't even announce when the train has arrived or is boarding. You have to watch the small, low situated electronic board closely to know when to go outside. I say closely because the estimated arrival time can jump around, and then unexpectedly it's here.

The sign board will tell you the track number; but there are no signs indicating where it is. Experienced riders know to detour left, and make a U-turn around the end of the platform. Then it is easy enough to see the queue and train. But if you take the escalator or elevator down to the tunnel, there is no sign telling you which elevator to take to get back up to the CZ.

Once you get your boarding pass, it is still quite a walk to the train, presumably because the engine has to be spotted at the only place the fuel truck can sit.

In summary, it's almost like Amtrak doesn't exist at Denver Union Station; and I can see why non-AU types expect a little help.

My apologies. I had wrongly assumed that ALL major cities, and most rural areas would have same courtesy towards Amtrak pax as I observed on the Crescent's route. At Slidell, LA (SDL), I usually saw a Coach Attendant, and always an SCA or Conductor at the sleeper end, Of course at WAS, there always were more than enough presence. I'm disappointed to hear that Amtrak does not enforce common courtesy to pax throughout its system.

 

[PaulM]

PaulM, thanks for your post! A friend and I are taking the Zephyr west from DEN later this month. I didn't realize boarding would be other than very simple. :unsure: Please explain about the tunnel, the walk to the train, and any other info you can share. Neither of us has ever been to Denver. Only one Amtrak train there--we had visions of walking out a door, across a platform, and getting on the train. Silly us! :blush: Thanks

There are several tracks that run parallel to the station although as far as I know only #3 for the CZ is in revenue service (the last time I was there two two-car EMU's labeled Fasttraks were practicing coming and going on tracks 1 and 2). Track 1 terminates slightly before the station door (and tunnel), whereas the rest continue on for about 100 yards. There is a tunnel that runs from near the door perpendicular to the tracks, oriented similar to the the old tunnel, and passes several tracks and bus bays, but as far as I know does not continue to the so-called Union Station light rail station, which is another 2 blocks away.

So you have two choices to get to the CZ. Take the escalator or elevator down to the tunnel and take the elevator back up to the CZ's platform. Actually, once I discovered Track 1 terminates before the tunnel, it made selecting he right elevator easier. Or you can turn left when you come out the door, go to the end of the platform, turn right, and then turn right again when you get to CZ's platform.

I'm sure Denverites can correct me if I'm wrong about the details.

 

[PaulM]

I'm disappointed to hear that Amtrak does not enforce common courtesy to pax throughout its system.

I don't think it is a lack of courtesy as much as Amtrak using it's supposed decrepit state as an excuse to let little things slip. After all a few movable signs indicting the car couldn't be that expensive. In fact, with suitable wording, the same sign could be used for both 5 and 6.

It's funny, but usually when someone complains about something like this, it is quickly pointed out that AU is not Amtrak; and their complaint should directed there. But in this case, the consensus seems to be that it's the passenger's fault.

 

[crescent2]

PaulM, thanks for your post! A friend and I are taking the Zephyr west from DEN later this month. I didn't realize boarding would be other than very simple. :unsure: Please explain about the tunnel, the walk to the train, and any other info you can share. Neither of us has ever been to Denver. Only one Amtrak train there--we had visions of walking out a door, across a platform, and getting on the train. Silly us! :blush: Thanks

There are several tracks that run parallel to the station although as far as I know only #3 for the CZ is in revenue service (the last time I was there two two-car EMU's labeled Fasttraks were practicing coming and going on tracks 1 and 2). Track 1 terminates slightly before the station door (and tunnel), whereas the rest continue on for about 100 yards. There is a tunnel that runs from near the door perpendicular to the tracks, oriented similar to the the old tunnel, and passes several tracks and bus bays, but as far as I know does not continue to the so-called Union Station light rail station, which is another 2 blocks away.

So you have two choices to get to the CZ. Take the escalator or elevator down to the tunnel and take the elevator back up to the CZ's platform. Actually, once I discovered Track 1 terminates before the tunnel, it made selecting he right elevator easier. Or you can turn left when you come out the door, go to the end of the platform, turn right, and then turn right again when you get to CZ's platform.

I'm sure Denverites can correct me if I'm wrong about the details.

Thanks, Paul. We didn't know there were different levels. Hopefully when we're there it will make sense.

 

[andersone]

Although slightly off topic, I think some of the walks required to get to the train are absurd. I might as well hike to Yellowstone as get on a sleeper at Salt Lake. After physically passing out walking to the station I asked for a cart ride when departing and was provided same. I was going to walk into the station at Denver but gave that up. And folks wonder why I drive to GBB to go west,,, short stroll from a comfortable waiting room,,,

 

[HenryK]

As an elderly deaf person with a service dog, I've taken to asking for redcaps to carry us to our sleepers at Chicago and L.A. Costs a five-buck tip, but does the job. At intermediate stations I ask the agent where on the platform I should stand. At unstaffed stations I just follow the crowd (if there is any) and if I'm alone I hope for the best—and usually get it. I do seem to be a lot luckier than some folks on this forum.

 

[neroden]

There are several tracks that run parallel to the station although as far as I know only #3 for the CZ is in revenue service (the last time I was there two two-car EMU's labeled Fasttraks were practicing coming and going on tracks 1 and 2).

The rail line to the airport will start operating on tracks 1, 2, and 3 on April 22, 2016.

Track 1 terminates slightly before the station door (and tunnel), whereas the rest continue on for about 100 yards. There is a tunnel that runs from near the door perpendicular to the tracks, oriented similar to the the old tunnel, and passes several tracks and bus bays, but as far as I know does not continue to the so-called Union Station light rail station, which is another 2 blocks away.

It does eventually come out at the light rail station, if you keep walking underground for two blocks past lots and lots of bus bays before going upstairs.

So you have two choices to get to the CZ. Take the escalator or elevator down to the tunnel and take the elevator back up to the CZ's platform. Actually, once I discovered Track 1 terminates before the tunnel, it made selecting he right elevator easier. Or you can turn left when you come out the door, go to the end of the platform, turn right, and then turn right again when you get to CZ's platform.

Yep. The surface route is longer, but probably simpler.

Amtrak is normally on track 4, though it could occassionally be on track 5. (A Superliner train can't stop on any of the other platforms.) I am assuming they haven't renumbered the tracks from the last plan I heard.

 

[NW cannonball]

The one saving grace to the numbers not being changed is the fact that 90% (based on my experience) of the passengers don't look at that number. Instead they walk down the platform studying the numbers stenciled on the side of the car, and keep walking when they find the number doesn't match the one they are looking for.

Just board the train at the nearest open door, if you have a reserved seat or sleeper. (or not)

The on-board staff will figure it out real quick, and direct you.

No worries.