Usually take sleeper service on the auto train but won't be able to do that this time for a trip on short notice. Does anyone have any sense of the ridership in coach on the autotrain these days? Specifically, would I be better off in lower level or upper level coach seats in light of whatever social distancing Amtrak is employing right now (trip in next week). Finally, when Amtrak on the website says a train is 25% full, is that based on total number of seats available right now, or total number of seats available during non-pandemic times? Thanks for any information you can provide.
Coach Ridership on Auto Train
- Thread starter egurbi
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Hi. I'll be on the Auto Train in a few days and can try to walk to coach to get a data point for you. As for the percentage, it is the percentage of the total train so 50% means 50% of the total number of seats (normal times), not just the available seats (pandemic available). So when it shows 50% it means 100% of the available seats which is 50% of the total or every other seat filled ("Sold Out"). Hope that helps.
On the Auto Train you will always be better off on the upper level, just due to the nature of the passengers....ie older, physically challenged, more likely to be seated on lower level of coaches.
I took the Auto Train in October and December. In both instances it was Northbound. At that time of the year I would expect much heavier ridership in the opposite direction. That said, on both trips, coach ridership appeared to be minimal. I could see through many of the windows, and I saw only a handful of passengers. On one one of the trips they announced the number of passengers broken down by sleeper and coach. I don't remember the exact numbers, but I believe it was about 2/3 sleeper and 1/3 coach. YMMV depending on when you are traveling and in which direction.
That sounds pretty reasonable, but also A/T consists are adjusted on a daily basis in Sanford based on the R/t ridership requirements.
Just walked through the coaches. Three coaches total. Each about 40% full. Most passengers without travel companions were using the neighboring seat as well to stretch out to sleep. Seven Sleepers fairly full except for the "A" (and "N") Bedroom(s) and the number 10 Roomettes (and some number 9's). Sleeper Dining Car seating went fairly early (only 1 seating at 7pm) and it took over half of the Sleeper Lounge Car as well. Most meals delivered to the rooms at 5pm and 6pm. I received at 5pm time as I usually prefer to arrive as close to 2:30pm as possible so I usually just get what is left. Coach Cross Country Café (for Coach) was empty when I checked around 8pm except for the crew. Sleeper lounge was full (every other table). All the breakfast boxes (crumb cake and two bananas) are all stacked up over three tables and prepared for the morning. Announcement said we had 233 passengers and 103 vehicles plus 30 priority.
Currently stopped just south of Savannah due to a switch issue. Conductor manually lined the routing but the Dispatcher doesn't have good correspondence. Waiting for a switch maintainer. Estimate was 1-2 hours unless they can resolve the communication issue.
Let me know if you have any other questions I may try to answer while on the train. Happy travels.
Currently stopped just south of Savannah due to a switch issue. Conductor manually lined the routing but the Dispatcher doesn't have good correspondence. Waiting for a switch maintainer. Estimate was 1-2 hours unless they can resolve the communication issue.
Let me know if you have any other questions I may try to answer while on the train. Happy travels.
