Lamy Station destaffed again

[Rasputin]

As far as I know you cannot use points to book an Amtrak trip to Santa Fe using the Lamy - Santa Fe shuttle. You can use points to get to or from Lamy but not to or from Santa Fe. On our 2018 trip we purchased LA to Santa Fe Amtrak tickets for the trip on No. 4 which included the shuttle to Santa Fe.

However, after our stopover in Santa Fe the remainder of our trip (Lamy to Boston) was purchased with points but we could not use points to go from Santa Fe to Lamy. We made reservations with the Shuttle separately and had to pay them directly.

However I don't know if that is still possible. The Roadrunner Shuttle site indicates that tickets must be booked through Amtrak and that "The Roadrunner Shuttle only services the Lamy Station on days when Amtrak notifies us of advance reservations."

 

[jebr]

If someone has a carrier other than those three, they may experience issues. That doesn't mean there is "no cell coverage", though.

I'll also add that basically every US cell phone provider partners with at least one of those three to provide coverage. If it's a regional provider like US Cellular, they partner with the other three (at varying degrees of preference) to ensure "nationwide coverage" for their customers. If it's a prepaid company like Mint Mobile or Red Pocket, they'll have an agreement with one (or more) of those companies as well to provide the coverage.

That said, whenever practical Amtrak should offer free wi-fi and some sort of phone connectivity, particularly at unstaffed stations. The phone could be programmed to only allow calls to certain numbers (perhaps Amtrak plus local numbers) or for a reasonable call length limit - I know MSP airport has free phones which have a 10-minute time limit and are open to any local or toll-free calls. Many cell phones also offer wi-fi calling, so simply having wi-fi there would let people call and text in and out as needed.

 

[Rasputin]

I'll also add that basically every US cell phone provider partners with at least one of those three to provide coverage. If it's a regional provider like US Cellular, they partner with the other three (at varying degrees of preference) to ensure "nationwide coverage" for their customers. If it's a prepaid company like Mint Mobile or Red Pocket, they'll have an agreement with one (or more) of those companies as well to provide the coverage.

That said, whenever practical Amtrak should offer free wi-fi and some sort of phone connectivity, particularly at unstaffed stations. The phone could be programmed to only allow calls to certain numbers (perhaps Amtrak plus local numbers) or for a reasonable call length limit - I know MSP airport has free phones which have a 10-minute time limit and are open to any local or toll-free calls. Many cell phones also offer wi-fi calling, so simply having wi-fi there would let people call and text in and out as needed.

I believe the original post (on another list) indicated that there was wi-fi at the station in Lamy but it was password protected so of no use. to passengers.

 

[Lonnie]

I'd recommend that people get off in Lamy if going to Santa Fe but I'd be more hesitant to suggest to people that they leave from there as an unmanned station with few services in the area and intermittant or non-existent cell service is a problem if the departure train is late - especially if significantly late. Better to depart out of ABQ where the station is in walking distance to downtown restaurants and hotels and the Amtrak station is also the RailRunner Station and the central city bus transfer point as well as being a short bus ride to Old Town where one can kill a lot of hours if the train is really late.

I've booked Amtrak's shuttle (provided by Roadrunner) Lamy to Santa Fe and again Santa Fe to Lamy two days later to continue our trip west. Can I assume the shuttle will match the train times even if the train is late either day?

 

[Exvalley]

Can I assume the shuttle will match the train times even if the train is late either day?

That is correct.

 

[Rasputin]

I've booked Amtrak's shuttle (provided by Roadrunner) Lamy to Santa Fe and again Santa Fe to Lamy two days later to continue our trip west. Can I assume the shuttle will match the train times even if the train is late either day?

I am not sure about that and it may be worthwhile to call the Roadrunner Shuttle to confirm how they operate. My understanding is that they do wait at Lamy for a late train so incoming passengers bound for Santa Fe should be fine.

However I am concerned that it may be a different situation with outbound passengers from Santa Fe to Lamy. The practice in the past has been that you are supposed to call the shuttle a day before your departure. They will confirm your reservation and will tell you what time they will pick you up at your hotel. The pick up time in our experience is usually between noon and 1 p.m. I am not sure if the shuttle adjusts their schedule to the train schedule so if your train is running late the shuttle may still pick you up at the normal time and transport you to Lamy where you might have a long wait for your train.

Hopefully others have experience with how the shuttle operates when there is a late train.

 

[Rasputin]

Here is an update on Lamy station from late March. Maybe someone who has been to the station recently can post a further update:

Amtrak struggles to staff Lamy depot; Sky Railway steps up | Local News | santafenewmexican.com

 

[Palmland]

I’m not sure what the current staffing is at Lamy, but this is a positive sign. This from a newsletter by Alan Affeldt, the force behind the restoration of LaPosada in Winslow, La Castenada and Plaza in Las Vegas, NM.

Murphy O'Brien and his wonderful team have decided to reopen the Legal Tender Saloon & Restaurant in Lamy, New Mexico—THIS SUMMER!

The opening date is set for Friday, August 11th from 11:00 am - 5:00 pm, with a possible soft opening the weekend before. Legal Tender will be open three days a week—Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—to coincide with Amtrak and Sky Railway schedules. We met with the Sky Railway team and are excited to work with them on charters and special events, and on the revival of Lamy NM. Follow Legal Tender socials and their website below to keep up!

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Thanks for the info - I'll pass this along to some folks who might want to know. The train between Lamy and Santa Fe seemed to be running daily when I was in the area a few weeks ago.

 

[dlagrua]

We went by Lamy, NM in mid May and the station office and waiting room was open. There is a restaurant and saloon in the small town behind the station. The railroad that runs on the spur to Santa Fe did not look to be running that day (Sunday) but it may have been somewhere along the line. . About a half dozen passengers got on and while that station is not real busy they should have a part time station agent there when people are waiting to board the SW Chief. The town of Lamy has an oldtime Wild West look. Quite a unique place.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

The town of Lamy has an oldtime Wild West look. Quite a unique place.

Indeed...

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/what-is-your-favorite-station.79694/post-916901

 

[Palmland]

Got another newsletter about the Harvey House hotels in Winslow and Las Vegas, NM. It includied this info about Lamy and the Sky railroad. Glad to see the restaurant is back in business and apparently doing well. This excursion sounds fun, especially in ATSF the ‘Acoma’.

Lamy Brunch and Train Ride