Loss of Checked Baggage Services likely with Airo introduction

[daybeers]

I just realized that in the next couple years, the only services offering checked baggage service northeast of WAS will be the Crescent, Silver Services, and the thrice weekly Cardinal. The Carolinian, Palmetto, and Pennsylvanian will all be replaced with Airo sets, meaning they will lose their baggage car. 65/66/67, the "Night Owl" Regional, hasn't had it for a few years; same for the LSL Boston section. No baggage on the Adirondack, Downeaster, Ethan Allen Express, or Vermonter, which are all being replaced with Airos as well.

The service certainly makes it easier to bring lots of luggage, and until the much improved bike racks on the Airos come online, those too. Many people move on Amtrak due to its generous all-inclusive baggage policy. It's also the only legal way to transport firearms on Amtrak, if you're into that. It frustrates me that Amtrak decided to change the ratio of Viewliner II bag dorms to baggage cars. There are only 10 bag dorms while there are 70 (non-revenue) baggage cars of which I can't imagine any are rolling around more than half full.

I wonder if Amtrak keeps details on how often the baggage car is used and for what purpose. Maybe a FOIA request is in order.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I just realized that in the next couple years, the only services offering checked baggage service northeast of WAS will be the Crescent, Silver Services, and the thrice weekly Cardinal. The Carolinian, Palmetto, and Pennsylvanian will all be replaced with Airo sets, meaning they will lose their baggage car. 65/66/67, the "Night Owl" Regional, hasn't had it for a few years; same for the LSL Boston section. No baggage on the Adirondack, Downeaster, Ethan Allen Express, or Vermonter, which are all being replaced with Airos as well.

The service certainly makes it easier to bring lots of luggage, and until the much improved bike racks on the Airos come online, those too. Many people move on Amtrak due to its generous all-inclusive baggage policy. It's also the only legal way to transport firearms on Amtrak, if you're into that. It frustrates me that Amtrak decided to change the ratio of Viewliner II bag dorms to baggage cars. There are only 10 bag dorms while there are 70 (non-revenue) baggage cars of which I can't imagine any are rolling around more than half full.

I wonder if Amtrak keeps details on how often the baggage car is used and for what purpose. Maybe a FOIA request is in order.

I am sorry does any of these trains currently have check baggage service today?

The Carolinian, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian Adirondack, Downeaster, Ethan Allen Express, Vermonter and Night Owl.

A lot of frustration when thinking/talking about Amtrak.

 

[PVD]

I am sorry does any of these trains currently have check baggage service today?

The Carolinian, Palmetto, Pennsylvanian Adirondack, Downeaster, Ethan Allen Express, Vermonter and Night Owl.

A lot of frustration when thinking/talking about Amtrak.

Pennsylvanian (it was dropped for a while, I think it's back, not sure) and Palmetto, that's it.
(I forgot the Carolinian, and was reminded a few posts down....)

 

[Mailliw]

The new Nightjets (also made by Siemens) have a self-service baggage area in the multipurpose car; something like that might be an option for Amtrak.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

The new Nightjets (also made by Siemens) have a self-service baggage area in the multipurpose car; something like that might be an option for Amtrak.

Yeah the Nightjets have a cable locking system. Have yet to seen a video of anyone using it yet. Might be a extra charge or just unfriendly system.

The big issue is space that is needed. Remove a roomette to have luggage space? Remove a few sets of seats for a luggage rack?

People space or luggage space. Dedicated or ad hoc?

 

[jis]

The big issue is space that is needed. Remove a roomette to have luggage space? Remove a few sets of seats for a luggage rack?

Regional trains do not have Roomettes so that is a non-issue in Airos. They (Siemens and Amtrak) have shown significant luggage storage floor racks in the prototypes of the interior. But those are for passengers to store bags brought on by them and not for checked baggage. Of course it is possible to set aside some space for checked baggage as is done on Brightline sets. But no clear statement this way or that has emanated from Siemens or Amtrak when it comes to Airos.

 

[user 14106]

The Airos also will have a standard coupler on both ends of the train set so connecting a baggage or other type of car to the train set would be theoretically possible if they ran those trains unidirectional with the Charger facing forward. They don’t make it impossible to have baggage but it would defeat the bidirectional capabilities of the train for any route where they added a baggage car as the baggage car would block the cab on the rear end of the train.

 

[jis]

The Airos also will have a standard coupler on both ends of the train set so connecting a baggage or other type of car to the train set would be theoretically possible if they ran those trains unidirectional with the Charger facing forward. They don’t make it impossible to have baggage but it would defeat the bidirectional capabilities of the train as it would block the cab on the rear end of the train.

I doubt they will just couple a random baggage car onto an Airo set. As for checked baggage there are two possibilities:

1. They plan to simply stop having it on regional service, not something that I would endorse personally, but a lot of things I don't endorse happens nonetheless.

2. They could add a "combine" car with part baggage part seating or cafe or something else in the consist of longer distance regional trains. At present there is no indication that they are doing even the bit done in the Brightline trains which do provide checked baggage service.

 

[user 14106]

I’d add however the largest use of checked baggage on the day running trains that have it is for bicycles. If the cars have bicycle storage that may mitigate the issue somewhat. Bikes were the main reason PaDOT added baggage on the Pennsylvanian.

I’ve ridden the Pennsy a few times since they added the baggage. Each time I peeked in the bag car to see the utilization. There were very few regular bags in there even at the busiest parts of the trip but there were quite a few bikes.

 

[daybeers]

Pennsylvanian (it was dropped for a while, I think it's back, not sure) and Palmetto, that's it.

And the Carolinian.

@jis How does Brightline do checked baggage?

 

[jis]

And the Carolinian.

@jis How does Brightline do checked baggage?

I believe they have a small space set aside for checked bags in one car. The amount of checked baggage usually is not that large. All it takes is a couple of floor standing baggage racks. Similar racks were provided in the short lived Atlantic City Expresses that used NJT MLVs for passengers to stow their bags since the MLVs had very little over seat luggage rack space.

 

[JamesWhitcombRiley]

Since April 2021 Amtrak has allowed bikes on the NER. Space is limited and costs $20 each way ($10 in CT/VT). The luggage rack folds down into a bike rack, and you remove the front wheel.

 

[daybeers]

Sometimes it's only $5. But the luggage rack retrofits are not designed well and difficult to use. It's supposed to fit two in each rack, but it doesn't work. You have to take all the luggage out of the rack to use it, and often that means awkwardly asking people to move their bags, or just taking things into your own hands and risking people getting mad at you all while you're blocking the aisle hurtling down the crappy track on ancient Amfleet suspension.

Bikes and public transit fit perfectly together. It's so frustrating when people make it difficult.

 

[JamesWhitcombRiley]

Sometimes it's only $5. But the luggage rack retrofits are not designed well and difficult to use. It's supposed to fit two in each rack, but it doesn't work. You have to take all the luggage out of the rack to use it, and often that means awkwardly asking people to move their bags, or just taking things into your own hands and risking people getting mad at you all while you're blocking the aisle hurtling down the crappy track on ancient Amfleet suspension.

Bikes and public transit fit perfectly together. It's so frustrating when people make it difficult.

The bike can cost more than the ticket. WAS-NYP is as low as $20 in June, from what I'm seeing. I even saw a Palmetto priced at $20 for that run.