Midwest coach shortage?

[moselman66]

I seem to recall hearing someplace that several coaches from the Midwest were sent out west for use. Anybody have further information, including if this is either temporary or to be relieved as the new SIemens equipment arrives?

The Hiawatha has been reduced from 6 coaches to 4 since COVID, but increasingly trains are selling out around the weekend -- for example three of tomorrow's five MKE-CHI trains are already sold out. Returning from 5x to 7x per day in a couple of weeks will help, but they are still going to sell out peak trains as we get into summer travel peak.

 

[west point]

It is a real crunch that there is so many bad ordered cars.

 

[niemi24s]

How many bad ordered cars are there?

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

This company is imploding. It’s becoming more apparent CoVid has/had very little to do with it. Managements decisions to cut back services/mothball fleets/defer maintenance/offer buyouts/drag feet on hiring all in the face of record bailouts from the government to do exactly the opposite have caused this. The plan was put in motion prior to CoVid during the Anderson/Gardner regime and it hasn’t changed under the surface.

Just think of where Amtrak would be sitting with this windfall if they would have taken the money and used the time with the downturn in ridership to get the house in order. Even in the height of the pandemic the national system was showing glimmers of hope but management continued to plan for cutbacks. For a company that is solely corridor focused they can’t even run the corridors they have. The time for excuses is over. People talk about DeJoy and his issues at USPS, but for those who follow Amtrak, Gardner and the BOD are making a bigger mockery of Joe Biden aka “Amtrak Joe” than DeJoy is.

 

[John Bredin]

This company is imploding. It’s becoming more apparent CoVid has/had very little to do with it. Managements decisions to cut back services/mothball fleets/defer maintenance/offer buyouts/drag feet on hiring all in the face of record bailouts from the government to do exactly the opposite have caused this. The plan was put in motion prior to CoVid during the Anderson/Gardner regime and it hasn’t changed under the surface.

Just think of where Amtrak would be sitting with this windfall if they would have taken the money and used the time with the downturn in ridership to get the house in order. Even in the height of the pandemic the national system was showing glimmers of hope but management continued to plan for cutbacks. For a company that is solely corridor focused they can’t even run the corridors they have. The time for excuses is over. People talk about DeJoy and his issues at USPS, but for those who follow Amtrak, Gardner and the BOD are making a bigger mockery of Joe Biden aka “Amtrak Joe” than DeJoy is.

Please read this.

 

[moselman66]

Both morning MKE-CHI trains sold out today on top of all three of yesterday afternoon trains. Am I correct assume running with 6 coaches requires more staffing than 4, similar to how aircraft in the US need at least 1 flight attendant per 50 seats? Perhaps it's staffing and not coach car availability, or possibly both?

At this point the fullest trains are fairly predictable days/times. Even if they can't operate six coaches on every trip it would help to have certain days / trains with restored capacity. I'm worried that people who use the train only occasionally are learning that it's not the same show-up-and-go option it has traditionally been, and getting stuck when there are no trains available will turn people off.

 

[OBS]

Both morning MKE-CHI trains sold out today on top of all three of yesterday afternoon trains. Am I correct assume running with 6 coaches requires more staffing than 4, similar to how aircraft in the US need at least 1 flight attendant per 50 seats? Perhaps it's staffing and not coach car availability, or possibly both?

At this point the fullest trains are fairly predictable days/times. Even if they can't operate six coaches on every trip it would help to have certain days / trains with restored capacity. I'm worried that people who use the train only occasionally are learning that it's not the same show-up-and-go option it has traditionally been, and getting stuck when there are no trains available will turn people off.

No that is not correct off the NEC. 6 cars requires same crew as 4 cars.

 

[moselman66]

No that is not correct off the NEC. 6 cars requires same crew as 4 cars.

Good to know -- thanks!

 

[Amtrak25]

I think a 7th revenue car triggers a 3rd conductor.

 

[Cal]

I think a 7th revenue car triggers a 3rd conductor.

I believe I read on here that there needs to be a conductor per 3 revenue cars.

 

[jis]

I believe I read on here that there needs to be a conductor per 3 revenue cars.

That is what @Amtrak25 essentially said. 4th revenue car triggers the second conductor and the 7th revenue car triggers the third Conductor.

 

[Amtrak25]

So 448/449 east of Albany, 1 sleeper, 2 coaches, has just 1 conductor ?

 

[MARC Rider]

I think a 7th revenue car triggers a 3rd conductor.

Ah, that's why the northeast regionals were down to 7 cars (5 coaches, business class and a cafe) during the height of the pandemic. And also even last December, when I went to Philadelphia, they closed off the first car of the 8-car Northeast Regionals I rode.

 

[jis]

So 448/449 east of Albany, 1 sleeper, 2 coaches, has just 1 conductor ?

Actually @OBS can read us the chapter and verse of the rules. There may be a two conductor minimum that kicks in on LD trains according to some rule that is different from Corridor trains. I don't know.

 

[RebelRider]

I think a 7th revenue car triggers a 3rd conductor.

I believe I read on here that there needs to be a conductor per 3 revenue cars.

The contract between Amtrak and the SMART-TD Union spells out the minimum crew requirements as follows:

1 Revenue Car	1 Conductor
2-6 Revenue Cars	1 Conductor, 1 Asst Conductor
7+ Revenue Cars	1 Conductor, 2 Asst Conductors
Long Haul Train	1 Conductor, 1 Asst Conductor

A revenue car is any place seats or accommodations are sold, including baggage cars. Food service and deadhead cars do not count. Further, if a split club/dinette is substituted for a full cafe, it does not count as a revenue car because those business class seats were not sold.

A long haul train is defined as any train with a sleeping car.

 

[Steve4031]

I rode the train from Roanoke to Washington, D.C. last summer. There was only one conductor working. He made the announcement that there was normally another person working the train with him. But for that day he was the only one. He hustled and did a fine job.

Wondering if he gets paid extra or what happened to cause him to be alone.

 

[Acela150]

How many bad ordered cars are there?

I was told on Tuesday the number. At this point in time I can not publicly divulge the information, however it's extremely and abnormally high. So high that it's a first in Amtrak Chicago's history, IINM.

I rode the train from Roanoke to Washington, D.C. last summer. There was only one conductor working. He made the announcement that there was normally another person working the train with him. But for that day he was the only one. He hustled and did a fine job.

Wondering if he gets paid extra or what happened to cause him to be alone.

This is sadly a common theme system wide. Yes, they do get paid accordingly per the contract agreement. As to what causes this to occur, at least in this situation was the AC may have marked off and their were no extra board employees to fill his or her job.

 

[joelkfla]

the AC may have marked off

What does this mean, please?

 

[Acela150]

What does this mean, please?

They may have called out sick.

 

[moselman66]

Not sure if it's aggravated by Siemens cars not being in service as expected or what, but at least some days / trains for the Hiawatha are down to three coaches. This past Friday/Saturday five consecutive Chicago trains were sold out --if you missed the 11am on Friday the next southbound train with open seats was at 1:05pm Saturday. Now today (Sunday 3/20) the only Milwaukee-bound train with open seats is 8:25am -- the rest of the day is already sold out. This is getting kind of absurd. At the moment it looks like they are still on track for the 6th and 7th daily trips to return on 3/28 which will take a little pressure off and help avoid people getting stranded. But people will only put up with so much schedule inconvenience and learn to not rely on the train.

 

[west point]

IMO we can trace this lack of equipment of Amtrak management laying off too many mechanical personnel last year. As well not hiring and calling back those personnel last fall. In fact a review of Amtrak hiring does not have them hiring mechanical personnel until at the end of January or fist of February this year.

I may be wrong but Amtrak will not be able to fill out trains until this fall. Now one item might be just dispatch train equipment that is roadworthy but with major passenger items out of service?

 

[joelkfla]

I may be wrong but Amtrak will not be able to fill out trains until this fall. Now one item might be just dispatch train equipment that is roadworthy but with major passenger items out of service?

From a customer satisfaction perspective, I think they're better off having no inventory than putting passengers on cars with "major passenger items out of service".

 

[west point]

From a customer satisfaction perspective, I think they're better off having no inventory than putting passengers on cars with "major passenger items out of service".

Could always call it second class with lower fares?

 

[Metra Electric Rider]

Not sure if it's aggravated by Siemens cars not being in service as expected or what, but at least some days / trains for the Hiawatha are down to three coaches. This past Friday/Saturday five consecutive Chicago trains were sold out --if you missed the 11am on Friday the next southbound train with open seats was at 1:05pm Saturday. Now today (Sunday 3/20) the only Milwaukee-bound train with open seats is 8:25am -- the rest of the day is already sold out. This is getting kind of absurd. At the moment it looks like they are still on track for the 6th and 7th daily trips to return on 3/28 which will take a little pressure off and help avoid people getting stranded. But people will only put up with so much schedule inconvenience and learn to not rely on the train.

Judging from the massive increase in traffic across the Chicago metro area and on the Skokie Highway (aka US 41) I'm not surprised that the Hiawatha's are booking up solid.

 

[toddinde]

Judging from the massive increase in traffic across the Chicago metro area and on the Skokie Highway (aka US 41) I'm not surprised that the Hiawatha's are booking up solid.

That is ridiculous. That is not enough cars. What happened to the Horizon equipment that covered those schedules? In a pinch, they used to rent Metra equipment. Definitely not ideal, but the should not be turning riders away. The Milwaukee Road would use their gallery cars in a pinch as well.