Modified Boarding and Cafe Service

[Acela150]

Hi All,

Sunday I will be on board 2252 from PHL to RTE with the kids. I'm taking them back to Mass after a wonderful month long visit with them in Philly. Does anyone know if the Corridor is experiencing the "modified boarding"? They explain it as certain doors will open to "prevent crowding". IMO that kinda does the opposite.

And last but least does anyone know if Acela trains are not having cafe service? Cause I need to know if I should bring the girls lunch. I'm hoping to get them lunch on board.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[the_traveler]

I agree, it does seem the opposite.

Instead of 100 people boarding at 10 open doors, now you have those same 100 people boarding thru only 2 doors! So how does it decrease crowding?

Also, since BC is now assigned (and Acela “Regular Seating” is BC), passengers must walk thru 2-3 cars to get to their seat. Instead, they could have waited on the platform and entered thru the nearest door. But that door was closed, so they had to board 2-3 cars down!

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

Instead of 100 people boarding at 10 open doors, now you have those same 100 people boarding thru only 2 doors! So how does it decrease crowding?

I don' t know about Amtrak, but if it is like others, those other doors are for de-training passengers. This way you have only one-direction of passengers moving, at each door.

 

[the_traveler]

So instead of having 100 people boarding and 100 people detaining in a certain door, you instead have 200 people standing in the aisle - half getting off and half trying to reach their seats!

Smart!

 

[niemi24s]

I'm thinking the only way there'd be 200 people in the aisle of a single car is if nobody got off until after everybody got on.

 

[the_traveler]

OK - make it 30 or 50 people.

At PHL, passengers boarding wait on the platform even before the incoming train arrives. Then, all passengers detaining and all passengers boarding must do so in the 3-5 minute stop!

And it’s not a single car. Based on the above, only 1 or 2 doors open. That means all passengers may need to walk thru 4-5 cars to detain and may need to walk thru 4-5 cars after boarding.

 

[Skyline]

I'm thinking the only way there'd be 200 people in the aisle of a single car is if nobody got off until after everybody got on.

Proper "etiquette" is that passengers do not board until those leaving have all de-boarded. Same with buses and subways. So any crowding (re: trains) would be on the platform, not on the train. There is (usually) more room to physically-distance on a platform.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Proper "etiquette" is that passengers do not board until those leaving have all de-boarded. Same with buses and subways. So any crowding (re: trains) would be on the platform, not on the train. There is (usually) more room to physically-distance on a platform.

Problem is that there are a lot of impatient, impolite people (especially on some commuter rails) who just have to be first.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Proper "etiquette" is that passengers do not board until those leaving have all de-boarded. Same with buses and subways. So any crowding (re: trains) would be on the platform, not on the train. There is (usually) more room to physically-distance on a platform.

Proper “etiquette” on buses and streetcars is to depart opposite of the doors where fares are collected. This usually means board in the front, exit the back or middle doors. Back in the day it was the opposite as the conductor would collect the fare from the back as passengers would board.

Of course that doesn’t apply to Amtrak.

 

[PVD]

If I recall, the NEC trains run with a Conductor and an A/C. If all doors are open, no one can enforce mask wearing upon entry at most of the doors...

 

[Steve4031]

If only a couple of doors are open it’s likely that the conductor and assistant conductor are standing at the open doors. They would enforce the procedure of letting passengers off first before boarding.

 

[Skyline]

Proper “etiquette” on buses and streetcars is to depart opposite of the doors where fares are collected. This usually means board in the front, exit the back or middle doors. Back in the day it was the opposite as the conductor would collect the fare from the back as passengers would board.

Of course that doesn’t apply to Amtrak.

I will defer to you regarding today's urban buses because I haven't ridden one. But I used to ride trolleys and buses in Pittsburgh during the 1960s and 1970s. Pax exited via the front doors, pax entered via the front doors. If crowded, back doors were opened so pax closer to the back doors could also exit.

The point is, let pax exit before pax enter.

That's proper etiquette on the DC Metro BTW. Even the PA system announcements instruct boarding pax to wait until those exiting have done so.

 

[joelkfla]

I haven't experienced the modified boarding, but perhaps the objective is to keep pedestrian traffic moving in a single direction, so there is no face-to-face or squeezing-past contact.

 

[Palmetto]

I haven't experienced the modified boarding, but perhaps the objective is to keep pedestrian traffic moving in a single direction, so there is no face-to-face or squeezing-past contact.

Sounds like kindergarten. Having traveled in quite a few countries, none of them herd the passengers into a train such as what is done here.

 

[the_traveler]

Sounds like kindergarten ... herd the passengers into a train such as what is done here.

Do you actually think people would know what to do if they had to decide for themselves? They might try to climb on the roof or ride under the wheels if they weren’t directed which way to board or head!

 

[Palmetto]

Do you actually think people would know what to do if they had to decide for themselves? They might try to climb on the roof or ride under the wheels if they weren’t directed which way to board or head!

Yes, I do, and they did in Oslo, Norway a few months ago. And in Paris, and in Rome, and--well, all over the place. With many more times the passengers than we have, to boot. Amazin.

 

[flitcraft]

Well, to be fair, those places don't have the level of COVID 19 problem that we do here. Wonder how boarding works in Brazil??

 

[Steve4031]

I’ve seen pictures of people riding on top of trains in some countries. These people were traveling from point A to B. Not just train surfing. I was amazed and wondered how many passenger fatalities these railroads had.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I’ve seen pictures of people riding on top of trains in some countries. These people were traveling from point A to B. Not just train surfing. I was amazed and wondered how many passenger fatalities these railroads had.

I once rode on top of a Mexican Train in the Yucatan due to the extreme heat, but it went really slow and made frequent stops!

Also I've seen people ride on top of the Chicken Buses ( Second Class) but never did it myself!

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

Yes, I do, and they did in Oslo, Norway a few months ago. And in Paris, and in Rome, and--well, all over the place. With many more times the passengers than we have, to boot. Amazin.

I’m assuming all of those cities are in civilized countries with polite people who know how to behave and follow rules correctly and use common sense. And perhaps even are considerate of others.

I don’t see a lot of that right now in this country.

 

[Dakota 400]

I’ve seen pictures of people riding on top of trains in some countries. These people were traveling from point A to B. Not just train surfing. I was amazed and wondered how many passenger fatalities these railroads had.

This is a common sight in India.

 

[Acela150]

OK folks, just a quick update on boarding. Not a darn thing was different. Get on the train where you want, get off where you want. Certain cafe items aren't for sale. Such as salads and certain sandwiches.

The one thing that was nice was when we were at PHL, the Amtrak iPhone app sent me the track and stairway information.

 

[daybeers]

OK folks, just a quick update on boarding. Not a darn thing was different. Get on the train where you want, get off where you want. Certain cafe items aren't for sale. Such as salads and certain sandwiches.

The one thing that was nice was when we were at PHL, the Amtrak iPhone app sent me the track and stairway information.

This makes me so frustrated. It's so irresponsible.
Literally it's so easy to have an employee stand on the platform and tell people to wait to board until the passengers have detrained. They can also group people by relative destination when boarding so they can all use the same door to exit.

 

[Mailliw]

Well, to be fair, those places don't have the level of COVID 19 problem that we do here. Wonder how boarding works in Brazil??

I don't think Brazil has any inter-city rail, just commuter trains.

 

[Palmetto]

I don't think Brazil has any inter-city rail, just commuter trains.

You got me curious, so I went to the Man in Seat 61 website, where he states there is ONE intercity train between Vitoria and Belohorizonte and it takes all day. It gets good reviews.