New Talgo interior shots

[Peter KG6LSE]

Gas ? cars? whhat is a Car? * rolls eyes*

I did the math ,., One Year of driveing is gonaa cost me under 20 USD in Power costs ... and so far I have packed 200 Miles on it !

I need to explore Portland more. next month Iam gonna drag the Seg on the WES and rail on up to portland ...

 

[rrdude]

Although the Michigan trains do pretty well on ridership as is (when OTP is consistent) I can only dream about what ridership COULD be, if:

1. Frequencies were increased
2. They ran the entire length at HighER Speeds, and
   
3. They had cooool equipment like the Talgos.

Mind blowing. I don't think they could build enough Talgos to satisfy the demand out of Chicago to Michigan or St. Louie.

Once can dream..........

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Although the Michigan trains do pretty well on ridership as is (when OTP is consistent) I can only dream about what ridership COULD be, if:

1. Frequencies were increased
2. They ran the entire length at HighER Speeds, and
   
3. They had cooool equipment like the Talgos.

Mind blowing. I don't think they could build enough Talgos to satisfy the demand out of Chicago to Michigan or St. Louie.

Once can dream..........

Ain't gonna happen because they are ordering bi-levels. Though how about Empire Service?

 

[Trogdor]

Empire Service has too many high-level platforms that the Talgos cannot use.

 

[rrdude]

Although the Michigan trains do pretty well on ridership as is (when OTP is consistent) I can only dream about what ridership COULD be, if:

1. Frequencies were increased
2. They ran the entire length at HighER Speeds, and
   
3. They had cooool equipment like the Talgos.

Mind blowing. I don't think they could build enough Talgos to satisfy the demand out of Chicago to Michigan or St. Louie.

Once can dream..........

Ain't gonna happen because they are ordering bi-levels. Though how about Empire Service?

I realize that, but even with the Bi-Levels, they should allow/plan/dream about making them "something other than just bland equipment". The Cali-cars lower level cafe is nice, as is the BC, bike racks-good, how about some "personalization" name the cars after local colleges or state mascots? (The Spartan, Illini, Wolverine, Bronco, Boilermaker, etc.,, etc) Make BC "feel" like BC. Truly, if the SERVICE is there, (frequency, OTP) it takes soooooooooooo little to provide above average on-board service. The kind of service one will NOT GET on most airlines, or any motorcoach.

OBS Employees would make more in (tips) and customers would have a "REASON" to take the train, (otherwise, what's the difference than flying or taking the 'Hound or Megabus?)

Meh, I've kicked this dog so many times, I just can't help it. Just wish Amtrak would hire some "SERVICE" professionals at the corp level, and PUSH DOWN that "The Customer is Always Right" (except when they are wrong, A la SWA) and "Hospitality at all costs" attitude.

Hell, I bet they could get RETIRED hospitality professionals to speak to, and train their employees gratis.........

But if corporate doesn't "get it", you'll never see it in the trenches.

 

[afigg]

Although the Michigan trains do pretty well on ridership as is (when OTP is consistent) I can only dream about what ridership COULD be, if:

1. Frequencies were increased
2. They ran the entire length at HighER Speeds, and
   
3. They had cooool equipment like the Talgos.

Mind blowing. I don't think they could build enough Talgos to satisfy the demand out of Chicago to Michigan or St. Louie.

Once can dream..........

Michigan will be getting nice new shiny modern bi-level corridor cars. Besides coach cars, the order includes café/business class and cab/baggage cars. There are 5 café/lounge cars in the 130 car order, don't know which route is getting those. I expect once the new cars are in service, you will have forgotten about getting new shiny Talgos.

Michigan is one of winners in the HSIPR grant sweepstakes. There was $126 million for the Englewood Flyover, $71 million for track and congestion improvements in IN, and $400 million total to Michigan plus some state matching funds. There were also some TIGER grants for station upgrades. That is $600+ million in improvements to the Wolverine corridor. There are also additional funds for the corridor bi-level car order.

Don't recall seeing specific plans for increased service frequencies with the upgrades, but with new equipment and more capacity in IL and IN, I would expect there will be more daily trains added as ridership increases. It took a long time, too long, to award the construction contract for the Englewood Flyover and reach an agreement on the Indiana Gateway project, resulting in those projects getting started a year or more later than they should have, but that is the way it goes with big infrastructure projects. It probably will be 2016 before all the upgrades and enough new corridor cars are in place, but I expect that ridership will be growing steadily by then for the Michigan services.

 

[afigg]

Meh, I've kicked this dog so many times, I just can't help it. Just wish Amtrak would hire some "SERVICE" professionals at the corp level, and PUSH DOWN that "The Customer is Always Right" (except when they are wrong, A la SWA) and "Hospitality at all costs" attitude.

Hell, I bet they could get RETIRED hospitality professionals to speak to, and train their employees gratis.........

But if corporate doesn't "get it", you'll never see it in the trenches.

If you read the Amtrak reports such as the PRIIA Section 222 report, they discuss the Customer Service Excellence Program and various service improvement initiatives. The 2011 PRIIA report talks about a companywide effort "to train onboard crews in crucial aspects of customer service" and "To give an example of the practices Amtrak is adopting, employees are coached to exercise the Ritz Carlton's Three Steps of Service". Management is attempting - or at least making a show of it - to improve customer service, but it can be difficult to make it stick with an entrenched workforce and employees who have been grouching at customers for 10 or 20 years. But that is a topic for another thread.

 

[cirdan]

If you read the Amtrak reports such as the PRIIA Section 222 report, they discuss the Customer Service Excellence Program and various service improvement initiatives. The 2011 PRIIA report talks about a companywide effort "to train onboard crews in crucial aspects of customer service" and "To give an example of the practices Amtrak is adopting, employees are coached to exercise the Ritz Carlton's Three Steps of Service". Management is attempting - or at least making a show of it - to improve customer service, but it can be difficult to make it stick with an entrenched workforce and employees who have been grouching at customers for 10 or 20 years. But that is a topic for another thread.

Personally I don't get what's supposed to be so good about the Ritz Carlton system because from my observation it's all about scripted dialogs that the staff are obviously expected to learn by heart, so if you have complaint number #471 then they put on the scratched record of dialog number #471 using lots of polished managment words and phrases that are obviously alien to the person saying them, and if you say or do something that wasn't anticipated by the guy who wrote that dialog you get a train wreck very quickly. That really makes you as a customer feel that somebody isn't taking you seriously.

I prefer places where you are served by real people. Real people make mistakes sometimes. Real people get it wrong sometimes. But I get it wrong too sometimes so I can sympathize with that much more than i can with a scratched record coming out of the closet.

 

[TimePeace]

...and if you say or do something that wasn't anticipated by the guy who wrote that dialog you get a train wreck very quickly.

Well, let's avoid that, shall we?

 

[johnny.menhennet]

rrdude, I agree that the personalization is nice. The problem is that these cars will likely be circulated around the entire Midwest. That aside, the Surfliner cars all have personalized names based on geographic points in SoCal. Not sure about the California Cars in the north though. The names are often looked over, and I never record it, but I like knowing that the cars DO have names. Many I can quickly name off my head that I'm SURE exist are: Solana Beach, Topanga Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Griffith Park, and more.

 

[X]

The Cali-cars lower level cafe is nice, as is the BC, bike racks-good, how about some "personalization" name the cars after local colleges or state mascots?

The California Cars have the diner on the upper level, it's the follow on Surfliner cars that have it downstairs. Downstairs is much nicer for OBS, but harder on the passengers, so the new cars will have it up top.

rrdude, I agree that the personalization is nice. The problem is that these cars will likely be circulated around the entire Midwest. That aside, the Surfliner cars all have personalized names based on geographic points in SoCal. Not sure about the California Cars in the north though. The names are often looked over, and I never record it, but I like knowing that the cars DO have names. Many I can quickly name off my head that I'm SURE exist are: Solana Beach, Topanga Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Griffith Park, and more.

California cars have names as well, yes, baggage cars are bays, coaches are rivers, diners are valleys and cab cars are mountains.

 

[roadman3313]

The Cali-cars lower level cafe is nice, as is the BC, bike racks-good, how about some "personalization" name the cars after local colleges or state mascots?

The California Cars have the diner on the upper level, it's the follow on Surfliner cars that have it downstairs. Downstairs is much nicer for OBS, but harder on the passengers, so the new cars will have it up top.

rrdude, I agree that the personalization is nice. The problem is that these cars will likely be circulated around the entire Midwest. That aside, the Surfliner cars all have personalized names based on geographic points in SoCal. Not sure about the California Cars in the north though. The names are often looked over, and I never record it, but I like knowing that the cars DO have names. Many I can quickly name off my head that I'm SURE exist are: Solana Beach, Topanga Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Griffith Park, and more.

California cars have names as well, yes, baggage cars are bays, coaches are rivers, diners are valleys and cab cars are mountains.

The newer California cars (6000) series also have lower level diners, however they are not self-serve like the Surfliner ones where you can grab your own items and then bring them to the Attendant. There is more access control. They don't have very many of these though as you said the upper level Cafe Cars are nicer for the customers.

And yes... California cars do have names which do add to that personal touch. Surfliner cars do as well. And the Superliner Rebuilds now rebranded and leased as California Cars are named aver Groves (of trees).

 

[user 3575]

There's a rumor Out West that the Coast Starlight might be getting a bike car, with paid/reserved space for bikes in what once was the Arcade Car(s.) Yes, no more broken Ms. PacMan and Frogger; the downstairs part of the cars do seem to be empty now, and word around town was that bike service a la the Cascades might be coming to the Starlight.

The bike situation at stations that have Capitol Corridor, Thruway buses and long distance trains can get confusing. You *must* have a bike box and check your bike as baggage on the CS and CZ; you *must* roll your bike onto the Caps (and Surfliners) and you *better hope* the bus they've assigned to your Thruway connection can handle a bike somewhere.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

There's a rumor Out West that the Coast Starlight might be getting a bike car, with paid/reserved space for bikes in what once was the Arcade Car(s.) Yes, no more broken Ms. PacMan and Frogger; the downstairs part of the cars do seem to be empty now, and word around town was that bike service a la the Cascades might be coming to the Starlight.

The bike situation at stations that have Capitol Corridor, Thruway buses and long distance trains can get confusing. You *must* have a bike box and check your bike as baggage on the CS and CZ; you *must* roll your bike onto the Caps (and Surfliners) and you *better hope* the bus they've assigned to your Thruway connection can handle a bike somewhere.

That would be a most welcome addition to the Starlight as the few times I have traveled on her, bike riders seem to be plentiful. They've had to break their bikes down, pack them into a bike box, check that into the Baggage Car and then reassemble the bike on the destination platform.

 

[Blackwolf]

There's a rumor Out West that the Coast Starlight might be getting a bike car, with paid/reserved space for bikes in what once was the Arcade Car(s.) Yes, no more broken Ms. PacMan and Frogger; the downstairs part of the cars do seem to be empty now, and word around town was that bike service a la the Cascades might be coming to the Starlight.

The bike situation at stations that have Capitol Corridor, Thruway buses and long distance trains can get confusing. You *must* have a bike box and check your bike as baggage on the CS and CZ; you *must* roll your bike onto the Caps (and Surfliners) and you *better hope* the bus they've assigned to your Thruway connection can handle a bike somewhere.

That would be a most welcome addition to the Starlight as the few times I have traveled on her, bike riders seem to be plentiful. They've had to break their bikes down, pack them into a bike box, check that into the Baggage Car and then reassemble the bike on the destination platform.

This is the first I've heard of this "rumor" on bikes and the CS. I actually don't see this as being all that likely... The much more plausible reason for (finally) getting rid of the arcade machines is to prepare for the Business Class seating experiment that was quietly announced nearly a year ago by Amtrak management. Bikes don't make money, but higher-priced seats for those who either don't want to go sleeper (such as with a daytime only trip) but want something better than generic Coach does. And if its successful, look for a Business Class option coming to a Long-Distance Superliner-equipped route near you too!

 

[John Bredin]

This is the first I've heard of this "rumor" on bikes and the CS. I actually don't see this as being all that likely... The much more plausible reason for (finally) getting rid of the arcade machines is to prepare for the Business Class seating experiment that was quietly announced nearly a year ago by Amtrak management. Bikes don't make money, but higher-priced seats for those who either don't want to go sleeper (such as with a daytime only trip) but want something better than generic Coach does. And if its successful, look for a Business Class option coming to a Long-Distance Superliner-equipped route near you too!

Bikes can make money for Amtrak: a bike reservation on the Illinois and Missouri trains -- roll-on rather than checked luggage, no box required, but must loosen handlebars and turn them sideways because no special bike rack -- is $10. An additional $20 per round-trip with little or no crew or station personnel involvement sounds like money to me.

 

[AlanB]

This is the first I've heard of this "rumor" on bikes and the CS. I actually don't see this as being all that likely... The much more plausible reason for (finally) getting rid of the arcade machines is to prepare for the Business Class seating experiment that was quietly announced nearly a year ago by Amtrak management. Bikes don't make money, but higher-priced seats for those who either don't want to go sleeper (such as with a daytime only trip) but want something better than generic Coach does. And if its successful, look for a Business Class option coming to a Long-Distance Superliner-equipped route near you too!

Bikes can make money for Amtrak: a bike reservation on the Illinois and Missouri trains -- roll-on rather than checked luggage, no box required, but must loosen handlebars and turn them sideways because no special bike rack -- is $10. An additional $20 per round-trip with little or no crew or station personnel involvement sounds like money to me.

I'd say it seems unlikely not because of money issues, but rather because of the fact that the new baggage cars will include bike racks in the cars. I don't see Amtrak converting an arcade area to do something that is coming any way because of the new baggage cars.

Of course, it wouldn't be the first silly thing that Amtrak has ever done either.

 

[Trogdor]

Bike racks in the baggage cars doesn't preclude putting bicycle space in the lower level of a Superliner coach. The baggage cars are inaccessible to passengers, and depending on the station, may require multiple spots in order for the baggage car door to be at the platform for a passenger to load his/her bike. It would also require a conductor to be working the baggage car, which would be more work if the stop doesn't normally have checked baggage.

Loading the bike from inside the train and walking it up to the baggage car is an unworkable idea.

So, even if the baggage cars have bike racks, I don't think it would be a silly thing to have bicycle space in the lower level of a coach (perhaps add racks to the coach-baggage cars).

 

[X]

The Cali-cars lower level cafe is nice, as is the BC, bike racks-good, how about some "personalization" name the cars after local colleges or state mascots?

The California Cars have the diner on the upper level, it's the follow on Surfliner cars that have it downstairs. Downstairs is much nicer for OBS, but harder on the passengers, so the new cars will have it up top.

rrdude, I agree that the personalization is nice. The problem is that these cars will likely be circulated around the entire Midwest. That aside, the Surfliner cars all have personalized names based on geographic points in SoCal. Not sure about the California Cars in the north though. The names are often looked over, and I never record it, but I like knowing that the cars DO have names. Many I can quickly name off my head that I'm SURE exist are: Solana Beach, Topanga Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Griffith Park, and more.

California cars have names as well, yes, baggage cars are bays, coaches are rivers, diners are valleys and cab cars are mountains.

The newer California cars (6000) series also have lower level diners, however they are not self-serve like the Surfliner ones where you can grab your own items and then bring them to the Attendant. There is more access control. They don't have very many of these though as you said the upper level Cafe Cars are nicer for the customers.

And yes... California cars do have names which do add to that personal touch. Surfliner cars do as well. And the Superliner Rebuilds now rebranded and leased as California Cars are named aver Groves (of trees).

California cars are the 8000 series with the Cafe upstairs, and are only found on Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains. The 6000 series Surfliner cars have the cafe downstairs and are found on both the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin and Surfliner routes. I think your getting confused with the 350xx Superliner Snack Coaches on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin?

 

[sportbiker]

Roll-on bicycle carriage on the CS? Please, let it be so!!

 

[roadman3313]

The Cali-cars lower level cafe is nice, as is the BC, bike racks-good, how about some "personalization" name the cars after local colleges or state mascots?

The California Cars have the diner on the upper level, it's the follow on Surfliner cars that have it downstairs. Downstairs is much nicer for OBS, but harder on the passengers, so the new cars will have it up top.

rrdude, I agree that the personalization is nice. The problem is that these cars will likely be circulated around the entire Midwest. That aside, the Surfliner cars all have personalized names based on geographic points in SoCal. Not sure about the California Cars in the north though. The names are often looked over, and I never record it, but I like knowing that the cars DO have names. Many I can quickly name off my head that I'm SURE exist are: Solana Beach, Topanga Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Ocean Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Griffith Park, and more.

California cars have names as well, yes, baggage cars are bays, coaches are rivers, diners are valleys and cab cars are mountains.

The newer California cars (6000) series also have lower level diners, however they are not self-serve like the Surfliner ones where you can grab your own items and then bring them to the Attendant. There is more access control. They don't have very many of these though as you said the upper level Cafe Cars are nicer for the customers.

And yes... California cars do have names which do add to that personal touch. Surfliner cars do as well. And the Superliner Rebuilds now rebranded and leased as California Cars are named aver Groves (of trees).

California cars are the 8000 series with the Cafe upstairs, and are only found on Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains. The 6000 series Surfliner cars have the cafe downstairs and are found on both the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin and Surfliner routes. I think your getting confused with the 350xx Superliner Snack Coaches on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin?

That's what I meant. The Capitol Corridor trains with the newer cafe cars have them downstairs. But the layout is different as there is a barrier between the customer area and the food whereas the Surfliner cars you can get your own food. That's how it was at least the past few weeks when I've been riding them.

 

[PaulM]

Bikes can make money for Amtrak: a bike reservation on the Illinois and Missouri trains -- roll-on rather than checked luggage, no box required, but must loosen handlebars and turn them sideways because no special bike rack -- is $10. An additional $20 per round-trip with little or no crew or station personnel involvement sounds like money to me.

And when the conductor collects my ticket MAC to QCY or vice versa I always joke that my bike is worth more than I am. The bike is $10 and the fare is only $6.