Return from Montreal: A Trip Report

[Anderson]

The first two hours of my trip out of Montreal have been worthy of a full trip report in and of themselves (even though I am embargoing the report through ALB out of an abundance of caution). First, some issues with a conductor. Then, comedy at the border crossing.

The conductor issues more or less run as follows: I went to the cafe (all but empty out of MTR; there were 112 passengers crossing the border, but only about three or four went to the cafe) and plopped down, partly to try and get Wifi (no luck until almost the border) and partly for a little bit more space. While there, I had my first run-in with a conductor of the power trip variety.

A passenger came up asking the difference between the cars in front (i.e. the short-distance Amfleets) and the cars in back (i.e. the long-distance Amfleets). I turn around and start to answer (in my experience, a respectable portion of conductors...really don't want to be bothered with questions). The conductor turns to me and basically reads me the riot act, reprimanding me for trying to answer while not being an Amtrak employee and (in essence though not using the exact words) telling me to shut up and "enjoy my train ride".

Later on, when the cafe attendant was MIA (I don't know where the attendant was at the moment), a passenger came in asking for some coffee. The conductor just stepped behind the counter, poured a cup, and then declined to take offered payment. Granted, I know he was trying to be a nice guy, but I've also never seen that done and it /can't/ be right with respect to the manual (or, frankly, a good thing in light of the F&B situation).

Now, for the comedy during the border stop, overheard behind me between the border agents:
"Does anybody speak Chinese?"
"Cantonese or Mandarin?"
"I don't think it matters."

(On top of that, I think the Chinese person had a couple of goldfish accompanying them. Don't ask.)

The rest of the ride down to ALB has been rather uneventful, not to mention timely. Because of the 20 minutes cut off the trip (mainly because of a major cut to the ALB-SDY pad), I'm going to try and grab the 9:15 Acela in the hopes of getting to WAS in a proper condition to drive home. By my math, the upgrade is probably going to cost me less than a hotel in the DC area plus the attached cab ride.

 

[MikefromCrete]

I doubt if even Cong. Mica would be bothered by one free cup of coffee. It was a good public relations move that probably cost Amtrak 10 cents.

 

[OBS]

I doubt if even Cong. Mica would be bothered by one free cup of coffee. It was a good public relations move that probably cost Amtrak 10 cents.

Agreed. I know MANY Conductor's that would do exactly the same thing.

 

[SubwayNut]

For the coffee: Was it in the 10 oz Compliments of Amtrak cup, (if they even stock those on the Adirondack?) or 16 oz what you pay the couple bucks for cup.

I think coffee (the conductors get it for free too) and hot water are partially non-revenue items. Like the 8 oz soda cans that are given to business class customers and as mixers when you buy liquor. Once on the California Zephyr I gave up my seat to the huge crowds boarding in Winter Park since I was getting off in Denver. They told me sit at the attendants seat. Later I was down the in the cafe buying a snack (not a drink) and the conductor saw me, asked the attendant "Can I have a couple sodas?" She handed him a couple of the 8 oz verity and offered me one to thank me for giving up (changing) my seat.

What delayed your Acela (if you ended up taking it but you arrived at Penn 10 minutes early) for 40 minutes between Philadelphia and Wilmington?

 

[Anderson]

Funny, that. I got into NYP at 8:10. I went to the CA to pick up my exchanged ticket and was asked if I wanted to take the 8:20. I agreed (for $25 extra since it was more crowded) and got into WAS five minutes early. My average speed MTR-WAS was 44.6 MPH, layover (of <10 min.) and border stop included. Hence, I'm already home even with a traffic jam outside WAS.

 

[jis]

Funny, that. I got into NYP at 8:10. I went to the CA to pick up my exchanged ticket and was asked if I wanted to take the 8:20. I agreed (for $25 extra since it was more crowded) and got into WAS five minutes early. My average speed MTR-WAS was 44.6 MPH, layover (of <10 min.) and border stop included. Hence, I'm already home even with a traffic jam outside WAS.

This illustrates an important point about the need for having timed connections if people are to take rail journies seriously. Fortunately this is one of the pirority items in the list of must haves being developed by NEC Futures, since every train cannot possibly stop at every statio on every route and still be fast. They have generally agreed to a 5 minute timed connection as a goal to shoot for, in connections from slow stopping trains and fast super express and expresses that do not stop at most stations. We (some of us) have asked to extend that goal (or perhaps a 10 minute goal) for off corridor to corridor train connections, and will likely get it thrown in. This is exactly an example of what we are asking for in that PEIS.

 

[Anderson]

Funny, that. I got into NYP at 8:10. I went to the CA to pick up my exchanged ticket and was asked if I wanted to take the 8:20. I agreed (for $25 extra since it was more crowded) and got into WAS five minutes early. My average speed MTR-WAS was 44.6 MPH, layover (of <10 min.) and border stop included. Hence, I'm already home even with a traffic jam outside WAS.

This illustrates an important point about the need for having timed connections if people are to take rail journies seriously. Fortunately this is one of the pirority items in the list of must haves being developed by NEC Futures, since every train cannot possibly stop at every statio on every route and still be fast. They have generally agreed to a 5 minute timed connection as a goal to shoot for, in connections from slow stopping trains and fast super express and expresses that do not stop at most stations. We (some of us) have asked to extend that goal (or perhaps a 10 minute goal) for off corridor to corridor train connections, and will likely get it thrown in. This is exactly an example of what we are asking for in that PEIS.

I think that would be great. With the Adirondack (and a few others with specific issues that can be elaborated upon and/or which run once daily) I can see a case for a slightly larger pad so folks aren't consistently running across NYP. At the very least, though, I'd like to see Amtrak focus on guaranteeing a workable connection...but allowing a transfer at limited cost (even if the train is more crowded and thus in a higher bucket, so long as there's some space left, and without loss of through-ticket discounting) to an earlier train if it works out. For example, I don't mind that I had to shell out for the Acela. It goes with the territory. What was annoying was having my Adirondack ticket price hiked as a result and only getting $7 of the $70-odd I spent MTR-NYP as a credit.*

*Next time, I'm going to either "miss" my official connection and get a voucher, since that seems to be what happens, or cut that leg back to NWK and book my "real" NYP-WAS leg separately.