Route Timetable PDFs returning? (2021-2022)

[lrh442]

In response to my correspondence to Amtrak urging them to reinstate timetables, I received an email today from the "Amtrak Center of Excellence" stating that "PDF timetables will return to the website by September of this year."
I don't know why it will take them 3 months to do this, but I guess our fears that the-end-is-nigh were unfounded (at least for timetables).

What the Center of Excellence is, and why the trains themselves appear to be far from that hallowed center, is another topic...

 

[zephyr17]

Amtrak appears to use a much different definition of "excellence" than the common one.

It is not a synonym of "mediocre" as they seem to think it is.

 

[mitako]

Wow, when I messaged them about it, I was told that they were returning "soon" once daily routes returned. I wonder why it's going to take months now.

 

[zephyr17]

Wow, when I messaged them about it, I was told that they were returning "soon" once daily routes returned. I wonder why it's going to take months now.

They also appear to using the same dictionary to define "soon" that they use for "excellence" .

 

[Qapla]

Since many Disc Jockeys say they will play "new music in moments" and take an hour or more to do so ... it should not surprise us that Amtrak would call 3 months "soon"

 

[railiner]

They also appear to using the same dictionary to define "soon" that they use for "excellence" .

Like, "shortly"?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Ask my hungry kitty how long “soon” is.

 

[Palmland]

Wow, we all complained about no timetables, now we complain about how long it takes. I’m just glad it’s going to happen. I hope there will be a consolidated version of all routes as well as each route individually. Those new to Amtrak (as well as us railfans) would make it easier to see what routes are available and plan trips.

 

[Cal]

Wow, we all complained about no timetables, now we complain about how long it takes.

Do you think it should take three months for them to take the days of operation off, and maybe change 3 paragraphs?

 

[joelkfla]

Do you think it should take three months for them to take the days of operation off, and maybe change 3 paragraphs?

They also need to change the food service info and station staffing. Maybe they're waiting until all that shakes out, so they don't have to go in every week as station staff is gradually added. Maybe (hopefully) we'll even have some food service updates in the East by then.

 

[Cal]

They also need to change the food service info and station staffing. Maybe they're waiting until all that shakes out, so they don't have to go in every week as station staff is gradually added. Maybe (hopefully) we'll even have some food service updates in the East by then.

They added/removed agents from stations when trains went daily?

And the food service is still just a small paragraph..

 

[joelkfla]

They added/removed agents from stations when trains went daily?

Somebody said one of the bills in Congress would require them to restaff stations that had been destaffed recently. I think the destaffing was pre-COVID.

 

[Cal]

Somebody said one of the bills in Congress would require them to restaff stations that had been destaffed recently. I think the destaffing was pre-COVID.

Still, I don't think it should take three months...

 

[joelkfla]

Still, I don't think it should take three months...

I don't disagree, but from Amtrak's perspective, maybe they're just waiting for everything to stabilize.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Maybe they're in talks with the freight RR's regarding OTP and anticipating changes to the times, like they did with the Crescent.

 

[railiner]

Maybe they're in talks with the freight RR's regarding OTP and anticipating changes to the times, like they did with the Crescent.

I certainly hope they don't lengthen any more schedules like they did with the Crescent...I think they were wrong to give in to the NS...they should have held them to at least the same running time as they inherited from when the Southern Railway gave the train to Amtrak...JMHO....

 

[Cal]

Maybe they're in talks with the freight RR's regarding OTP and anticipating changes to the times, like they did with the Crescent.

I see this being plausible.

 

[neroden]

Wow, when I messaged them about it, I was told that they were returning "soon" once daily routes returned. I wonder why it's going to take months now.

Suspicions are that it's related to the 25 unfilled job openings in Amtrak's IT department, which is not in good shape right now, and which obviously has to be involved in producing the timetables.

 

[west point]

There may be more schedule changes. Maybe even the northbound Crescent ? If Amtrak should change that train to an earlier time then it would not want the present timetables out there to have persons reading later times. That can apply to any train IMO.

 

[Cal]

There may be more schedule changes. Maybe even the northbound Crescent ? If Amtrak should change that train to an earlier time then it would not want the present timetables out there to have persons reading later times. That can apply to any train IMO.

Northbound Crescent already got a schedule change.

 

[west point]

My point is just because there is one schedule change any route might get another schedule change

 

[johnmiller]

I received an email today from the "Amtrak Center of Excellence."

What the Center of Excellence is, and why the trains themselves appear to be far from that hallowed center, is another topic...

Definitely Corporate Speak at its finest! Why not the Center of Insolence? Sounds better, doesn't it?

 

[Palmetto]

deleted

 

[Brian Battuello]

We probably all assume that Amtrak has hundreds of people sitting around to work on things like timetables. I've worked in enough major corporations to know that any given department might have 3 or 4 people available for any given project, and usually they have six emergencies they are already working on. I bet there are about four people at Amtrak who know how to update a PDF, much less print and distribute them. And that's assuming they didn't get laid off and found better office jobs somewhere else.

I miss the National Timetable, but we're never going to see that again!

 

[Trogdor]

Suspicions are that it's related to the 25 unfilled job openings in Amtrak's IT department, which is not in good shape right now, and which obviously has to be involved in producing the timetables.

Back in the day, the PDF timetables were a joint project between marketing and a graphic design contractor. IT wasn’t involved at all, other than perhaps uploading them to the website.