Service disruption call from Amtrak

[guest]

This morning I received a call from Amtrak alerting me to a service disruption on my upcoming trip. Unfortunately, the call went to my voice mail and the Amtrak automated message must have played the entire time before voice mail starts recording so I missed most of the message. I didn't get an email with the info. Is there anyway to find out which train the disruption is?

I am scheduled for:

LSL on 10/9 BOS to CHI

SWC on 10/11 CHI to FLG

SWC on 10/20 LAX to CHI

CL on 10/23 CHI to WAS

I did check Amtrak's service disruption page and the only one listed was the CL possible service disruption. I know LSL is having disruptions as well but there was no LSL disruption currently listed on Amtrak's page. Thanks.

 

[the_traveler]

Call Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL and ask them. My guess would be #449 between BOS and ALB or #30 between PGH and WAS due to possible bussing.

 

[The Davy Crockett]

This morning I received a call from Amtrak alerting me to a service disruption on my upcoming trip. Unfortunately, the call went to my voice mail and the Amtrak automated message must have played the entire time before voice mail starts recording so I missed most of the message. I didn't get an email with the info. Is there anyway to find out which train the disruption is?

I am scheduled for:

LSL on 10/9 BOS to CHI

SWC on 10/11 CHI to FLG

SWC on 10/20 LAX to CHI

CL on 10/23 CHI to WAS

I did check Amtrak's service disruption page and the only one listed was the CL possible service disruption. I know LSL is having disruptions as well but there was no LSL disruption currently listed on Amtrak's page. Thanks.

The only posssible disruption I'm aware of is the CL one you mentioned. If I were you I would call Amtrak (1-800-872-7245) and ask.

EDIT: the_traveler brings up a good point, as there have been weekend bustitutions between BOS and ALB on the LSL!

 

[guest]

Thank you for your replies. I called 1-800-USA-RAIL and found out that the disruption is from BOS to ALB, bus. Ok, but unforuntely this agent didn't know much about it other than that the bus leaves BOS at 11:55am and arrives ALB at 5:35pm and that the LSL leaves ALB at 7:05pm. He wasn't able to answer my other questions, can anyone help me?

Also I thought I read on these boards that there was a very long layover in ALB when this happens. Do the 5:35pm arrival of the bus and 7:05pm departure of the train sound correct?

Questions the agent couldn't answer:

1) Will I still have the same bedroom number as I was suppossed to have out of Boston? (I am not sure if the same sleeper that was to start in BOS now gets added in NYP). Also will the Boston sleeper now be next to the NY sleeper instead of the other side of the train like it normally is?

2) Will I need a seperate ticket for the bus? I already have my one single train ticket from BOS to CHI. He could not answer this for some reason.

3) Since I paid for a bedroom from BOS to CHI and now only get a bedroom from ALB to CHI, will I get a refund for part of the charges? He said no, what do you think?

Thanks!

 

[the_traveler]

I thought I read on these boards that there was a very long layover in ALB when this happens. Do the 5:35pm arrival of the bus and 7:05pm departure of the train sound correct? Those are the "normal times". You may arrive in ALB earlier.

1) Will I still have the same bedroom number as I was suppossed to have out of Boston? (I am not sure if the same sleeper that was to start in BOS now gets added in NYP). Also will the Boston sleeper now be next to the NY sleeper instead of the other side of the train like it normally is? It should be the same room. I'm not sure of the location though.

2) Will I need a seperate ticket for the bus? I already have my one single train ticket from BOS to CHI. He could not answer this for some reason. No! Technically you're still being transported by Amtrak from BOS to CHI.

3) Since I paid for a bedroom from BOS to CHI and now only get a bedroom from ALB to CHI, will I get a refund for part of the charges? He said no, what do you think? After your trip, contact Customer Service, and I'm almost certain you will get a voucher for compensation.

My reply is in bold in the quote!

 

[guest]

Thanks! Also, can I still use the lounge in Boston since I have a bedroom ticket? Or do you not use the lounge since its now a bus?

 

[DivMiler]

1) Will I still have the same bedroom number as I was suppossed to have out of Boston? (I am not sure if the same sleeper that was to start in BOS now gets added in NYP). Also will the Boston sleeper now be next to the NY sleeper instead of the other side of the train like it normally is? It should be the same room. I'm not sure of the location though.

2) Will I need a seperate ticket for the bus? I already have my one single train ticket from BOS to CHI. He could not answer this for some reason. No! Technically you're still being transported by Amtrak from BOS to CHI.

3) Since I paid for a bedroom from BOS to CHI and now only get a bedroom from ALB to CHI, will I get a refund for part of the charges? He said no, what do you think? After your trip, contact Customer Service, and I'm almost certain you will get a voucher for compensation.

My reply is in bold in the quote!

You know, why couldn't the Amtrak agent answer these questions? It seems to me that the questions are pretty basic! (Except, perhaps, for the Boston sleeper next to the NY sleeper question)

There always a few bad apples, but this kind of thing gives Amtrak its occasional bad customer service rap, in my opinion.

 

[Trogdor]

You can still use the Boston lounge. The agent in the lounge might even be able to process your partial refund.

 

[Railroad Bill]

We had a similar thing happen to us on our August trip. According to agents at the time, since the Boston section of the train from Chicago that day will be turned in Albany, you will have the same room you were scheduled to have on your ticket. You will also be entitled to use the Club Acela lounge because you are a sleeper passenger. We did not have our tickets printed prior to the trip so when the new tickets were issued it would have the bus from BOS to AlB and the sleeper from Alb to Chicago issued to you.

But be aware that on our particular trip we received that call about the disruption on Thursday but when we arrived in Boston a week later, they had changed their mind and the disruption was cancelled and the regular train from BOS to Alb #449 went out as usual. hboy:

Always continue to check your phone messages or your cell phone calls because this disruption seems to be a last minute idea at times that can change from one day to another.

 

[Bob Dylan]

:hi: This thread has come up several times before! One of our members changed her rez so that she rode from BOS-NYP on a Regional, then caught the LSL in NYP, this eliminates the Bustitution and shortens the layover in ALB , plus you get to ride in the back of the Train by the Diner and Lounge up the Beautiful Hudson River! You might want to check into this if you dont like the thought of the bus ride and hanging out in the less than exciting ALB Station! :help:

 

[guest]

:hi: This thread has come up several times before! One of our members changed her rez so that she rode from BOS-NYP on a Regional, then caught the LSL in NYP, this eliminates the Bustitution and shortens the layover in ALB , plus you get to ride in the back of the Train by the Diner and Lounge up the Beautiful Hudson River! You might want to check into this if you dont like the thought of the bus ride and hanging out in the less than exciting ALB Station! :help:

Thank you, I did look into that as soon as I got the phone call. However, I have a bedroom booked BOS to CHI (now actually bus from BOS to ALB and ALB to CHI in the bedroom) and there are no bedrooms currently available from NYP to CHI on this train. So I can't change if I want to keep a bedroom, guess I am stuck with the bus!

 

[smile145]

Amtrak's site still doesn't show a service disruption for the LSL with the bus between BOS and ALB. If I look at the next 30 days using Amsnag, 10/9 is the only day out of the 30 that has a bus listed. Why only this day? For the whole month, they are going to do track work only one day and that one day is the Sunday in the middle of a 3 day holiday weekend? Does that make sense? I expected to see more bus days.

 

[Trogdor]

Amtrak's site still doesn't show a service disruption for the LSL with the bus between BOS and ALB. If I look at the next 30 days using Amsnag, 10/9 is the only day out of the 30 that has a bus listed. Why only this day? For the whole month, they are going to do track work only one day and that one day is the Sunday in the middle of a 3 day holiday weekend? Does that make sense? I expected to see more bus days.

It does make sense if the middle of a three-day holiday weekend is when CSX expects to have the least overall disruption to their network, or if that's the only time the track gang would be available to complete whatever work they are required to do.

Keep in mind that these track gangs work all over the railroad's network (or are contractors that can work pretty much anywhere), and the only thing you're seeing is the one job that happens to cause disruption to a passenger train.

Also note that these situations are very fluid and CSX has a tendency to change things very last-minute, making it difficult to provide advance notice at times.

 

[Scrooge]

I had an e:mail from reservations re my booking on 448 from CHI to BOS on 9th October saying that from Albany to Boston it would be a bus. I rang the office and was given all the information I needed to know. I was to go to the ticket office in Seattle (my starting point on EB 8) and they would change my tickets to give me a bus ticket and issue a refund for the roomette portion not taken. It was all very painless and professional.

 

[amamba]

Yeah I had a bus on the LSL and switched to the nyP sleeper. Much better to take a regional south and wait in the club acela in nyP for an hour and then have dinner as you go up the Hudson. One cannot buy a ticket NYP - ALB on the LSL normally so check and see if rooms are available NYP to one atop west of ALB. Then you might be able to ride in that room for that portion ofthe trip and then switch to the boS sleeper in ALB.

 

[smile145]

I had an e:mail from reservations re my booking on 448 from CHI to BOS on 9th October saying that from Albany to Boston it would be a bus. I rang the office and was given all the information I needed to know. I was to go to the ticket office in Seattle (my starting point on EB 8) and they would change my tickets to give me a bus ticket and issue a refund for the roomette portion not taken. It was all very painless and professional.

Wow, great that they were able to give you that good info. I had the opposite experience (I am the opposite route as you on the same day going Boston to Albany on the bus). I was NOT told to change my bedroom ticket from BOS to CHI into two tickets (one for the bus and one for the follow on train). Yet you were told to exchange in Seattle and get a bus ticket. Also you got a refund for the roomette portion of the trip not taken. I was told no refund for the bedroom portion of the trip not taken. What the heck is the difference here? Am I going to even be allowed to board without having the seperate bus ticket and train ticket like you have?

 

[The Davy Crockett]

I had an e:mail from reservations re my booking on 448 from CHI to BOS on 9th October saying that from Albany to Boston it would be a bus. I rang the office and was given all the information I needed to know. I was to go to the ticket office in Seattle (my starting point on EB 8) and they would change my tickets to give me a bus ticket and issue a refund for the roomette portion not taken. It was all very painless and professional.

What the heck is the difference here?

The difference is that you spoke to a REALLY BAD agent. It happens. I've had it happen to me. What I've done is to call Amtrak back at 1-800-usa-rail and speak to a different agent. In the call, with a focus on resolution, explain your concerns and confusion. Just say the agent who called you left you unsure of what you should do. Even though you are frustrated, don't burden the agent you call with your unhappiness with the agent who called you, as there is nothing they can do about that agent. Unfortunately there are some really lousy agents out there, but the good news is that they are far outnumbered by good agents. If you happened to get the name of the agent who called you the first time, then contact customer service about them.

 

[Scrooge]

Further to my post about ticket changes this is a portion of the e:mail I received:

Train number 448 still departs from Chicago at

9:30 PM arriving in Albany at 2:50 PM the next afternoon. Then, due to track work, you will board bus number 3448 departing from Albany at

3:25 PM arriving in Boston South Station at

9:10 PM.

 

Since there are no sleepers on the bus, you are due a refund in the amount of $??.?? USD.

We ask that you exchange your tickets in Seattle

prior to boarding the train so that you will have tickets for both the train and the bus.

Your refund will be credited at that time.

You can turn in your exchange voucher at that time.

 

[smile145]

Further to my post about ticket changes this is a portion of the e:mail I received:

Train number 448 still departs from Chicago at

9:30 PM arriving in Albany at 2:50 PM the next afternoon. Then, due to track work, you will board bus number 3448 departing from Albany at

3:25 PM arriving in Boston South Station at

9:10 PM.

 

Since there are no sleepers on the bus, you are due a refund in the amount of $??.?? USD.

We ask that you exchange your tickets in Seattle

prior to boarding the train so that you will have tickets for both the train and the bus.

Your refund will be credited at that time.

You can turn in your exchange voucher at that time.

Did that email actually come from Amtrak or a travel agency or something? I didn't receive any email at all from anyone, just the voice mail from Amtrak and then I called and talked to the confused agent. I will call back but its nice that you have something in writing in an email and if those are suppossed to be sent explaining about the bus, I didn't get it.

 

[Scrooge]

I have only ever dealt directly with Amtrak. The only thing I can think of that gave me 'special treatment' is the fact that I live in the UK. My notifications and e:mails came from international sales part of which i quoted.