Superliner trains' removal and restoration of cars (2022-2023)

[SteveSFL]

I just got an email regarding discounts on points trips in September. I checked my early September Zepyhr trip and I see that the roomette I paid 24,442 point for is now only 17,xxx. But I dare not mess with the reservation lest I end up in the 632 sleeper which probably doesn’t exist!

 

[Railmonkey]

Fingers crossed booked on SWC on 9/27 from LA to Lamy in car 430/Room 6. I have to get to Santa Fe on that date and dread the thought of the possibility of having to do a last min. flight.

Watching the railcam in Gallup and I'm seeing either 2 sleepers or a sleeper and a trans dorm. At least for the last 2-3 weeks.

 

[pennyk]

Fingers crossed booked on SWC on 9/27 from LA to Lamy in car 430/Room 6. I have to get to Santa Fe on that date and dread the thought of the possibility of having to do a last min. flight.

Good luck. If the last information I received this morning is accurate (emphasize if), then it is likely you should be OK in a roomette in the 30 car. It appears in my downgrade situation, only bedroom passengers in the 30 car were affected.

 

[Bonser]

It would be a helpful gesture but what do you think under the current management regime?

As the Amtrak apologists like to point out: "They are getting their transportation aren't they? What more do they want?"

I haven't heard anyone say that yet. I suppose it's implied in the offer.

 

[PaTrainFan]

This is interesting, maybe: I called AGR to check on changing my room for a late September trip to Chicago on the Capitol, which when I booked it two months ago the only available room was the H room in 2900. I tried a few other times online to see if roomettes were available and they were not. On my call today, I was able to change to a roomette and get a refund of points because rooms have opened up.

At the time I made the original reservation a month ago I suspicioned that they had dropped a sleeper on the Capitol Limited. The agent told me that now there are now several rooms available, and I am now in the 2901 car. Makes me wonder if a car was added back into the consist, converse to recent trends. Okay, I have now perhaps put myself in risk of being downgraded later, but I am one to live on the edge where Amtrak is concerned.

 

[joelkfla]

At the time I made the original reservation a month ago I suspicioned that they had dropped a sleeper on the Capitol Limited. The agent told me that now there are now several rooms available, and I am now in the 2901 car. Makes me wonder if a car was added back into the consist, converse to recent trends. Okay, I have now perhaps put myself in risk of being downgraded later, but I am one to live on the edge where Amtrak is concerned.

Yes, they have added a sleeper!

I have the same trip booked in the same time period in an H-Room. Before it said there were no H-Rooms left on the Cap. Ltd. after I had it booked; now there is an H-room available in both directions.

Even better, the fare on the return trip has dropped over $100! I'm waiting on the call-back from AGR to request an adjustment.

 

[kurt5824]

So while I've taken a couple of cross country trips, I'm new to Amtrak's cancelation issues. My roomette on the CZ September 26 was canceled and I was downgraded to coach, traveling from Emeryville to Chicago.
I rebooked the trip to September 27th. Now I'm traveling on the SWC to Chicago in car 440, which I believe to be a transition sleeper. Should I still be worried about losing my roommate?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

Sorry! Auto-correct ! Should I be worried about losing my "roomette"!!

 

[wrowland]

So while I've taken a couple of cross country trips, I'm new to Amtrak's cancelation issues. My roomette on the CZ September 26 was canceled and I was downgraded to coach, traveling from Emeryville to Chicago.
I rebooked the trip to September 27th. Now I'm traveling on the SWC to Chicago in car 440, which I believe to be a transition sleeper. Should I still be worried about losing my roommate?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

440 car should be a transition dorm car; half for onboard staff (OBS) and half for paying customers. Can't imagine they would pull that car since OBS uses it. Unless of course, I am completely wrong on the car type.

 

[wrowland]

440 car should be a transition dorm car; half for onboard staff (OBS) and half for paying customers. Can't imagine they would pull that car since OBS uses it. Unless of course, I am completely wrong on the car type.

Also, what is going on right now appears to be fairly unique; nothing is certain at this point!

 

[kurt5824]

440 car should be a transition dorm car; half for onboard staff (OBS) and half for paying customers. Can't imagine they would pull that car since OBS uses it. Unless of course, I am completely wrong on the car type.

Thanks!

 

[zetharion]

Such a sad state of affairs that now for every trip you make on Amtrak you seem to now have to "cross your fingers" and pray that the trip you paid a lot for isnt totally cancelled or completely ruined with little to no communication as to why from Amtrak. Amtrak doesnt like being treated like this by the freight companies but has no issue doing it to its own customers.

 

[SteveSFL]

So while I've taken a couple of cross country trips, I'm new to Amtrak's cancelation issues. My roomette on the CZ September 26 was canceled and I was downgraded to coach

What car were you booked in on the Zephyr, 632?

 

[zephyr17]

440 car should be a transition dorm car; half for onboard staff (OBS) and half for paying customers. Can't imagine they would pull that car since OBS uses it. Unless of course, I am completely wrong on the car type.

You are correct in that the 40 car line is the transdorm on the SW Chief, and transdorms generally have not been the subject of unexpected cuts. However, with that said, some trains currently are running without transdorms, the OBS crew being accommodated in standard sleepers. The Starlight is running with 3 sleepers and no transdorm this summer (the pre-COVID summer consist having been transdorm plus 3 standard sleepers). Recently, the Builder has beeing running with a mix of trandorms and standard sleepers as the 32 car line (Builder being an exception to the 40 car line=transdorm rule, 32 is the normal car line for the Builder's transdorm) , depending on which day and consist. My guess is they are not releasing the Bedrooms in 32 for sale on the standard sleeper days because I don't think they can vary the inventory by day.

 

[kurt5824]

What car were you booked in on the Zephyr, 632?

Yes I was in car 632

 

[MARC Rider]

Such a sad state of affairs that now for every trip you make on Amtrak you seem to now have to "cross your fingers" and pray that the trip you paid a lot for isnt totally cancelled or completely ruined with little to no communication as to why from Amtrak. Amtrak doesnt like being treated like this by the freight companies but has no issue doing it to its own customers.

Corrected:

"Such a sad state of affairs that now for every long-distance trip you make in a sleeping car on Amtrak you seem to now have to "cross your fingers" and pray that the trip you paid a lot for isnt totally cancelled or completely ruined with little to no communication as to why from Amtrak. "

I just took 2 Amtrak trips in the past month, and had no problems with cancellations. But they weren't long-distance trips in sleeping cars.

Also the complaints about cancellations seemed to be concentrated on the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief. Hmmm. Wonder why?

 

[wrowland]

Corrected:

"Such a sad state of affairs that now for every long-distance trip you make in a sleeping car on Amtrak you seem to now have to "cross your fingers" and pray that the trip you paid a lot for isnt totally cancelled or completely ruined with little to no communication as to why from Amtrak. "

I just took 2 Amtrak trips in the past month, and had no problems with cancellations. But they weren't long-distance trips in sleeping cars.

Also the complaints about cancellations seemed to be concentrated on the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief. Hmmm. Wonder why?

Educate a noob; why just those?

 

[zephyr17]

Also the complaints about cancellations seemed to be concentrated on the California Zephyr and Southwest Chief. Hmmm. Wonder why?

Because they already pulled the second sleeper off the Builder in May, and most of the complaints about it came in June and July. It remains gone. So far the Builder, SW Chief, and CZ have all been hit with with sleepers being cut with space having been sold. The only western train with multiple sleepers that hasn't been hit is the Starlight at this point. The Sunset and Eagle only have one sleeper anyway.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Because they already pulled the second sleeper off the Builder in May, and most of the complaints about it came in June and July. It remains gone. So far the Builder, SW Chief, and CZ have all been hit with with sleepers being cut with space having been sold. The only western train with multiple sleepers that hasn't been hit is the Starlight at this point. The Sunset and Eagle only have one sleeper anyway.

The Texas Eaglete( Now a pathetic Consist of 1 P-42 ,Revenue Sleeper,CCC and 2 Coaches) pre-Pandemic, had a consist of 1
P-42,Bag Car, Transdorm,1-2 Revenue Sleepers( Seasonal),CCC,Sightseer Lounge,2 Coaches, and on 421-422 Days, a Cutout Coach and Revenue Sleeper from #2 SAS-CHI.

Most days there was also a Cut Out Coach between STL and CHI on the end of the Consist.

Look what they've done to my Train Ma!

 

[UserNameRequired]

You are correct in that the 40 car line is the transdorm on the SW Chief, and transdorms generally have not been the subject of unexpected cuts. However, with that said, some trains currently are running without transdorms, the OBS crew being accommodated in standard sleepers. The Starlight is running with 3 sleepers and no transdorm this summer (the pre-COVID summer consist having been transdorm plus 3 standard sleepers). Recently, the Builder has beeing running with a mix of trandorms and standard sleepers as the 32 car line (Builder being an exception to the 40 car line=transdorm rule, 32 is the normal car line for the Builder's transdorm) , depending on which day and consist. My guess is they are not releasing the Bedrooms in 32 for sale on the standard sleeper days because I don't think they can vary the inventory by day.

My CZ today was like this, the 40 car was a standard sleeper instead of a real trans dorm. There was no way to get to the baggage car without going around. The end train fan window of 40 was one of the most dirtiest windows I have ever seen - almost no light came through it. There was a 32 car. They ran out of all deserts and several entrees by the time we got on, (chili potato and salad)

 

[zephyr17]

My CZ today was like this, the 40 car was a standard sleeper instead of a real trans dorm. There was no way to get to the baggage car without going around. The end train fan window of 40 was one of the most dirtiest windows I have ever seen - almost no light came through it. There was a 32 car. They ran out of all deserts and several entrees by the time we got on, (chili potato and salad)

Hmm, so they are not just doing that on some Builder consists. My bet is it is like the Builder, with some consists having a transdorm, some not.

Was surprised you had any light at all out of that railfan forward window. A lot of the time when running without a transdorm they'll attach a cap over the diaphragm to minimize exhaust fumes seeping into the car around the door.

 

[UserNameRequired]

Hmm, so they are not just doing that on some Builder consists. My bet is it is like the Builder, with some consists having a transdorm, some not.

Was surprised you had any light at all out of that railfan forward window. A lot of the time when running without a transdorm they'll attach a cap over the diaphragm to minimize exhaust fumes seeping into the car around the door.

No cap, just some metal bars and some safety looking yellow/red? straps.

 

[zephyr17]

No cap, just some metal bars and some safety looking yellow/red? straps.

Yeah, those bars are standard and pulled out and locked on end cars (on either end). You'd have know if there was that cap, it is black, opaque rubber/plastic and is outside the door itself (which would have had those bars up in either case)

 

[TaseMeBro]

I'm not as fluent in the terminology, nor the construction of the CZ consists, but if it's a useful datapoint, I just boarded car 632 of the CZ Eastbound at SLC, on 8/21 (in a roomette).

Might be worth mentioning I only bought the ticket a few hours ago. I had looked online last night, and it was showing one roomette left. By the time (still last night) I got around to booking, the roomette had disappeared and only 1 family bedroom and 1 bedroom were left. At some point this afternoon, 1 additional roomette became available (the remaining room counts didn't change)

 

[pennyk]

Moderator Note: Numerous posts relating to staff shortages and salary of OBS were split off to a new thread:

https://www.amtraktrains.com/threads/amtrak-obs-shortage-and-salary.82956/

 

[Siegmund]

Because they already pulled the second sleeper off the Builder in May, and most of the complaints about it came in June and July. It remains gone. So far the Builder, SW Chief, and CZ have all been hit with with sleepers being cut with space having been sold. The only western train with multiple sleepers that hasn't been hit is the Starlight at this point. The Sunset and Eagle only have one sleeper anyway.

This means, if I am counting correctly, that fewer than 50 Superliner sleepers are in non-Auto-Train service, out of 119 built and about 100 still on the roster.