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

[Bob Dylan]

Hi n3rdg1rl,
With regard to “Sleeper Removal” discussion concerning Amtrak Car #2131…
I can confirm Eagle 21 ran one sleeper car #2131 last Friday. (DAL > SAS).
(Door sign said #2230 ;-)

That is now the Norm on the #21/#22/#421/#422 Consist.

 

[Lonnie]

We're going to be in car 830 of the EB Seattle to Chicago Dec 17-19. What are the chances our sleeper car won't be there? Is the same thing happening on the LSL?

 

[trimetbusfan]

We're going to be in car 830 of the EB Seattle to Chicago Dec 17-19. What are the chances our sleeper car won't be there? Is the same thing happening on the LSL?

The 830 car is supposed to be the base so I would not worry too much...

 

[zephyr17]

We're going to be in car 830 of the EB Seattle to Chicago Dec 17-19. What are the chances our sleeper car won't be there? Is the same thing happening on the LSL?

It just looks like the sole sleeper changed car line number for some reason from 30 to 31 on the Eagle. No car was apparently removed.

The LSL car lines are 11 and 12 on the New York section and have been for awhile. I am in 4911 on Saturday, BTW.

The 30 is still the base sleeper car line for 7/8. It is as much of a sure thing as there can be.

 

[joelkfla]

On RPA webinar, Amtrak VP said reduced capacity on LD trains would continue thru 2023.

 

[user 14106]

On RPA webinar, Amtrak VP said reduced capacity on LD trains would continue thru 2023.

And specifically - he said the expectation is 11% below pre pandemic capacity on the LD network for FY23.

 

[AmtrakFlyer]

And specifically - he said the expectation is 11% below pre pandemic capacity on the LD network for FY23

So probably 25 percent or status quo.

 

[jis]

And specifically - he said the expectation is 11% below pre pandemic capacity on the LD network for FY23.

Well, the equipment lost in derailments is bound to have some effect in addition to any delays in getting the mothballed stuff out on the road.

 

[user 14106]

So probably 25 percent or status quo.

Reduced capacity for the year doesn't mean we'll have the current consists on every train for the whole year.

 

[Steve4031]

I can understand the issue caused by equipment damaged in both derailments. However, all of those cars that could have been serviced during Covid weren't because Amtrak laid those employees off to cut costs is a bigger cause of the current shortage.

 

[user 14106]

I can understand the issue caused by equipment damaged in both derailments. However, all of those cars that could have been serviced during Covid weren't because Amtrak laid those employees off to cut costs is a bigger cause of the current shortage.

That's a factor but also COVID resulted in a lot of additional retirements/turnovers beyond just the pandemic furloughs. When they recalled people they were initially as you can recall able to resume daily service relatively quickly - but the labor situation continued to decline even with the return of furloughed workers with additional retirements.

 

[jis]

That's a factor but also COVID resulted in a lot of additional retirements/turnovers beyond just the pandemic furloughs. When they recalled people they were initially as you can recall able to resume daily service relatively quickly - but the labor situation continued to decline even with the return of furloughed workers with additional retirements.

The "I won't take this **** anymore. I quit/retire" phenomenon has been very real across the board. Backfilling those in a skilled job area inevitably takes time, even more so when the first skilled jobs you have to fill are in your HR department so as to be able to fill the other skilled jobs. Quite a cascade effect there. But I digress....

 

[joelkfla]

And specifically - he said the expectation is 11% below pre pandemic capacity on the LD network for FY23.

As I recall it, when Jim Mathews asked whether he meant FY 23 or calendar year, the VP gave a fuzzy answer, I think saying he wasn't sure but it would probably be until the end of the calendar year. It was kind of hard to hear, as he was hemming and hawing through it.

 

[user 14106]

Today - 5(18) running with a 532 sleeping car again and 3(18) running with a 331 sleeping car per Facebook observations and then verified myself using Galesburg/Fort Madison VF cams.

 

[AmtrakFlyer]

The second sleepers on both the CZ and SWC are removed effective today again. Only ran for 10 days or so over Thanksgiving. I don’t know what other proof we need, they have the equipment, it ran over the summer and again this past week. My family still can’t get rooms together in the same sleeper 12/19 on the CZ since they cut our car and family bedroom reservation.

Mark my word they will probably add the second sleepers back a week before Christmas with no notice just like they did at Thanksgiving. That doesn’t help the people that were already booked in them (and then canceled by Amtrak) or people trying to book holiday travel now. This company is just floundering in apathy and incompetence.

They’re literally trying to act like allegiant or frontier and keep a 98 percent load factor, to put in airline terms. Browse the website for December/January these trains are SOLD OUT.

 

[user 14106]

The second sleepers on both the CZ and SWC are removed effective today again. Only ran for 10 days or so over Thanksgiving. I don’t know what other proof we need, they have the equipment, it ran over the summer and again this past week. My family still can’t get rooms together in the same sleeper 12/19 on the CZ since they cut our car and family bedroom reservation.

Mark my word they will probably add the second sleepers back a week before Christmas with no notice just like they did at Thanksgiving. That doesn’t help the people that were already booked in them (and then canceled by Amtrak) or people trying to book holiday travel now. This company is just floundering in apathy and incompetence.

They’re literally trying to act like allegiant or frontier and keep a 98 percent load factor, to put in airline terms. Browse the website for December/January these trains are SOLD OUT.

It's unlikely these are day by day decisions. It's likely when they pulled sleepers back in the late summer or whenever it was that they kept them in inventory for Thanksgiving with the intention to add cars for those dates (and didn't cancel people booked on those dates.) The extra sleepers appeared to be well patronized which would indicate this wasn't a last minute decision to add them and sell the space. While I'd agree with concerns about inventory and in getting things resolved so people don't have to be worry about being dropped I don't think it's happening on quite that much of a day to day basis - I think they are making seasonal decisions on whether staffing and equipment can meet the planned consists for the upcoming couple months. If it's determined they cannot and trains are oversold that's when people are getting downgraded.

 

[trimetbusfan]

It's unlikely these are day by day decisions. It's likely when they pulled sleepers back in the late summer or whenever it was that they kept them in inventory for Thanksgiving with the intention to add cars for those dates (and didn't cancel people booked on those dates.) The extra sleepers appeared to be well patronized which would indicate this wasn't a last minute decision to add them and sell the space. While I'd agree with concerns about inventory and in getting things resolved so people don't have to be worry about being dropped I don't think it's happening on quite that much of a day to day basis - I think they are making seasonal decisions on whether staffing and equipment can meet the planned consists for the upcoming couple months. If it's determined they cannot and trains are oversold that's when people are getting downgraded.

I’m not sure that they have the staff. When riding over the summer the staff seemed burnt out. The on the zephyr there were several staffing issues.

For one, there was no 40 car attendant. The 32 car attendant had to do the work of both cars. (Which were both sold out).

Then, no Cafe car LSA from Chicago to Denver.

Fianlly, the dining car LSA ended up getting switched out mid route (at around Salt Lake City).

From an operational standpoint, it seems much better to plan on running the train without the extra cars and then add on those cars once they confirm they have the staff. I can’t imagine how hard it would be on the crews if that’s how they were normally running all summer.

 

[Explore]

Oh joy! I was assigned car 532 from CHI to EMY in early February....

Should I call in from time to time to see if space in one of the other two sleepers has opened up?

 

[trimetbusfan]

Oh joy! I was assigned car 532 from CHI to EMY in early February....

Should I call in from time to time to see if space in one of the other two sleepers has opened up?

Doesn't hurt. Honestly, this far out there might still be space in one of the other cars.

 

[zephyr17]

Oh joy! I was assigned car 532 from CHI to EMY in early February....

Should I call in from time to time to see if space in one of the other two sleepers has opened up?

I'd call. I won't trust that I'd keep my space in any non-base sleeper until Amtrak has managed not to yank the rug out from under sleeper passengers for at least a year.

Since I am a bit picky about roomette location, I always call to make the reservation in the first place. I would have asked to be moved out of the 32 car before completing the transaction.

 

[Explore]

It was auto-assigned, booking through the app.

 

[trimetbusfan]

It was auto-assigned, booking through the app.

Your room assignment is always auto-assigned when you book online or thru the app. When you call to book your reservation, you often are able to choose which room you want.

 

[zephyr17]

It was auto-assigned, booking through the app.

You can call and try to change it to the 31 car. If a roomette is available in the 31 car an experienced agent will be able to do it while holding your price. If the agent says it will change the price, you reached an inexperienced agent. Either ask for a supervisor or politely end the call and call back in hopes of getting a better agent (sometimes called playing agent roulette).

 

[AmtrakFlyer]

Or just ask to be transferred to Guest relations that will be happy to change the reservation. They are well versed on the situation and I’m sure they would rather have you call now and prevent them from having to deal with you being disgruntled and or disappointed later.

 

[elaineprescott]

We're on the SWC on Jan 26 with two roomettes 7 & 8 in car 330. If there's only one sleeper, will it be 330?