What happens when they cancel?

[Fenneran]

We are booked on the Coast Starlight, then the Empire Builder, then the Cardinal (all with a day in-between for scheduling delays) travelling from LA to Virginia in a couple of weeks.
I've seen a number of cancelations over the past few weeks, especially with the Empire Builder (Cold, freight derailments, etc) and was wondering what we should expect if one of these trains gets cancelled. Will they work with us to get re-booked on that train and the following? Or are we just stuck?
What has your experience been?
-Frank

 

[zephyr17]

When they cancel the entire Builder run it is a "cancellation without alternative transportation".

They do not automatically rebook you in that scenario.

You call AGR or 800-USA-RAIL and rebook. In this situation it is probably best to ask for Customer Relations once you get an agent (Cutomer Relations is staffed 8 am-8 pm ET M-F). Many agents will try to rebook you at your original rates if sleeper space is available, but sleeper space on another train isn't always available.

It is up to you to reach out to Amtrak to rebook in a cancellation without alternative transportation scenario.

It is also likely that Amtrak will automatically cancel all subsequent remaining segments on the same reservation if a segment is cancelled without alternative transportation.

Also, note that the connection between the eastbound Builder and Cardinal is not a "legal" guaranteed connection, so even if rebooked onto the next day's Builder, an agent would not book that as a same-day connection. If the Cardinal reservation is on a separate reservation and doesn't get cancelled in the cascade of automatic cancellations from a Builder cancellation, and the rebooked Builder misses, you would be treated as a no-show. So it would be best to redo that reservation at the same time.

 

[Fenneran]

Thank you. That's what I thought.