What should Amtrak change?

[west point]

Unfortunatly the VIA HEP wiring on locos and cars is more complicated than Amtrak HEP wiring. However,,if Amtrak would adopt the VIA system it is backward compatible with Amtrak. One excepption is that via is ! some 500 volt system That not easily mitigated.

 

[danasgoodstuff]

The US and Canada should synchronize regulations that apply to passenger cars and locomotives and enable Amtrak and Via and other passenger railroads in both countries to order equipment together. Surely that could save money.

Or maybe northern tier long distance US trains built to CND spec since the weather on the Empire Builder is not that different than CND weather, etc. Not sure it's practical to build for all the extremes of weather on the continent, but then given recent weather events it may be necessary to build everything for extreme hot and cold. Say 120 F to -50 F. I'm sure there are some folks here who understand the engineering on this.

 

[user 14106]

Amtrak should offer a pre-departure drink (or a drink upon departure) to sleeping car passengers.

Airlines usually give pre-departure drinks in first class, but on Amtrak, you have to wait until the cafe car opens to buy one, and you have to wait until dinner is served to get a complimentary one. That means potentially several hours of waiting.

They sort of offer that on the eastbound Lake Shore. It departs late enough where they don't serve a dinner but the diner opens for those who would like a night cap and its complimentary.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Or maybe northern tier long distance US trains built to CND spec since the weather on the Empire Builder is not that different than CND weather, etc. Not sure it's practical to build for all the extremes of weather on the continent, but then given recent weather events it may be necessary to build everything for extreme hot and cold. Say 120 F to -50 F. I'm sure there are some folks here who understand the engineering on this.

Agreed. Being able to withstand and continue performing under temperature extremes in both directions (hot and cold) would be essential for equipment to be usable in both the US and Canada. Canada could possibly get by with equipment not built to withstand triple-digit-Fahrenheit (40C or more) heat, but not the USA.

 

[TheCrescent]

Amtrak should have pre-recorded announcements on its long-distance trains. Airlines do, and they’re more pleasant-sounding than an Amtrak crew member announcing, “Clean up the bathrooms!”, for example.

 

[TheCrescent]

Here’s a new suggestion:

Start listing trains on the station departure board.

Today, the Amtrak train that I’m on wasn’t shown on the departure board. I arrived in an area right next to the gates 18 minutes before departure and waited. (Usually tracks are posted 10 minutes before departure.) No announcement was made and the train wasn’t shown on the departure board. 2 minutes before departure, there finally was a “last call for train X” announcement. At least the sleeping car attendant is great; with some others, I could see them making an issue because I arrived just a minute or so before the train left.

The train showed as “on time” in the app but it didn’t list the track or “now boarding”.

 

[Northwestern]

I do agree with the problem with the lack of updated arrival and departure boards at many Amtrak stations.

Last summer I was at the Martinez, CA station for a 10:30 PM departure on the Coast Starlight, headed north. The train was 2 hours late. The one station attendant said it would be late, but he didn't know how late. There was a streaming digital board for train status...but it only showed status for one regional train and not the Starlight. That regional train had already arrived and departed from the station. Martinez has 4 major Amtrak trains coming through per day.

I think a small digital display could be programmed centrally and be installed at most Amtrak stations which don't have larger train status display boards. I imagine some sort of display board would be handy at unmanned stations and station platforms.

 

[MIrailfan]

Backup trainsets on endpoints of chronically delayed LD routes.

 

[jis]

If you have extra trainsets should you use those for running additional service, or should you hold them as backup for once in a blue moon use? That will depend on what proportion of runs are delayed enough or disrupted so as to require a backup set, and what is the relative cost of maintaining extra rolling stock vs. handling IRROPs adequately in other ways. It is a matter of system and service planning for exceptions and is not just a matter of getting a whole bunch of additional sets that will mostly sit around doing nothing.

 

[west point]

Back up trais sets where ? will address.
Amtrak can only park train sets where maintenance can do the daily required inspections and tests.
as of now till probably 2026 there will not be enough equiipment to even meet the full demand on present routes. But we have to admit that sleepers will not bbecome extra beforw 2031 - 2032. Only then will any Amfleets become surplus unless Amtrak starts a lot of shorter haul routes between now and 2026. Then surplus ?? But the short hauls out of CHI for the most part are CHI crews so no help on far end. But a couple LD train sets at CHI when equipment finally becomes spare.

Crews at some locations will be a problem. Now SEA would be ideal for some coaches. If Starlight or Builder very late a spare coach set can start trip to PDX and Spokane to meet a very late train that speeds up turn by 9 - 10 hours. No bustitutions. So CHI,SEA , EMY / OAK, LAX can be locations for spare equipment if secure locations can be found for keeping them.

NOL? plenty of parking for equipent but no T&E crews based there now. Mobile service may have NOL crews . That would allow for Crescent crew to be there as well which would allow departure be moved back to early departures. That would get Crescent back to reasonable times all way to NYP.

MIA & Sanford could have a set each that could meet any Silver at Orlando where Sanford can maintain a turned set.

NYP can certaintl have 1 or 2 sets since it does originate 5 or 6 LD trains a day. + it certainly has spare T&E and OBS on extra board(s). Track space might be a problem?

 

[jis]

So what we are saying is that it would be OK for keeping 2 out of 8 sets sitting idle exclusive of PM/OS. I can see people screaming, specially the ones who don't like 20% of the rolling stock being held in abeyance for PM/OS + contingency. I don't think that will happen. Net net one set yes, two very unlikely. It is better to work on reducing MDBF, and improving dispatching and RoW maintenance.

 

[west point]

So what we are saying is that it would be OK for keeping 2 out of 8 sets sitting idle exclusive of PM/OS.

Absolutely not ! Until Amtrak covers each one of its train routes with enough equipment there should be no back up equipent. Only when every train ( all services ) has enough rolling stock to meet demand only then can excess roadworthy rolling stock be placed at selected standby locations. That is with reasonable fares not the sky high fares now in effect. Right now the sleeper inventory even if all sleeper cars are in service is too thin.

 

[MIrailfan]

If you have extra trainsets should you use those for running additional service, or should you hold them as backup for once in a blue moon use? That will depend on what proportion of runs are delayed enough or disrupted so as to require a backup set, and what is the relative cost of maintaining extra rolling stock vs. handling IRROPs adequately in other ways. It is a matter of system and service planning for exceptions and is not just a matter of getting a whole bunch of additional sets that will mostly sit around doing nothing.

its always good to have a spare. Chronic delays cost money in lost customers.

 

[west point]

The only way IMO that Amtrak meets its objectives is to require that Amtrak's purpose is to increase the number of revenue passenger miles on every train and routes. Multi train routes such as the Silvers is to have more total revenue passenger miles. Once a train approaches its maximum cars with RPMs reaching sold outs on some stations then a second or more trains need to be started. Maybe some seasonal trains ? The NYP <> Florida may have much potential ? It may be the Palmetto is meeting all it can just handle to Savannah ?

 

[drdumont]

They sort of offer that on the eastbound Lake Shore. It departs late enough where they don't serve a dinner but the diner opens for those who would like a night cap and its complimentary.

Or you take your own and save some dough. The convenience of enjoying a snort, a snack or a hot fresh coffee on my schedule far outweighs the slight inconvenience of stocking up and carrying my electric cooler bag.
We have to start on The Eagle, so either take your own meals or starve. And quite handy on those really long delays.

 

[alpha3]

So what we are saying is that it would be OK for keeping 2 out of 8 sets sitting idle exclusive of PM/OS. I can see people screaming, specially the ones who don't like 20% of the rolling stock being held in abeyance for PM/OS + contingency. I don't think that will happen. Net net one set yes, two very unlikely. It is better to work on reducing MDBF, and improving dispatching and RoW maintenance.

Hmmm; it's a hard argument, and I admit I don't know enough about the nitty-gritty of train operations.
From an airline perspective, at the hub I worked we did indeed have spares. Usually one narrow-body and one wide-body. It's a good idea, and when you hear the dreaded call of 'out of service' it's a comfort to know there's a bird sitting ready to go.

 

[jis]

Hmmm; it's a hard argument, and I admit I don't know enough about the nitty-gritty of train operations.
From an airline perspective, at the hub I worked we did indeed have spares. Usually one narrow-body and one wide-body. It's a good idea, and when you hear the dreaded call of 'out of service' it's a comfort to know there's a bird sitting ready to go.

Amtrak keeps spare cars, but not entire train consists, since things that fail more often are individual cars and not entire consists.

Of course with the move towards articulated consists, that is bound to change. With standardized consists used on multiple services, it would make sense to keep spare consists as is done on the NEC, but with a single daily service with a unique consist like the Auto Train, it would be crazy to keep an entire additional consist around of 40 cars unless failures are so frequent that perhaps either the failure causes should be fixed or the service discontinued, as happened with the other Auto Train.

 

[zephyr17]

Amtrak keeps spare cars, but not entire train consists, since things that fail more often are individual cars and not entire consists.

It depends on the terminal.

Seattle and Portland do not.

I do not think they keep any protection Superliner equipment at Oakland Coach Yard (services the CZ)

Los Angeles does, primarily in the form of Sunset equipment laying over. LA is the maintenance base for the Sunset and Starlight.

Chicago is the maintenance base for most Superliner trains and the point where the consists for them are made up. Chicago has a lot they can shuffle around.

 

[MIrailfan]

In seat video screens for Business Class. (First class on Acela.)

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

In seat video screens for Business Class. (First class on Acela.)

Perhaps pre-loaded with a rotating selection of movies? (So they'd work even if the WiFi was down)

 

[Ryan]

In a day and age where nearly everyone carries a portable screen on them, waste of time and money.

 

[joelkfla]

In a day and age where nearly everyone carries a portable screen on them, waste of time and money.

As Jeb said on a recent video, the advantage is that you can eat or open your laptop on the tray table while watching a video on the seat back screen. Without them, you're limited to doing one thing at a time.

 

[MccfamschoolMom]

Satellite internet on LD trains would be VERY nice, even if at an extra charge. Pre-downloaded movies/books/etc. are entertainment, but some mobile apps have limited or no functionality without an internet connection, and poor/no cell service over large parts of LD routes makes web browsing, checking emails, etc. impossible.

 

[drdumont]

Satellite internet on LD trains would be VERY nice, even if at an extra charge. Pre-downloaded movies/books/etc. are entertainment, but some mobile apps have limited or no functionality without an internet connection, and poor/no cell service over large parts of LD routes makes web browsing, checking emails, etc. impossible.

I'll tweet Elon and see if Tesla would be interested in putting Starlinks on the coaches... Instant Internet. I'd pay extra.

 

[railiner]

I'll tweet Elon and see if Tesla would be interested in putting Starlinks on the coaches... Instant Internet. I'd pay extra.

Why not?
More and more cruise lines are switching from their current satellite internet provider’s to Starlink, for lower cost and better service…