Without additional funding, how can Amtrak improve the LD trains?

[railiner]

Streamline management and weed out the 'deadwood' ... and speaking of EB attendant GUL... he should be promoted to a management position of training and evaluation of SCA's because he understands the meaning of customer oriented service. Amtrak needs to reward those with promotions etc. who are so service oriented.

Next time you meet one of these 'star' attendants, ask them if they are interested in being promoted into management...their answer may surprise you...
Not everyone wants to be promoted, or wish to take on the added responsibility of being accountable for other's performance. Or to be a 'disciplinarian'...
Some just want to excel at their present position. And in some cases, taking a promotion can result in lower earnings, and worse working conditions.

And from the Company view, not everyone that excel's in their job performance may necessarily have the sometimes different skill set for being a manager or supervisor.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Next time you meet one of these 'star' attendants, ask them if they are interested in being promoted into management...their answer may surprise you...
Not everyone wants to be promoted, or wish to take on the added responsibility of being accountable for other's performance. Or to be a 'disciplinarian'...
Some just want to excel at their present position. And in some cases, taking a promotion can result in lower earnings, and worse working conditions.

And from the Company view, not everyone that excel's in their job performance may necessarily have the sometimes different skill set for being a manager or supervisor.

Every time I am fortunate enough to be in Gul's car I mention a management position to him... his reply is that he loves his job just the way it is and doesn't want a promotion. He then opens up the table and sets it for dinner. He remembers the tobasco and steak sauce; pours the ginger ale into the ice filled glass, and then before he leaves he asks, "Is there anything else I can get for you?"

While it may not be a perfect world, folks like him make miracles. Here's his card... posted as an expression of respectful appreciation for his wisdom, kindness, and professionalism... and so that others on the forum will know of this amazing sleeping car attendant!

 

[Qapla]

Here are a few things that would not cost any extra money ... just some actual common sense:

• Quit treating a railroad like an airline - though they may both carry passengers, they serve two different markets
• Quit lumping ALL LD trains into the same category. Those traveling from Miami to NY do not have the same concerns as those traveling from Chicago to Portland.
• Each route should be examined and improved based on the ridership of that particular route
• Quit thinking that removing services is a way to "save money" when it reduces ridership and actually loses money
• Quit looking at the passengers as "cargo" and treat them like people - like the way the board members would want to be treated
• Have the executives and board members ride each route as an "undercover passenger" so they receive the same service and food the rest of us get

For some of the things that actually do cost money:

• Fix and/or refurbish the cars that are "out of service" instead of just letting them sit
• Put back many of the small amenities that have been removed
• Serve both Coke and Pepsi products so the passengers can choose - not the boardroom choosing
• Include food selections people actually eat

I'm sure there are other things but that's what I have for now

 

[20th Century Rider]

Here are a few things that would not cost any extra money ... just some actual common sense:

• Quit treating a railroad like an airline - though they may both carry passengers, they serve two different markets
• Quit lumping ALL LD trains into the same category. Those traveling from Miami to NY do not have the same concerns as those traveling from Chicago to Portland.
• Each route should be examined and improved based on the ridership of that particular route
• Quit thinking that removing services is a way to "save money" when it reduces ridership and actually loses money
• Quit looking at the passengers as "cargo" and treat them like people - like the way the board members would want to be treated
• Have the executives and board members ride each route as an "undercover passenger" so they receive the same service and food the rest of us get

For some of the things that actually do cost money:

• Fix and/or refurbish the cars that are "out of service" instead of just letting them sit
• Put back many of the small amenities that have been removed
• Serve both Coke and Pepsi products so the passengers can choose - not the boardroom choosing
• Include food selections people actually eat

I'm sure there are other things but that's what I have for now

Well said! Amen!

 

[Seaboard92]

Why not? For that matter, why not just privatize the sleeper segment?

There's a lot of folks here who, as far as I know, would never get to be your customer because those opportunities aren't (from what I've seen) ever marketed publicly.

There also appears to be a demand for those who want a higher level of food quality. I'm sure Amtrak could probably sell enough sleeper capacity to one-off passengers and their captive market. I don't see them growing the segment at all.

There's also the missed opportunity of marketing themselves as a safer alternative to flying in pandemic times.

We do market our trips fairly regularly and the trips aren't really that much more expensive. Especially if it's a public charter the basic theory towards charter prices is the more you can pack in one car, the cheaper the overall price is. aaprco.com is where you need to look for trips that are available. Or check with the individual car owners websites. There is a large demand for our services actually and just like private jets received an above average amount of inquiries so have we.

If they could buy the old depot in Grand Junction and run trains both east to Denver and west to Salt Lake City with an overnight in grand junction (similar to the Canadian operation) they would have a gold mine. They could do day trips from grand junction to arches, Durango, etc.

Plus... they can use the same name... still the Rocky Mountains!

Exactly and their brand is worth quite a lot already. They have a lot of name recognition which will help them in launching a new train. Now I don't know if it will come to pass but I would say based on the sources it's going to happen. It's a very reliable source.

Better in my view if it were run by the private car owners, as the service standards would undoubtedly be higher, and it wouldn't be on Amtrak's books except for the fees paid to Amtrak by the private operators. But the Iowa Pacific experience is a real cautionary tale, and the more recent Amtrak management, especially under Richard Anderson, has seemed downright hostile toward the private car owners. Amtrak shouldn't view such services as competition to their regular sleeper service (in my own case, they've already lost me as a customer because of flex dining).

But even more important for the long-distance trains, better, more consistent on-board services staffing would go a long way toward building and retaining ridership. There was a considerable improvement about 15 years ago (perhaps in the David Gunn era), but there still is too often a feeling on Amtrak that the train is being run for the crew's benefit. In reality, they are working in a competitive hospitality industry. Maybe they could take lessons from Via Rail?

I agree with you it is definitely better to allow the PV owners to run any sort of service like this. We have much higher service standards because we are a higher priced product where service is the distinction. Why would you chose a private car for travel when Amtrak can take you on the exact same route at a tenth of the cost? What sets us apart is the hard product like the interior of the car, how comfortable the chairs, beds are, and how eye pleasing it is. Not every car is a dome car or an observation car. The next thing that sets us apart is our soft product which is our customer service. Generally we call you a week or two ahead of a trip to ask what type of food you like to eat so we plan our menu around your desires. On trips I've worked I've also been available at the destination to come and claim people's shopping bags and bring them back to the railcar.

We really aren't competition to Amtrak when we aren't running regularly on one route because we are a completely different product than theirs. But what IPH was trying to operate was definitely a competitor to the Amtrak sleeper. They ran often enough for it to be used as normal transportation, they would take passengers at any stop, and it was ran to the public not groups. The difference IPH had was a far superior hard product, and a soft product that was light years ahead of Amtrak well really behind as they were striving for 1950s Pullman Company.

I agree Amtrak would benefit if they were more like VIA Rail Canada. The VIA Rail Attendants are out of this world. I would put them up there with some of the best private car attendants in my opinion. I can't speak too much to VIA Rail coach travel but I can say that every sleeper, diner attendant, lounge car attendant, and other employees I've interacted with. I remember I took a charter into Montreal once and I was struggling with passenger luggage, a VIA employee walked by and asked if I needed help. So I said yes, she radioed someone and VIA employees came out of every direction to help me. It was amazing, an engineer, service manager, car attendants, and others. That's how good of a railroad VIA is.

My opinion on WiFi... my phone has unlimited data and it gets pretty good service throughout the Amtrak system. The Cascade mountains are the only long stretch without service that I can remember.

I’m thinking in a few years it won’t be an issue so it would be a poor investment. Just my opinion of course.

 

[fdaley]

I agree Amtrak would benefit if they were more like VIA Rail Canada. The VIA Rail Attendants are out of this world. I would put them up there with some of the best private car attendants in my opinion. I can't speak too much to VIA Rail coach travel but I can say that every sleeper, diner attendant, lounge car attendant, and other employees I've interacted with. I remember I took a charter into Montreal once and I was struggling with passenger luggage, a VIA employee walked by and asked if I needed help. So I said yes, she radioed someone and VIA employees came out of every direction to help me. It was amazing, an engineer, service manager, car attendants, and others. That's how good of a railroad VIA is.

In fairness, I should note that I've seen and been helped by a lot of very good Amtrak station and onboard personnel over the years. And when I've traveled with elderly/disabled family members, quite a few at Amtrak have really gone far above and beyond expectations. But every now and then I run into a dud, and these are the employees who can really leave a bad taste, especially with first-time or occasional riders. On my first trip on the Cal Zephyr in 2002, the woman who ran the dining car was so miserable that I avoided that train for the next eight years before trying it again.

The VIA personnel, as you say, are just in a different league. The whole attitude there seems to be that train travel is a special experience -- and that the crew wants to show off how good it can be. They've created a service culture that's exceptional. Amtrak overall is a lot better than it was 20-30 years ago, but it's nowhere near the VIA level.

 

[west point]

About amenities. What would a kit cost along with a bottle of water ? Mass produced maybe about $5.00 including distribution. If each trip required 30 - 40 units how often would that cause at least one more room sold ? Pays for itself.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

About amenities. What would a kit cost along with a bottle of water ? Mass produced maybe about $5.00 including distribution. If each trip required 30 - 40 units how often would that cause at least one more room sold ? Pays for itself.

According to how it was advertised, contemporary dining was to include an amenity kit and unlimited bottled water and other soft drinks.

 

[fdaley]

About amenities. What would a kit cost along with a bottle of water ? Mass produced maybe about $5.00 including distribution. If each trip required 30 - 40 units how often would that cause at least one more room sold ? Pays for itself.

The same is true for a lot of the amenities that have been dropped from sleeper travel in the recent years. How much does it cost to provide a daily newspaper to every sleeper passenger -- a couple dollars apiece? For a comparatively small expense Amtrak could make its customers feel sufficiently well cared for that they are more likely to choose to travel this way next time or to make another trip sooner. That would help the bottom line. Instead, by eliminating amenities right and left and downgrading the food service, they're driving away customers.

Worse, the economizing efforts seem to have fallen hardest on high-revenue customers on the long-distance trains. When I paid nearly $300 extra for a roomette on the Lake Shore in early 2018, I found there was no longer a daily newspaper provided. But when I paid $19 extra for business class on the Wolverine on the same trip, the price included a complimentary copy of that day's New York Times. It may not be fair to compare the two, but I came away feeling that Wolverine business class exceeded expectations, while the Lake Shore sleeper delivered less than before for the same high price. And that was before they killed dining service on the LSL.

 

[Exvalley]

Upgrade the technology so passengers can choose and pay for seating / rooms / online... just like the airlines.

This! You should be able to choose your seat/room and your meals online. When traditional dining returns, they should also allow you to reserve dining times online.

Allowing seat reservations would eliminate the anxiety and mad rush to the train when boarding is announced. It would also give couples traveling together peace of mind. And singles could lock in a window or aisle seat depending on their preference.

 

[railiner]

We've had the debate over the pluses and minuses of reserved seating, several times. The main drawback is on trains that make a large number of stops, to allow full utilization of all seats, and "latecomer's" not having to change seats several times to pick from what seats are open on what segments, to make a thru trip on a heavily booked train.

 

[joelkfla]

We've had the debate over the pluses and minuses of reserved seating, several times. The main drawback is on trains that make a large number of stops, to allow full utilization of all seats, and "latecomer's" not having to change seats several times to pick from what seats are open on what segments, to make a thru trip on a heavily booked train.

They could at least allow seat selection at originating points (or stops "only to Receive passengers," like Miami thru West Palm.) That would eliminate the mad rush and have absolutely no affect on churn.

 

[Nick Farr]

We've had the debate over the pluses and minuses of reserved seating, several times. The main drawback is on trains that make a large number of stops, to allow full utilization of all seats, and "latecomer's" not having to change seats several times to pick from what seats are open on what segments, to make a thru trip on a heavily booked train.

Did that debate cover the German system where the default is no seat assignments, but passengers can elect a seat assignment for an additional fee?

 

[me_little_me]

We've had the debate over the pluses and minuses of reserved seating, several times. The main drawback is on trains that make a large number of stops, to allow full utilization of all seats, and "latecomer's" not having to change seats several times to pick from what seats are open on what segments, to make a thru trip on a heavily booked train.

God made computers precisely to alleviate this problem. A certain number of seats could be reserved for certain city boarding, or for short or long distances, for up to, say, 48 hours prior. Or the system could do what some LD attendants do - allow riders from certain places only in certain cars but it could free them up automatically based on passenger count.
This could also restrict seat assignments where all rows have a single person and couples/groups get locked out.

 

[Nick Farr]

God made computers precisely to alleviate this problem. A certain number of seats could be reserved for certain city boarding, or for short or long distances, for up to, say, 48 hours prior. Or the system could do what some LD attendants do - allow riders from certain places only in certain cars but it could free them up automatically based on passenger count.
This could also restrict seat assignments where all rows have a single person and couples/groups get locked out.

While this partially a computer issue, it's also a big issue with the equipment and the service. Unlike planes, they don't have reliable data on the consists until sometimes right before the trip. They can't assign seats if they have no idea what kind of car will be on which routes.

On passenger services in Europe where seat reservations are allowed, they know exactly what kind of equipment will be on each train.

 

[20th Century Rider]

While this partially a computer issue, it's also a big issue with the equipment and the service. Unlike planes, they don't have reliable data on the consists until sometimes right before the trip. They can't assign seats if they have no idea what kind of car will be on which routes.

On passenger services in Europe where seat reservations are allowed, they know exactly what kind of equipment will be on each train.

My seating has been assigned for WAS - BOS on a regional for next January. Am wary about how that will turn out.

 

[Nick Farr]

My seating has been assigned for WAS - BOS on a regional for next January. Am wary about how that will turn out.

That's *awesome*! Did they give you a car and seat number?

 

[20th Century Rider]

Yup... I've noticed on regional they group seats according to destinations and length traveled... which I've experienced in Europe. But I'm assuming that business class is just one car at the front or end...?

 

[Trogdor]

While this partially a computer issue, it's also a big issue with the equipment and the service. Unlike planes, they don't have reliable data on the consists until sometimes right before the trip. They can't assign seats if they have no idea what kind of car will be on which routes.

On passenger services in Europe where seat reservations are allowed, they know exactly what kind of equipment will be on each train.

There really isn't much, if any, variability in the equipment that operates a given route. Sure, you'll occasionally see an Amfleet I in place of an Amfleet II on an LD train, and in the Midwest, Amfleet and Horizon coaches sometimes intermix (but I think they have the same seat count and, for seating chart purposes, effectively the same layout).

Consist length does vary on LD trains, but even that is known ahead of time (that's how they know the capacity to which they can sell a train). The only real unknown (which is only "unknown" because Amtrak hasn't bothered to care until now) is which way the car is facing, which will affect whether a given seat is at the front or rear and on the left or right. However, even that can be overcome if they want to. After all, on single-level LD trains, the sleepers and coaches are almost always facing the same direction on every trip, because the Viewliners and Amfleet IIs only have one vestibule per car, and they have to ensure an exit at each end (and the single-level dining cars don't have entry doors at all, so the consists have to be made up to ensure a safe exit from the train from the adjacent car anyway). So, it's clearly possible to have everything facing the same way.

Further, a bit smarter consist planning would minimize the need to add/remove cars from a given consist all the time (e.g. not having one car in the middle due for heavy maintenance next week, and then another one in the same set due for maintenance three weeks later, and then another one two weeks after that, constantly needing to break up and reassemble trains in the yard; and if you still do...just wye the damn car).

While there may be reasons why assigning seats is difficult, "we don't know what the consist will be" is not one of them. And even if the consist does change (and it's only really a problem if the consist gets shorter), then you have to reseat people who were assigned to the affected car. Presumably that shouldn't be a problem, as the consist would only be shortened if the loads justified it anyway.

 

[Qapla]

As was discussed before - one of the drawbacks for the LD trains is when someone buys an early ticket of an intermediate start and stop trip - someone who later buys the origin to destination ticket may not be able to reserve their "preferred" seat or even the "same seat" for the entire route.

Unlike LD planes, where practically all passengers keep their seat from beginning to end (non-stop flight) LD trains stop often adding and losing passengers along the way.

When I rode the Silvers (JAX-NWK) back in the early 2000's they handed out small pillows in coach for the overnight - They collected the pillows in the morning. When I rode the Silvers more recently (JAX-NWK) they no longer offered the pillows. When I asked about it I was told it was because too many people kept the pillows - no mention of the cost of laundry for the pillows. Since they collected them in the morning how is it that people were keeping them?

There are several things that can be done that do not cost ANY money:

• Courtesy does not cost anything
• Politeness does not cost anything
• They are already on the train - being available to the passengers does not cost anything extra
• Being patient does not cost anything

 

[MARC Rider]

Yup... I've noticed on regional they group seats according to destinations and length traveled... which I've experienced in Europe. But I'm assuming that business class is just one car at the front or end...?

View attachment 18652

Yes, there's only one business class car on a Northeast Regional train, and it's on the end of the train.

 

[Nick Farr]

There really isn't much, if any, variability in the equipment that operates a given route. Sure, you'll occasionally see an Amfleet I in place of an Amfleet II on an LD train, and in the Midwest, Amfleet and Horizon coaches sometimes intermix (but I think they have the same seat count and, for seating chart purposes, effectively the same layout).

News flash: They don't. Very close, but no.

There's also other weird things like when they swap in Superliners on the Pere Marquette at Thanksgiving, etc.

Amtrak simply doesn't have that much equipment to provide the consistency you think it can.

The only reason they can assign roomettes is the equipment is always the same and the numbering is very consistent.

*Could* they do this? Sure. They could standardize numbering on all the train cars.

The problem then becomes enforcing the issue with passengers used to unassigned seating.

 

[Seaboard92]

The VIA personnel, as you say, are just in a different league. The whole attitude there seems to be that train travel is a special experience -- and that the crew wants to show off how good it can be. They've created a service culture that's exceptional. Amtrak overall is a lot better than it was 20-30 years ago, but it's nowhere near the VIA level.

I definitely agree there are some amazing Amtrak attendants and it has been getting better over the course of my life. That being said VIA Rail Canada has created a corporate culture and service culture that is vastly superior. I actually talked with one of their trainers when I was in VCVR last time I was transiting the station and I think I've figured out why they are much better at it. They drill into their attendants that for many people the trip is a "Once in a Lifetime" experience so that whatever actions the crew takes are going to be remembered for all time. They also drill the fact that people are traveling for all sorts of different reasons honeymoons, retirement, medical appointments, funerals, graduations, and many others. Included in that is that you the employee don't always know the back story why someone is traveling so you should treat them with dignity and respect. Being mindful of any circumstances.

A good read is to read the VIA Rail Service Standards Manual it is online in the public domain and it is fascinating.

About amenities. What would a kit cost along with a bottle of water ? Mass produced maybe about $5.00 including distribution. If each trip required 30 - 40 units how often would that cause at least one more room sold ? Pays for itself.

The best place to look at to determine soft product amenities and their importance is the most competitive sleeping car market in the world. Moscow to Saint Petersburg in Russia. Between the two cities are nine overnight trains by three operators.

Tverskoy Express operates the Metropolis with one brief stop in Tver. It looks like the Southern Pacific Daylight.

Grand Express operates the Grand Express and markets itself as the only luxury train on the market. Nonstop service.

Of those the largest operator is Russian Railways who operates 2 locals, and 5 premium trains. Even in the public operator there is a distinct market segmentation between the various trains. You have the popular double decker train, then you have the "Express" which was originally the second section of the premier train the Red Arrow. Both the Express (Think MoPac Jenks Blue) and the Red Arrow wear their own special liveries (Red and Gold). Both of these include a VIP Sleeping car while the double deckers don't.

Of note the Red Arrow also is the original Firmney (premium) train in the Russian system and since the 1960s the song "Hymn to Our City" plays as the train departs its end points on the loudspeaker of the station.

Due to the fact it is such a competitive market all three operators on the premium trains (RZD on the Express and Red Arrow) offer world class amenities we could only dream about on Amtrak.

Grand Express amenities
-Bathrobe
-Pair of Slippers
-Newspaper
-Travel kit with toothbrush and other vanity items
-hot breakfast, snacks, and soft drinks

Class dependent
-free transfer to any point in the city by a private driver.

RZD Red Arrow
-Bathrobe
-Slippers
-Newspaper
-Travel Kit
-Hot Breakfast
-Chocolate Bar (with train on it)
-soft drinks

I can't find much info on the Metropolis but from what I can tell they equal both of the other trains mentioned.

On all of the items that are provided for the passengers on those trains each item comes complete with the branding logo of the provider you are traveling with so on the Red Arrow it is the RZD logo.

So if Amtrak were to do this you would see the Amtrak logo on the bathrobe, slippers, travel kit, and the chocolate bar. So to prove that this is relatively inexpensive when you are buying in bulk I priced out what it would cost online to order customized items. Keep in mind on a standard night when there is daily service Amtrak originates the following daily based on the consist listing on this forum for each route.

Superliner
-14 Roomettes
-5 Bedrooms
-1 Family
-1 H Room
-8 TransDorm Roomettes

Viewliner
-2 Bedrooms
-1 H Room
-12 Roomettes

Rooms Originated Per Day by Train
Viewliner Trains
Cres: 8 Bedrooms, 4 H Room, 48 Roomettes
LSL: 12 Bedrooms, 6 H Room, 72 Roomettes
CARD: 4 Bedrroms, 2 H Room, 24 Roomettes
SS: 8 Bedrooms, 4 H Room, 48 Roomettes
SM: 12 Bedrooms, 6 H Room, 72 Roomettes

Superliner Trains
SL: 44 Roomettes, 10 Bedrooms, 2 Family, 2 H Room
SWC: 72 Roomettes, 20 Bedrooms, 4 Family, 4 H Room
CZ: 100 Roomettes, 30 Bedrooms, 6 Family, 6 H Room
EB: 100 Roomettes, 30 Bedrooms, 6 Family, 6 H Room
CS: 100 Roomettes, 30 Bedrooms, 6 Family, 6 H Room
TE: 44 Roomettes, 10 Bedrooms, 2 Family, 2 H Room
CL: 72 Roomettes, 20 Bedrooms, 4 Family, 4 H Room
AT: 128 Roomettes, 80 Bedrooms, 12 Family, 12 H Room
CONO:44 Roomettes, 10 Bedrooms, 2 Family, 2 H Room

Rooms Originated by Type
-Viewliner Roomettes: 264
-Viewliner Bedrooms: 44
-Viewliner H Bedrooms: 22
-Superliner Roomettes: 704
-Superliner Bedrooms: 240
-Superliner Family Bedrooms: 44
-Superliner H Bedrooms: 44
-Total: 1,362
-Monthly Total (31 Days): 42,222:
-Yearly Total: 497,130



So if we are going to use the Grand Express amenities because they are the easiest to get an accurate list on here are the costs. For prices I am using allibaba which is an internet wholesaler for items coming out of China unless otherwise noted.

-Slippers: $1.96 Per Pair when order Quantities exceed 1,000 units.
-Bathrobes: $8.33 Per Robe when order quantities exceed 1,000 units.
-Travel Kit: $1.95 when order quantities exceed 1,000 units.($1.00 Per Bag when order exceeds 1,000 units, $0.30 for Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash when order exceeds 5,000 units, $0.35 for Toothbrushes when over 500 units, $.10 for toothpaste containers for units greater than 1,000, $.20 for toothpaste in quantities great than 1,000.)
-Chocolate Bar: $0.58 ($0.08 per package when quantity exceeds 5,000, $0.50 for the chocolate (Number pulled out of my head based on a .99 cent chocolate and the estimated markup)
-Newspapers: $3.00 per paper based on the national average. Granted not everyone wants a newspaper so Amtrak could come up with an algorithm to determine exactly how many newspapers they need on each train.

Total Cost per passenger (Excluding food service because that is a much harder metric to determine, however I could determine it if probed): $15.82.

It isn't overly expensive to provide a first class product that truly is first class when you originate the number of rooms that Amtrak does annually. It would be something worth looking into in my honest opinion.

Now while I couldn't tell you exactly how much business these added extras would add, but the value is not in the cost but in the good first impression it adds. Our fellow member NSC1109 and I agree a lot when it comes to having a unified brand. And by placing your logo on everything you have a unified branded product, that offers decent quality items, and provides a good first impression.

For a private car owner the amenities I would propose would be significantly higher because they don't have the economies of scale that Amtrak has. Amtrak can put out an order for every year for probably 750,000 of these items and get the margins fairly small. While it costs money lets not forget the old adage it costs money to make money.

 

[me_little_me]

News flash: They don't. Very close, but no.

There's also other weird things like when they swap in Superliners on the Pere Marquette at Thanksgiving, etc.

Amtrak simply doesn't have that much equipment to provide the consistency you think it can.

The only reason they can assign roomettes is the equipment is always the same and the numbering is very consistent.

*Could* they do this? Sure. They could standardize numbering on all the train cars.

The problem then becomes enforcing the issue with passengers used to unassigned seating.

All it takes is patience and a little time (and some enforcement) to convert to assigned seating. And if they made a concerted effort to put cars in the same direction every time, it would be easier (and be a help to this thread).

Moreover, they can label each and every station very cheaply with position letter signs and put that position letter on the ticket so even at unmanned stations, people know where to stand. Then, for unmanned or manned stations with a waiting room, they could use the TV displays to update last minute information to have people stand by a corrected letter. Would speed up boarding at little cost. They could also text passengers at all station with that capability any updates to loading position, necessary room and seat changes, etc.

As to other inexpensive changes, any sleeper passenger/room can have cards made prior to initial departure and given to SLA to put in the room prior to the passengers' boarding welcoming the passengers by name.

The SLA can consistently greet boarding passengers by name since they have that information.

For Tier members (I have only been one once and that was a few years ago), the welcome card can mention their tier status like they do at hotels.

Electronic key locks can be provided tp sleeper passengers so rooms can be locked (and thus won't pop open when the train hits bad track) when passengers are out of the room. Amtrak could advertise this as a big safety thing even though it's not, in reality, a big issue. The SLA would have a key that unlocks all rooms in the car that also reprograms locks and a machine accessible by the SLA to program/reprogram keys when key is lost or when it goes brain dead. It also insures unused rooms are not improperly used by passengers who might sit in them for the view (Covid cleaned) or use the toilet (after having been cleaned by SLA).

The passenger key can be used to identify the passenger in the "diner" to verify their room/car instead of the 18th century paper version, charge for alcohol and options, identify pre-selected meals where applicable, get free drinks or food in the cafe as appropriate, etc.

 

[fdaley]

So if Amtrak were to do this you would see the Amtrak logo on the bathrobe, slippers, travel kit, and the chocolate bar. So to prove that this is relatively inexpensive when you are buying in bulk I priced out what it would cost online to order customized items. Keep in mind on a standard night when there is daily service Amtrak originates the following daily based on the consist listing on this forum for each route.

Great job of giving us some real numbers for the sake of discussion. If I am reading them correctly, the cost to provide this amenity package systemwide for every room would be 497,130 (the number of sleeper spaces annually) x $15.82 (the cost per passenger), or about $7.8 million a year if every room were fully occupied? Of course, the bathrobes and other items can be saved if the train isn't full, so the actual cost might be considerably less given that some rooms are empty or not fully occupied.

Another way to look at is this: If the upgraded service leads to the sale of one additional low-bucket bedroom or one higher-bucket roomette per departure on the Lake Shore, for example, that likely would generate enough revenue to cover the cost of the amenity package for everyone on that train.