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Well, it's just not that simple. It costs Amtrak thousands of dollars (to the host freight railroad company) for every added car. Amtrak won't put on a car unless they are absolutely positive it would fill (like in the summer from MSP to CHI and back). Of course, they also have to hire more attendants, pay for hotel rooms to put up the attendants, etc. They would have to build longer platforms... The costs go up fast. Also, longer trains are governed differently along the tracks than shorter ones, possibly changing the schedules.
But the biggest reason above all of the ones I listed is probably the fact that Amtrak hardly has a car to spare. Our fleet is almost always all in operation. For example, if a car is put out of service, sometimes we get sent a train that is short a car because there wasn't one to replace it in Chicago. It's a tight stock for sure, and more cars cost more money that Amtrak seems to always be short of...
That said, Amtrak, SYSTEM WIDE, is about to close its 3rd consecutive year of highest ridership in its entire history. No long distance route can exemplify that statistic better than the Empire Builder, as it's the busiest long distance train on the system.
Pretty remarkable given its ridiculous ontime record. 60.3 percent ontime in the last 12 months. For an airline, that would probably rank near the bottom. And connections don't wait. Even if you are maybe 20 minutes away, they leave. And a lot of lines like the Lakeshore Limited are one-a-day. So if you were 20 minutes too late to catch it, suddenly a trip adds 24 hours. This is where even the ridiculous delays at airports start to look good. Few people like TSA, but they get forced into TSA lines by inability of other transport options to do simple things like connect.
Yeah, the on-time performance of the Empire Builder is atrocious at times; that's no secret. Lately (since say, early November), our on-time performance has dramatically improved. This is mostly due to long term track work projects and upgrades finishing by the BNSF in eastern Montana.
Also keep in mind that a train that is later than 1/2 hour is considered officially 'late', and contributes to overall lower on-time performance. The 60% on-time performance rating does not mean that only 60% of the people on the Empire Builder caught connections (not saying that you concluded this). I believe the earliest connection that Amtrak schedules for is on board the Capital Limited, which leaves for DC at around 6:10, a full 2(+) hours after the scheduled arrival of the Empire Builder. All other trains leave after that time. So, the vast majority of passengers do actually make their connections. Where we get the bad reputation comes mostly from the times when the BNSF or the CP are doing track upgrades maintenance. These maintenance projects can last from a couple days to several months and can affect track lengths from just a switch that needs replacing to dozens of miles long. Each project can reduce speeds from 79 mph all the way down to 10 mph...it just depends on the specific project. Also, lately, the huge amount of extra traffic in western ND (the oil trains) add to the stress on track capacity. The fact is that almost all of the delays are not within the control of Amtrak. 90% of the tracks over which Amtrak operates are freight-owned.
As far as our record ridership in the last few years, I think it is the cost of driving and flying that are driving people to consider Amtrak. It has been pointed out that people can take their families to destinations for cheaper than on the train. This is true, as every person needs to purchase a ticket to ride a train (or a plane). And as we are seeing a modest uptick in families traveling with their children, where we've been really picking up demand are with people that would normally take a trip **alone in a car or plane**. We all know that the U.S. has PLENTY of single-occupied cars and trucks out on the freeways. Expensive gas means we see more of this demographic. Let's put it this way: When people are paying 4-5$ per gallon to fill their cars to burn in their inefficient engines, and airlines are paying 8 or 9$ for high quality jet fuel, Amtrak's relatively unrefined (almost gelatinous) still 4$ p/gallon diesel is burned much more efficiently compared to either cars or jets. Also, we don't (yet) charge for baggage service.
Last edited by Minneapolitan; 12-13-2012 at 05:01 PM..
I've heard from passengers they were forced to sit on a siding so a petroleum train could get through before BN would get to continue on its way. That put a train into MSP 6 hours behind. It also caused all the food to be used up so they had to stop and get sandwiches from a Subway in Wisconsin Dells. Which was pretty annoying to the sleeping room passengers who found they didn't get their dining car meal that was included in their fare. And the attendants were pretty annoying in their "here's food take it or leave it" response. No tact at all. I could go on and on, but the point is that the service levels don't really encourage travelers to switch to the train. Amtrak is not really in control of its destiny. I joined the National Association of Railway Passengers, but when my trips showed me how things stood, I didn't renew. I don't discourage anyone from taking a train trip. But don't buy the PR. There a numerous ways to get truthful details about train service levels. Amtrak won't permit anyone to give candid details if they wish to be employed. But they don't monopolize facts about train travel. The Web is full of consumer info. And unless you are just in it for adventure, you better find out what is really likely to happen. To be standing in the Chicago station at 2 in the morning as station clerks try to handle a full train that missed all connections is not what you hope for when you go on vacation.
Unfortunately, Amtrak hasn't perfected and implemented food replicator technologies like they have on the Starship Enterprise (not yet anyway). I don't know what they're supposed to do when there simply isn't food other than what is available at somewhere like the Dells, or some other smaller town. I also guarantee that the example you gave was just 1 time. That is not representative at all of what someone can expect to happen on board the Empire Builder. And as far as waiting for the oil train, I GUARANTEE that they didn't just wait for 1 train. There were probably several. A 6 hour delay on 1 train doesn't make sense, unless it was broken down or something. Again, Amtrak has extremely limited control over how they move across the tracks, as they are at the mercy of freight railroad dispatching. When the BN has a million dollars of time sensitive cargo, and an Amtrak train waiting...they will always think 'money first'. Even if they are fined, say, $70,000.00 for delaying a passenger train, that seems like a pittance to what they would lose on late cargo.
I'm not saying this is the way things should be, but it is the way they are...at least for now. Believe me, I am just as annoyed as the passengers...but I do feel like at least I understand the whys and hows of it all..and that makes me perhaps a bit more tolerant to it all.
Unfortunately, Amtrak hasn't perfected and implemented food replicator technologies like they have on the Starship Enterprise (not yet anyway). I don't know what they're supposed to do when there simply isn't food other than what is available at somewhere like the Dells, or some other smaller town. I also guarantee that the example you gave was just 1 time. That is not representative at all of what someone can expect to happen on board the Empire Builder. And as far as waiting for the oil train, I GUARANTEE that they didn't just wait for 1 train. There were probably several. A 6 hour delay on 1 train doesn't make sense, unless it was broken down or something. Again, Amtrak has extremely limited control over how they move across the tracks, as they are at the mercy of freight railroad dispatching. When the BN has a million dollars of time sensitive cargo, and an Amtrak train waiting...they will always think 'money first'. Even if they are fined, say, $70,000.00 for delaying a passenger train, that seems like a pittance to what they would lose on late cargo.
I'm not saying this is the way things should be, but it is the way they are...at least for now. Believe me, I am just as annoyed as the passengers...but I do feel like at least I understand the whys and hows of it all..and that makes me perhaps a bit more tolerant to it all.
I'm merely trying to tell people what sort of things happen. And I'm HARDLY citing unique examples. Though that's pretty much what I expect company people to tell me no matter who they work for. I did have some talks after that ride with company people, and they pretty much shot down all the suggestions I had. Basically it comes down to that fixing these things requires money Amtrak doesn't have and won't have. Ergo, "Amtrak does not control its own destiny". Passengers really need to have a reality check in the initial stage of decision. They won't have ruined vacations resulting from daydreams about how wonderful trains are.
I'm no company man...i definitely have an 'i work to live, not live to work' attitude. And as the situation is not unique (I wasn't trying to suggest your situation was the only tine in history it's happened, but more rather that I cannot remember the last tine something that bad had happened)...it is rare enough that one simply would be wrong to assume that something like that WILL happen. When it rains on Amtrak, it definitely pours...and when people are put into terrible situations, they get pissed, and they complain. Rightly so...
And you are right...Amtrak is not in control of much of its destiny. Everything from funding to train dispatching (and much more) are controlled by entities outside of Amtrak. It's a painful thing to come to terms with fOr me as an employee. I do have hope that things get better. Though I don't know how, or when...
Also, I'm curious to know what were your shot-down suggestions to make your trip better. I consider myself a reasonable man. Maybe I can take your suggestions to the right people.
Can't remember them all. But the brusque manner with which they were brushed off is something I've encountered for decades in bureaucracies ("Oh, that would never work") I said that since our situation was anything but novel, they could easily have arrangements at any major station to resupply the dining car. The comeback was something about health regulations, but then they turned around and got boxes of sub sandwiches. So my question: Why the great faith in a sandwich shop as opposed to catering contractors where you know the environment and can inspect them?
A second problem. They plunked down something WAY inferior to the dining car dinner and didn't offer a cash refund as an alternative. It was just "this is your dinner". Personally, I would have chosen the refund. Honestly, I sensed NO respect for the passengers in the line's handling of the emergency. And they've had months and months to think these things out. It wasn't like it caught them by surprise. And just as bad was the circus that greeted us at Union Station in Chicago. Despite the extreme lateness, they didn't start setting up for the dispensing of vouchers till AFTER we were there. Did they think we might NOT be there? I think there were a bunch of brains out to lunch in that station. They started with one agent and the line hardly moved. Later a second one set up a station. And after 1 am, they added a third. I guess it was no one's responsibility.
I wouldn't claim that the airline industry hasn't dropped some huge balls. But the huge majority of travelers have experience with airport hassles. A bunch of newbies are reserving train rides. When a big problem comes, it is a rude awakening for them. I just suggest they use web resources to find out what could happen and plan. The railroad seems unable to do that, so the traveler needs to be prepared. And lots of them haven't been on a train in decades.
I can't say anything about how you were treated in Chicago Union. I have never worked into there (I have a specific route territory I work) and have only traveled through there as a passenger on my way to vacation destinations. I'm sorry to say that I don't even know any station management who works there. I'm also not sure of the specifics of the situation of why there were slow lines, why they were understaffed, etc on that particular night.
As far as Subway vs. something else offered...those decisions are made in Chicago and Seattle by station/train management. I'm not sure the regulations on catering at stations...but they probably had to get SOMETHING, and FAST, and in a HUGE quantity. Not many places can just present 300 meals with a few hours' notice. Also remember that it depends not only where the train is, but WHEN. You can't call a catering company at Fargo at 3am. I'm not trying to be defeatist, but I'm not sure what you expected a train attendant to do about the food situation (making sure you had something to eat that was acceptable to your personal tastes), short of whipping out his/her own personal credit card and charging a meal for their entire sleeping car/coach car...which, come to think of it, is probably against an Amtrak (and health code) policy.
I'll let you know something else about getting stuff changed in any huge company: expressing your concerns to a train attendant or a station agent is akin to venting to a teller at a bank that you don't like Wells Fargo's policies...there isn't a damn thing they can do about it...and on top of that, they must carry out the policies...the security of their job depends on it. You have to go to the top of the company to change policies (such as who they have contracts with in food service. ie Subway). Point is, major policies are only changed by enough people calling customer service and complaining. And speaking of that, I can say with utmost certainty that you will only get a refund if you call and scream at someone at customer service in Delaware.
When things go awry on board, we do best with what we're given. But we just don't have a lot. There is so much more we could do with proper funding in the right places.
Damn, I wish I had better answers to your situation. I agree with and understand a lot of your concerns. I certainly know what it is like to be in a bad situation like that, as I am a frequent leisure traveler of all modes of transportation.
For what it's worth, as an employee who rides the rails over 2,000 miles per week, I can confirm (without lying, even) that what you experienced is most assuredly NOT the norm. Not even close. If it were, I would have quit my career there long ago. The vast majority of the trains I work are full (like, no-seats-left full) of upbeat, happy and generally satisfied passengers. This is a reason I often cite as to why I do love my job.
Last edited by Minneapolitan; 12-14-2012 at 12:58 AM..
Wait you ride from Chicago to Seattle , you don't switch out half way?
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