The Joys of AMTRAK

[Epigonos]

Taking Amtrak is certainly no picnic. On Sunday my sister, my brother-in-law and I took Amtrak from Fullerton to San Clemente. We had business class reserved seats. When we boarded we were informed there were no more business class seats available. We had to scrounge around to even find seats in the non reserved sections. There was, of course, no refund. On the return trip we did NOT have business class seats. When we boarded we were informed that there was standing room only. My brother-in-law is 85 and quite feeble -- tough luck. The conductor, however was great and was able to commandeer him a seat at the next stop. My sister also 85 had to stand until we reached the next to last stop and I stood the entire trip.

I am planning a trip all the way to San Diego this coming Sunday which I arranged and paid for some time ago. This time I have business reserved seats both directions but there is NO guarantee there will a seat available for me in either direction. I recently received an email from Amtrak informing me that I would be off loaded in Oceanside and taken the rest of the way on a BUS - what fun. It seems they will be working on the tracks that entire weekend. What I don't understand is why this type of construction isn't scheduled far enough in advance to allow potential passengers to decided whether or not they want to be bused.

Frankly I think Amtrak SUCKS and in the future I'll be driving myself even considering the traffic.

[misterlobo]

I met my friend at the Amtrak station and while waiting for her overheard Amtrak telling two passengers who were in wheelchairs that the elevators were broken. And they were like, what are we supposed to do.

*Shrug*

Like????? I think they went to go speak to a manager but that is extremely messed up and there should be options available on the spot or at least a solution (later train ride/refund/both) instead of a shrug

[MileHigh]

That's why it's a crumbling system and can't even be compared to the rail systems in Europe!

[body2body]

Unfortunately Amtrak does not own the tracks, they are owned by the railroads that abandoned passenger service in the U.S. in the late 60's. I believe that the rails running between Los Angeles and San Diego are owned by Southern Pacific. They decide if and when the rails are repaired. The freight trains of the line that owns the rails also take precedence in the right of way. Years ago taking the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle, we were on several occasions forced onto a siding to allow freight trains to pass, sometimes paused for an hour or more. You won't have to worry about Amtrak much longer, the President's proposed budget eliminates all funding for it.

[+ WilliamM]

Taking Amtrak is certainly no picnic. On Sunday my sister, my brother-in-law and I took Amtrak from Fullerton to San Clemente. We had business class reserved seats. When we boarded we were informed there were no more business class seats available. We had to scrounge around to even find seats in the non reserved sections. There was, of course, no refund. On the return trip we did NOT have business class seats. When we boarded we were informed that there was standing room only. My brother-in-law is 85 and quite feeble -- tough luck. The conductor, however was great and was able to commandeer him a seat at the next stop. My sister also 85 had to stand until we reached the next to last stop and I stood the entire trip.

 

I have used Amtrak frequently for years in NE United States, and have never had your problems.

 

I do agree that something is very wrong if no business class seats are available to those who purchased business class seats.

 

The train service in the United States is much worse than in Europe and Canada. On a train trip from Montreal to Vancouver, our train was stopped because of a landslide in the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian Railroad hired a plane to fly us over the landslide to British Columbia.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I have used Amtrak frequently for years in NE United States, and have never had your problems

 

I'd agree that my experiences with Acela and Amtrak in the NE have been pretty favorable across the board.

 

I can't say the same thing for riding with Amtrak through Texas and California. It's like an entirely different company in those necks of the wood.

[BasketBaller]

In the NE, Amtrak works well usually. When I took a train to Chicago last year and used the sleeping car, the trip overall was very good except for what's been mentioned-- the frequent delays while freight trains took precedence on the track. We were hours late getting in as a consequence. I'd do it again if arrival time didn't much matter, but it made me rethink planning other long trips away from the Atlantic coast.

[marylander1940]

Taking Amtrak is certainly no picnic. On Sunday my sister, my brother-in-law and I took Amtrak from Fullerton to San Clemente. We had business class reserved seats. When we boarded we were informed there were no more business class seats available. We had to scrounge around to even find seats in the non reserved sections. There was, of course, no refund. On the return trip we did NOT have business class seats. When we boarded we were informed that there was standing room only. My brother-in-law is 85 and quite feeble -- tough luck. The conductor, however was great and was able to commandeer him a seat at the next stop. My sister also 85 had to stand until we reached the next to last stop and I stood the entire trip.

I am planning a trip all the way to San Diego this coming Sunday which I arranged and paid for some time ago. This time I have business reserved seats both directions but there is NO guarantee there will a seat available for me in either direction. I recently received an email from Amtrak informing me that I would be off loaded in Oceanside and taken the rest of the way on a BUS - what fun. It seems they will be working on the tracks that entire weekend. What I don't understand is why this type of construction isn't scheduled far enough in advance to allow potential passengers to decided whether or not they want to be bused.

Frankly I think Amtrak SUCKS and in the future I'll be driving myself even considering the traffic.

 

First of all I'm sorry about all the hassle your family and you went through, in your case I would just move on and avoid paying first class if I'm gonna end on "economy".

 

 

In the NE, Amtrak works well usually. When I took a train to Chicago last year and used the sleeping car, the trip overall was very good except for what's been mentioned-- the frequent delays while freight trains took precedence on the track. We were hours late getting in as a consequence. I'd do it again if arrival time didn't much matter, but it made me rethink planning other long trips away from the Atlantic coast.

 

Here in the Northeast corridor Amtrak might be slightly late but the rest of the service is very good and the best way to get from DC to NYC.

[bigvalboy]

Here in the Northeast corridor Amtrak might be slightly late but the rest of the service is very good and the best way to get from DC to NYC.

 

+1...and the "Car Train" from Florida to DC is wonderful. A bit spartan, but quite efficient.

[+ quoththeraven]

A friend of mine had problems returning from the Pacific Northwest to northern California because of mudslides. They had to cover part of the route via bus. She and her mother, with whom she was traveling, didn't get the cabin they'd paid for; Amtrak was only willing to give partial vouchers, which isn't helpful if one never wants to travel with them again.

 

In other words, a milder version of what @Epigonos experienced.

[+ ArVaGuy]

@Epigonos, here's the solution to your issue - go to the Redcap Service Desk, these guys will pre board you with any luggage or bags you are taking on the trip. I take the Acela on a regular basis between DC and New York. A friend turned me on to this travel hack for Amtrak.

 

The guys work for tips so I usually give them a fiver or sometimes a ten if I have more than a couple of bags. At Union Station I've boarded fifteen to twenty minutes before general boarding. The Redcaps will place any bags in the overhead and help older passengers get settled. At Penn Station there's a special Redcap area and they get advance notice of which track a train is arriving/departing. Usually, we are boarding about five minutes before they announce the general boarding call.

 

I'm sure the Redcap service exists at the major California stations. Get to the station earlier than you planned, find the Redcap, and tell them you need boarding assistance. It's worth a shot.

 

Good luck.

 

 

Taking Amtrak is certainly no picnic. On Sunday my sister, my brother-in-law and I took Amtrak from Fullerton to San Clemente. We had business class reserved seats. When we boarded we were informed there were no more business class seats available. We had to scrounge around to even find seats in the non reserved sections. There was, of course, no refund. On the return trip we did NOT have business class seats. When we boarded we were informed that there was standing room only. My brother-in-law is 85 and quite feeble -- tough luck. The conductor, however was great and was able to commandeer him a seat at the next stop. My sister also 85 had to stand until we reached the next to last stop and I stood the entire trip.

I am planning a trip all the way to San Diego this coming Sunday which I arranged and paid for some time ago. This time I have business reserved seats both directions but there is NO guarantee there will a seat available for me in either direction. I recently received an email from Amtrak informing me that I would be off loaded in Oceanside and taken the rest of the way on a BUS - what fun. It seems they will be working on the tracks that entire weekend. What I don't understand is why this type of construction isn't scheduled far enough in advance to allow potential passengers to decided whether or not they want to be bused.

Frankly I think Amtrak SUCKS and in the future I'll be driving myself even considering the traffic.

[Epigonos]

Thanks for the excellent advise ArVaGuy unfortunately, this last weekend, both the stations we were using were minor ones and no Redcaps were available. I will remember to look for a redcap on Monday as I will begin my return trip from the starting station in San Diego. Thanks again

[Despardo]

Taking Amtrak is certainly no picnic. On Sunday my sister, my brother-in-law and I took Amtrak from Fullerton to San Clemente. We had business class reserved seats. When we boarded we were informed there were no more business class seats available. We had to scrounge around to even find seats in the non reserved sections. There was, of course, no refund. On the return trip we did NOT have business class seats. When we boarded we were informed that there was standing room only. My brother-in-law is 85 and quite feeble -- tough luck. The conductor, however was great and was able to commandeer him a seat at the next stop. My sister also 85 had to stand until we reached the next to last stop and I stood the entire trip.

I am planning a trip all the way to San Diego this coming Sunday which I arranged and paid for some time ago. This time I have business reserved seats both directions but there is NO guarantee there will a seat available for me in either direction. I recently received an email from Amtrak informing me that I would be off loaded in Oceanside and taken the rest of the way on a BUS - what fun. It seems they will be working on the tracks that entire weekend. What I don't understand is why this type of construction isn't scheduled far enough in advance to allow potential passengers to decided whether or not they want to be bused.

Frankly I think Amtrak SUCKS and in the future I'll be driving myself even considering the traffic.

Good grief! One would think that a train ride from Fullerton to San Clemente would be painless. Guess not. When I lived in Laguna Beach, I had a friend Dave who lived in LA and used to visit from time to time. I remember the two best parts of a Dave visit were picking him up at the station in San Juan Capistrano and dropping him off at the train station in San Juan Capistrano 3 days later. Didn't Dorothy Parker write a line in a short story, "She was always glad to have him arrive and never sorry to see him go."--something like that.

[Despardo]

The Amtrak route between Seattle and Portland is a good deal and a pleasant ride. Also from Seattle to Vancouver unless another mudslide is blocking the tracks. The trains are clean, comfortable and relatively inexpensive. Now, if only they could go faster! Wouldn't it be great if there was high speed rail service between Portland and Vancouver. What a concept.

[rvwnsd]

When the Surfliner between San Diego and LA is good, it is very good. When it is not good, well...

 

The Surfliner is, essentially, a commuter train that is subsidized by the State of California and operated by Amtrak. I've seen redcaps at Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, but not in LA Union Station. Then again, I might have missed them in LA. As the train has grown in popularity, it has become more crowded. Still, they should not oversell business class. My guess is the conductor allowed non-business class passengers to sit there and didn't boot them off when you arrived.

 

It is true that Amtrak sucks. As others have mentioned, the tracks are owned by the freight railroads, the rolling stock is owned by Amtrak. In other countries, the government actually funds the train service, hence the service is better. In the US, we call funding passenger trains a "subsidy" but funding roads an "investment."

[MikeBiDude]

When the Surfliner between San Diego and LA is good, it is very good. When it is not good, well...

 

The Surfliner is, essentially, a commuter train that is subsidized by the State of California and operated by Amtrak. I've seen redcaps at Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, but not in LA Union Station. Then again, I might have missed them in LA. As the train has grown in popularity, it has become more crowded. Still, they should not oversell business class. My guess is the conductor allowed non-business class passengers to sit there and didn't boot them off when you arrived.

 

It is true that Amtrak sucks. As others have mentioned, the tracks are owned by the freight railroads, the rolling stock is owned by Amtrak. In other countries, the government actually funds the train service, hence the service is better. In the US, we call funding passenger trains a "subsidy" but funding roads an "investment."

Try the Surfliner on a summer Saturday/Sunday when the Del Mar horse racing is in progress! It's either a wild party or an SRO nightmare depending on your disposition that day!!!

[rvwnsd]

Try the Surfliner on a summer Saturday/Sunday when the Del Mar horse racing is in progress! It's either a wild party or an SRO nightmare depending on your disposition that day!!!

Like I was saying...

[MikeBiDude]

Like I was saying...

A northbound Saturday evening train full of drinking winners is a LOT of fun. Packed and loud...

[Kenny]

Here in the Northeast corridor Amtrak might be slightly late but the rest of the service is very good and the best way to get from DC to NYC.

Amtrak from Wall St. to the Capitol is quite reliable.

[MikeBiDude]

Amtrak from Wall St. to the Capitol is quite reliable.

Train travel on the West Coast is still Lionel model train play compared to East Coast and European models.

[marylander1940]

Amtrak from Wall St. to the Capitol is quite reliable.

 

and it's one of the few profitable routes.

[rvwnsd]

Train travel on the West Coast is still Lionel model train play compared to East Coast and European models.

I was thinking more along these lines:

[Epigonos]

An uncle of mine was working for the Union Pacific Railroad at the time the railroads divested themselves of passenger service. He was furious. He claimed that the railroads had allowed their passenger trains to deteriorate to the point that people refused to use them. The railroads then lobbied the federal government to permit them to terminate passenger service because they were losing money. Additionally he asserted that had the railroads maintained their equipment they could have made a decent profit on passenger service, HOWEVER, they couldn’t make as large a profit as they could with freight service thus they wanted to deal ONLY with freight. The whores in Washington went right along with them.

 

The MAJOR problem that the railroads are facing today is that their freight trains are running at or near maximum capacity. The need for additional freight movement continues to grow and the railroads are clueless about how to deal with this rapidly approaching crisis. There is much talk about the need to repair and improve infrastructure which, in today’s parlance, tends to mean highways, bridges, ports, etc. Unfortunately nobody is talking about the freight problem.

[+ WilliamM]

The MAJOR problem that the railroads are facing today is that their freight trains are running at or near maximum capacity. The need for additional freight movement continues to grow and the railroads are clueless about how to deal with this rapidly approaching crisis. There is much talk about the need to repair and improve infrastructure which, in today’s parlance, tends to mean highways, bridges, ports, etc. Unfortunately nobody is talking about the freight problem.

 

Not a problem in the eastern U.S.

[OneFinger]

Taking Amtrak is certainly no picnic. On Sunday my sister, my brother-in-law and I took Amtrak from Fullerton to San Clemente. We had business class reserved seats. When we boarded we were informed there were no more business class seats available...

...I recently received an email from Amtrak informing me that I would be off loaded in Oceanside and taken the rest of the way on a BUS - what fun. It seems they will be working on the tracks that entire weekend. What I don't understand is why this type of construction isn't scheduled far enough in advance to allow potential passengers to decided whether or not they want to be bused.

Frankly I think Amtrak SUCKS and in the future I'll be driving myself even considering the traffic.

 

I started using Amtrak from Portland to Seattle and always went Business Class. On those trips Business Class not only guaranteed you a seat in the car - it provided a specific seat number (just like most airlines - excluding Southworst) I was very surprised on my first trip from San Diego to LA to find that seats were NOT assigned in advance or guaranteed.

 

As for your bus from Oceanside to San Diego this weekend, I almost feel the need to apologize. The project I'm working on is shutting down Amtrak this weekend to reconstruct / move rail. We're in the process of upgrading rail service and adding a 2nd track to eliminate issues with scheduling and the single-track system.

 

FYI, rail shutdowns are scheduled 2 years in advance. We're been planning our work for this shutdown since 2015. And, just last month I got the specific shutdown dates thru 2019. The problem is not that these aren't scheduled in advance - they ARE. The problem is that Amtrak is playing "I've got a secret" with their customers. Amtrak travel this weekend is going to be a pain in the ass. But, there are just some tasks with rail construction that can only be done during a shutdown. And we're using double crews (12 hours on and 12 hours off). During these shutdowns our 2 sets of crews are working 24 hours per day.