Amtrak sets revenue and earnings records. Thanksgiving week on the Amtrak. Like to hear about your stories?

There trains are standing room only between New Heaven and Springfield with only two cars per train, plus they have been asked by every state official to ad more capacity from the Gov to US senators but wont do anything. They are supposed to be partners with CtRail with interchangeable tickets but if the Amtrak train is sold out CTrail ticket holders get kick off trains due to lack of capacity.  They have poor customer service,  they are jacking it to private car owners.  No more special trains, the food sucks.

If I wanted this crappy service I'd fly, at least 9 out of 10 times I get there on time.

So do I care about record revenue, that would be NO.  They have lost the public trust.

Hello, last month my wife and I took the Acela Express from Boston to Philadelphia and the Keystone from Philadelphia to Elizabethtown on Monday and the return trip on Friday via the same trains. The Quiet Car is great with plenty of room. We had a couple of slow spots due to track maintenance but we were within minutes of the schedule.

The flights between Boston or Manchester, NH and Harrisburg, PA might be somewhat shorter but a lot less comfortable and much more confining.

Our Amtrak trips are usually Phila to Boston or Phila to D.C. to visit family. Last March we took the Silver Meteor to Ft.Lauderdale, Florida. Overall, we are happy with the trains and the service. For the past few years we have flown first class to keep our sanity. So for us, its "regular" Amtrak (no Acela or Business Class) vs flying first class.

I usually ride Metrolink, but Amtrak's California Surfliner runs the same route with fewer stops. Every now and then I take Amtrak instead and even on a commuter run it's very nice with more leg room and more comfortable seats. The only down side is it is more expensive, but when you're tired and sore, it's definitely worth it.

Riding The Amtrak Wolverine • Thanksgiving Week 2018

A Photo - Essay.

We had a great trip on the Amtrak Wolverine to Chicago. We got great seats because Amtrak allows riders that are seniors or travelers with children to board first.

Have you ridden the Amtrak lately?  Like to hear about your stories?

Gary: Rial-fan

Amtrak reminds me of the old joke about the merchant who lost money on every transaction. 

When he was asked how he was able to continue in business he replied "I make it up on volume."

We took the Southwest Chief to California and back, in October, for a family wedding and a week at a resort on the south coast.  We got a roomette this time, instead of our normal bedroom.  Number 3 was more or less on-time until it left Victorville, losing an hour and a half following fright trains on Cajon Pass.  We left Fullerton 45 minutes late and arrived at Lamy an hour and 50 minutes late.  I bought the tickets in February, and, between then and October, Amtrak cut off the Agent at Lamy and so we had no checked baggage service.  Next time, we will arrange to use Albuquerque.  Either way it's a 4-hour drive to get to the train from Amarillo.  I like Lamy because it's quaint, and is a safe place to leave our automobile.  The villagers watch everything that goes on at the depot.  I remote-started my car by satellite and idled it for ten minutes halfway through the vacation, to keep a good charge on the battery, and, when we arrived back at Lamy, one of the local citizens told me that he had seen my car with its engine running one day and wanted me to know about it.

The dining car food was okay and the service was excellent on Number 3.  On Number 4, the food was better but the service was mediocre.  The last morning on Number 3, they had run out of several breakfast items,  I tried a new entree for lunch - chilaquiles (which they had run out of before the westward train arrived in New Mexico, but they were available on the eastward trip).

The sleeping car attendants in both directions were excellent.

We had an Albuquerque Conductor (same guy in both directions) who made an announcement to inform passengers exactly what is permitted, and also what is not permitted, aboard the train.  He was not kidding -- with the assistance of the Police Department, he put a coach passenger off at Winslow on the westward trip for smoking.  I would not like to have to rearrange my trip to include unexpectedly staying at Winslow, where there is little to do, and very sparse transportation options.  But the guy could smoke there.

Train handling varied from excellent to horrible.  The Los Angeles engine crew in each direction made very smooth stops.  All other crew districts needed some coaching on making stops.  The Kingman to Albuquerque Engineer on Number 4 jerked the train through 25 miles of intermittent slow orders due to a big tie and rail replacement project during the early hours, awakening me from sleep, and then made a brick-wall stop at Winslow. There was some rough track between Gallup and Winslow, which surprised me.  We rolled along at 90 MPH across the Southwest (including the rough track in Arizona), for a good portion of the trip, and the cars were warm and comfortable.

We paid $635 round trip from Lamy, NM, to Fullerton, CA, and it was not a bad trip overall.  It Met my expectations and was less expensive than flying.  2500 miles at 15 cents per mile for gasoline in the Suburban would have cost $375, plus another hundred for en route meals and $150 for a hotel in Flagstaff.  So the out-of-pocket cost for driving and taking Amtrak was comparable.

Personally, I think they are overpriced and I can't think of why I would ever use them.  I thought it would be neat to take the train to NY to do the Christmas walking tour but just going from Philly to NY is $234 per person round trip in coach.  Philly to Baltimore is just as bad.  Hence, I just drive.  

-Greg

Greg - It's like airlines now - if you buy a couple weeks ahead, and aren't traveling at peak times, you might get round-trip for $90 to $100. Still not cheap, but avoiding the headaches of driving/parking in NYC (I live in Brooklyn) would be worth it to me.

EDIT: Oh, I forgot - if you aren't in a hurry, there's also the SEPTA/NJT combo - take SEPTA to Trenton, and switch to NJT to NYC. Semi-express trains on weekends (that skip a few stops closer to NYC) are about an hour and a half from Trenton to NYP. There are weekday expresses that cover it in 70 to 80 minutes. Round-trip from Philly would be something like $45, give or take a few bucks.

Tom - chilaquiles! I first heard that on a TV series about 12 years ago. In my ignorance, I thought it was a made-up name. A couple characters at the show's eatery shouted it. Also, wanted to say thanks for the suggestion on another thread about using the grab irons while passing from car to car. On my ride home on the subway the night of the Amtrak incident, I walked between cars (on the N) - after pausing to think about it.

David

Greg Houser posted:

Personally, I think they are overpriced and I can't think of why I would ever use them.  I thought it would be neat to take the train to NY to do the Christmas walking tour but just going from Philly to NY is $234 per person round trip in coach. 

I thought this sounded a bit high, so I looked up a Phila to NYC adult round trip, leaving Phila 12/5 at 10:40 am, then  leaving NYC 12/7 at 2:44 pm. This came to a total of $104. per person ($52. each way). Be careful you are not looking at Acela trips ($226. round trip). The website puts the prices on top, rather than at the bottom, where most people would expect them.

Joe Hohmann posted:

Greg Houser posted:

Personally, I think they are overpriced and I can't think of why I would ever use them.  I thought it would be neat to take the train to NY to do the Christmas walking tour but just going from Philly to NY is $234 per person round trip in coach. 

I thought this sounded a bit high, so I looked up a Phila to NYC adult round trip, leaving Phila 12/5 at 10:40 am, then  leaving NYC 12/7 at 2:44 pm. This came to a total of $104. per person ($52. each way). Be careful you are not looking at Acela trips ($226. round trip). The website puts the prices on top, rather than at the bottom, where most people would expect them.

Thanks Joe and David - I appreciate the info.  I'll have to check on that when I go to make the trips just me.  The Christmas walk was with my wife and son so even at the lower price it's still over $300 round trip.  As much as I despise driving around NYC, it's better just to go directly to a garage near Penn Station, pay for parking, and walk.   It's just tough for me to justify paying that cost for that short of a trip.

-Greg

Number 90 posted:

 

We paid $635 round trip from Lamy, NM, to Fullerton, CA, and it was not a bad trip overall.  It Met my expectations and was less expensive than flying.  2500 miles at 15 cents per mile for gasoline in the Suburban would have cost $375, plus another hundred for en route meals and $150 for a hotel in Flagstaff.  So the out-of-pocket cost for driving and taking Amtrak was comparable. 

Actually, according to AAA, current costs for driving a large SUV like a Suburban are 73.6 cents a mile. Increased maintenance expenses, additional mileage depreciation, tire wear, insurance, and other additional costs all have to be factored in, in addition to fuel costs. So if one uses the real cost of driving, Amtrak looks a lot more economical.

Nick Chillianis posted:

Amtrak reminds me of the old joke about the merchant who lost money on every transaction. 

When he was asked how he was able to continue in business he replied "I make it up on volume."

Lots of public entities lose money. For example, the airlines are reimbursed by the government in order to provide necessary transportation services to otherwise unserved/underserved areas. Amtrak does the same. Look at all the places where your tax money goes. If everything made a profit, taxes wouldn't be necessary.

Greg, I just got an email from Amtrak which showed, among other trips, Phila to NYC for $29!  NYC to Chicago for just $76!  You should get on their email list for some really great discounts.  I don't think we paid much more than $234 for DC to Montreal last year. 

breezinup posted:

Number 90 posted:

 

We paid $635 round trip from Lamy, NM, to Fullerton, CA, and it was not a bad trip overall.  It Met my expectations and was less expensive than flying.  2500 miles at 15 cents per mile for gasoline in the Suburban would have cost $375, plus another hundred for en route meals and $150 for a hotel in Flagstaff.  So the out-of-pocket cost for driving and taking Amtrak was comparable. 

Actually, according to AAA, current costs for driving a large SUV like a Suburban are 73.6 cents a mile. Increased maintenance expenses, additional mileage depreciation, tire wear, and other additional costs all have to be factored in, in addition to fuel costs. So if one uses the real cost of driving, Amtrak looks a lot more economical.

So many folks think "gas & tolls" as if all the other costs are already paid for.  When you mix apples and oranges you might get a nice fruit salad but not a clear economic picture.  Wait, that was not a good metaphor.  

breezinup posted:

Nick Chillianis posted:

Amtrak reminds me of the old joke about the merchant who lost money on every transaction. 

When he was asked how he was able to continue in business he replied "I make it up on volume."

Lots of public entities lose money. For example, the airlines are reimbursed by the government in order to provide necessary transportation services to otherwise unserved/underserved areas. Amtrak does the same. Look at all the places where your tax money goes. If everything made a profit, taxes wouldn't be necessary.

So the fact that the government wastes my tax dollars on other worthless boondoggles besides Amtrak is supposed to make me feel better? Guess what, I don't enjoy paying for those things either.  

Whenever A annoys or injures B on the pretense of saving or improving X, A is a scoundrel. - H. L. Mencken

This story began at Jackson Station, on the Wolverine Line.  The adults in our group had their tickets on their phones. The conductor scans your phone after you board the train and is underway.  My two grandchildren ages 3 & 4 do not have phones, so their Dad printed their tickets on two sheets of paper. One for each grandchild.

He ask the conductor if he could punch their tickets just like Tom Hanks does in the movie. “Polar Express”. My two grandchildren had their own seats just in front of us.  The conductor yells out, “Tickets Please, Tickets Please”, and there eyeballs were ready to pop out of their heads. He punched their tickets just like you see in the movie, “Polar Express”

The conductor came by several times to see how the boys were doing and they talk about trains & railroad safety.

This moment was priceless….. and many thanks to the conductor and Amtrak for making a railroad trip fun for kids.

Gary: Rail-fan, on the Wolverine Line

Nick Chillianis posted:

breezinup posted:

Nick Chillianis posted:

Amtrak reminds me of the old joke about the merchant who lost money on every transaction. 

When he was asked how he was able to continue in business he replied "I make it up on volume."

Lots of public entities lose money. For example, the airlines are reimbursed by the government in order to provide necessary transportation services to otherwise unserved/underserved areas. Amtrak does the same. Look at all the places where your tax money goes. If everything made a profit, taxes wouldn't be necessary.

So the fact that the government wastes my tax dollars on other worthless boondoggles besides Amtrak is supposed to make me feel better? Guess what, I don't enjoy paying for those things either.  

Whenever A annoys or injures B on the pretense of saving or improving X, A is a scoundrel. - H. L. Mencken

One person's waste is another person's "necessity" *shrug*. Trucks cause a lot more damage to roads then the road use taxes and fuel taxes they pay, so we are all subsidizing them, lot of places that depend on roads for travel get a lot of money from the federal pool to pay for them but contribute a fraction of that in terms of fuel taxes. There are folks getting high speed internet access at a cheap price thanks to Uncle Sam, something I pay a lot for, but they see it as a necessary (and it likely is these days). The point being that boondoggle is often in the mind of the beholder, and plenty of people pay a lot for things other people benefit from, it kind of goes with the territory, I wish federal money wasn't spent on things I disagree with in other parts of the country, but that is part of the system we live with *shrug* (and no, not going to say specific things, just pointing out these kind of discussions are very much in the eye of the beholder). 

After many disastrous airline experiences (weather delays, missed connections, cramped seats, security), I much prefer the train.  I have ridden the Crescent several times and the City of New Orleans twice.  Service and food quality varied, and even a twelve hour delay on the City of New Orleans due to blocked track has not dampened my enthusiasm for the experience.  Amtrak is not perfect, but I think we should carefully consider the facts before sacrificing it in the name of profitability.

Using an oversimplification, the $1.495 billion subsidy Amtrak received, even if funded exclusively by individual income taxes, would amount to about $9.97 per tax return (please fact check my math in public and figures).  The vast waste for the individual simply isn't there.