Worst Trip

Book Trip from Martinez to Grover Beach CA on 8.14.14 Train 549 arrived at San Pablo and stayed there for 3 hours with the conductor reassuring us over and over that our connection will be waiting for passengers with connection. When we arrived in Emeryville CA for our Connection it was gone.

The station agent did not do anything for us but took our bag and place it back on the next train back to Martinez. James H.manager/Agent did not even print us a ticket to get back on the train to our starting station (Martinez).

The person came around and ask us for ticket which we did not have. We asked to called Emeryville to figure out that they put us back on the train. The station agent asked the conductor if "the passengers he just put on the train was battering the conductor".

After reaching Martinez Amtrak, the agent at the station could not find a place for me to stay and states that you can not stay in the station, so you have to go somewhere. I was given a taxi to sit at Denny Restaurant until morning where i had to take BART train to Oakland City Center, then a another Taxi to Jack London Square to meet the Bus.

The worst of it is that when i Arrived in San Luis Obispo, the station agent will not give me transportation to my final destination of Grover Beach and stated that if i want to go to Grover Beach, i have to buy a ticket. After talking for half an hour with Customer service their going to put me on a 1:30 train which got me to my destination way after my meeting.

There was no compensation offer for what happen. No one called to speak with me about my complain file with customer service. But this is not the end, i will put this in the News Paper if Amtrak does not call me and offer some kind of compensation.

Please note that we are not Amtrak, and can not do anything to help you - except to suggest you contact Amtrak at 1-800-USA-RAIL, ask for an agent, then ask that agent to connect you with Customer RELATIONS (NOT Customer Service). They are the ones who can help you!

Best to you!

Whereas Amtrak California service is perhaps more consistent in its service than the majority of long distance services, delays are common and most often unforeseeable. I would generally never trust Amtrak to get me somewhere important within a day or so of needing to be there.

That being said, with the exception of the Coast Starlight, I may have the same expectation on corridor services on Amtrak as I would have in the Northeast. But, alas, delays even happen there. And in flying. And driving or the bus. Most of the time it goes well, but sometimes it doesn't.

I do want to encourage you to call Guest Relations at Amtrak. If nothing else, you should get a voucher for some future travel. Don't receive it with disdain. Try Amtrak again, and I hope you have a much better experience.

We had a bad experience this summer on the Empire Builder from SEA to CHI. The train arrived in CHI at 3AM the next day and all connections East were missed. We were bused outside the city limits arrived at a hotel, got to sleep at 5 AM and were brought back to CHI at 11 AM. After some schedule juggling online, we were able to continue our trip east in a bedroom on the CL. The gross lateness was not Amtrak's fault. Amtrak does not own the tracks and the Dakota Oil boom is currently loading the tracks with 250 BNSF oil freight trains per year. Until such time that the double track project is completed, lateness on this route will be the rule and not the exception. Point is that track work, washouts, mudslides, mechanical failures , an occasional derailment/accident and freight traffic all work against keeping Amtrak on a tight schedule.

Judging from your experience, it sounds as though Amtrak should have done better for you and a call to customer relations should result in some compensation for you.

Finally a guest who understands Amtrak doesn't own trackage!