Un-manned Amtrak stations......how do you know what to do?

[ehbowen]

Now, where on the Amtrak website do you check to see how late the train will be?

On the Amtrak website, next to where it says Tickets there is another tab that says Status. Click on that. The further steps should be self explanatory.

If you don't have internet access but do have a cell phone or pay phone, you can also call "Julie" at 1-800-USA-RAIL and ask for "train status".

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Now, where on the Amtrak website do you check to see how late the train will be?

On the Amtrak website, next to where it says Tickets there is another tab that says Status. Click on that. The further steps should be self explanatory.

If you don't have internet access but do have a cell phone or pay phone, you can also call "Julie" at 1-800-USA-RAIL and ask for "train status".

Or send a text to 401-268-7251. The text, I believe, would be <station> <train #> Eg: WIL 92

 

[Texan Eagle]

Now, where on the Amtrak website do you check to see how late the train will be?

On the Amtrak website, next to where it says Tickets there is another tab that says Status. Click on that. The further steps should be self explanatory.

If you don't have internet access but do have a cell phone or pay phone, you can also call "Julie" at 1-800-USA-RAIL and ask for "train status".

Or send a text to 401-268-7251. The text, I believe, would be <station> <train #> Eg: WIL 92

If you have a smartphone (iPhone or any Android phone), you can also download the free Amtrak app from the App Store/Google Play. It has options to check status of running trains.

 

[Nathanael]

Yep, I was more worried about finding the right train than finding my car. I figured someone on the train could help me. Hopefully the San B. station won't be too complicated. Maybe there's only one platform to wait on. Do they have signs like at the airport that tell you what "gate" or platform in this case, to go to?

only one Amtrak train, so not much to choose from. Amtrak stops in front of the old depot, not the metrolink tracks just west of there.

There will certainly be other folks boarding at Berdoo, so just find the people with luggage.

Indeed. At San Bernadino, make sure the train is Amtrak (not Metrolink) and you'll be fine.



I suppose if the train in the other direction was 12 hours late, you would also want to make sure the train was going in the correct direction (northbound AWAY from LA, not southbound TOWARDS LA) but that doesn't happen much any more. ;-)

 

[VentureForth]

Hi ValC. Welcome to the forums. I hope you are still looking around and find this site useful.

You will be boarding Train 4, the Southwest Chief, EASTBOUND from San Bernardino on your departure date, scheduled for 7:59 PM. There is pretty good likelyhood that this train will depart on time as it is only the third stop on its 2,265 mile journey from Los Angeles to Chicago.

I would take an opportunity, if it is convenient, to go out to the station around the scheduled departure time before your departure date to get a feel for the station, the trains and the movement of people. The big beautiful station is a museum now and only a small section of it is a waiting room. If you get there early enough, you may have time to enjoy the railroad museum. You will notice that to the left of the station are several platforms and tracks that stop at the sidewalk. These are called stubs and they are the end of the line for many Metrolink commuter trains. You need not worry about these trains. They are a mix (right now) of siver and white train cars. They will have METROLINK clearly marked on the front and side. Go past these stub tracks and come to the track side of the grand station. This is where you will likely wait for your train. The Southwest Chief will arrive from the left. Look for the ALL silver train with lomotives that clearly show the Amtrak logo on the front and sides and the coaches should all say Amtrak on the side with red, white and blue stripes along the side. The platform is short, so they may make a double spot rather than use the Metrolink platforms. I've gone through there 4 times, but I honestly don't remember what happened.

At any rate, when Amtrak arrives (remember, all silver train with red white and blue stripes on the side of the double decker coaches that have Amtrak written on them arriving from the left) you'll see a couple of official looking people hanging out of the doorway. They may ask you "Coach or Sleeper" so be ready to answer. They'll either tell you where to head or ask you to wait. Then, they'll ask you where you're going. Tell them your destination station and they'll direct you to a seat.

Again, I think it may help if you go out there a couple days before hand and just watch and see what they do. Arrive around 7:45 and just enjoy watching the activity. The more info you have, the better armed you'll be. I hope you enjoy your experience. This is probably the 3rd or 4th of the greatest train rides in North America, and I hope the crew is top notch for you.

 

[calwatch]

San Bernardino is also a smoke stop so you may see a bunch of people lighting up for the last time of the night.

 

[VentureForth]

San Bernardino is also a smoke stop so you may see a bunch of people lighting up for the last time of the night.

It is? I don't see any indication of that on the timetable (Usually identifiable by having an arrival/departure time split). Why would they have a smoke stop 1 hour out of LA?

 

[zephyr17]

San Bernardino is also a smoke stop so you may see a bunch of people lighting up for the last time of the night.

It is? I don't see any indication of that on the timetable (Usually identifiable by having an arrival/departure time split). Why would they have a smoke stop 1 hour out of LA?

There are a lot of stops with long dwell times that are not indicated on the timetable and are used for fresh air/smoke stops. Many crew change points do not have arrival and departure on the timetable, but have long dwell times. Klamath Falls OR, Sacramento CA, San Luis Obispo CA, Shelby MT come immediately to mind. Santa Barbara CA is also typically a smoke stop on the Starlight without any kind of crew change.

Don't know specifically about San Bernardino. It isn't a crew change point of any kind, but may have some recovery time ("pad") built into the schedule there for some reason, so if they are on time they will have a long dwell. The running time Riverside-San Bernardino is 26 minutes, while San Bernardino to Riverside is 21, which could be indicative of a 5 minute pad. Any station where they know they'll have a long dwell time is a candidate for a fresh air/smoke stop. One reason I can think of if they have time in Berdoo to make it a smoke stop is there isn't really opportunity to have another one until the Kingman crew change.

 

[VentureForth]

I can understand some pad because they are at the mercy of Metrolink's evening services...

 

[ValC]

Thanks for all the great info! San Bernardino is a bit out of the way for me so I probably won't have the time to go check it out a few days early but I will definitely plan to arrive early on my departure day so I can get my bearings and see the museum. I didn't know there was a museum there. Cool!

 

[jb64]

Hi ValC. Welcome to the forums. I hope you are still looking around and find this site useful.

You will be boarding Train 4, the Southwest Chief, EASTBOUND from San Bernardino on your departure date, scheduled for 7:59 PM. There is pretty good likelyhood that this train will depart on time as it is only the third stop on its 2,265 mile journey from Los Angeles to Chicago.

I would take an opportunity, if it is convenient, to go out to the station around the scheduled departure time before your departure date to get a feel for the station, the trains and the movement of people. The big beautiful station is a museum now and only a small section of it is a waiting room. If you get there early enough, you may have time to enjoy the railroad museum. You will notice that to the left of the station are several platforms and tracks that stop at the sidewalk. These are called stubs and they are the end of the line for many Metrolink commuter trains. You need not worry about these trains. They are a mix (right now) of siver and white train cars. They will have METROLINK clearly marked on the front and side. Go past these stub tracks and come to the track side of the grand station. This is where you will likely wait for your train. The Southwest Chief will arrive from the left. Look for the ALL silver train with lomotives that clearly show the Amtrak logo on the front and sides and the coaches should all say Amtrak on the side with red, white and blue stripes along the side. The platform is short, so they may make a double spot rather than use the Metrolink platforms. I've gone through there 4 times, but I honestly don't remember what happened.

At any rate, when Amtrak arrives (remember, all silver train with red white and blue stripes on the side of the double decker coaches that have Amtrak written on them arriving from the left) you'll see a couple of official looking people hanging out of the doorway. They may ask you "Coach or Sleeper" so be ready to answer. They'll either tell you where to head or ask you to wait. Then, they'll ask you where you're going. Tell them your destination station and they'll direct you to a seat.

Again, I think it may help if you go out there a couple days before hand and just watch and see what they do. Arrive around 7:45 and just enjoy watching the activity. The more info you have, the better armed you'll be. I hope you enjoy your experience. This is probably the 3rd or 4th of the greatest train rides in North America, and I hope the crew is top notch for you.

That is one of the best pieces of advice I have seen. Go to the station ahead of your trip and watch the process. I have done that and it really does take a lot of the stress out of the equation.

 

[June the Coach Rider]

Hi ValC. Welcome to the forums. I hope you are still looking around and find this site useful.

You will be boarding Train 4, the Southwest Chief, EASTBOUND from San Bernardino on your departure date, scheduled for 7:59 PM. There is pretty good likelyhood that this train will depart on time as it is only the third stop on its 2,265 mile journey from Los Angeles to Chicago.

I would take an opportunity, if it is convenient, to go out to the station around the scheduled departure time before your departure date to get a feel for the station, the trains and the movement of people. The big beautiful station is a museum now and only a small section of it is a waiting room. If you get there early enough, you may have time to enjoy the railroad museum. You will notice that to the left of the station are several platforms and tracks that stop at the sidewalk. These are called stubs and they are the end of the line for many Metrolink commuter trains. You need not worry about these trains. They are a mix (right now) of siver and white train cars. They will have METROLINK clearly marked on the front and side. Go past these stub tracks and come to the track side of the grand station. This is where you will likely wait for your train. The Southwest Chief will arrive from the left. Look for the ALL silver train with lomotives that clearly show the Amtrak logo on the front and sides and the coaches should all say Amtrak on the side with red, white and blue stripes along the side. The platform is short, so they may make a double spot rather than use the Metrolink platforms. I've gone through there 4 times, but I honestly don't remember what happened.

At any rate, when Amtrak arrives (remember, all silver train with red white and blue stripes on the side of the double decker coaches that have Amtrak written on them arriving from the left) you'll see a couple of official looking people hanging out of the doorway. They may ask you "Coach or Sleeper" so be ready to answer. They'll either tell you where to head or ask you to wait. Then, they'll ask you where you're going. Tell them your destination station and they'll direct you to a seat.

Again, I think it may help if you go out there a couple days before hand and just watch and see what they do. Arrive around 7:45 and just enjoy watching the activity. The more info you have, the better armed you'll be. I hope you enjoy your experience. This is probably the 3rd or 4th of the greatest train rides in North America, and I hope the crew is top notch for you.

That is one of the best pieces of advice I have seen. Go to the station ahead of your trip and watch the process. I have done that and it really does take a lot of the stress out of the equation.

I am going to do that exact thing, my 4 year old grand daughter is scared that I will not come back when I get on the train, I want to show her people getting off the train. I have to go get my rail pass at the station, so I am going to try and schedule it for when the train is due, so she can see it is nothing to be afraid of.