I cannot speak directly to the addition of the PPC (I think I was like six or eight at the time) but in the case of the HS, I'm fairly certain that the answer is "yes", if only because:
About the only things I agree with you on is Amtrak is not a charity and they can use every dollar taken in. Lol... the same generic statement is true for any business... or heck any person or family... for that matter. Right?
Loss of amenities makes a toxic combination with Amtrak's inconsistent service. Staff who try to make customers' trips pleasant and comfortable can make almost any trip memorably enjoyable, whatever the level of amenity. On the other hand, surly employees who apparently view customers as an inconvenience can make lack of amenities really rankle.
The only thing I would ask is who besides Rtabern has written? Tricia, they are in the process of eliminating yet another staffed station.(as soon as it is public, we'll put it up.) That's another kick to the traveler yet they keep doing these things because for some reason, ridership keeps going up. In their minds, corridor traffic (short and intermediate) is the market to chase and what do they care about PPCs, luggage, hell even food! LD riders are the minority! They must be! We keep cutting and they aren't bleeding!There's a lot to tackle in this thread so we'll take it in no particular order.
R
That being said, I think we are seeing the previous discussed concepts from the Greenville, SC (GRV) to be Unstaffed Effective June 15, 2017. Notably:
Unfortunately, the long distance traveler may be the victim when it comes time to the budget. Rtabern's letter spells it out in spades. What is the cost? What "provable" revenue does it generate? I don't know why these cars need so much maintenance but assuming it isn't a ploy, would we rather spend money on these cars or the engines that pull them?
Personally, I think it is a mistake to whittle away at the amenities. This was done before and it didn't work out. Trains don't have an advantage of speed like a plane nor do they have the cost structure of a bus. So, what exactly is Amtrak bringing to the table? It should be something memorable to justify the costs. It should be something to bring you back. It should be something to make you say "do you remember that time?" Otherwise, what is the point? If you wanted to ride a bus on steel wheels, then you might as well ride an actual bus.
Maybe Tricia is right! As Amtrak continues to cut station personnel, maybe they should mothball the new baggage cars as well. How much revenue are they generating?
I think I will continue the rest of my rant in the CEO thread.
I bet if they keep adding dates with the PPC, demand will remain highIf you try to book a Starlight ticket, it now shows a service alert, and guess what the alert says:
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Amtrak will retire the renowned Pacific Parlour Car from the Coast Starlight. The last day of service will be February 2 on Train 14 and February 4 on Train 11. Retiring the Parlour Car is part of Amtrak's ongoing work to modernize its fleet of equipment.
Due to high demand, an additional Parlour Car trip has been added on Wednesday, January 31 leaving Los Angeles and Friday, February 2 leaving Seattle.
The Parlour Car will continue to operate on Thursdays and Fridays departing Los Angeles and Saturdays and Sundays departing Seattle through February 4.
The Coast Starlight will continue to provide daily service from Seattle to Los Angeles. Amtrak is reviewing what amenities offered in the Parlour Car will be available in the future. Customers can continue to enjoy the trip and spectacular views from other areas of the train, including the Dining and Sightseer Lounge cars.
We appreciate your patronage and apologize for any inconvenience. For reservation and train status information check Amtrak.com, our free mobile apps, speak with station personnel or call 800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
Thank you for traveling with Amtrak.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
So that seems pretty darn official.
Well, unlike the amenities, ensuring that employees actually do the jobs they're paid for, in a customer-friendly manner, shouldn't cost anything. They're already paying the salaries. I don't have enough experience riding LD to feel confident guessing a percentage, but I've encountered a good many Amtrak staff who go above and beyond earning their pay. And a distressing number who don't come near--way beyond a few bad apples.
We're in agreement and it is funny Tricia because I brought you up earlier in the thread:
The only thing I would ask is who besides Rtabern has written? Tricia, they are in the process of eliminating yet another staffed station.(as soon as it is public, we'll put it up.) That's another kick to the traveler yet they keep doing these things because for some reason, ridership keeps going up. In their minds, corridor traffic (short and intermediate) is the market to chase and what do they care about PPCs, luggage, hell even food! LD riders are the minority! They must be! We keep cutting and they aren't bleeding!There's a lot to tackle in this thread so we'll take it in no particular order.
R
That being said, I think we are seeing the previous discussed concepts from the Greenville, SC (GRV) to be Unstaffed Effective June 15, 2017. Notably:
Unfortunately, the long distance traveler may be the victim when it comes time to the budget. Rtabern's letter spells it out in spades. What is the cost? What "provable" revenue does it generate? I don't know why these cars need so much maintenance but assuming it isn't a ploy, would we rather spend money on these cars or the engines that pull them?
Personally, I think it is a mistake to whittle away at the amenities. This was done before and it didn't work out. Trains don't have an advantage of speed like a plane nor do they have the cost structure of a bus. So, what exactly is Amtrak bringing to the table? It should be something memorable to justify the costs. It should be something to bring you back. It should be something to make you say "do you remember that time?" Otherwise, what is the point? If you wanted to ride a bus on steel wheels, then you might as well ride an actual bus.
Maybe Tricia is right! As Amtrak continues to cut station personnel, maybe they should mothball the new baggage cars as well. How much revenue are they generating?
I think I will continue the rest of my rant in the CEO thread.
If you are truly interested, kick them in the CSI scores. Write in! Tell them what you need and equally important, tell them what you WANT. Tell them what you EXPECT.
Otherwise, the next cuts will come....it is just a matter of time.
Actually, this has been done. We discussed this in the Amtrak Announces Management/Non-Agreement Buyout thread.
Unfortunately, as several folks on the thread you've cited noted, it's likely that greater numbers of more-competent (rather than less-competent) employees took the buyout offer and left.
Hey! I resemble that remark!
Yet, as you note below, they have been doing that for years and still manage to have increased ridership and revenue.
No maybe about it. They are.
Your end to end trip represnets 0.00004% of Amtrak's annual revenue, even if it's at high bucket. They will neither notice nor care that you choose to do something else with your leisure time.
