Amtrak Midwest Service Advisory Posting on Line

[jmbgeg]

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Alert_C&pagename=am/AM_Alert_C/Alerts_Popup&p=1237608345018&cid=1248543788588

As discussed in a post below, Amtrak has finally posted its first service alert on its website about the Midwest flooding now affecting the Empire Builder. Several of us have ben very vocal about the absence of this type of communication with customers and the public. I had to cancel an important EB/CONO trip because of the flooding. No amount of disclolure in communications would have changed the disruption of service, but more public information, sooner, would have delivered better customer service and lowered frustration with the unknown. The silence also likely created a heavy burden on Amtrak telephone customers service agents who have probably endured countless, repetitive and avoidable status phone calls that could have been avoided or mitigated with website postings. I hope that more website postings, sooner is the model for the future.

I do hope to travel on the EB in a couple of weeks again, and that schedules have returned to some sense of normal routines.

 

[julie]

Amtracks website still says cancellations were through yesterday on the EB. They told me today they won't be running until Saturday. Any guess if this will actually happen? I have a trip from Chicago to East Glacier leaving on Sunday and need to make alternate plans if it won't be up by then.

 

[Rider]

Amtracks website still says cancellations were through yesterday on the EB. They told me today they won't be running until Saturday. Any guess if this will actually happen? I have a trip from Chicago to East Glacier leaving on Sunday and need to make alternate plans if it won't be up by then.

I'm booked on the EB leaving Friday from Portland - hoping it works - I have called twice to confirm that the train will be running and they say yes, but to callback tonight- I am going to keep checking

 

[JayPea]

I am also scheduled to go on the EB in a couple of weeks, from Spokane to Seattle on the 21st and from Portland to Spokane on the 24th. If for whatever reason the EB is still not running, I'm likely going to cancel my EB reservations and just take the Thruway bus. As long as I have to be stuck on a crappy bus anyway, I might as well catch the bus here, in my hometown, which has a Thruway stop, rather than drive the hour to Spokane to catch the bustitution there. Besides, the bus leaves at a decent hour (7:30 AM) from here, and, moreover, the stop is right outside my front door. So if I have to ride a bus anyway, may as well do it the easy way.

 

[julie]

Amtracks website still says cancellations were through yesterday on the EB. They told me today they won't be running until Saturday. Any guess if this will actually happen? I have a trip from Chicago to East Glacier leaving on Sunday and need to make alternate plans if it won't be up by then.

I'm booked on the EB leaving Friday from Portland - hoping it works - I have called twice to confirm that the train will be running and they say yes, but to callback tonight- I am going to keep checking

How far east are you traveling? Please let me know on Friday if the EB is running. Thanks