Amtrak not selling RVR-WAS on the Star during altered schedule?

[Anderson]

I'm...more than a little bit steamed at this. Apparently, Amtrak isn't selling tickets between Richmond and points further north during the period, but there is no mention of this on the website or in the service alert. Does anybody know:

A) What gives; and/or

B) If there's a way to work around it or someone to complain to?

 

[railiner]

I'm...more than a little bit steamed at this. Apparently, Amtrak isn't selling tickets between Richmond and points further north during the period, but there is no mention of this on the website or in the service alert. Does anybody know:

A) What gives; and/or

B) If there's a way to work around it or someone to complain to?

Did you try booking it beyond richmond? Sometimes that may work....

 

[Anderson]

I'm...more than a little bit steamed at this. Apparently, Amtrak isn't selling tickets between Richmond and points further north during the period, but there is no mention of this on the website or in the service alert. Does anybody know:

A) What gives; and/or

B) If there's a way to work around it or someone to complain to?

Did you try booking it beyond richmond? Sometimes that may work....

I can manage PTB-WAS...just book that and if I'm not allowed to board, do an exchange?

Part of it might be how tightly the Star lines up with #82 leaving RVR...but I'll go ahead and say that I think such is BS.

 

[Michael061282]

I don't think they'd say much of you have a Petersburg ticket and get on in Richmond, they might or probably would say something if you have an RVR ticket and try getting on in PTB. Just tell you missed the train down there and you high tailed it RVR.

 

[gatelouse]

I'm...more than a little bit steamed at this. Apparently, Amtrak isn't selling tickets between Richmond and points further north during the period, but there is no mention of this on the website or in the service alert. Does anybody know:

A) What gives; and/or

B) If there's a way to work around it or someone to complain to?

Did you try booking it beyond richmond? Sometimes that may work....

I can manage PTB-WAS...just book that and if I'm not allowed to board, do an exchange?

Part of it might be how tightly the Star lines up with #82 leaving RVR...but I'll go ahead and say that I think such is BS.

That might indeed be the reason--Amtrak doesn't want morning RVR northbound passengers to crowd out LD passengers on the Star. But I agree that a better solution is available than simply blocking all sales--just put all tickets from RVR into high bucket.

As for booking PTB...Leaving a train early at "receive only" stations works well. Attempting to board at a "discharge only" station is another matter altogether. But since this is an unusual situation, booking from PTB and pleading ignorance to the station staff is likely to work.

 

[Anderson]

Well, the rub is that RVR is not a "discharge only" station on the timetable. That's what is aggravating...

11 50A 1 02P 5 09P 9 40P 334 Ar Richmond, VA Σv- Dp l4 35A l12 30P l2 12P l5 25P

l12 02P l1 10P l5 19P l9 50P Dp –Staples Mill Rd. Ar 4 25A l12 21P 2 05P 5 15P

That's the quote from the timetable. No D-codes or R-codes. So Amtrak is, technically speaking, violating their posted timetable with this one. Truth be told, based on my experience...I would bet $5 that the RVR staff won't realize that the train isn't accepting passengers.

 

[gatelouse]

Well, the rub is that RVR is not a "discharge only" station on the timetable. That's what is aggravating...

11 50A 1 02P 5 09P 9 40P 334 Ar Richmond, VA Σv- Dp l4 35A l12 30P l2 12P l5 25P

l12 02P l1 10P l5 19P l9 50P Dp –Staples Mill Rd. Ar 4 25A l12 21P 2 05P 5 15P

That's the quote from the timetable. No D-codes or R-codes. So Amtrak is, technically speaking, violating their posted timetable with this one. Truth be told, based on my experience...I would bet $5 that the RVR staff won't realize that the train isn't accepting passengers.

That's the standard timetable, yes? For the altered timetable I'm assuming that the Northbound Star is scheduled for discharge only at RVR.

 

[abcnews]

I had almost booked a trip - it was there one day, and I called Amtrak a few days later while I was out driving to an appointment, and the agent said there was no 7:25 train, and no Silver Star on March 13th - the day I had planned on booking. I had seen it there a few days earlier and it was $173 for a Roomette with rail fare. I had a trip to Trenton and I was going to take a rare trip north in a Roomette. The normal departure on the Star is around 12:30 so it is a bit late for a day trip to NJ. The 7:25 allowed a 1 PM arrival in Trenton and the Meteor departs at 4:15 PM back to RVR.

Anyway - I wonder what would have happened if I had booked the trip before they dropped the departure from Richmond...