Amtrak's latest faux-pas at Lancaster PA

[jis]

From the Lancaster Online:

If you want to understand why Republicans in Congress keep trying to eliminate funding for Amtrak, take a look at the train station in Lancaster.

We've always been supportive of federal funds for the passenger rail service, but Amtrak's woeful record here might make us reconsider.

The latest outrage came at a meeting last week of the county Transportation Coordinating Committee, at which Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray told other members of the committee that after the $14.2 million renovation of the train station — a good portion of which involved rebuilding the parking lots and bus loading bays — Amtrak now wants to block motorists from entering the station from North Queen Street.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/788203_All-aboard-for----.html#ixzz2DuPaJX57

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Frankly, the whole Lancaster PA project seems to have been a parade of insensitivity and incompetence worthy of the Politburo, to this casual observer. And of course our dear friends at NARP will do nothing about this, since that would be contrary to their relationship with Amtrak Marketing Department.

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[railiner]

Sounds like Amtrak's PR department has a mess to clean up....just what they don't need when trying to preserve their funding.

The arcticle mentions that Amtrak contracted for 45 foot intercity buses, but the new company selected provided 60 foot buses that do not fit the newly built bays.

I am curious as to what that is all about.....Amtrak is providing some kind of 'Thruway' service from there?

And if so, I am not familiar with any current 60 foot intercity buses--only transit type that long in current use.

More likely, it is for the local transit buses...

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

We've always been supportive of federal funds for the passenger rail service, but Amtrak's woeful record here might make us reconsider.

Intresting statement must be own by the Fox News.

The hole story smells, and when a newspaper makes a statement like that I don't trust them to be fair or balanced. Sounds like Amtrak got problems both with there own people and the town folks, and now the local paper is coming after them. These things get out of control fast, and now upper management need to step in.

It too bad the newspaper could not do a proper story, it would help to know the facts.

As "railiner" states no Amtrak buses run out of that station, so who's buses are too big?

 

[benjibear]

Here is a news article from the abc station around here: http://www.abc27.com/story/20221094/lancaster-mayor-amtrak-plans-botched

I think the bus service they are refering to is Bieber bus which offers connections to York, Reading, and other points around here. It is not considered a through route for Amtrak. I don't think contract is the right term here. I thought the buses just leased space at the station for their operation.

I was excited a few years ago when they started work on this station but I find as the article states, they never renovated passenger areas. The exterior renovations are not that great and there is still parking issues. The story is much different at the renovated Elizabethtown station, which for the most part was a great renovation.

This is one problem with Amtrak. They don't appear so easy to work with. In Lancaster county, where a majority of the population is Republican, this is bad for Amtrak for future funding arguement. They can't even make the mayor who is a democrat and a firm beleiver of the green movement happy.

 

[Amtrak Cajun]

Its probably the local transit authority, aka city buses.

 

[benjibear]

I don't think the city buses even pull into the station. I see them stop at the curb in front.

 

[railiner]

I checked this http://www.redrosetransit.com/ site, and as far as I could tell, they have their own 'Queen Street Station', downtown, so they don't seem to need a hub at the Amtrak station......

 

[railiner]

Here is a news article from the abc station around here: http://www.abc27.com...k-plans-botched

I think the bus service they are refering to is Bieber bus which offers connections to York, Reading, and other points around here. It is not considered a through route for Amtrak. I don't think contract is the right term here. I thought the buses just leased space at the station for their operation.

I was excited a few years ago when they started work on this station but I find as the article states, they never renovated passenger areas. The exterior renovations are not that great and there is still parking issues. The story is much different at the renovated Elizabethtown station, which for the most part was a great renovation.

This is one problem with Amtrak. They don't appear so easy to work with. In Lancaster county, where a majority of the population is Republican, this is bad for Amtrak for future funding arguement. They can't even make the mayor who is a democrat and a firm beleiver of the green movement happy.

And Bieber doen't have any buses longer than 45 feet.........

 

[benjibear]

http://www.wgal.com/news/susquehanna-valley/lancaster/Traffic-issues-plague-Lancaster-train-station/-/9704306/17571922/-/cebwr8z/-/index.html

 

[philabos]

The bus issue is only the latest chapter in this saga.

There have been two instances in the recent past when Amtrak failed to unlock the station for the first train in the morning.

What really frosts people here is the fact that $14 million in taxpayer money was used to renovate the station yet passengers are still walking through a building with paint peeling from the ceiling and chipped

plaster. At the same time, although public access is obviously prohibited, they have been assured the employee areas look very nice.

There is also a very nice employee parking lot. To be fair, the public parking was improved and enlarged - but not enough.

Nobody can complain about a decent place to park for employees. However I did note a couple of months ago 41 Amtrak owned vehicles at the station's parking facilities. That would be in addition to

employee POV's. How they need that many vehicles to support ops in Lancaster is beyond belief.

Someone suggested "upper management" should step in. What they really need is some plasterers and painters. Amtrak upper management promised some time back to see this was done - instead of that

we get a "new idea" to close one of two public entrances to the station. It's bad enough with two!

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Plaster and paint only covers up the visuals problems. Someone has built themselves a castle and is ruling there empire from the Lancaster station.

There is no need for MOW forces to be using the station area for parking or for there offices. 41 company trucks, is another red flag.

The reason that upper mangement needs to step in is going to be waste and fraud, and to break up the castle called Lancaster MOW. The underlining issue is the Lancaster Castle is there to service themself not the company or the passangers. "This is a great job, but for the passengers."

Sorry but I have seen this before, at several different jobs. It start with the small things, then it keep growing to it amost a complete different company, and sometimes it does become a different company.

Now I am not saying anyone needs to be fired, but I would not be surprised if a few people get transfer.

 

[railiner]

http://www.wgal.com/...8z/-/index.html

I don't know what the commentator in that video is talking about re: 'sixty foot monsters'....the bus shown is a Bieber 45 foot long MCI.....

Perhaps Red Rose Transit operates some articulated 60 footers thru there on some of its routes....and if so, they can negotiate the same corners that a straight 45 footer can...Perhaps the issue is the longer bus may block traffic while stopped....

 

[philabos]

Plaster and paint only covers up the visuals problems. Someone has built themselves a castle and is ruling there empire from the Lancaster station.

There is no need for MOW forces to be using the station area for parking or for there offices. 41 company trucks, is another red flag.

The reason that upper mangement needs to step in is going to be waste and fraud, and to break up the castle called Lancaster MOW. The underlining issue is the Lancaster Castle is there to service themself not the company or the passangers. "This is a great job, but for the passengers."

Sorry but I have seen this before, at several different jobs. It start with the small things, then it keep growing to it amost a complete different company, and sometimes it does become a different company.

Now I am not saying anyone needs to be fired, but I would not be surprised if a few people get transfer.

Well, I suspect you are correct. As if 41 vehicles in Lancaster isn't enough, you will see another half dozen Amtrak vehicles in the lot at Parkesburg - 20 miles east of Lancaster.

That said, the passengers still see a junk interior and wonder what happened here? After promising to fix this some months back the only words heard since is the great idea

about closing Queen Street - no comment on the promised fix from management. People in Lancaster strongly support this service - over half million passenger per year - not

the potential supporters you want to alienate

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Does Lancaster even have articulated transit buses? If not then the only intercity buses that big that aren't from a long time ago are the H5-60s, and those are still quite old by now.

 

[Old man vagabond]

I read the linked Lancaster online article. Reads like a hit piece from someone who really hates Amtrak.

As was stated above, the GOP wants to get rid of funding for AMTRAK.

The US is already far behind most major countries in modernizing rail passenger service.

US infrastructure ~ highways, bridges, rail ~ need a major upgrade....not defunding. IMHO

 

[Nathanael]

Plaster and paint only covers up the visuals problems. Someone has built themselves a castle and is ruling there empire from the Lancaster station.

This seems extremely likely; best explanation I've heard yet, anyway. The behavior at Lancaster is completely abnormal, unlike Amtrak's behavior nationwide, but there sure has been a consistent pattern of "what the hell" behavior at Lancaster.

 

[railiner]

Does Lancaster even have articulated transit buses? If not then the only intercity buses that big that aren't from a long time ago are the H5-60s, and those are still quite old by now.

I have not seen an H5-60 around this area since the Hampton Jitney 'jettisoned' theirs years ago.....

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

Does Lancaster even have articulated transit buses? If not then the only intercity buses that big that aren't from a long time ago are the H5-60s, and those are still quite old by now.

I have not seen an H5-60 around this area since the Hampton Jitney 'jettisoned' theirs years ago.....

That was the only thing I could think of.

 

[railiner]

Does Lancaster even have articulated transit buses? If not then the only intercity buses that big that aren't from a long time ago are the H5-60s, and those are still quite old by now.

I have not seen an H5-60 around this area since the Hampton Jitney 'jettisoned' theirs years ago.....

That was the only thing I could think of.

The only other place I have seen them in service was also many years back-- Gray Line of Alaska used them for cruise ship land tours.

I'm pretty confident Bieber doesn't have any......

 

[Barciur]

http://www.wgal.com/...8z/-/index.html

I don't know what the commentator in that video is talking about re: 'sixty foot monsters'....the bus shown is a Bieber 45 foot long MCI.....

Perhaps Red Rose Transit operates some articulated 60 footers thru there on some of its routes....and if so, they can negotiate the same corners that a straight 45 footer can...Perhaps the issue is the longer bus may block traffic while stopped....

I live in Lancaster and I can assure you all that Red Rose does not operate 60 footers.

And Red Rose Transit does not pull up to the station, either.

Somebody mentioned Parkesburg here - I used to live in Atglen and PAR was my home station. What the hell were all those vehicles there for? I never saw anybody at the station, so the trucks were just sitting there.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

I've only seen myself and in pictures of Bieber MCI buses, never any Prevosts. I did hear that they used to operate GMs and a few Eagles even, but I can't find anything suggesting a 60-footer.

I really don't know what they are talking about.

 

[VentureForth]

Wow. What Amtrak apologists we have here! First, this article was NOT a Fox News piece. It was an EDITORIAL which by definition is OPINION COMMENTARY.

I think that an article written by a local who has a better understanding of the situation is better equipped to discuss than a bunch of PC-based Amtrak lovers.

I think it's a brilliant explanation of what is wrong with the bureaucracy of Amtrak and its record of wasteful spending & ironfisted rule of passengers and watching out for themselves first then worrying about passengers as a side business.

 

[Ryan]

I don't think that questioning the factual accuracy of a piece constitutes being an "Amtrak apologist", and the writers of Opinion pieces aren't just allowed to make up random "facts" on which to base their opinions.

 

[PRR 60]

From CBS21, Harrisburg, 12/10/2012:

Senator Pat Toomey and Representative Joe Pitts sent a letter to John McHugh, Amtrak’s Vice President of Government Affairs, about the major traffic congestion in Lancaster caused by Amtrak’s recent renovations. During renovations to its Lancaster station, Amtrak miscalculated the space needed to accommodate the new 60-foot long buses contracted by Amtrak, causing significant traffic issues in front of the station.
In their letter, Sen. Toomey and Rep. Pitts urge Amtrak to consider a solution proposed by the Lancaster County Transportation Authority to alleviate the congestion.

The full story, including text of the letter sent to Amtrak, is HERE.

 

[Swadian Hardcore]

***?! They're talking about 60-footers again! What 60-footers? Red Rose has none, nor does Bieber. Does anybody have official information on where these artics are coming from?