Agreed! I love those schedules. I don't like that limbo period between 2:30 and 9:30 (from KAL to CHI). I want to leave for Chicago after work and get into the city at a decent hour. That 6:15 train was absolutely perfect.
Business Class disappearing from Wolverine 355 and 350?
- Thread starter taking the cars
- Start date
Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:
- Status
reppin_the_847
Service Attendant
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2011
- Messages
- 166
Exactly. And another thing they should do is eliminate the extra 10 PM Holiday train out of Chicago (to Kalamazoo) & make it earlier. I'd say 8 PM or 9 PM at the very latest. Maybe as early as a 7:30 PM departure. Gives folks one last trip out of the city in the evening after the neverending Chicago rush hour. 10 PM is a bit too late IMO. Have it extend out to Ann Arbor instead of terminating at Kalamazoo. Lastly, implement this on the Friday / Sunday weekend special that I proposed in the earlier post. It would be nice if Amtrak schedule planners read this forum lol!
Last edited by a moderator:
Here is a long overdue update:
My wife and I boarded the Wolverine (355) in Troy. We explained to the conductor that we had three grandchildren (under age 14) getting on at Jackson. He said that he could not do anything for us as the train was sold out. We were left up to our own to save the three seats. We managed to do so by sitting by ourselves and politely explaining to boarding passengers why we needed to save the seats. Fortunately a nearby passenger was getting off at Jackson and we manged to save the seats without inconveniencing anyone. After the grandchildren boarded the train, we walked up to the cafe car. But lo and behold there was no cafe care, but there was a Business Class car! This is the car we were told would not be on the train and for which our tickets were changed. The conductor had no explanation why this train had Business Class car when we were told by Amtrak that train 355 no longer had business class service.
The train arrived about an hour late to Kalamazoo. We were picked up by the shuttle driver from the Holiday Inn where we were staying for the weekend. On Sunday afternoon the shuttle took us to the Kalamazoo history museum a block away from the station. We spent three hours there and then walked to the Amtrak station. This worked out well. The Holiday Inn had a pool and restaurant so we were able to spend a frigid weekend comfortably indoors.
On the return trip two days later on Wolverine (352) we did have Business Class seats. The downside to the trip was that the train was an hour and a little more late getting getting to Kalamazoo and we were just over two hours late getting to Troy. As experienced Amtrak travelers we would eventually get there.
Just before Ann Arbor, the train hit some debris on the track and and air hose was knocked loose. Fortunately, one of the Pontiac yard train mechanic was deadheading back to Pontiac. he was able to fix the air hose and the delay was only about twenty minutes. Afterward he was back with us in he Business Class car (we were the only passengers by then). He shared some stories about the chances and expectations for new cars on the Wolverine route in 2016.
All is well that ends well.
Our next trip is in June. We are taking the Lake Shore Limited from New York City to Toledo after completing a week-long voyage on the Queen Mary. Three weeks before that we will be traveling by rail from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and England. It will be interesting to compare the rail travel in Europe to that in the United States.
My wife and I boarded the Wolverine (355) in Troy. We explained to the conductor that we had three grandchildren (under age 14) getting on at Jackson. He said that he could not do anything for us as the train was sold out. We were left up to our own to save the three seats. We managed to do so by sitting by ourselves and politely explaining to boarding passengers why we needed to save the seats. Fortunately a nearby passenger was getting off at Jackson and we manged to save the seats without inconveniencing anyone. After the grandchildren boarded the train, we walked up to the cafe car. But lo and behold there was no cafe care, but there was a Business Class car! This is the car we were told would not be on the train and for which our tickets were changed. The conductor had no explanation why this train had Business Class car when we were told by Amtrak that train 355 no longer had business class service.
The train arrived about an hour late to Kalamazoo. We were picked up by the shuttle driver from the Holiday Inn where we were staying for the weekend. On Sunday afternoon the shuttle took us to the Kalamazoo history museum a block away from the station. We spent three hours there and then walked to the Amtrak station. This worked out well. The Holiday Inn had a pool and restaurant so we were able to spend a frigid weekend comfortably indoors.
On the return trip two days later on Wolverine (352) we did have Business Class seats. The downside to the trip was that the train was an hour and a little more late getting getting to Kalamazoo and we were just over two hours late getting to Troy. As experienced Amtrak travelers we would eventually get there.
Just before Ann Arbor, the train hit some debris on the track and and air hose was knocked loose. Fortunately, one of the Pontiac yard train mechanic was deadheading back to Pontiac. he was able to fix the air hose and the delay was only about twenty minutes. Afterward he was back with us in he Business Class car (we were the only passengers by then). He shared some stories about the chances and expectations for new cars on the Wolverine route in 2016.
All is well that ends well.
Our next trip is in June. We are taking the Lake Shore Limited from New York City to Toledo after completing a week-long voyage on the Queen Mary. Three weeks before that we will be traveling by rail from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands, Belgium and England. It will be interesting to compare the rail travel in Europe to that in the United States.
Thanks for the update! Your European trip sounds great, please share it with us!
As for the less than helpful/friendly conductor and the bad info about a Biz Class Car,, please call Customer Relations and advise them!
This person needs some retraining or de-training!
As for the less than helpful/friendly conductor and the bad info about a Biz Class Car,, please call Customer Relations and advise them!
This person needs some retraining or de-training!
Hi, Sarah:
What you mention is true on many routes, but not on the NEC. Some have accused Amtrak of trying to masquerade a regular coach as business class. I've done business class twice on the NEC, and I don't care if I ever do it again. I saw absolutely no difference in comfort vis-a-vis a regular coach.
What you mention is true on many routes, but not on the NEC. Some have accused Amtrak of trying to masquerade a regular coach as business class. I've done business class twice on the NEC, and I don't care if I ever do it again. I saw absolutely no difference in comfort vis-a-vis a regular coach.
I've only taken BC once on the NEC and the car was a LD coach car. YMMV
VentureForth
Engineer
If BC on the Wolverine is the 2x1 cafe combo...and they are dropping it...can we have it back on the Palmetto? 
A better candidate IMO would be the Adirondack which has no business class car at all for the 12 hour cross border trip!If BC on the Wolverine is the 2x1 cafe combo...and they are dropping it...can we have it back on the Palmetto?
And I'm sticking by my opinion of ABQ my friend! I spent lots of time there through the years on business trips and visiting family and the charm is lost on me! YMMV
VentureForth
Engineer
Maybe 2 years is the optimal "charm" allowance.
Amtrak just needs to figure out how to make x-number of Amfleet coaches into full length, 2x1 faux leather seating with trolley cart service. I don't really even care much about WHAT the consistency between BC is depending on a consist, so long as the SERVICE is the same.
Amtrak just needs to figure out how to make x-number of Amfleet coaches into full length, 2x1 faux leather seating with trolley cart service. I don't really even care much about WHAT the consistency between BC is depending on a consist, so long as the SERVICE is the same.
Sarah,
Sorry for confusing you. The car was a regular Business Class/Cafe Car. What was confusing to me was that our BC tickets were cancelled, and then when we got on the train there WAS a DC/Cafe car!
Sorry for confusing you. The car was a regular Business Class/Cafe Car. What was confusing to me was that our BC tickets were cancelled, and then when we got on the train there WAS a DC/Cafe car!
jis
Permanent Way Inspector
Staff member
Administator
Moderator
AU Supporting Member
Gathering Team Member
Several years back there was a discussion of the subject of 2x1 BC and I had learned from that that Amtrak was limited to using recycled seats from Metroliners for these cars since it did not have access to any new inventory of those seats. I don't know if that is still true or not. Maybe AlanB remembers.Maybe 2 years is the optimal "charm" allowance.
Amtrak just needs to figure out how to make x-number of Amfleet coaches into full length, 2x1 faux leather seating with trolley cart service. I don't really even care much about WHAT the consistency between BC is depending on a consist, so long as the SERVICE is the same.
- Status
