First timer, not impressed with Amtrak

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sodium

sodium

Train Attendant
Joined
Feb 15, 2016
Messages
18
Location
SF Bay Area
I did a long haul from NY to SF, with a change in trains in Chicago. Lake Shore Limited and California Zephyr. I had a roomette for both legs.

I felt the service staff to be average, not as polished as the airlines. The airlines run a tight ship while I felt the Amtrak staff to be like the local public transit. Public employees, just going through the motions. I would hate to see how the Amtrak coach passengers were treated with the level of service provided in first class. I've never flown in business or first class on airplanes but I think I have a feeling of how they are treated and it looks good. I am not a pro airline guy, before flying out to NY in coach class over a week ago, I haven't flown in 10 years and probably only been on 10 flights in total.

The restrooms are also tiny, would it kill them to combine 2 restrooms into one larger one in the sleeper trains? I held it in until the longer stops and used the restrooms at the train stops. Apparently others did the same as there was a long line in Grand Junction for the mens room. But they only had one toilet stall and one urinal there. On my Lakeshore Limited route with a viewliner, I had my own toilet and sink and I was happy about that.

Most of the sleeper rooms on the Zephyr with a superliner were occupied by elderly people. I know if I had trouble in the restrooms, they must be worst off. I couldn't even brush my teeth in there. I'm lucky I packed some Wisp disposable toothbrushes.

I wouldn't recommend this type of long trip to anyone I know. If they must go, I would tell them to get a room with their own toilet. If Amtrak's clientele for the sleeping units are going to be older in age, why can't they make reasonable modifications. I just felt so badly for those people.

I even considered bailing from the train as early as Nebraska and taking a plane home. I then looked into it further to get off at Denver and maybe renting a car home to the SF bay area but I knew the best viewing parts were coming up after Denver so I stayed to the very end. I don't think the views were worth it. I've seen similar and better views on car trips.
 
After many thousands of miles on Amtrak western long distance trains, CZ, SWC, TE and EB I must say that the majority of our experiences as " elderly citizens " were positive and fun. We found the food to be good, the restrooms in sleeper to be mostly clean and adequate, the waits to use the restrooms and showers to be acceptable. Very sorry that your experience was different. Hope you will give Amtrak another try and that trip will be better.
 
I am sorry that your trip left something to be desired. Some crew members are not so great, but I've encountered many excellent people out there. As to the toilets, it seems to me that the common ones in Superliners are about equivalent to an airline. Not spacious, but doable. I certainly would not " hold it " until some station stop. ( That could mean BIG trouble! ). Amtrak certainly has its faults and could be better, and requires a flexible and tolerant attitude on the part of the passenger. That does not excuse lousy service. As to scenery, I find the ride west of Denver to be a little over-hyped, and to me the highlights of the route are the Canyonlands area of Utah ( if it is still daylight ) and over the Sierra Nevada
 
I was sorry to hear you did not enjoy your long distance train trip. It's not for everyone. I have traveled long distances and short distances by train over my past 67 plus years and always enjoy every trip. Amtrak does well with what they have maintaining passenger train service in the US. While some of service is not as good as the pre-Amtrak Railroad Operated service, some is much better than the late 60s until 1971 when certain Railroads were trying harder to get rid of the passenger train. I would suggest breaking a cross country rail trip for a day or two at some point along the route and see if you feel differently.
 
sodium said:
On my Lakeshore Limited route with a viewliner, I had my own toilet and sink and I was happy about that.
Click to expand...
Amtrak is well aware that you and others are happy with that feature, and in their quest to eliminate anything that makes passengers happy, have removed those toilets and sinks in all the new Viewliners currently being built.
 
Cho Cho Charlie said:
sodium said:
On my Lakeshore Limited route with a viewliner, I had my own toilet and sink and I was happy about that.
Click to expand...
Amtrak is well aware that you and others are happy with that feature, and in their quest to eliminate anything that makes passengers happy, have removed those toilets and sinks in all the new Viewliners currently being built.
Click to expand...
There will be sinks in the new Viewliner roomettes, but no toilets.
 
Cho Cho Charlie said:
sodium said:
On my Lakeshore Limited route with a viewliner, I had my own toilet and sink and I was happy about that.
Click to expand...
Amtrak is well aware that you and others are happy with that feature, and in their quest to eliminate anything that makes passengers happy, have removed those toilets and sinks in all the new Viewliners currently being built.
Click to expand...
Not all passengers are happy having a toilet next to their bed. And as PRR 60 says, the sinks remain.
 
Opinions on the toilets were very divided. Usually singles leaned in favor, 2 in a room the other way. 2 toilets for 20 people is way better than any other common form of public transit.
 
I'm a BIG guy at 6' 2" and # pounds. I found the restrooms in the SWC sleepers small but 'doable'.

I was able to use the facilities, wash, shave, and brush my teeth.

For me it's just part of the adventure of traveling by train, something I enjoyed very much.

I was hoping to travel again this year but health issues keep cropping up and the co-pays are depleting my travel fund.
 
Other than staff, your complaints are mostly about train travel in general. Restrooms are tiny on trains and always have been. The newer Amtrak restrooms (possibly you were in an older Superliner) are very well designed in my opinion.

Your comments on the scenery just perplex me, the Zephyr has the most spectacular scenery I've ever seen. The only times I've seen such stunning scenery while driving were when I was driving through a national park.

In the end.... Train travel isn't for everyone. I am sorry the crew let you down. Amtrak crews can be quite inconsistent.
 
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I wish the OP would have enjoyed the trip more. C'est la vie.

I have found the restrooms on Superliners to be a mixed bag. In coach on the TE, it depends on the crew, I have seen CAs who clean often and those who never clean at all......sizewise, there is plenty of room for me at 6' 200#....but the shaking makes it a bit more of a challenge. In sleepers...cleaner and same sizewise, and showers are sufficient.

Viewliners? I don't care for the toilets in roomettes...
 
Whenever a new traveler is considering taking a train trip, I always stress that they should go to YouTube and search for the "tour" videos. There are some very good ones out there. Nobody should be surprised by the size of a roomette/bedroom, or facilities. Also, Amtrak has the dimensions on the website.
 
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sodium said:
The airlines run a tight ship while I felt the Amtrak staff to be like the local public transit.
Click to expand...
When comparing domestic airline travel with Amtrak, don't forget that flight attendants are on their airplanes for perhaps no longer than 7 hours at a time. On the other hand, some train attendants can (I think) spend as much as 43 hours on their trains. While that shouldn't really make any difference, it probably does. A sleeping car attendant may have to contend with a grumpy, demanding, boisterous or otherwise totally unpleasant passenger 6 times longer than a flight attendant.

But please do take the time to express you concerns to Amtrak if you have not already done so - none of us here can do anything at all about them.
 
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I guess I qualify as one of the "elderly" folks...I'm a 70 year old disabled vet, and have never had a problem with any of the superliner facilities. I've been doing long distance train trips for over 50 years and still get as excited as a kid at Christmas before each trip. I'm not a small guy at 6' 200, and am obsessive about brushing my teeth after every meal AND snack...never a problem for me in the restroom. It's great to see the positive feedback here in response. As for me, I'm already packed for my too many to count EB loop coming up next month.
 
I've also had great interactions with the elderly on LD trips. None of them ever complained about the bathrooms. I personally found them totally fine.

I have never booked a room with its own bathroom on Amtrak, but the equivalent of a roomette on VIA Canada has a toilet in the room and I hated it and never used it. I just found it gross to have a toilet in my bedroom/living room. Not a dealbreaker, but I wouldn't choose it.

And sure, the scenery is similar to cars, but there, I have to do the driving. :)

I think, as others have said, this may not be the mode of transit for you.
 
Sodium, thanks for trying Amtrak and for your honest assessment. I take your comments with MORE than "a grain of salt" because I share many of them--although after my first trip I lowered my expectations and thus was able to enjoy future trips more.

I traveled overnight by train as a boy and had good memories, then flew 1964-2001, sometimes business or first class. After 2001, I decided to try overnight on the train again. I was excited, read all the material about Sleepers mentioning the private rooms and meals and lounges and so forth, and I truly expected a First Class experience, using the fine international airlines as my reference point. Boy, was I wrong.

As soon as I stepped into the lounge for sleeper passengers at Chicago Union Station, I knew we were not talking "first class." Expensive, yes, and not coach; but also not first class. The lounge then (and still today, although it's being replaced) was an underground bunker with faded chairs, shaky internet, poor snacks like chips and Lipton tea bags, and worst of all, surly personnel behind the desk. When I entered they didn't say, "Good afternoon, how can I help you?" they said "Sleepers only, show me your ticket"--no please, no welcome, nothing. Then there was the lining up to board and the single file walk to the train. The roomette, the decor, the linens, the flip top toilet--serviceable, yes, but first class? I think not. Dinner--well, there are plenty of other threads that discuss Amtrak dining--it runs the gamut and sometimes compares favorably to airline food but often does not. On the airlines in first class I remember being plied with beverages of all sorts, alcoholic and not, from the moment I boarded nice linens and silverware, multiple desserts and chocolates and cheese courses, fine wines and champagne, after dinner drinks, constant attention, and snacks galore whenever I wanted them. Needless to say, I'm not describing an Amtrak experience.

Let's not even go into on board entertainment. On Amtrak you're lucky to find an electric outlet in a convenient location and a reading light that works.

So this is what I concluded after my first trip: Amtrak sleeper class is NOT first class, nor does it purport to be, nor do most of the travelers who take it require or expect that level of service. It is exactly what you stated--a more expensive and less crowded category of public transportation, with a few amenities liker a bed, meals and there used to be a newspaper. The level of service you get DEPENDS ENTIRELY on the luck of the draw, your attendant's personality and inclination--they range from first class to inattentive. But a "first class ethos" does not pervade the sleeper service.

Hence, with lower expectations, you will usually receive what you expect and have a satisfactory experience. Expecting first class treatment, the traveler will be mostly disappointed.

I would recommend trying Amtrak LD again with lower expectations--and maybe a shorter trip--if you have the stomach for it.
 
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Well stated, Manny T. I certainly am not happy with all aspects of Amtrak service, either, but accept it for what it is. I will pay for sleepers if the fare is agreeable, but some of them are sky high and I would rather go coach in some instances. Sleepers are not what i consider First Class service, either, but usually are a pleasant experience. My last trip in December overnight in coach from Los Angeles to Flagstaff was quite satisfactory and comfortable, but I brought my own dinner that night ( sushi ) and bought a beer on the train. The coach attendant turned out to be a bit of a jerk. But the appeal of traveling through the night across the country in relative comfort, with a different perspective than the highway offers, has not faded with me.
 
Manny T, The "First Class" service you describe from international 1st Class costs ALOT more than Amtrak as well. (A roomette on the Zephyr is between $500 - $1,000.... International First Class starts at what.... $3,000? or more? I know I usually see it $5,000 and up when I check.)

I did receive that style of service on Pullman Rail about 2 years ago on the City of New Orleans. Any time I walked into the rear observation lounge as soon as I sat down I heard "Would you like something to drink?" from a fully uniformed attendant. Including around midnight when departing Memphis. I wasn't going to miss the chance to travel through downtown Memphis in an Illinois Central Observation Lounge (and with a Bailey's with Cream served in a glass on a Pullman napkin to boot... perhaps that was a dream after all???).

My point is.. I know the level of service you are referring to, but I never expect that on Amtrak. And now you don't either! ha. Good analysis Manny.
 
KmH said:
FWIW - Coach cars have some roomier restrooms - the Accessible restroom, the Changing room (w/sink and toilet), and a restroom that has 2 sinks and a separate toilet with it's own door.

There is no restriction preventing a sleeper passenger from using coach car restrooms.

http://www.craigmashburn.com/amtrakcardiagrams.html
Click to expand...
Actually, the public restrooms and showers in Superliner sleepers are roomier than the shower/toilet combo in a bedroom. I have made use of the showers on the lower level even though I was booked in a bedroom - just to have more space!
 
I wouldn't want to travel with Sodium. Kvetch kvetch kvetch.
 
Lots of people can't take a 4-day train trip. That perhaps wasn't the best choice for a first-timer. :unsure: Live and learn.

I love train travel, but to enjoy Amtrak, I think you have to have "realistic" (aka not too high) expectations. I'm looking forward to my CZ trip, but I'm starting it in DEN.
 
Amtrak stopped using the term 'first class' about a decade ago. They get it but we don't. iirc the change was in response to Congresspersons complaining about taxpayer funds being used to subsidize first class passengers in our classless society. Go figure. The service and amenities were much better even that recently.

I do understand that it is initially challenging to deal with bodily functions on a train in motion. I experienced it myself; however, you get used to it and the problem goes away.
 
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