Improving the Rider Experience - Community and Technology Unique to Am

[Colin Manuel]

After receiving good comments in another thread, I thought I'd introduce the following idea in its own topic.

When I took a Boston-Chicago-Newton, KS train last Christmas, I was struck by two things:

1. Complete cluelessness about my surroundings

2. Lack of community and conversation amongst passengers

We passed through so many interesting landscapes and cities, yet I was completely unaware as to the story (history, culture, biology, etc.) behind the scenery. My phone provided intermittent connections to Google Maps, but that only told me where I was, not what was around me.

Secondly, it seemed like everyone preferred to huddle in their own digital cocoon. Laptop movies and iPod playlists cut short the opportunity for serendipitous encounters and conversations. Even when you go to the dining car, there's no central point of interest that helps to lower barriers to conversation. Even a simple map with a blinking location dot could change that.

So, as part of a school project, I created a short, 2-minute video prototype of a device called the Infosphere that would shed light on your surroundings and foster camaraderie and conversation:



With its chronic underfunding, I'm sure Amtrak has other things to worry about, such as track and train maintenance. But Amtrak executives should be just as concerned about the passenger experience on its long-run trains.

If Amtrak is to compete with cars, buses and airlines, it needs to offer an experience that passengers can't get anywhere else. Imagine how excited people would be to share stories about a uniquely Amtrak experience with their friends. Good passenger stories encourage more people to give Amtrak a try.

If anyone has any comments or suggestions, I'd love to hear them. My goal is to just get a discussion going about ways Amtrak could set themselves apart (for the better) and convince a generation of non-riders to give rail in America a try.

 

[caravanman]

I think it is a good idea to enhance the passengers experience. Maybe a wireless headset for a small fee with info on the passing scenery, history etc. Probably a single earpiece might be better than a full headset, so one would have contact with announcements, and still be in touch with fellow passengers too.

I find it quite easy to find topics of conversation in the diner, not sure amtrak would like it's passengers to be confronted with a stationary blinking light on a map for holdups.. (if stationary and blinking are not a contradiction in terms!)

Ed.

 

[sueb]

Amtrak produces printed route guides for all or most of the long distance trains that they run. These have exactly the information you are interested in. Usually there are copies lying around on the train or you can probably get one by asking the car attendant. The route guides are also in the schedule racks in the larger stations, too. So you might want to look at some of the route guides before you re-invent the wheel, even if your version is electronic.

 

[sunchaser]

Have you read about trails and rails? Granted it's not computer driven, but if you are in the Sightseer Lounge you would be able to ask questions. They send the presentation through the pa system. It even goes into the sleepers, & you can turn it off if you want.

 

[caravanman]

No worries about reinventing the wheel, I am aware of the leaflets and trails and rails!

As with inflight movies, do you consider that reinventing the wheel.. after all, they have books that one could read..?

I was imagining something a bit of a cross between trails and rails, and the leaflets.. rather like an audio guide at a museum. Maybe the segments could be started by trackside devices, which would ensure the correct section got played at the correct time..

Can't imagine it happening through amtrak, but apart from the problems of synchronisation, I bet it could earn a few $ for someone to market an audio book to accompany passengers on the amtrak scenic long distance routes.

Anyone got the phone number for "dragons den" ?

Ed.

 

[sunchaser]

I think if they did something like that, I would like to see the route guides that are on railpassengerusa.com. Those are pretty cool and somewhat interactive. Maybe combine it with trails & rails . That would be one reason that I'd want to use our wifi while on the train.

 

[BeckysBarn]

I really like the infosphere idea.

As for the leaflets...They are OK for a general overview. There isn't much detail and then it only hits the major spots. As for trails & rails: I usually travel LD trains around Thanksgiving. There are no Amtrak personnel in the Sightseer Lounge giving a narrative. (This is as of Nov 2009 for EB, CZ & CS). I was lucky enough to be sitting next to a gentleman who had lived in Montana & near Portland. He had no trouble sharing his knowledge of the area.

On the CZ, we had wonderful conductors (I think), who pointed out many, many landmarks from EMY to CHI via the PA system.

 

[lthanlon]

An enhanced reality idea like this could be linked to GPS.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Of course if one is interested, you could research the route you are taking before you leave. I always read the wikipedia entry for each routes station, and then the town its self. I'm sure there are better guides out there, but it always provides enough background for me.

As far as starting conversations with people its never been a problem for me. If you ask the person you're sitting with where they are heading, you can usually have a pretty decent conversation with them. It's the classic opening line, but it can grow into some amazing stories.

I mean I guess I have mixed feelings about your idea. If there was something like that in a lounge table, people might spend the entire ride taking up that table, on medium distance trains grabbing a seat in the lounge in between long stops is the best way to spend some time.

 

[Chris J.]

I have the low-tech version of this - a copy of "USA By Rail"

 

[Guest]

I mean I guess I have mixed feelings about your idea. If there was something like that in a lounge table, people might spend the entire ride taking up that table, on medium distance trains grabbing a seat in the lounge in between long stops is the best way to spend some time. "

Grabbing a seat in the lounge is not that easy. My experience on EB and CZ was every time we went to the lounge we saw the same people taking up most every seat. They camped out there pretty much all day. They would leave one person there to "save" seats. So even if there were free seats they were usually "saved " by someone for someone else. We rarely managed to have seats together.

So having something to listen to about what we were seeing would of been nice. Sometimes the people you end up sitting near just don't care to talk.

 

[volkris]

Just keep in mind, a lot of people, especially a lot of the kids coming through college now, honestly don't want such conversation. That's why they seal themselves in cocoons in the first place! Start putting in too many features to "encourage" conversation with strangers and you run the risk of alienating all of these customers, scaring them away from Amtrak.

The wants of college kids across the country is something I studied back in the day, and the theory is backed up by experience where students I've talked to were actually getting excited about my description of LD travel on Amtrak until they found out about "having" to eat with strangers in the dining car or sit with strangers for extended times in coach.

It's always tempting to assume that everyone else will see things our own way, but successful marketing and servicing of customers means you have to keep in mind the vastly different wants many have.