To whom should I complain?

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National Limited

National Limited

Service Attendant
Joined
Jul 21, 2003
Messages
204
Location
Springfield, MO 65804
I just a had an "Amcrap" experience. I took a one day round trip ride on the Palmetto from Savannah to Charleston S.C. The outboud trip was without incident. The return trip was a mess. The train was running a little over 2 hours late into Charleston. This was fine. It gave me some more time in the city. I got to the Charleston station about 20 minutes before 800-USA RAIL said to expect it. When I got there I noticed there was a freight train on the platform. I figured the freight would move to let the Palmetto approach the station. It didn't. The ticket agent came on the PA and said that the Palmetto is stopped about half mile from the station and can't approach the station because the freight train is on the platform. He said that CSX said it would be about an hour until they got a crew in to move the freight train. So the already late Palmetto sat for 65 minutes just north of the station waiting for CSX to move the freight train on the station platform. Once we finally got on the train (a LOT of people got off in Charleston) I spoke with the conductor. He said something to the effect that CSX has a huge yard just south of the station and that there was no need for them to make up the consist of the freight by using the platform at the passenger station.

We traveled to the next stop--Yemassee, SC--without incident. About 10 minutes south of Yemassee--about 11:45 or so we came to a stop. The conductor came through the train and said that we would be stopped here while the CSX dispatcher moved 3 freight trains and 1 passenger train (the Auto Train) past us. So, we sat for just under 4 hours as we waited for these 4 trains to pass us. The first train didn't pass us for well over an hour. It would have taken us less than an hour to get to Savannah! We got into Savannah at about 4:30 a.m.--7 hours and 48 minutes late. This trip--from CHS to SAV should have taken less than 2 hours but ended up taking about 6 hours.

My question is to whom can I complain? This wasn't Amtrak's fault, it was CSX. They screwed Amtrak at least twice with the freight train on the track at CHS and the 4 hour wait between Yemassee and Savannah. Can I write to CSX and complain? If so, to whom should I send my complaint. Is there anything else I should do?
 
This wasnt Amcrap, it was Chicken Shi*, courtesy of the

C hicken S hi* X press

Complaining to CSX probably wont do anything as the

C hicken S hi* X press doesnt care anyways, frigging morons!!!!!!

Sorry to any CSX fans here...
 
I would still write to CSX. It may seem futile, but if there were to be some sort of action by the government as to on time performance, if there are a number of complaints from passengers and railroads (like Amtrak, Tri-Rail, VRE, MARC) alike, it will make that process easier for the government since there would be numerous complaint records with regards as to on time performance for passenger railroads. Here's the address:

Michael J. Ward

500 Water St

Jacksonville, FL 32202-4423
 
Might not hurt to contact a South Carolina senator or rep. An Amtrak friendly one would be best. Tell them what happened and the negative impact it has on tourism in there state. Show them an example of frustration had yourself and the others who rode with you that reflects in tourism dollars and they might do a little something. Money talks.
 
Yeah making a passenger train sit for 4 hours is completley rediculous. I don't guess the dispatcher was think about the passengers. But yes, you may not get a response from CSX, but the more complaining they get, there's bound something to happen.
 
Complain to CSX and send a copy of the letter to your Senators and Representative. Thats the only way things are going to change as far as UP and CSX's blantant disregard of Amtrak and its passengers go. If they're serious about Amtrak reform, that would be a good place to start.
 
You also need to send a letter to Amtrak, attn: David Gunn, President & CEO. He has recently sent several blistering letters to CSX complaining about their poor level of service with Amtrak and demanding personal meetings to come to some sort of solution. Your letter would be another piece of ammunition for Amtrak to use with CSX.
 
I may be totally off my rocker, but an idea hit me the other day while I was sitting on the Crescent just 1,000 feet from the Atlanta station for over an hour waiting for NS to move a freight train out the way. Why not get the toll-free customer service number for the host railroads, pass it out to every passenger on the train with a cell phone, and have them harrass the pi$$ out of the freight company while reminding them that they're breaking the law by not letting the passenger train through! It might not change anything, but it will at least give the passengers a way to vent their frustration toward the entity who is at fault and spare some of the grief toward Amtrak's conductors!
 
lepearso said:
...while reminding them that they're breaking the law by not letting the passenger train through!
Click to expand...
There is no law requiring CSX to let Amtrak through. Basically the law states that Amtrak must be given priority consistent with the safe operation of the railroad. That gives the railroads wide latitude in handling Amtrak. And even if the railroad was found to have violated the requirement to provide priority to Amtrak, there is no penalty in the law for that violation. It is like having a no parking zone without fines for violations. Not easily enforceable.

However, complaining to CSX is a good idea. The complaint should be sent to:

John Gibson

Vice president passenger and operations planning

CSX Corporation

500 Water Street

Jacksonville, FL 32202
 
If my experience is any model, complaining to just about anyone has no beneficial effect at all. It just annoys everyone and reinforces the negative feelings about Amtrak – just get rid of it. The only exception is Mr. Gunn himself. If he can’t do anything, he will at least have a sympathetic ear.
 
It depends, good dispatching says whoever is running faster should take priority. If a crew is short on time, and they're trying to avoid a re-crew that train takes priority. If one time is extremely late and the other is not, usually the on time train takes priority, but circumstances vary. Commuter takes priority over Intercity, almost always.
 
GG-1 said:
John GibsonVice president passenger and operations planning

CSX Corporation
Click to expand...
Since the Creation of Amtrak what is this gentleman's job? :unsure: :unsure:

Mahalo
Click to expand...
He is responsible for the relationship between CSX and any passenger rail agency running trains on CSX: Amtrak, VRE, MARTA, etc.
 
If you wish to complian to CSX, I would call them. I went to Google, and found their toll free number. It is: 1-877-744-7279. Good luck! And, since it's toll free, you can call them a lot on their dime.
 
I wonder how many congressmen that use OTP as arguments against Amtrak realize how often the lateness is caused by the freight railroads? It's a shame that UP and CSX don't have what seems to be a good healthy respect for Amtrak like BNSF.
 
rile42 said:
I wonder how many congressmen that use OTP as arguments against Amtrak realize how often the lateness is caused by the freight railroads?  It's a shame that UP and CSX don't have what seems to be a good healthy respect for Amtrak like BNSF.
Click to expand...
NS is also very very good with Amtrak. I def. agree, hands down BNSF is the best, but NS follows in second.
 
battalion51 said:
Commuter takes priority over Intercity, almost always.
Click to expand...
Not really, it just depends on who owns the road. Metro North gives priority to it's trains over Amtrak. In Florida, Tri-rail will often get priority over Amtak.

On the other hand, Amtrak will put NJT, SEPTA, and MARC into the hole before it will put an Amtrak train into the hole.
 
lepearso said:
I may be totally off my rocker, but an idea hit me the other day while I was sitting on the Crescent just 1,000 feet from the Atlanta station for over an hour waiting for NS to move a freight train out the way.  Why not get the toll-free customer service number for the host railroads, pass it out to every passenger on the train with a cell phone, and have them harrass the pi$$ out of the freight company while reminding them that they're breaking the law by not letting the passenger train through!  It might not change anything, but it will at least give the passengers a way to vent their frustration toward the entity who is at fault and spare some of the grief toward Amtrak's conductors!
Click to expand...
To me, this is an excellent idea. All it would take is one person reading this forum to get stuck on say, the UP or CSX, and have everyone on the train call the UP or CSX customer service departments. It might cheese off UP or CSX as the case may be. Perhaps the better analogy is to think of calling the RR customer service department as an obstacle, and as the military teaches you, obstacles need covered with fire. (now that I've really mixed metaphors. sorry.)

So after hanging up with UP or CSX, imagine what would happen if everyone then called the New York Times, USA Today, or Washington Post, and told them you've been stuck for x hours because of UP or CSX. My guess is that a negative article would appear in the next paper.

I'd further guess is that if this happens once, maybe twice, the RR in question may start giving Amtrak trains some more priority in dispatching. The RRs spend gobs of $$$ lobbying Congress; having a nasty article appear in the Post or Times may be enough to effect change.
 
Maybe, some of us should buy a single share of stock in the UP and CSX. Go to the annual stockholders meetings and drive the board nuts.

Stockholders do it with the drug companies trying to get them to stop using test animals in their product development.

Other groups try to change their involvement in social issues.

Maybe we can get the message to them this way.

Be a thorn in the Tigers paw

<_<
 

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