travel on 7-17, EB, Wolve. late train, Union Sta.

[PennCentralFan]

I'll have a more detailed report in the travel louge latet.

I took the EB from MSP to CHI. The train was 65 minutes late into MSP--8:35am instead of 7:30am arrival. We left at 9:10am. The ride was good, my first Amtrak ride in awhile.

I had a connecting train the Wolverine at 6:00pm. We were going to be in Chicago about 5:30pm, but the heat caused slow orders and we got stuck behind a Metra train and some idiot thought he could out-run the train. He made it with 3 inches to spare, but the result was that the engineer had to hit the breaks and we were stuck for 15 minutes as the crew walked around.

We made it into CHI at 6:00pm--two hours late. Now I was lucky in that the Wolverine was 55 minutes late and I and many others who had the same connection could make it.

A lot of people unfortantely had to see Passenger services or whatever since a lot of people missed connecting trains.

Now I have a question. What does Amtrak do when let's say you miss the Capital Limited or the Cardinal and the next train isn't until the next day?

There was an announcement about a possible bus for us who missed the wolverine, but can a person refuse the bus and demand overnight accomodations and the next morning train? I mean if the choice is 3:00am and five hours late because you're on a crappy bus versus overnight some sleep and the next day can you request that? Can you say I paid for the train, not the bus and I demand the next train?

Many of us were lucky that the wolverine was late or held, but there would have been a lot of angry folks in my opinion otherwise.

Union Station needs better management. I mean there was no announcements about boarding the wolverine. No PA announcements. I had to speak to agents who were nice on what gate and where to stand in line. NO annoucements and the signage did reflect the status of the wolvervine. Union Station needs better management. The Metra station at Union Station and the Metra Station at the Old Northwestern Station are much better run with signs and announcements.

I enjoyed my trip, but I can see a lot of first-timers saying the hell with this, never again.

 

[Rafi]

I'll have a more detailed report in the travel louge latet.I took the EB from MSP to CHI. The train was 65 minutes late into MSP--8:35am instead of 7:30am arrival. We left at 9:10am. The ride was good, my first Amtrak ride in awhile.

I had a connecting train the Wolverine at 6:00pm. We were going to be in Chicago about 5:30pm, but the heat caused slow orders and we got stuck behind a Metra train and some idiot thought he could out-run the train. He made it with 3 inches to spare, but the result was that the engineer had to hit the breaks and we were stuck for 15 minutes as the crew walked around.

We made it into CHI at 6:00pm--two hours late. Now I was lucky in that the Wolverine was 55 minutes late and I and many others who had the same connection could make it.

A lot of people unfortantely had to see Passenger services or whatever since a lot of people missed connecting trains.

Now I have a question. What does Amtrak do when let's say you miss the Capital Limited or the Cardinal and the next train isn't until the next day?

There was an announcement about a possible bus for us who missed the wolverine, but can a person refuse the bus and demand overnight accomodations and the next morning train? I mean if the choice is 3:00am and five hours late because you're on a crappy bus versus overnight some sleep and the next day can you request that? Can you say I paid for the train, not the bus and I demand the next train?

Many of us were lucky that the wolverine was late or held, but there would have been a lot of angry folks in my opinion otherwise.

Union Station needs better management. I mean there was no announcements about boarding the wolverine. No PA announcements. I had to speak to agents who were nice on what gate and where to stand in line. NO annoucements and the signage did reflect the status of the wolvervine. Union Station needs better management. The Metra station at Union Station and the Metra Station at the Old Northwestern Station are much better run with signs and announcements.

I enjoyed my trip, but I can see a lot of first-timers saying the hell with this, never again.

I think a lot of it depends on how late you are, really, and what class service you've paid for. I was on the Zephyr earlier this month, which was 7 hours late into Chicago, missing ALL connections. As a result, the Chicago Passenger Service team went down to Galesburg, IL to meet the train, board, and set up a "late train clinic" in the dining car where they called people by train number to work out connections. My fiancee and I weren't connecting, so I didn't have to go through that dance, thankfully, but it was my understanding that the sleeper folks were basically given a lot of flexibility when it came to whether they preferred an overnight bus connection (Lake Shore pax to Buffalo for Empire Service connections or Capitol Ltd pax to Pittsburgh for Pennsylvanian connections) or accommodations on the next day's train. I think the coach folks had less of a choice, but it wasn't clear to me. If you were heading to Michigan, it was busses for everyone, and I'm not sure what they were doing for folks connecting to the EB, SWC, CONOL, and TE (although they expressly told people connecting to the SWC to *not* get off at Galesburg and try to make the connection, as it was too late).

From a rail fan's point of view, it was fascinating. From my fiancée's perspective, it would have been pure torture.

-Rafi

 

[Trogdor]

[C]an a person refuse the bus and demand overnight accomodations and the next morning train? I mean if the choice is 3:00am and five hours late because you're on a crappy bus versus overnight some sleep and the next day can you request that? Can you say I paid for the train, not the bus and I demand the next train?

In general, no. Amtrak's obligation is transportation, and the mode of transportation is not guaranteed. That said, Amtrak would probably let you ride the next day's train (provided space is available), but if they're offering a bus, and you want the train, you'd *probably* have to pay for your own accommodations.

Quite often, for passengers going longer distances, Amtrak will put them up in a hotel anyway and then put them on the next day's train. However, for folks going to points in Michigan, Indiana, and probably Ohio, they're usually put on a bus or van to their destination.

The Metra station at Union Station and the Metra Station at the Old Northwestern Station are much better run with signs and announcements.

Actually, I can't ever remember hearing Metra announcements at Union Station. Usually, boarding announcements are made in the Amtrak waiting areas. It's unusual that there wouldn't be any announcements. Additionally, screens throughout the station indicate train departures and arrivals.

If you were heading to Michigan, it was busses for everyone, and I'm not sure what they were doing for folks connecting to the EB, SWC, CONOL, and TE (although they expressly told people connecting to the SWC to *not* get off at Galesburg and try to make the connection, as it was too late).

Folks with connections to the Chief, Eagle, and City were probably put in hotels overnight. Since there is no valid connection between the Zephyr and the Empire Builder, that wouldn't be an issue.

 

[frj1983]

I must agree with rrmadisonwi,

I ride Metra back and forth to work every day, and when I arrive in the morning I hear Amtrak announcements and when I leave in the evening I hear Amtrak announcements. So Amtrak does make arriving and boarding announcements regularly.

I'm not sure why you didn't hear the announcements penncentralfan.

 

[PennCentralFan]

I must agree with rrmadisonwi,
I ride Metra back and forth to work every day, and when I arrive in the morning I hear Amtrak announcements and when I leave in the evening I hear Amtrak announcements. So Amtrak does make arriving and boarding announcements regularly.

I'm not sure why you didn't hear the announcements penncentralfan.

Yeah, I wonder that too, but I swear we were waiting about 45 minutes at gate F and I heard no PA announcements about boarding. The line just started to move. It was chaotic at Union Station that day so maybe it was a one-time thing.