D
DingDong
Guest
The Amtrak Code share with United seems like a good idea but one that neither Amtrak nor United wants it to be too successful.
1. The service is hardly marketed, if at all.
2. There is very sparse information about how the service works on both Amtrak and United's websites. This codeshare is a pretty unusual service in the US, so you would think there would be information on the websites about such things as "what happens if my flight/train is delayed and I miss my connection?" or "Can I catch an earlier train if I arrive at EWR earlier?" and a host of similar questions.
3. There are relatively few trains that stop at EWR every day. There are only 6 daily NHV-EWR connections, compared to 18 NHV-NWK connections.
I realize that stops at EWR require switching to the local track and might have increased dwell times if there are many passengers, but even 65 & 66 don't stop at EWR--and those trains are not in a rush and actually would provide a useful connection, at least for people whose flight was delayed arriving to Newark so missed their earlier connection or who have early morning departures.
(Admittedly, part of the reason there are no early morning or late night connections to Stamford or New Haven is that those trains originate/terminate in Boston or Springfield and need to serve those cities at a convenient time. The connections to Philadelphia are a bit better, in part due to the Keystone service.)
Is the idea that Amtrak doesn't make that much money on these relatively short distance trips, so doesn't really want to fill up its seats with these lower-value passengers? If that's so, you wonder why they continue the service at all. Or is there some other problem?
1. The service is hardly marketed, if at all.
2. There is very sparse information about how the service works on both Amtrak and United's websites. This codeshare is a pretty unusual service in the US, so you would think there would be information on the websites about such things as "what happens if my flight/train is delayed and I miss my connection?" or "Can I catch an earlier train if I arrive at EWR earlier?" and a host of similar questions.
3. There are relatively few trains that stop at EWR every day. There are only 6 daily NHV-EWR connections, compared to 18 NHV-NWK connections.
I realize that stops at EWR require switching to the local track and might have increased dwell times if there are many passengers, but even 65 & 66 don't stop at EWR--and those trains are not in a rush and actually would provide a useful connection, at least for people whose flight was delayed arriving to Newark so missed their earlier connection or who have early morning departures.
(Admittedly, part of the reason there are no early morning or late night connections to Stamford or New Haven is that those trains originate/terminate in Boston or Springfield and need to serve those cities at a convenient time. The connections to Philadelphia are a bit better, in part due to the Keystone service.)
Is the idea that Amtrak doesn't make that much money on these relatively short distance trips, so doesn't really want to fill up its seats with these lower-value passengers? If that's so, you wonder why they continue the service at all. Or is there some other problem?
