C
Conductor_OKJ
Guest
So as most of you know by now I am a conductor, based in Oakland. If you board a train at an UNSTAFFED, key word UNSTAFFED station with a reservation, your reservation is honored on the train. If you board the train at a station with a manned ticket office with out a ticket, you will be paying the highest available fare PLUS a 9 dollar surcharge and be getting a lecture from me. If you choose not to buy a ticket at my price you get off the train at the next stop and can talk to the PD about fare evasion. If you already paid, to bad, you will pay again, and it is between you and Amtrak to get your other ticket refunded. A physical ticket is required for travel, plain and simple. I know I sound harsh but Amtrak will fire a conductor that doesn’t sell the tickets correctly, and the policy states that ALL reservations are canceled once the train departs if they have not been printed into actual tickets. Therefore if you board at a manned station with no ticket, you do not have a reservation. This can be found in the back of the National Timetable where all the legal jargon is. Hope that clears up your question.