Private Car NYC - 3 will be heading out from NHV this morning on train #147-2.
Amtrak's latest assault on their private car business customers is a new switching charge within the Washington DC (WAS) terminal, which has been implemented with no prior notice to car owners, AAPRCO or RPCA, and was not included in their 5/01/2018 update to their private car tariff rates. Several of us car owners have received differing stories from Amtrak's CNOC as to when it applies, and when it does not apply. It appears to apply whenever a PV is switched onto or off a thru train at WAS, any time of the day, and day of the week. The charge is approximately $850 per switch move, which is supposed to represent the cost of calling a 3 person switch crew to perform the switching move.
This new switching charge will have a negative impact on many potential private car trips. The PV owner hit hardest by this new charge will be Washington DC Chapter NRHS, as it would apply to just about any of their trips from WAS, except trips on trains 29/30 (and temporarily on trains 50/51), which originate and terminate at WAS. Going to/from New York, Boston, Newport News, Richmond, Savannah, Charlotte, New Orleans or Miami, you will pay to be switched on/off a thru train at WAS.
It looks like I will be exposed to 2 of these switching charges at WAS during a MOUNT VERNON trip later this month.