Re: Acela II (Avelia Liberty): Design, Production, Delivery, Acceptance
PostPosted:Wed Sep 04, 2019 6:31 pm
For those who haven't drilled down: the Avelias will have electronic signs over each seatpair showing reserved or available.
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Nasadowsk wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:33 pmAlso doesn't seem to be an issue in sleeper, where 50% of the seats face backwards and are certainly not rotating. Where are the guys complaining about the sleeper seats facing backwards? Haven't heard much on that.Arlington wrote: ↑Tue Sep 03, 2019 8:50 pm Riding backwards is diffrent and new, which is all it takes in this forum to be denounced as a plot against customers, despite global (and commuter) acceptance.I agree. It's a non issue elsewhere in the world, and most European trains out accelerate US ones by a good amount, which is where it'd be most annoying. A lot of commuter equipment has fixed seats now, even in the US.
I predict it will be a non issue with customers (as it has for Brightline) and a clear win for mechanical and operational simplicity.
Tadman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 4:38 amAlso doesn't seem to be an issue in sleeper, where 50% of the seats face backwards and are certainly not rotating. Where are the guys complaining about the sleeper seats facing backwards? Haven't heard much on that.Because it's not true. Fact is they always orient the sleepers vestibule or A end forward which means that most seats do face forward. Since every bedroom (except the Viewliner ADA which has the seat facing forward) has the jump seats, every room has available forward facing seats.
Greg Moore wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 12:09 pm Except.. Tadman is right.Just checked the Crescent consist and looks like the sleepers are at the rear. But even if it ran as you say, every bedroom has jump seats so every bedroom and roomette would still have forward facing seat availability (except for the Viewliner ADA room if the car is running backwards).
There are times for example on the Crescent when the sleepers have been at the head of the train and "facing" backwards so that the one H room closest to the diner can meet the ADA requirement.
So sleepers have certainly been oriented in either direction.
bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:09 amThat doesn't make sense. If you saw it, then you did not miss it. You saw it from a different perspective and a little later. That being said, I prefer not to ride backwards either.Tadman wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 4:38 amAlso doesn't seem to be an issue in sleeper, where 50% of the seats face backwards and are certainly not rotating. Where are the guys complaining about the sleeper seats facing backwards? Haven't heard much on that.Because it's not true. Fact is they always orient the sleepers vestibule or A end forward which means that most seats do face forward. Since every bedroom (except the Viewliner ADA which has the seat facing forward) has the jump seats, every room has available forward facing seats.
I have ridden many Amtrak sleepers and have always faced forward. This includes the Family Room in the Superliner.
If I am traveling by train I want to see what's coming. I don't want to see what I just missed!
David Benton wrote: ↑Wed Sep 04, 2019 11:21 pm With this system , and trainline door opening, is there really any need for a Assistant Conductor on the Acela's? I would think the average trip lenght would be quite a bit longer on the Acela's , so less on and offs as well.Yes! Their is a need for AC's. The UTU would pitch a fit if they went against the contract. The UTU/Amtrak Contract states that trains are provided with an Assistant Conductor and if one isn't provided then the Conductor of the train in question gets some type of extra pay. But if Amtrak deliberately went against the contract the UTU would lose it.
gokeefe wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:10 pm Nice presentation from LB Steel (Alstom sub contractor) showing fabrication of Avelia trucks.1. Neat that they worked on the ORD Airpot awning.
David Benton wrote: ↑Wed Sep 04, 2019 11:21 pm With this system , and trainline door opening, is there really any need for a Assistant Conductor on the Acela's?Absolutely. There are significant safety risks that have to be managed on a train of this size regardless of the number of stops.
Acela150 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 10:18 pm The UTU would pitch a fit if they went against the contract. The UTU/Amtrak Contract states that trains are provided with an Assistant Conductor and if one isn't provided then the Conductor of the train in question gets some type of extra pay. But if Amtrak deliberately went against the contract the UTU would lose it.How does the UTU contract specify staffing levels? Is it "per train" or "per coach" or "per seat" or "per door" or "per bogie"? (I can't see increasing conductors per seat just because the coaches got smaller.)
David Benton wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 10:31 pm I realise it is a union agreement to have a Assistant Conductor for so many cars (7?), so it would obviously have to be negotiated over , if Amtrak chose to propose it. I would say it could be in exchange for an extra OBS position to enhance the service onboard. But different union I think.Yes. I believe that it's 1 Conductor and 1 AC for 6 or less cars, and above 6 cars 1 Conductor and 2 AC's.
Arlington wrote: ↑Fri Sep 06, 2019 8:13 amIt's per train consist. So by number of cars. I believe that with a total of 9 cars that would increase the Train crew by one. Even though the cars will be shorter.Acela150 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 10:18 pm The UTU would pitch a fit if they went against the contract. The UTU/Amtrak Contract states that trains are provided with an Assistant Conductor and if one isn't provided then the Conductor of the train in question gets some type of extra pay. But if Amtrak deliberately went against the contract the UTU would lose it.How does the UTU contract specify staffing levels? Is it "per train" or "per coach" or "per seat" or "per door" or "per bogie"? (I can't see increasing conductors per seat just because the coaches got smaller.)
Given that the number of seats per coach is different on the Avelia, and that the doors are now centrally controlled, and that fare-collection is ever-more-automated, I'd expect the number of Assistant Conductors per seat and per coach to go down.
For example, a contract deal designed to keep UTU staff essentially constant per typical train (no loss of employment) Amtrak would still get a labor-productivity boost on a per available-seat-mile ASM or revenue passenger mile RPM basis.