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  • Standing Room Only on Long Distance Trains?

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1574088  by electricron
 
Something I have never seen on a YouTube Video before,


172 miles between Cleburne and Austin Texas on the Texas Eagle having more passengers than seats. Have you ever had to stand for over three and a half hours on a train before?

I do not care how many times Amtrak suggests increasing services provided to Texas, their walk does not match their talk. Stop being the hustler from Yankee lands, promising to do more on one hand while actually taking away services with the other hand. People see through that dishonestly, which may be why not one politician, democrat or republican, from Texas joined in the Amtrak public launch for an extended Heartland Flyer to Newton, Kansas or reinstatement of the Texas Chief train between Dallas and Houston.
 #1574098  by eolesen
 
Isn't the Eagle a reservation required train in coach?

Perhaps there weren't 2-3 seats together on the upper level, but I can't say I've heard of Amtrak overbooking coach on a long distance train.


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 #1574116  by STrRedWolf
 
I'm reminded of my trip up to Pittsburgh in 2019. Keystones were getting canceled left/right/center and the Pennsy incurred an eventual 3h30m delay. I was lucky enough to grab a seat but folks were piling into the Pennsy who would of normally gotten a Keystone...

...and then half of them gave up and started car pooling after an hour or two.

Happens? Yes. Intentional? Doubtful. I bet this was a "so last minute the equipment already left the barn" mass purchase that should of been called up a week in advance.
 #1574123  by R36 Combine Coach
 
On regional and corridor trains, standees are not uncommon as commuters with 10-ride or monthly passes
are unreserved coach, and often end up at the cafe tables as overflow seating. LD trains do not honor or
accept commuter passes (such as the Eagle between CHI and STL or through trains to southern states
between NYP and WAS).

To note, some regionals honored MARC commuter passes on weekends before weekend service launched.
 #1574135  by eolesen
 
Irrelevant. This was the Texas Eagle. A long distance reserved train by all accounts...

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 #1574163  by Arborwayfan
 
It's happened to me or my wife more than once on the City of New Orleans northbound, boarding in Illinois early in the morning. The conductors don't know where there are seats for us, people are sleeping across two seats and nobody wants to wake them up. Once we rode the whole way in the lounge. Once the lounge was full and no one would help my wife find a seat.

Best argument there is for reserved seating. Sure, the conductors or attendants should theoretically find the seats and have them ready, but that's a tough task on a fullish night train.

Disclaimer: I think these incidents all happened before the conductors had the manifest on their handheld electronic devices. Things may be better now. Also, I had many more uneventful experiences with no problems finding a seat.
 #1574188  by CNJGeep
 
7 Train wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 6:02 pm On regional and corridor trains, standees are not uncommon as commuters with 10-ride or monthly passes
are unreserved coach
Not anymore, reservations are required for multi-ride ticket holders.
 #1574194  by Greg Moore
 
Arborwayfan wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 9:52 am It's happened to me or my wife more than once on the City of New Orleans northbound, boarding in Illinois early in the morning. The conductors don't know where there are seats for us, people are sleeping across two seats and nobody wants to wake them up. Once we rode the whole way in the lounge. Once the lounge was full and no one would help my wife find a seat.

Best argument there is for reserved seating. Sure, the conductors or attendants should theoretically find the seats and have them ready, but that's a tough task on a fullish night train.

Disclaimer: I think these incidents all happened before the conductors had the manifest on their handheld electronic devices. Things may be better now. Also, I had many more uneventful experiences with no problems finding a seat.
That's really on the conductor then. They absolutely should have woken folks up that were taking two seats. I've seen it done. And most folks understand, though some obviously are irate.
 #1574198  by STrRedWolf
 
R36 Combine Coach wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 6:02 pm On regional and corridor trains, standees are not uncommon as commuters with 10-ride or monthly passes
are unreserved coach, and often end up at the cafe tables as overflow seating. LD trains do not honor or
accept commuter passes (such as the Eagle between CHI and STL or through trains to southern states
between NYP and WAS).

To note, some regionals honored MARC commuter passes on weekends before weekend service launched.
Ahhh, those where the days. The only ones left are Aberdeen passes on select weekday trains.