Version X - This Was The Week That Was

July 13, 2001

We’re now two and a half months into the summer foilables of Amtrak’s many misfortunes and adventures. Just when we thought we had seen it all, then this week came rocking along.

1. This silliness could either be titled The Southwest Airlines Relief Act of 2001, or, as seems more appropriate, the beginning of a new slogan for Southwest: “Southwest, The Official Airline of Amtrak.”

   Those lovable managers at Amtrak Intercity have come up with yet another riotous way to provide good customer service: A plan to put Amtrak passengers on Southwest Airlines on a routine basis.

   Imagine this scenario: You and your sweetie have paid over $1,000 to travel in comfort and style on the Southwest Chief in a deluxe bedroom between Los Angeles and Chicago, with connections on to Washington via the Capitol Limited the same day in Chicago. You’re thinking, well, this train is the direct descendent of the fabled Super Chief of Santa Fe fame, exulted in movies and literature as one of America’s signature trains from the glory years of rail travel. Certainly, Amtrak, after being in business for 30 years now, can readily operate a modern train along this route.

   Well, no, actually. Amtrak, and it’s most friendly host railroad, BNSF have been delivering the Southwest Chief into Chicago routinely several hours late, and missing the connection to the Capitol Limited. The Capitol Limited, now that it does not share a common consist with the Southwest Chief, waits for no one in Chicago. When it’s time to go, it goes.

   So, Amtrak Intercity has come up with a great plan to make sure through passengers make their connections at Chicago, whether they are riding on a discount coach ticket or a full fare sleeping car ticket that entitles them to meals and amenities.

   At Kansas City, if the Southwest Chief is running late by a predetermined amount of time, then Chicago through passengers are taken off of the train, put into a prearranged van to the Kansas City airport, and flown on Southwest to Chicago’s Midway airport, where they are then put into yet another van and trundled to Chicago Union Station and an awaiting Capitol Limited.

   A clever idea some say? Hardly. Good customer service? No. An easy way out? Yes.

   Here’s the kicker: These paragons of good customer service are playing DIRECTLY into the hands of critics and those who would end passenger rail service by having written plans and standing orders to routinely fly Amtrak passengers on scheduled airline service. This is an overt admission that Amtrak is unable to fulfill its mandate to operate long distance passenger service.

   For those that wish to raise the issue of the Sunset’s long running tardiness, several things are different. The Sunset operated over a railroad that was in such shambles, it was held together by bubble gum and bailing wire under Southern Pacific. Then, when it was taken over the Union Pacific, it ran late because of the endless need for track upgrades. Then, there was the UP meltdown that came along with all of this, which caused gridlock on the whole rail system. None of this is the case on the BNSF line the Southwest Chief runs along. This, for the most part, is the old Santa Fe main line, where running 90 MPH has not been uncommon.

   This plan has left Amtrak vulnerable to great debate and criticism from its critics. Many more moves like this, and the company is likely to disappear even quicker than most pessimists think it will.

2. Back in the Northeast, on the civilized and non-frontier side of the Allegheny Mountains where the most important trains run North and South between Washington and Boston, fares are being simplified.

   The NEC brass is turning all conventional trains on the New York-Boston run into Acela Regional trains. Hey, this is great! you say. Progress is being made, more Acelas are running.

   Not quite. It’s still the same equipment as Northeast Direct trains, and the schedules are similar. The exception is the name and price. All trains with an Acela tag on them cost more to ride. Since the old Northeast Direct trains are now gone, so is their lower fare structure.

   Amtrak has figured out a way to have a fare increase without making a formal announcement. Just eliminate all of the low fare trains, and force everyone onto higher priced trains.

   Many have openly grumbled about the high prices to ride the Acela Express trains (when they are operating with working pantographs). Making this de facto fare increase is likely to further endear Amtrak in the hearts and minds of Northeast travelers.

   Can anyone say “airplane?”

3. And, speaking of nonworking pantographs and Acela Express trains, it’s continued to be highly disturbing this week that even more pantograph problems are occurring on Acela Express trains.

   These continued mishaps are happening in slow speed territory where the tried and true AEM-7s don’t have any particular difficulty.

   What’s the problem? Do we have yet another case of Amtrak engineering specifications trumping common sense and general industry wisdom? Do we have yet another case of Amtrak telling us one thing, yet another reality being the true situation?

   Inquiring minds want to know. And, we all want to know when will we be able to completely trust Amtrak statements to the press and public? What problem is there with the Acela design on the pantographs they are not telling us about?

4. This week’s favorite Acela story comes courtesy of Amtrak commissary services. Reports say that someone failed to load food on Acela Express No. 2154 on July 9th, departing from Washington. It happens that Earle S. Bagley, Jr. was among the esteemed guests on this train. This gentleman is the President of the Northeast Corridor SBU, and one of the fathers of Acela service.

   Actual comments by the President were not recorded for posterity, however, a note of his annoyance was made, and everyone on that train rode free that day.

5. Finally, two reports were put on the All Aboard list this week concerning the usefulness and friendliness of Amtrak’s web site and booking engine. Just a sample: “…jumbled design, “too many clicks” usability … slipshod reservations system”. Well, you get the idea. It seems that many professional computer web site critics think as much about the Amtrak web site as passengers think about Amtrak on a 10 hour late train.

   Can’t something be done about this? Automation is supposed to help save the company.

That concludes another week of Amtrak here in the hot summer months. The presumption is that Amtrak will continue into yet another week of fun. We’re just waiting to see how much fun it will be.

Bruce Richardson
Jacksonville, Florida