United Rail Passenger Alliance

Volume 3 Number 43 –

1. The new Amtrak Fall 2006/Winter 2007 timetables are out. Here is what one wag had to say: Read more…

Volume 3 Number 42

1. As those of us living east of New Orleans are still helplessly peering down the tracks hoping to see an oncoming Sunset Limited, it seems things are not well in the Sunset’s onboard crew base in Los Angeles.Chefs and Lead Service Attendants for dining and lounge cars are deserting the Amtrak ship at a fast rate. There are dozens of LSA vacancies just in Los Angeles alone, thanks to Diner Lite, or what is otherwise known as Amtrak’s Simplified Dining Service. Since the great majority of crew members for all areas of dining cars – both the kitchen and service staff – have been laid off allegedly because they are not needed with the new menu, those remaining are working much harder than before, and are simply wearing out faster. The bottom line is that for these onboard employees, the pay and benefits are just not enough to justify the level of work that is required to keep the dining cars running without adequate staff.
2. On October 17th, Progressive Railroading magazine reported in a daily news digest on its web site: Read more…

Volume 3 Number 41

1. When you think of Amtrak, in what context do you think of Amtrak? To you, is Amtrak your local commuter carrier in the Northeast or in California? Is Amtrak your provider of long distance train service when you go to visit your grandchildren? Is Amtrak your substitute for an interstate highway for a short business trip?Amtrak is many things to many people. One common thread is that Amtrak often does not live up to people’s expectations.Those of us who are old (and perhaps wise, too) enough to remember private passenger rail service, depending on the era we remember, recall trains full of well-dressed travelers, Pullman dining cars with gleaming silver and china, and full meals freshly prepared.

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Volume 3 Number 40

1. Another week, this time the first week of the new fiscal year, and another week when the Sunset Limited is not running east of New Orleans. Has anybody seen the Sunset Limited?
2. For all of the things Amtrak is doing, it’s what Amtrak is not doing that is making a negative difference.For too long, Amtrak has considered marketing and related activities beyond the Northeast Corridor (or, here in bow and arrow country, which means anywhere west of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and south of Washington, D.C.) as unimportant. At best, Amtrak has paid lip service to marketing the national system, but the bulk of the marketing and advertising dollars have gone into trying to bolster the sagging NEC.

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