My wife and I recently rode the Southwest Chief from Flagstaff, Arizona to Chicago, then the Lake Shore Limited to Boston. We returned the same way.
The service aboard the Southwest Chief was good, except that we were five hours late. The employees were helpful and friendly. The train was kept clean.
The Lake Shore Limited is a different story. The employees are the laziest, worst group of people I have known. They did nothing to help passengers. they sat around and gossiped with each other the entire time. They were rude to the passengers. The train was filthy dirty, including the windows. The restrooms were disgusting. They were filthy. Some did not have toilet paper. There was urine all over the floors. It looked like they had not been cleaned, even before our trip started. They smelled terrible, even outside the restrooms. When some of the passengers complained about the smell, they did nothing about it, and did not seem to care. They said that 70 people got on in Buffalo. There were not enough seats for them, so many had to sit in the dining car and in the lounge car.
There was supposed to be only certain times that people could smoke in the lounge car, but the crew members did not care about anything. They let people smoke all the time. So in effect, us non-smokers had nowhere to go except in our seats. I even heard a crew member use very foul language in front of the customers in Albany.
I have been a supporter of Amtrak since its inception, but I no longer see any reason for the government to help Amtrak. They are killing themselves with worthless employees who should have been fired long ago. Any airline that treats its passengers like Amtrak does would be out of business immediately. This train should be out of business also.
We enjoyed our ride on the Southwest Chief very much, but the Lake Shore Limited managers and employees should be fired immediately.
------------------ Elias Valley Railroad (N-scale) www.geocities.com/evrr
Posted by Kent Loudon (Member # 902) on :
I certainly hope you will convey your displeasure to Amtrak, and that you especially noted the names of any personnell who were especailly offensive. Send to: Amtrak Customer Service, 60 Massachusettes Av NE, Washington DC 20002. Copies of the letter to your representatives in Congress would also be in order.
------------------ - Kent Loudon, Somerville NJ
Posted by Eric (Member # 674) on :
Konstantin,
It is regrettable that your trip on the Lake Shore was not enjoyable. When service levels are so low, it makes a traveler want to move on to another kind of transportation. Amtrak is in a management "slump," if you will, and that may rub off on some of the crew members. You stated that you have been an Amtrak supporter since 1971. It would be a shame to turn around now after this incident. Amtrak operates over 40 trains across the country, with exceptional service on many of those routes. The crews that work hard, and are friendly, such as the ones on your Chief trip, shouldn't have to pay for the unprofessional conduct of another trains' crew. You should send Amtrak a complaint, but don't turn your back on the entire system. Request a voucher for free travel, and try again someday. I'm sure if you continue to travel with Amtrak, you will almost always find courteous crews, clean trains, and good service.
Eric
Posted by CK (Member # 589) on :
I'm sorry to hear about your very negative experience. My wife & I became members of NARP when we found how enjoyable long distance Train travel can be. Although, we also have experienced the wide range of passenger service that Amtrak provides both on the train & in the station. It's sad when employees behave in such a horrible manner. It happens all too often. We will continue to ride Amtrak but we do so with a realistic expectation of both the very good & very bad service we've come to realize is a reality of Amtrak. Good luck with the "Service Guarantee" idea. When Amtrak repeatly failed to provide my wife with salt-free meals (dietary need) we tried contacting Amtrak HQ. After one month they called back, and left a message. We called again (a long distance number) and were told "sorry, we'll try better". End result = no "guarantee" & we were out the cost of long distance phone calls). Despite these things we try to stay focused on the positive and always, always keep our sense of humor!
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
There certainly seem to be trains that are frequently bad. Although I have never been on the LSL, I have ridden on the Silver Service (Meteor) and I found that to be absolutely terrible. Others have had the same problem with the Silver Service - I've never heard anything good said about it. It seems that the more popular the route, the less friendly the staff. For example, IMX the Sunset and the Cardinal both have consistently good service - and both only run 3x a week without full passenger loadings. Coincidence, or do the staff realise that their route is under threat if they don't make an effort?
Geoff Mayo.
Posted by Ed Hein (Member # 890) on :
I've ridden all three Silver Service trains. Overall, the service has been good. On occasion, I've encountered onboard staff that was less than what I expected (we're talking first class here).
On the last trip (this past May) the sleeping car attendant was hard to find, and less than helpful. But on most of the other trips I've taken to and from Florida (from Philly), the service in the sleeper and the dining car has been good.
So it appears that poor service is more random (at least that's how it seems to me on the Silver Service trains) than specific to certain trains.
Now to be fair, I've seen passengers that were less than gracious also....
Ed
Posted by jd477 (Member # 582) on :
I took the Southwest Chief from LA to Chicago last summer and it was great. The crew was polite and did their job well. My 8yr old daughter got sick on the trip and two different crew members checked up on her condition. However, in Chicago we boarded the Late For Sure Limited(2&1/2hrs late leaving due to Empire Bldr being late). The best way to describe the crew would be terrible!! They were rude, mean to passenger questions,the restrooms were filthy and the lounge car did not open till after I got off in Buffalo 2 hrs late!!! So if you lower your expectations to as low as they can go, then the LSL is OK. Personally, I avoid this train and recommend that everyone else avoid it unless there is no other train to take!!!
Posted by Jim (Member # 65) on :
Gee, I've never had an experience like that on the LSL... I've had an occasional bad employee, but I've also had some of Amtrak's finest on this same train. I've witnessed a waiter in the dining car turn an irate passenger's mood around on a (somewhat) late train; I've had a coach attendant handle a car full of school children with ease and a smile. I've also had a very generous and patient lounge car attendant handle those same children, keeping them laughing and the rest of the passengers enjoying the trip all the way to Chicago despite its usual tardiness. (Again, though, only somewhat.) On the other hand, I have had similar experiences on the Silver Meteor that were mentioned in the previous posts. The Silver Service trains, I'm sure, are neglected because people will ride them anyway simply because of the market they serve. I always forego phone calls when service is poor and write letters instead. On the two occasions I have needed to do so I have received a response and a voucher, and in one of those two instances a partial refund (yes, actual credit to my charge card!) also. Make it clear to them exactly why you were unhappy, giving as much detail as possible, and also make it clear what it will take to make you happy. You are doing Amtrak a favor by doing this - they can't fix it if they don't know it's broke.
Posted by Konstantin (Member # 18) on :
Thank you for all of your responses. I actually am not the complaining type of person. Sure, the Southwest Chief had some problems, and several of my previous Amtrak trips had some problems, but overall, I have been very happy until now. The Lake Shore Limited in my opinion was not even humane conditions. I am sure that it would have failed a health department inspection.
Jim, I do plan on writing Amtrak a long letter. As always, I kept a very detailed journal of the entire trip. I am in the process of typing a very detailed letter explaining a lot of things. In this letter I will also include the fact that conductor Richard N. Palmer II was excellent. He was the only bright spot on the Lake Shore Limited. I would also like to mention that service aboard the Southwest Chief, westbound in particular, was excellent. Car attendant Andre Fields went far beyond the call of duty to give his passengers a nice trip.
------------------ Elias Valley Railroad (N-scale) www.geocities.com/evrr
Posted by royaltrain (Member # 622) on :
Perhaps one more reply about the Lakeshore Ltd. I ride this train every year at Christmas from Buffalo to Chicago in order to make connections for trains to the west. I have always taken a sleeping car on this train, and have found the first class service either the best anywhere on Amtrak or at other times simply mediocre. I have experienced some very poor dining car service but not quite as bad as others have reported. I think if you purchased a bedroom on the LSL, you would find the extra expenditure well worth it. Nobody should have to put up with those disgraceful coaches and lounge cars.
Posted by lakeshorelimited (Member # 576) on :
Thanks for absolutely bashing the hell out of my favorite train. Sorry you had a crummy experience. For my purposes, it remains the BEST form of transportation I use and has never given me any serious problems. Yes, there is room for improvement, and I suggest writing Amtrak with your gripes.
Posted by lakeshorelimited (Member # 576) on :
.
[This message has been edited by lakeshorelimited (edited 07-16-2001).]
Posted by yummykaz (Member # 475) on :
WoW! What a bad trip!
I have found the same crews on the same trains the different times I have riden, so it should be easy to identify the errant employees.
It is sad when a few bad apples can spoil the bunch.
I think the best service I got was on the North Bound Crescent. The dining car Mr. Chang was amazing. He was like my own maitre d. (spelling?). We had two car attendants that had warm cookies, great coffee, juice and ice for us at all times.
I send Amtrak a letter any time I have a bad experience.
I also send good reviews too!
Posted by Konstantin (Member # 18) on :
Thank you everyone for all of your replies.
It is sad to see a couple of groups of employees with such bad attitudes, while others are very good. We travelled coach the entire way. On the Southwest Chief, our coach attendant and the others were all excellent.
I had planned on writing to Amtrak like I always do, but I ended up talking to them on the phone for over one-half hour. I went through my notebook and discussed everything, including the names of the good people on the Southwest Chief. It turns out that they gave me a voucher for $250.
[This message has been edited by Konstantin (edited 07-20-2001).]
Posted by mleclair (Member # 1260) on :
I agree totally!
We rode this train from Chicago to New York around the same time (late July, early August) and it was a mess! We've taken the Southwest Chief and the Empire Builder, and what a difference in crew attitude and diligence from those trains to this! We went down to the dining car for breakfast at the scheduled opening time, and there was only one person (Rosemary) trying her best to get things up and running. She said that her crewmates were not there yet, and she really seemed frustrated about this (we were too - we expected the dining car to be open for breakfast!). About 20 minutes after it was scheduled to open, it finally did open - but the other crewmates that showed up late were harassing Rosemary and fighting with each other. A black woman with glasses and medium length hair (no name tag) who was in charge of collecting money for the bills was the worst - she was very nasty to Rosemary and yelling at her and other people right in front of us while we were trying to eat our breakfast! Another waitress, Yvonne, did not participate in the yelling, but did not help either. Rosemary told us that they were trying to get her fired - and she was the only one that was there on time that morning and doing her job! There were other senior crew members who passed through while this was going on, and when we saw them later sitting in the lounge car, they seemed to be just shaking their heads as if there was nothing they could do about it. We felt very trapped and vulnerable while in the clutches of this awful crew, and while I have long enjoyed both short and long distance train travel - this was absolutely the worst experience and I do conclude that I will not take THIS train ever again if there is a chance of having these crew people in charge. Why can't Amtrak get rid of these awful employees???
Posted by sideout1961 (Member # 1297) on :
I am starting to get a little worried here. I plan on going on the train in September with my wife and parents and this will be the first time since I was 8 years old, I am now 40. It seems not much has changed in all these years. The service people were quite rude back then too. I will be traveling from Springfield, Ma to Oceanside, Ca. I am happy to hear the good news about the Southwest Chief but the word on the LSL is quite alarming. I hope someone can give me some good news on this route before September.
[This message has been edited by sideout1961 (edited 01-22-2002).]
Posted by lakeshorelimited (Member # 576) on :
I take the LSL usually every month, over short-hauls, and I never have any problems with the on-board staff. However, the crew that I ride with is on the Boston section and gets off at Albany, so the crews west of there may the ones that give the bad service. I must say, I have noticed a negative difference, on the times I've stayed on the LSL west of there. Just remember, there are many good Amtrak employees, and many not so good ones. It depends on who you get, I guess..
The Lakeshore is my favorite train, because it provides me with a much needed, and better transportation option than Greyhound. Maybe my opinion will change when I take it all the way to Chicago this year..
Posted by Konstantin (Member # 18) on :
It is nice to see my topic getting more attention since it was posted a while ago.
In response to lakeshorelimited: I found the section from Albany to Boston better than the rest. The conductor who was very good that I mentioned above worked on the Boston to Albany section.
Sideout1961: I hope you enjoy your trip. I am probably speaking for all of us on this message board when I say: Please let us know how your trip turned out.
------------------ Elias Valley Railroad (N-scale) www.geocities.com/evrr
Posted by lakeshorelimited (Member # 576) on :
I'm glad you agree, Konstantin.. I thought it was just me! When you ride a train often enough, you start recognizing the same people, and no one on board that section of the LakeShore has ever given me a problem.. even the lounge attendants have been friendly.
Posted by Geoff Mayo (Member # 153) on :
Since my earlier posting, I have now been on the LSL in the sleepers. The service on that occasion was great, one of the best train crews I've had. Even the dining car staff were pleasant. One was especially welcoming to everybody. We switched tracks at a fairly high speed and the people at the table behind us got their drinks in their laps, but this staff member diffused a potentially ugly situation - the passengers with the drinks in their laps were rolling around with laughter with the comments he was making! That kind of atmosphere rubs off on everybody, so the other staff were also pleasant.
Geoff M.
Posted by Maury (Member # 1302) on :
I took a trip from Boston to Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago. I have been on Amtrak several times in the Northeast corridor, but this was my first long haul trip. I had no problems with rude crew members on the LSL. My trip actually started on a bus because there was a freight derailment in Utica that damaged the tracks. Amtrak called me at home about an hour before departure to let me know what had happened. It worked out okay because the Amtrak bus actually got us to Syracuse faster than the train would have. We waited a couple of hours in the station and then boarded the LSL. I travelled in coach to Chicago and was pleasantly surprised by the comfortable seats. I was able to stake out a row for myself, and it was easy to sleep. There was, however, a mechanical problem with the dining car that kept it from opening for the entire trip. The lounge car was open, though, and they have a decent menu. (White Castle burgers!)I'm assuming that the sleeper passengers got some sort of refund since their meals are included. To the person who is concerned about his trip from Springfield, MA to California, I would say not to worry about it being ruined by problems on the LSL. Remember that this is the shorter leg of your trip. You would be boarding in the late afternoon, sleeping through the night, and by the time you wake up you should be almost to Chicago. Bring some of your own food (just in case) and a blanket and you should be fine.
Service on the Southwest Chief was, as everybody says, excellent. I had a sleeper on that leg of the trip, and the car attendant was great. All of the dining staff were friendly and attentive. We were also lucky enough to have Paul, the singing bartender.
Unlike the airlines where everything is scripted, the Amtrak crewpeople have individual personalities! I suppose this can work both ways, but I found it refreshing.
I would definitely take Amtrak cross-country again.
Posted by paulfnshore (Member # 1201) on :
I have ridden the Lake shore from end to end out of new york and i hound that the crew i had was verey freindly both times but i hear freinds oif mine sya that AMTRAK service can be unequal but ewven the worst AMTRAK trip took was better then the best airline trip i took
Posted by JeffDavis (Member # 1312) on :
I will totally agree with Konstantin. I rode the LSL a few months ago and it was BAD. Evrything was dirty and they didn't care. There are only two words to describe these amtrak workers LAZY LAZY LAZY and RUDE RUDE RUDE. Amtrak should fire their workers.
Jeff
Posted by royaltrain (Member # 622) on :
I rode the Lakeshore last month from Buffalo to Chicago. I make this run every year during the Christmas season in order to connect with one of the transcons out of Chicago (this year the CZ). I always travel in the sleepers, and I almost always have good service. It is particularly refreshing to be able to go directly to bed after waiting for an hour (or more) in beautiful Depew station. On only one occasion (back in the days of 10/6 sleepers) was my bed not made up upon my boarding at 2,3,or 4 am. Dining car service is usually more doubtful. I have had a fair amount of indifferent service in the diner, but nothing approaching outright rudeness. I have experienced worse on other Amtrak trains. So all in all I don't think the Lakeshore is particularly bad given Amtrak's generally mediocre service standards.
Posted by JeffDavis (Member # 1312) on :
When I read the replies it looks like the people that ride in sleepers don't have much complaints. If you travel in coach, you will have a lot of complaints. The amtrak workers who work in coach are really bad.
Like the above statemensts, I agree that the Southwest Cheif and also the Coast Starlight have a lot better service then the LSL. The LSL has really bad service.
I agree totally!