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I know that with the new 10PM depature they are no longer serving dinner, but are they still doing that wine and cheese business? And do you have to get there early to get it? Do you preboard or what? Thanks for the info
ChrisJ Member # 320
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Well, they did it on 9/17. We pre-boarded at 8pm thru the Metropolitan Lounge.
jp1822 Member # 2596
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What about dinner eastbound for those passengers enduring a late arrival into NYP.
This train is a disgrace leaving at 10 p.m. at night from Chicago eastbound. Even more proof that Amtrak should have left the Three Rivers alone, perhaps terminating it in Philly if need be.
jp1822 Member # 2596
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Or split the Capitol Limited at Pittsburgh with the train terminating in Harrisburg for a cross the platform change there to a Keystone train now that all-electric Keystone train service has increased its frequency. Two Sightseer Lounges would be great for the train, but doubt that will happen. If I had to choose, not sure if I'd send the Sightseer to/from Washington or to/from Harrisburg. Both routes have great scenery.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Rescheduling #48 to roundly emulate NYC #90 Chicagoan makes sense in that there is again a "clean up" train for late Western connections. However, it means that a passenger planning to "do something" evening of arrival in New York had best make it a catch as catch can affair.
If one's destination is in Westchester or Fairfield Counties, even transfering over to GCT and MNR's half hourly service on the New Haven, again it is a "forget it".
All this presumes 48 is "more or less' on time.
train lady Member # 3920
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Gil, had you thought of the possibility of taking the Capitol to DC and from there , there are a number of possibilities even if 29 is late. I don't k now where in CT you are going but the Acela does stop in several places like Stamford and the NEC runs just about every hour. you could still make it shortly after dinner hour.
train lady Member # 3920
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There is also a 2 PM and 3 PM if you are fortunate enough to be close on time into DC
jp1822 Member # 2596
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I think Amtrak forgot that passengers often "go on" from NYP either on commuter rail be it Metro North from GCT, Long Island RR, or more importantly NJT (now with the loss of the Three Rivers) when they were scheduling the Lake Shore Limited. Yes, it provides for a nice clean-up train. But also, has the "clean-up" train been meeting Amtrak's needs (i.e. are late trains arriving in time enough for passengers to catch the Lake Shore). Course what about passengers who were destined on the Capitol Limited with a Florida connection. Do these folks now get a hotel courtesy of Amtrak in Chicago or NYC (the former likely offering cheaper hotel rates than the later).
Also brings to question - should the Capitol Limited be scheduled later and the Lake Shore earlier so as to offer better connections eventually on the East Coast. Course this breaks the connection with the Pennsylvanian - which may bring into question - can a second frequency west of Harrisburg be scheduled with through coaches etc.
I was in DC earlier this week and the Capitol Limited was nearly or close to on-time in its arrival into Washington DC. Spring for an Aclea trip Mr. Norman - First Class awaits you!
notelvis Member # 3071
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I rode an Acela today. More or less on time but packed to beyond capacity. Overflow passengers were seated on the little stools in the bistro car and, frankly, after paying premium fare to ride the speedster, I would have been very unhappy if I had wound up riding a backless stool smaller than a frisbee.
train lady Member # 3920
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David that doesn't make sense. According to Amrak.com all the seats on Acela are reserved. That being the case how can there be all those extra people?
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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No different than airlines, Ms. Train Lady; controlled overbooking. Only difference here is that if you hold a ticket, you will be boarded, which could be a lesser of evils than being denied boarding, or in the language of the street, "bumped".
Fortunately, Sleeper space is not subject to overbooking, but is subject to a room or car being bad ordered en-route.
Geoff M Member # 153
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Since one can have the pleasure of being "bumped up" (eg coach into business class), the more correct "street language" should be "bumped off" rather than the ambiguous "bumped".
Another possible reason for overcrowding is people who have missed any guaranteed connections being placed onto the next available train. I was once on an Empire Builder out of Chicago which had too many coach passengers, but only as far as Milwaukee - I believe an earlier Hiawatha had been cancelled and they simply re-accommodated them on the all-reserved Builder.
Geoff M.
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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Geoff, that seems to happen a lot. I've ridden the Builder a dozen or so times out of Glenview (first stop after Chicago) and the lounge car as well as the coaches often are surprisingly packed.
(Maybe the most correct street language these days is "offed" or "wasted".)
notelvis Member # 3071
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quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: No different than airlines, Ms. Train Lady; controlled overbooking. Only difference here is that if you hold a ticvket, you will be boarded, which could be a lesser of evils than being denied boarding, or in the language of the street, "bumped".
Precisely. The train was overbooked. The Acela's are very popular (and beginning to get a little worn around the edges) and the experience was more like flying than it was like taking a train.
From Amtrak's perspective it's preferable to have some unhappy passengers as opposed to selling only the number of actual seats on the train and then lose revenue when not everyone shows.
I had anticipated a crowd (being a Sunday afternoon) and planned my trip so as to board in Boston to insure that I got a seat. Otherwise I would have preferred to board in Providence.
I'm working on a full trip report which I'll post in a day or two.
climbguy Member # 5879
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well overselling is an art. If you way over sell a train you'll lose future biz. If you're one of the pax on a stool will you book another Acela trip in the near future? Will you tell your co-workers about how you paid a premium to sit on a stool?
royaltrain Member # 622
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quote:Originally posted by climbguy: well overselling is an art. If you way over sell a train you'll lose future biz. If you're one of the pax on a stool will you book another Acela trip in the near future? Will you tell your co-workers about how you paid a premium to sit on a stool?
Would Amtrak oversell Acela First-Class? Surely they wouldn't put a first-class passenger on a little stool in the bistro car? (I hope).
MDRR Member # 2992
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Not to discount Dave's observations about the train being oversold, but the only true way to tell is if the conductor is issuing refunds to passengers in the Bistro/cafe car.
Many passengers "choose" to sit in the cafe car on a full train because they either can't find seats "together" or the only seats left are in the "quiet car" or they just choose to hang out there rather than sit in coach next to someone.
On any fairly full Acela trip, there are always people who rather sit in cafe for the above reasons.
sojourner Member # 3134
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When Amtrak started forcing people to have reservations on the Empire Service a few years back, they said it was (a) for security after 911 and (b) to avoid overbooking and people having to stand on busy days. But (a) never made much sense to me, since they still don't require reservations on many of the local-ish CA lines. And now I see (b)isn't accurate either!
Then there is also the issue of Amtrak charging extra on NE Corridor trains on Friday and Sunday. I mean, if you ask why, they say it's because those are the busiest days, which is true. But then, if Sunday is one of the two busiest days, why do they have FEWER TRAINS? Doesn't really make sense to me!
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