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I'm about ready to tear my hair out. I want to book travel on the Northeast Corridor from BWI to NYP on Labor Day. That day is shown as a holiday, with trains running on a weekend schedule, on the latest timetable. But the website thinks it's a normal weekday and wants to book me on the weekday train numbers.
When I first noticed this on Friday, I tried to call Amtrak's customer service to let them know about the problem. The clerk I spoke to clearly did not believe me. She told me I was using an outdated timetable. When I pointed out that it was the current timetable, as posted on Amtrak's website, she said she could not help me, nor could she transfer me to anyone who could. She did offer to book the travel herself, but I really prefer interacting online when possible, and in any case I thought the problem ought to be fixed.
I e-mailed Amtrak's web staff on Friday. Since then, it's been -- well, it would have been hilarious if I didn't need to travel on Labor Day and if this were all happening to someone else.
Every message I've sent has been answered by a different clerk with a different form letter; none of them have bothered to read the back-thread, even though I have conscientiously appended all previous posts and kept the ticket number in the subject line.
The first clerk to respond asked me what specific stations I was travelling between and on what day. I told her but said that the problem seemed to be general to the Northeast Corridor since I had also checked times for WAS-NYP.
The second clerk said that I was using an outdated timetable. As I had with the clerk I spoke to on the phone, I pointed out that it was the one posted on their website as updated on March 25th.
The third clerk said that sometimes a time may be changed after the timetable is printed and that the website is more correct than any timetable.
I pointed out that the whole schedule appeared to be in error and that it seemed unlikely that Amtrak would be running a normal weekday schedule on Labor Day. I apologized for pressing the issue but said that I really needed to travel on that day and I didn't think it would be a good idea to book a ticket on a train that would not be running on that day.
The fourth clerk said that reservation requests could not be booked by e-mail, but that I should either call Amtrak's reservation line or use the website ticketting service.
I have written yet again, but I will be surprised if the fifth clerk bothers to read my message.
Is there anyone to whom I can appeal or complain?
Should I in fact use the phone to book? I worry that they might have the wrong times too.
Gilbert B Norman Member # 1541
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Mr. Dixon, I believe there is a "mountain growing from a molehill" regarding this matter.
If you choose to use the website and pay up, you have a transportation contract. If the website is in error, the burden is on Amtrak to contact you and advise that particular train will not operate. They will generally book you on the train closest to your intended departure time. If e-ticketed, they will forward you new documents showing the corrected Train and time of departure.
smitty195 Member # 5102
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I would book over the phone if it were me. At least that way, it's going directly through "ARROW" (Amtrak's reservation computer). If the train number and time changes, you should receive both an email and a phone call from Amtrak letting you know of the changes.
Trying to get people to NOT believe what the computer says these days is pretty outrageous. Not just Amtrak, but everywhere. When I get a response, "The computer says so", that tells me that the person is not able to form independent and/or common sense thought, and I just blow them off. The only way to elevate your issue might be to call Amtrak's Administration offices at Union Station in DC maybe? I'm not really sure.
dixonm Member # 55034
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Thank you both for your prompt and helpful replies!
Henry Kisor Member # 4776
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I've been trying to find an answer to this question. All I could turn up was a couple of sources saying the Downeaster trains on Labor Day would run on the normal weekend schedule.
On the other hand, holidays represent the heaviest travel days for Amtrak, don't they? Perhaps then Amtrak would run a normal weekday schedule, maybe beefing up some trains where it can?
dixonm Member # 55034
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That's a good point. I'd assumed the Northeast Corridor would be mostly a commuter service, for people travelling on business between Boston, New York and Washington, but, after all, I'm not.
Maybe there really is enough business to justify a weekday schedule on Labor Day on that route, in which case it really is the timetable, not the website, that is in error.
dixonm Member # 55034
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Amtrak's e-mail support just answered me one more time, assuring me that Labor Day would, in fact, be a normal weekday schedule for the Northeast Corridor. Maybe it will be. That does raise the question of why the timetable says, in some detail (i.e., it couldn't just be a single misprint) that it won't be, but if I ask that they'll just tell me, again, that timetables are sometimes in error.
Thank you all for your help!
MDRR Member # 2992
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Just to add confusion to all this, we just did our summer job bids, and the bids show a Sunday schedule on 9/2, contrary to what Arrow is showing...
Vincent206 Member # 15447
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...combine that with the problems mentioned with the iPhone app...I'd say Amtrak is having some problems in the IT Department.
MDRR Member # 2992
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Just wanted to note that I see the website has been updated with the holiday schedule "installed".
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