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#1 KevinPH

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Posted 06 May 2013 - 05:04 PM

Ready to go on May 26th, but have a question - Today Train 49 ran late almost all day, especially after CLE. Eventually it arrived CHI 5 hours late - after the Texas Eagle departed CHI. What happens to passengers that should have connected TOL to the TE in CHI as will be my connection? Layover at my expense is not an option for me. :blink: Thanks all! Kevin

#2 AlanB

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Posted 06 May 2013 - 08:36 PM

Kevin, If you're not too late, under 1 hour from the scheduled departure of the Eagle, Amtrak may consider holding the Eagle's departure to allow for connection. If that isn't an option, then Amtrak is likely to bus you to catch up to the train, which is probably what happened with that 5 hour late train. For that matter, if you happen to be at the station early enough and space is available, they might even let you board the Capitol Limited if the LSL is running really late already. Failing all that, Amtrak will provide vouchers for food, taxis, and a hotel room and rebook you on the next day's train.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#3 KevinPH

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Posted 08 May 2013 - 02:13 PM

Kevin,

If you're not too late, under 1 hour from the scheduled departure of the Eagle, Amtrak may consider holding the Eagle's departure to allow for connection. If that isn't an option, then Amtrak is likely to bus you to catch up to the train, which is probably what happened with that 5 hour late train. For that matter, if you happen to be at the station early enough and space is available, they might even let you board the Capitol Limited if the LSL is running really late already.

Failing all that, Amtrak will provide vouchers for food, taxis, and a hotel room and rebook you on the next day's train.


Thanks for the info, feeling reassured!

How early may I board 21 and can I still get lunch onboard or should I just eat at the food plaza beforehand?

Thanks again!

#4 AlanB

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Posted 08 May 2013 - 10:21 PM

You will not get a lunch included on the Eagle. You could elect to buy lunch on your dime in the cafe car, but it will be a late lunch. Therefore I would suggest getting something nicer & probably cheaper in Chicago before you board. Typically if you have a sleeper and are in the Metropolitan Lounge, they'll board you maybe a half hour before departure. In coach, probably about 15 to 20 minutes before.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#5 KevinKorell

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Posted 09 May 2013 - 01:55 AM

Kevin,

With what Alan said, here are some suggestions for eating in and around Chicago Union Station. Also diagonally across the street from the northernmost exit from the Union Station platforms is the CitiCorp Building/Ogilvie Transportation Center, which has a more substantial food court. Just make sure you are back in the boarding area (Metro Lounge) well before the boarding for your train will be taking place.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#6 KevinPH

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Posted 09 May 2013 - 07:50 PM

Thanks to Alan and Kevin for your great answers. One more question (for the moment!) - will there be a Sightseer car on the Eagle? And in response to Alan, yes, I have a roomette.

#7 AlanB

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Posted 09 May 2013 - 11:47 PM

One more question (for the moment!) - will there be a Sightseer car on the Eagle?


Yes.
Alan,

Take care and take trains!

#8 KevinPH

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 02:11 PM

Kevin,

If you're not too late, under 1 hour from the scheduled departure of the Eagle, Amtrak may consider holding the Eagle's departure to allow for connection. If that isn't an option, then Amtrak is likely to bus you to catch up to the train, which is probably what happened with that 5 hour late train. For that matter, if you happen to be at the station early enough and space is available, they might even let you board the Capitol Limited if the LSL is running really late already.

Failing all that, Amtrak will provide vouchers for food, taxis, and a hotel room and rebook you on the next day's train.


Took my trip as scheduled - I'll address the specifics later.
I was grateful for your input before my trip, as it gave me a bit of comfort in case things went awry.

Although nothing of the sort happened on my trip with regards to missing a connection, I did however, find out while talking with a guest services supervisor (about another issue) that if a passenger misses a train due to another train being late - they are put on Greyhound all the way to their destination. The case he told me was that a woman's train was late into Chicago, she missed the Eagle, and was put on the bus all the way to Dallas.
No 'catching up' at the next station, no vouchers, no holding the Eagle or any other train. It's the bus or overnight at the passengers expense and take the next day's train IF there's room.
Wow.....

I'll go into specifics in a later post, but my trip to Texas was great with the exception of no lounge/sightseer car.
The trip back?
Let's say no potable water loaded in my car; no bottled water; no coffee; no food in the dining car.
Translated - no showers, no hand washing, nothing to drink, no menus because no food and hungry passengers. Only reason we were given - someone forgot to fill the water tank for the car and we took on about 60 more passengers than on the manifest - hence the supplies ran out prematurely.
Another 'WOW'.
Complaints to Amtrak guest services have gone unanswered. :angry:

Kevin

#9 KevinKorell

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Posted 15 June 2013 - 08:55 PM

Kevin,

First of all, welcome back and thanks for reporting on your experiences. Let me invite you to post your Amtrak trip segments to our mileage tally; the current open link is here. Just provide the segment (from and to stations), the train number, and the date of departure for each segment, and Bill will do the rest.

Next, I'm glad you went on the trip with some comfort as well as an open mind. What you described especially on the return trip towards Chicago hoepfully didn't leave you with a bad first impression.

The lack of a lounge car probably means that just your luck, your consist had a bad ordered lounge that had to be removed. The Texas Eagle does use a Cross Country Cafe, which was originally intended to double as a diner and lounge car, so maybe if they were short on lounges they felt that the Eagle's was expendable.

There's no excuse for somebody forgetting to water the train, and you saw the consequences. While this was inconvenient to passengers in your car, at least it was isolated to one car and you had the ability to go into the next one for running water.

The lack of other amenities, and important ones like water bottles and dining car food, is inexcusable. There's a cafe car, but that cannot be expected to provide ample meals, especially for all sleeping car passengers entitled to a full free meal. And chances are that they ran out of food too if they were expected to provide food for those who expected to eat in the diner. Sixty passengers over the total on the manifest seems like an awful lot, like someone made a serious error. There aren't that many sleeper accommodations on the train for there to be a sudden 60-person surge in last minute travelers.

Getting to what you were told about missed connections, I am apt to believe that you were informed incorrectly by the supervisor you spoke with. Buses are used in lieu of trains when trains can't operate over their regular route... and even then they usually aren't Greyhound buses but rather a smaller company contracted by Amtrak to handle the rare assignment of providing substitute bus service around rail disruptions. As Alan mentioned above, Amtrak usually will try to get the passenger onto the train they reserved, and then yes as a last resort they'll put people up overnight in Chicago at Amtrak expense (but at a hotel of Amtrak's choice, not the passenger's), and accommodate the passenger on the next day's train.

It is highly possible that the woman they refer to as having been put on Greyhound had to absolutely get to where she was going (maybe work or a wedding?) on the day she planned, so she could not remain in Chicago overnight. Taking Greyhound may very well have been her own choice after having rejected Amtrak's offer to re-accommodate on a later trip. And if she rejected Amtrak's offer, then she's on her own.


Kevin Korell


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Lakewood, NJ


#10 KevinPH

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Posted 30 June 2013 - 05:09 PM

No, I don't think I'm put off too much by my experience on my return trip. I've seen on the Destination America channel some other trips that look really nice, such as The Empire Builder. Both the wife and I would like to take that trip sometime in the next year if at all possible. Looks like some really outstanding scenery and I certainly want to stop off at the Izaak Walton Inn. I just feel a little let down on that return trip. Going to another car that had water - well, I just didn't think of that. Having said that, the question remains, why didn't my car attendant suggest that? Oh wait, he was incognito most of the trip. Had no idea where he was. Certainly not in our car until that last few hours. But, one bad car, one not so good attendant. I'll give them another try. By the way, for dinner on the return (before the food shortage, LoL!), I had the BBQ ribs.....WOW OH WOW ! Where they every GOOD! And on the way down, I had the steak. I thought it was a small portion at first, but by the time I was finished with my meal, I was full! And the puff pastry with chocolate frosting was fantastic too! One piece of advice for folks traveling late spring thru early fall.....take a fan! My room was very warm on the trip to Texas. Bought a fan as soon as I could and sure used it on the return trip. Another good item (thanks to my son for the suggestion) is a small outlet strip that has 3 120v outlets and 2 USB outlets. I bought with it a 1 foot extension cord - good idea too! Both are available online. The strip is made by Belkin. Back to the negative aspects of the trip, just for a moment, I did complain online to Amtrak. What could be their response? Gee, sorry you had a bad trip? Points or partial refund? Voucher towards another trip? If it were my choice, I'd take points towards Amtrak rewards and/or a voucher. (lots of points, LoL!) And how long does it usually take for them to respond? It's been just about a month now. Okay, all for now....starting to dream about my next trip! Kevin




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