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Amtrak • Abusive staff • Poor security • Slipshod safety • Late, late, late • Thrown Off • Luggage problems • Express shipping • Just plain bad --- News • Feds Developing Positive Train Control Regulations • House Joins Senate in Boosting Rail Travel • Lone Congressman Can’t Kill Amtrak • Lack of Federal Funding Could Kill Amtrak • Amtrak Attempts a Makeover • Amtrak Delays Leave Passengers to Fend for Themselves

To put it mildly, train travel in the U.S. is off the rails. Amtrak lives from moment to moment, totally dependent on the Congressional whim of the moment. The equipment is rundown, the tracks are a mess and the train crews are, all too often, ill-trained, rude and even downright abusive.

Here are a few of the more recent complaints we've received ...

Larry of Kansas City, MO November 17, 2007

Took first train trip since 1972 r/t from Kansas City to St. Louis on Trains 313/314. Trip to St. Louis advertised at 5hrs 40 mins. Departed on the dot but arrived STL 2 hrs 40 mins late due to track work and numerous freight trains taking priority. Return trip departed on time at 4 PM and pulled into KC at midnight. 2 hrs and 20 mins late. Not a happy experience for a rail lover that has looked forward to riding the rails all these years. Never again on AMTRAK.

Robert E Mcauliffe of Saint Louis, MO October 16, 2007

The train from Herrmann MO to Kirkwood MO., a trip of under an hour, was 3 hrs. and 15 mins. late in the morning/afternoon of 10/15/07.

Lost work.

Sara of Holland, MI October 6, 2007

On Sunday September 23rd I was harassed, manhandled, and threatened to be arrested while attempting to board Amtrak train #59 in the city of New Orleans. Instead of checking that no one was carrying concealed weapons, hazardous substances, or other prohibited items, Sal, the security guard/officer on duty, was busy making sure that all of the carry-on luggage was properly tagged. Mine were. I did not, however, have official Amtrak luggage tags, but my bags were labeled with my name and contact information. He told me that I had to have official (?) tags. I stepped out of line, tagged my bags with my name, and proceeded back to the exit. He apparently doubted my efforts because then as I was walking through he grabbed me, and yanked on my backpack. I, like most young women my age, have a problem with any person manhandling me, especially when it is a man. Considering the circumstances--that he doubted whether I had my laptop case tagged--I believe it was highly inappropriate. I told him not to touch me. He then threatened to have me arrested because he claimed I was disrespecting his authority and my luggage tags did not contain my address. I pointed out to him that it was within my prerogative to not be touched by another person, and that he was nit-picking over my carry-on tags. I seriously believe that this is an individual who is threatened by anyone questioning his judgment and that this entire situation escalated due to the fact that this man is appearing to look busy by harassing young women about the proper way to fill out luggage tags, rather than doing authentic protection enforcement activities.  For instance, he could be making sure that the names on the bags match the names on the ticket, or that the addresses on the tags and the ID are the same. According to Amtrak's own labeling policy, passengers may use their own personal identification tags, or may obtain Amtrak baggage identification tags at station ticket offices, or onboard trains from a member of the train crew (Amtrak website). This guard/officer did none of the things that one would expect from a professional Amtrak employee or affiliate. All that he did do was mistreat, harass, and show me a complete lack of disregard. I hope that Amtrak takes this matter as seriously as I do and that Security Guard/Officer Sal will be corrected for his complete lack judgment and for having the audacity to bring a young woman to tears by grabbing and screaming at her over simple luggage tags. In the future, I will reconsider my travel choices and keep this incident in mind when choosing between Amtrak and my other options.

Loretta L Creel of Stockton, CA July 28, 2007

My boyfriend and I took a trip to Montana, this is our third amtrak trip, because amtrak sent us a voucher because of problems last year. We set another trip up hoping it would be better. I set this trip up so we would not have to use a bus at all. This year some of our experiences were positive as the trains were cleaner and the attendance on board were nicer and seem to be doing more on the train then the last two years.

We went from Stockton to Sacramento and connectd to go to Portland Or. Once in Portland we stayed over night at a motel, went back to the train station the next day and went from Portland Or to White Fish MT. The only problem we had was the train was four hours late getting into Portland.

Coming home was a different story we were on a sleeper car #32078 and the bad experience started, we took a sleeper car to make our trip more comfortable, the train was four hours late coming from Chicago to White Fish MT, we were told they had had problems in Chicago but had fixed them. In our sleeper car all of the toilets were locked because they were plugged. The car smelled like a toilet. They told us we had to use the toilets in the coach car ahead of us.

Our cars toilets stayed plugged from White Fish MT to Portland Or. When I went to the coach car to use the toilet, I hate to say this, but I went poop and put the seat down to flush the toailt and it wouldn't flush and I felt terrible but I had to leave it like that.

There were no cups, and the trash hadn't been removed and no running water. My boyfriend found the same problem in another toilet. Even though we had the toilet problem I want to give credit were it is due to the attendant on our car he was very nice and attentive.

Raymond E.allen of Jacksonville, IL July 23, 2007

..I will NEVER EVER TRAVEL AMTRAK again...the conducter treated me like a criminal trying to get away with some horrible crime....I was traveling from Alton,Il. to Springfield,Il on the train that arrives/leaves at 5:45PM at Alton...I had to pay cash as the station was closed (or so I was told)...the conducter said I should pay a penalty as the stationmaster told him I had come in earlier when he was open and didn't purchase a ticket , at that time, and he said I came in later after closing to purchase a ticket.

Nancy of Normal, IL July 16, 2007

I have been taking the Amtrak to Chicago about once a week. If the train is 20min. late that's great. Last week the train was over 1 1/2 hrs. late, going to Chicago and also that late on my return. Try to make an appointment and get there on time! I've been informed that all the delays are because of freight trains that come first.

Corey of Alton, IL March 20, 2007

After our disastrous attempt to travel between Chicago and Alton Illinois, our group decided to try another direction. This time we made reservations to travel from Kirkwood, MO to Kansas City, MO. February 23, 2007 we arrived at the Kirkwood, MO Amtrak station approximately one hour early. When presenting our tickets, the volunteer manning this station saw our destination and said "Oh." We all responded almost in unison, "You can't be serious." He then informed us that our train had been cancelled. When asked why, he did not know.

He got on the phone and came back to tell us that they were sending two buses to the Kirkwood station. One would be an express bus to Kansas City, with one stop a few miles outside of KC. The other bus would make all stops in between. We asked if we could reserve seats on the express bus, but he told us there was no way he could do that. He wasn't even sure if there were seats available on the express bus because they DON'T HAVE A COMPUTER TERMINAL at the Kirkwood station.

Having suffered through the bus substitution last year, we informed the volunteer that we were cancelling out tickets and driving to KC, which we did. I have contacted 3 different Amtrak representatives about getting our money refunded, but since vouchers were used (given to us after the March 2006 debacle) they refuse to issue a cash refund. We each have to send the unused tickets by registered mail to even get new vouchers, which would be worthless as none of us will ever travel with Amtrak again. When asked about being reimbursed for gasoline that I used in making the trip, I am simply told that Amtrak is not responsible.

Amtrak is no longer worth supporting with our tax dollars and should be de-funded. They have no reason to make their service better as there is no competition and they get millions from the government every year. It was a good idea that has never come to fruition. Let them compete in the market place, build their own tracks and update their trains at their expense, not the taxpayers.

Aside from the emotional distress and anger as this exact thing happened in March of 2006 on a trip to Chicago from Alton, IL, there was wear and tear on my vehicle plus about 60 in gasoline that came out of my pocket.

Jodi of Branford, CT September 13, 2006

Midway through my travel despite me calling them at 9am to see if train was still running from Washington to Florida. AMTRAK cancelled my train, made no  accomodations, told me I was stuck in DC until Sunday and that I would miss my cruise...They would not pay for meals, hotel , a train back to get my car or go home I wound up renting a car and they refuse to pay for that. 

Besides that the train is FILTHY -- the filters where air comes out are all corroded.  They don't clean the trains or the bathrooms, don't help handicapped. IT IS A VERY POOR OPERATION.

Mark of Watsonville, CA September 10, 2006

Staff untrained for routine safety procedures. Usanitary living conditions. Hostile living conditions, due to staff and management. Obvious fraudulent departure/arrival times.

Loss of three days of vacation in travel time. Fanily seperated during travel without forewarning. Two days without heat or seating due to derailing. No food or water or heat for a total of one day and a half. Trauma to a seven month pregnant women sleeping on a floor and borrowing crackers from fellow travelers for a two year old. Two days of parking fees from a company that is outsourced so as not to be redeemed by Amtrak.

Kenneth A. Barnhart of Astoria, OR August 9, 2006

I have taken Amtak from Oregon to Wisconsin on three occasions. The first two experiences were fine (but 10 years or so ago). I was able to convince my wife to take Amtrak this summer, but was a not sure that she would like it like I had as she is a light sleeper and we were traveling coach class. The trip from Oregon to Wisconsin was fine ( an hour or so late but not bad). Our bad experience came on the return trip to Oregon. We were told that we would have to leave the train at 1:30 am in Spokane to board a bus to Portland.

The explaination given was that passengers bound for Chicago needed our coach and that it was cheaper to bus us to Portland than to bus the Chicago bound passengers. When asked how a simple mathematical exercise of comparing seats available to passengers had gone wrong, no explaination was given. I couldn't understand how tickets could be sold if there were no seats available. The conductor seemed to be somewhat sympathetic but was put in a no-win situation. Needless to say my wife was quite upset with her sleep being interrupted so that Amtrak could sell more tickets than there were seats available. I was apprehensive about the ability of Amtrak to provide a bus, given their bungling of ticket sales. We are not difficult people, so we did as Amtak asked.

My wife and I missed a night's sleep due to Amtrak incompetence. The seats in the bus were small and uncomfortable and not what we paid for. I am doubtful that I (a person who is train lover) will be able to convince my wife to travel by Amtrak again as a result of this experince. We were not offered a free train ticket or a fare rebate as a result of this Amtrak error as is common in the airline industry.

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