About 450 Amtrak passengers have been stranded at Union Station for nearly a day -- first in a cold waiting room, then on the train without food, water or, at times, functioning restrooms, passengers said.
The Empire Builder train headed to the Pacific Northwest, with stops in Portland, Ore., and Seattle, was scheduled to leave at 2:15 p.m. Monday but has not yet departed.
Amtrak issued a statement early this afternoon that blamed the situation on "severe weather" that has caused "rail infrastructure and railcar issues, affecting deployment cycles for equipment and train crews."
It said it still didn't know when the Empire Builder would depart and said the train would operate only as far as St. Paul, adding: "No alternate transportation is available."
The passenger rail carrer noted cancellations on its Lincoln Service, Wolverine Service and Lake Shore Service as well.
"They just keep giving us all of these excuses. Excuse after excuse after excuse," said Beth Kelly, 29, of Lima, Ohio, who is en route to Canada by way of Minot, N.D.
The "excuses" have included engine problems and that no conductor was available for the train, Kelly said.
In a morning announcement to disgruntled and angry passengers on the train, an Amtrak employee said, "If there's a rebellion here, I'm with you."
Kelly said she arrived at Union Station at 3:15 p.m. after a three-hour delay on a previous train, and passengers were not allowed to board until about 4:20 this morning.
She said passengers were wearing hats and gloves until they were allowed to board the train this morning because the terminals were so cold, and they slept on linoleum floors in a packed, "standing-room-only" space.
"There were a lot of elderly people. There were a lot of children," she said of the waiting room. "They weren't passing out blankets. They weren't passing out bottles of water."
Kelly said the passengers have been courteous and the sleep-deprived children have behaved. People have shared cell phones, allowed others to sit in their seats and even passed out snacks, she said. The staff on the train was "doing a great job" under the circumstances, Kelly said.
On the train, some passengers said there was an inoperable toilet and no running water in at least one car restroom.
Still, about 9 a.m., Kelly said, the passengers were offered complimentary food -- breakfast sandwiches and hoagies -- for the first time during the ordeal.
Lia Kvatum of Washington said she was slightly better off because she was traveling in a sleeper car, which boarded a few hours earlier, and was among a group of passengers who were offered free drinks and snacks. By Monday afternoon, though, the coffee machine had broken, and the water machine was empty this morning, she added.
"People are angry. I've heard that there are people who have diabetes and there's a guy who's trying to get to chemo," Kvatum said.
Kelly said when she asked a customer service employee what to do, she was told: "Sometimes life puts you in a situation, where you need to learn a lesson. I would figure out what that lesson is supposed to be."
--Lauren R. Harrison
From the Chicago Tribune:
"Joseph Bordman, CEO of Amtrak, said a combination of subzero temperatures, heavy snowfall in the Pacific Northwest and high winds across the northern tier of states "has played havoc with our train equipment, including frozen water systems and snow-packed locomotives. It has caused problems on the rail lines themselves."
The man's name is Boardman, but he just failed his first test as CEO. It seems that each winter Amtrak goes through a customer service nightmare, usually in the Midwest. The passengers aren't really interested in the cause of the problems so much as they need the problem solved or a reasonable estimate of when that will occur. Future potential passengers need to be assured that it won't happen again, but Mr. Boardman's attitude is that winter is an "act of God" for which he is not responsible.
And the above described mess in Chicago is exactly why Amtrak needs almost twice the long distance equipment they have.
This is not the first winter this problem in Chicago and other places has occurred. Whats needed is for the present equipment to be used in standby and peak summer travel or winter travel on the east coast to Florida and new equipment be placed in service on all long distance trains. When emergencys development equipment would be available to fill in. Much of the long distance equipment is approaching thirty years of age and should now be used as back up or peak travel time extra equipment.
The RRs did the very same for many years older equipment was held in reserve at terminal cities and when needed was quickly substituted for the regular equipment due to weather delays and derailments or other emergencies.
I often thought that Amtrak retired and scrapped the equipment they got from the RRs far to soon and that much of the equipment could be used in just such emergencies as we are encountering now.
Amtrak downsized far to soon and it shows today when passengers are returning to the rails Amtrak can't handle the increased demand.
As to the crews not being able to get to the trains an easy remedy might be to make available nearby motels for crews or even older sleeping cars but I forgot they have no spares.
I understand that the crews are doing the best they can to get incoming trains ready to go out again. It is a difficult task when weather causes most of the problems. But the one thing I do not understand is frozen water systems in this day and age. With all of the different insulation types available today there is no excuse for the water systems or the plumbing systems to freeze. And if the power is failing on the trains than a far more reliable power source needs to become available and quickly. If the RRS own business fleets can operate a baggage car with HEP power than Amtrak should be able to do the same. If the reliability of the train HEP is so unreliable than it needs to be seriously addressed.
I realize that everything I mentioned above costs money but scrapping of cars that could have been used as standy equipment was a poor alternative that could have changed the situation we are in today.
Al - in - Stockton
If you go to the Chicago Tribune web page a reporterette was scheduled on the train and recounts the total ineptitude including telling passengers who decided to leave they couldn't because their luggage had already been put on the nonexistant train.
Mother Nature wins - every time!
This is not to absolve Amtrak of all their faux pas under the havoc of the winter weather conditions....but every form of transportation through the affected areas had similar horror stories. Hundreds stranded at the Sea-Tac airport in Seattle, hundreds of flights cancelled out of O'Hare airport in Chicago. Interstates closed around Indianpolis. Winter weather can defeat man every time.
Don't overlook the story of the City of San Francisco being stranded for 3 days in a snow bank in the California mountains in the 50's. A period when the railroads, relatively, had all the manpower in the world to be able to defeat Mother Nature. Mother Nature won.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Yes, fifty years ago, the railroads had a good supply of cars to be put into service when the traffic level warranted their use. Some were older, and perhaps not as comfortable as the newer cars were. In August of 1953, I rode the Kansa City-Florida Special from Birmingham to Atlanta. When the Southern operating people realized that more people would be boarding in Birmingham that could be seated on the train that was arriving, they added at least one coach (with walkover seats) to the consist. It took a little while for the car to be cooled, but I had a seat to Atlanta. Three or four years later, one of my college classmates returned to Bristol, Tenn. from her home in Houston after Christmas, arriving on the Birmingham Special. She complained about the seats in the old coach--but she did have a seat. Incidentally, the most comfortable night I ever spent in a coach was when I rode, on a pass, from Atlanta to Charlotte in one of those--I stretched out on the seat right next to the washroom (it went from the side of the car to the aisle that was next to the other side of the car).
Johnny
Yes but, There is no excuse for Amtrak telling people that there was a frozen switch in the yard preventing the train from coming to the station for two hours or an airline needs replacing and it will be another two hours or no you can't get your baggage back it is already on the train. All the people got was lies for 23 hours and then were allowed to board a train with no water or food and an inoperable toilet. Sorry but Amtrak is just another organization run like the post office and by the same people with total disdain for the people footing the bill.
Maybe whats needed is for Amtrak to be operated by a private company under contract to the government. It would have to be better than the way it is run now. Eliminate the board and about half the regional brass and put the money in equipment and to better training of the people that deal with the public.
passengerfan Eliminate the board and about half the regional brass and put the money in equipment and to better training of the people that deal with the public. Al - in - Stockton
Eliminate the board and about half the regional brass and put the money in equipment and to better training of the people that deal with the public.
I'll believe Mr.Boardman is something more than an empty suit rotating thru another public service job when executives now responsible for Chicago operations suddenly discover the need to "spend more time with their families" or "seek new challenges".
Dakguy201 passengerfan Eliminate the board and about half the regional brass and put the money in equipment and to better training of the people that deal with the public. Al - in - Stockton I'll believe Mr.Boardman is something more than an empty suit rotating thru another public service job when executives now responsible for Chicago operations suddenly discover the need to "spend more time with their families" or "seek new challenges".
I sure want to be the fly on the wall during the Monday morning meeting of all the operating people. Some of my airline meetings got really hot and we did not have nearly as many employees.
ndbprrYes but, There is no excuse for Amtrak telling people that there was a frozen switch in the yard preventing the train from coming to the station for two hours or an airline needs replacing and it will be another two hours or no you can't get your baggage back it is already on the train. All the people got was lies for 23 hours and then were allowed to board a train with no water or food and an inoperable toilet. Sorry but Amtrak is just another organization run like the post office and by the same people with total disdain for the people footing the bill
BTW, thanks for not mentioning that both CTA and Metra had numerous delays as well, and due to some of the same reasons Amtrak is citing. Darn CTA and Metra, just two more organizations run like the Post Office (and what's exactly wrong with how the USPS is run?)
They own the main tracks south to 21st street.
And, Amtrak, CTA, Metra, USPS, and all the rest have the same basic problem - the corporations have no profit motive.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
How do I know this happened? Well if you read one of my previous posts you would have read that a reporter from trhe Chicago Tribune was taking it to St. Paul and gave an hourly account of what Amtrak was telling passengers. She stood in the waiting room until late into the night because there was insuffucient seating. This appeared in the 12/21/08 Chicago Tribune paper and was not disputed by Amtrak.
Here is the first person account of the events.
Amtrak seemed like a wise travel choice back in October when I was planning to spend Christmas week with my family in St. Cloud, Minn. I thought I could avoid the O'Hare hassle and the Midway meltdown and instead recline in a cushy seat, stretch my legs and stare at snowy plains as the Empire Builder carried me to within a few miles of my parents' house. It would be my first real Amtrak experience, and although the 101/2-hour travel time had me loading up on magazines and dictionaries, I was looking forward to the journey. Here's how it went on Monday and Tuesday:1:15 p.m. I hurry to Union Station for my 2:15 p.m. departure. I get my ticket and head to the waiting lounge at Gate B.
1:50 p.m. While standing in a drafty waiting area, I overhear an Amtrak employee mention a two-hour delay. I learn it's the Empire Builder that's behind schedule, but no announcement is made. 4 p.m. My legs growing tired, I try to find a seat. I look around to see families huddled together, parents making up games to keep their children happy.4:45 p.m. I overhear that the train may be delayed until 5:30. I see on the monitor that "ETD" is 6 p.m. 6 p.m. Even though the waiting area is crowded, the air still feels cold. I bundle up in my coat and wait for good news, hoping I won't have to dine on McDonald's upstairs. 7:30 p.m. An Amtrak representative announces she has "no timeline" for when we'll depart. To say the crowd is restless is an understatement. I head for the hamburger stand. Next five hours. I walk over to Amtrak's passenger service office to ask about the holdup. I hear everything from "severe weather problems" to "mechanical issues" to "you'll have to talk to my manager." Eventually we're told the train is being moved from the yard to the station and will be ready to board about 1:30 a.m. It's hard to hear with so many toddlers crying. Around 1:30 a.m. The assistant conductor comes over the loudspeaker and tells us the train is not ready. There's no running water, and the toilets aren't functioning. At the passenger service office, I am told the assistant conductor is not correct—the train cars just need to be cleaned. 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. I get about an hour's sleep but few updates about the train. 5:15 a.m. Coach passengers start getting on. I finally get that cushy seat. We're told the crew just needs to fix a couple of minor problems and we'll be on our way. I phone my half-groggy dad, who's waiting to pick me up.5:50 a.m. I hit the hay, looking forward to feeling a moving train beneath me. 6:45 a.m. I rub my eyes, open my curtain and see . . . the Monroe Street bridge. I wait for an update. 8:30 a.m . I get my update. A crew member says over the loudspeaker he has "no timetable for departure." The woman behind me takes her bags and leaves the train. 10:30 a.m. Amtrak starts offering free snacks and juice, the first amenities granted us. 1 p.m. The conductor tells us a hose needs to be replaced, resulting in a minor delay. We break out in laughter, as this is officially a sad comedy. 1:22 p.m. I feel a rumble. I don't believe it at first. We are finally moving. I see real sunlight for the first time in almost 24 hours. Afternoon hours: As we make our way to Wisconsin, the crew hurries to feed us and answer our questions, but they have few answers. We know the Empire Builder coming into Chicago the day before we were to leave was 15 hours late. Although a train was ready for us, it was broken apart and the cars added to other trains. That left us with cars requiring cleaning. Crew members are exasperated because they don't know why all this happened. They try to stay upbeat.5:30 p.m. A crew member reads us a passage from a small wrinkled notebook left on the train, apparently by a young boy. It reads: "What I want for Christmas is for my dad to have easy work and see me more. Please, Santa. That is what I wished for last year. Santa, help my dad, please."Suddenly, six more hours seems like a long time before I'll see my own dad.
blue streak 1 I sure want to be the fly on the wall during the Monday morning meeting of all the operating people. Some of my airline meetings got really hot and we did not have nearly as many employees.
My point here I doubt such a meeting was held, or if it was anyone was "motivated" to do anything differently in the future.
Ms. Novak's account of the incident seems to be straightforward reporting of the facts as they were observed by her.
This is potentially a reason why we, as a society, receive such rotten 'Customer Service' in today's world.
Once upon a time when new employees where hired, the were hired into 'training' positions. Positions where they added some, but little value, to the final product - but they got the opportunity to observe and learn how to properly construct the final product. Be that final product a piece of equipment, operating heavy equipment, dealing with customer expectations.
In today's 'right sized' corporations, new hires come off the street, get a cursory 'training program' and are thrust into positions of some responsibility, without having any REAL understanding of just what they are responsible for or what tools they have available to resolve any issues that may arise. As a consequence we are left to deal with minimally trained incompetents that don't know what their job is and have no command of the resources that are available to make it all come out right.
In the rail industry, Conductors and Dispatchers get hired off the street in many cases and are thrust into positions of responsibilty with the minimum amout of training. Conductors in a year are then thrust into the Engineer training schedule and in short order become 'qualified' engineers. Truly throwing people into the deep end and expecting them to swim.
So who's the chief of services on an Amtrak passenger train? The conductor? And regardless, why wasn't s/he given some idea of how serious the lateness would be?
I must also wonder how much this kind of nonsense goes unreported, times during which there is no professional reporter on board the train. - a.s.
al-in-chgo I must also wonder how much this kind of nonsense goes unreported, times during which there is no professional reporter on board the train. - a.s.
Those of us who are interested in rail matters frequently learn of such incidents through forums such as this one. However, I suspect the general public is unaware of how frequently Amtrak has problems either of their own creation or created by the freight railroads.
I suspect most Chicagoans, to take an example, believe all trains run the way Metra does -- on time (almost) all of the time.
With all this having been said (and boy do I feel great about my Amtrak trip to Ann Arbor next week - jeez), how are things going now? I understand the weather in the pacific northwest is easing somewhat (snow's melting in Spokane). Has anything improved in terms of Amtrak operations in the Midwest?
Chicago had massive problems around Christmas due to snow, fog and torrential rains,flooding and then ice (4" thick in my driveway). People on canceled airline flights were being delayed as much as five to six days. All appears to be back to normal BUT the massive snow build up in the Pacific Northwest is now subject to the kind of weather we got in Chicago. Namely torrential rains that will melt the snow cover and cause massive flooding - possibly the worst in history. The news I heard last night said they fully expect I-5 to be closed. No doubt there will be wash outs and possibly bridge damage that will throw everything to and from that area off schedule. I think most people understand that weather is an act of God. What can not be accepted is being told anything but the truth as to what is going on. As a side note there was a woman who spent three days at O'Hare trying to get to Cedar Rapids Iowa. I would have rented a car but she slept in the airport for three days. Where has common sense gone in life?
ndbprr Chicago had massive problems around Christmas due to snow, fog and torrential rains,flooding and then ice (4" thick in my driveway). People on canceled airline flights were being delayed as much as five to six days. All appears to be back to normal BUT the massive snow build up in the Pacific Northwest is now subject to the kind of weather we got in Chicago. Namely torrential rains that will melt the snow cover and cause massive flooding - possibly the worst in history. The news I heard last night said they fully expect I-5 to be closed. No doubt there will be wash outs and possibly bridge damage that will throw everything to and from that area off schedule. I think most people understand that weather is an act of God. What can not be accepted is being told anything but the truth as to what is going on. As a side note there was a woman who spent three days at O'Hare trying to get to Cedar Rapids Iowa. I would have rented a car but she slept in the airport for three days. Where has common sense gone in life?
I totally agree. Cedar Rapids would be a 4.5 to 5 hr. drive taking into account bad weather from O'Hare. I've done some contingency planning for my train trip to Ann Arbor and part of that is having telephone numbers handy for Hertz in Chicago.
Here is another possible option for you. A Chicago El runs between O'Hare and the loop for about two bucks. The station is near the Hilton hotel in the center of the terminals and is a very well kept secret (Gotta keep all those limo drivers in business who contribute to the Chicago political machine you know). If the South Shore is running you would only have to walk a couple of blocks to Randolph street station from the loop. It now ends at the South Bend airport where you could rent a car for a much shorter drive to Ann Arbor.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.