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Amtrak is keeping many items from the public.

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Amtrak is keeping many items from the public.
Posted by blue streak 1 on Sunday, April 14, 2024 12:47 PM

Time for a thread that puts Amtrak in the limelight.

Amtrak at present is not stopping at the Texarkana station.  As well all attempts to book to / from TXA shows sold out but other thru requests are allowed.  Also location history show train passing thru station at about 25 MPH.  Just another example of silence by Amtrak.

Recent examples are the midwest spare parts cancellations, Vermonter partial cancellations, Crescent cancellations except when making  reservation requests.

What else do our posters find Amtrak is hiding? FOIA should not have to be the only way 6 months after incidents.

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Posted by CMStPnP on Monday, April 15, 2024 6:42 AM

blue streak 1
Amtrak at present is not stopping at the Texarkana station

Big plans for that station which I hope come true as it is closed but for the platform and deteriorating inside.    It's an Amtrak stretch your legs stop so the Texas Eagle train should pause there about 20 min normally.    Not sure what the issue is your having with tracking the train at that stop though.   I doubt your correct with the train just passing through given the money planned for the station.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, April 15, 2024 7:14 PM

CMStPnP

   I doubt your correct with the train just passing through given the money planned for the station.

 

 
Track a  train shows 21/14 doing 61.2 MPH @ 5:41 AM north of the station, Then doing 24.8 MPH at the station @  5:46 AM, Then 30.8 MPH at 5:51 AM south of the station.  Not enough time for even a flag stop.
 
Here is a link stating storm damage.
 
So, why nothing yet in Antrak service alerts?
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Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 1:51 PM
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Posted by CMStPnP on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 6:55 PM

blue streak 1
Here is a link stating storm damage.

OK, that makes sense then.

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Posted by BaltACD on Tuesday, April 16, 2024 7:31 PM

How much of Amtrak's equipment fleet is shopped and out of service?

Never too old to have a happy childhood!

              

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Posted by CMStPnP on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 9:54 PM

BaltACD
How much of Amtrak's equipment fleet is shopped and out of service?

Don't know how many are out of service but they are supposed to return to service 63 cars by EOM September 2024:

Approx 7 Superliner Sightseer Lounge cars.

Approx 18 Superliner Sleeping Cars (mixed types)

Approx 6 Superliner Coaches (both types)

Approx 20 single level coaches (mixed types)

1 Psych car.

Cornucopia of dining cars, cafe cars, baggage, etc.

Why they let that many cars shift to storage is beyond stupidity.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 10:07 PM

Well Amtrak will admit to Texarkana that the station is closed to the platform but still has not publicaly admited nationwide.  Mr Magliari must really feel that upper management puts him in awkward positions. This admission came out Tuesday after damage on the 10th. 

Amtrak suspends stops in Texarkana because of storm damage to terminal | Texarkana Gazette

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:05 AM

The reason given in the story is that the elevator tower has been damaged in such a way that it poses a danger to people walking through the adjacent parking lot to what I assume is an Amshack that is the actual 'station'.

I had gotten the impression that the issue was 'handicapped access' under the ADA, which probably makes a good Amtrak 'plausible denial', but the situation is more "nuanced".

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Thursday, April 18, 2024 10:13 AM

CMStPnP
1 Psych car

What is that?  A moving behavioral medicine clinic?

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Posted by CMStPnP on Thursday, April 18, 2024 12:32 PM

charlie hebdo
What is that?  A moving behavioral medicine clinic? Add Quote to

Its a shell of a car with no seats.   Amtrak and CN have a thing going with the Saluki Passenger Train, CN says they require the car for signaling and the Amtrak conductor leans out the door and yells "seats available back here", then as the passengers approach the door the Amtrak conductor slams it shut and the train starts rolling with the Conductor yelling "Psych!" to the bewildered passengers.Big Smile

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Thursday, April 18, 2024 1:06 PM

Duplicate

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Thursday, April 18, 2024 2:26 PM

I trust you are joking.  Otherwise that half-wit twit should be fired.

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Posted by CMStPnP on Thursday, April 18, 2024 4:31 PM

charlie hebdo
I trust you are joking.  Otherwise that half-wit twit should be fired.

I'm joking but still snickering at the CSPAN episode on why Amtrak has all those unused cars on the Saluki, I think Sen Dick Durban rode the train once or twice and tried to board one of the empty cars.    Anyway he grilled Amtrak on it and stated "You know if it is an obsolete signalling system, shouldn't Amtrak be raising that as a safety issue?"......lol.    Anyways that is what prompted the joke idea.Big Smile    I think CN might be headed for some scrutiny via the Senate.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, April 19, 2024 4:05 PM

CMStPnP

 

 
charlie hebdo
I trust you are joking.  Otherwise that half-wit twit should be fired.

 

I'm joking but still snickering at the CSPAN episode on why Amtrak has all those unused cars on the Saluki, I think Sen Dick Durban rode the train once or twice and tried to board one of the empty cars.    Anyway he grilled Amtrak on it and stated "You know if it is an obsolete signalling system, shouldn't Amtrak be raising that as a safety issue?"......lol.    Anyways that is what prompted the joke idea.Big Smile    I think CN might be headed for some scrutiny via the Senate.

 

Absurd way of running trains, for sure.

That said, the whole tone of the title of this thread smacks of paranoia more than reality.

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Posted by CMStPnP on Friday, April 19, 2024 10:05 PM

charlie hebdo
thread smacks of paranoia more than reality.

I don't have a clue how accurate Amtraks Train Tracker application is but I do know from an IT perspective, Amtrak needs to invest more in IT and software among other areas.

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Posted by charlie hebdo on Friday, April 19, 2024 10:25 PM

CMStPnP

 

 
charlie hebdo
thread smacks of paranoia more than reality.

 

I don't have a clue how accurate Amtraks Train Tracker application is but I do know from an IT perspective, Amtrak needs to invest more in IT and software among other areas.

 

Oh absolutely !  Their problems aren't willful secretiveness, just good ol' boy incompetence.

 

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Posted by CMStPnP on Saturday, April 20, 2024 12:28 PM

charlie hebdo
Oh absolutely !  Their problems aren't willful secretiveness, just good ol' boy incompetence.

They did some earlier cosmetic work at the Texarkana station via funds they got somewhere.    Amtrak really should be more participative in these station projects (for once a day LD Train service) instead of as hands off as they are.   It has an impact on station ridership if your station looks like a ghetto.Sad

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, April 26, 2024 8:46 PM

This was discovered last Apr 20 but with web site down---Here is something Amtrak has not made any announcement.  For reservations past September 5 - 6 no seats available to / from north of WASH on the STAR.  Shows all STAR trains sold out.  WASH and south all seats open.  Now the Capitol as well for same dates is showing all family bedrooms sold out.  Does that mean single level cars on Capitol after Sep 5th?  Not sure.  

As well does this mean thru single level cars STAR - Capitol?  Suspect that it may be in preliminary planning as another site said hoping for unknow unknowns not scuttling plans?!

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Posted by diningcar on Monday, April 29, 2024 3:36 PM

What were total delays for #3 and #4 due to BNSF derailment on Az-NM border?

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Posted by PJS1 on Friday, June 28, 2024 5:20 PM
Amtrak appears to be making a stab at improving its IT capabilities.  In FY23 its expenditures for Digital Technology and Innovation were $285.4 million, an increase of 76.4% over FY22. 
 
According to the company’s FY24-FY29 Asset Service and Line Plan, the company plans to spend a total of $1,085,351,000 on IT over the five years ended FY29.  If all goes according to plan, IT capital expenditures will increase annually.  The proposed expenditure in FY29 is 23.3% higher than in FY24.  Whether this will meet the company’s and public’s needs is unknown. 

Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Friday, June 28, 2024 10:11 PM

Congress made Amtrak reveal its bonus system which Amtrak had been successful in hiding for years.  Evidently the reveal is not going on very welll in the public.  Does anyone have a link for the policy??

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Posted by PJS1 on Saturday, June 29, 2024 9:09 AM

blue streak 1
 Congress made Amtrak reveal its bonus system which Amtrak had been successful in hiding for years.  Evidently the reveal is not going on very welll in the public.  Does anyone have a link for the policy?? 

Assuming you are concerned about the compensation packages for Amtrak's CEO, as well as the highest paid officers of the company, here is a link to Amtrak's Pay for Performance Rewards Program.  It appears to contain the information that you are seeking.

https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/2024-Amtrak-CDA-Briefing-061224.pdf

The most efficient way to find the compensation information is to download the document as a .pdf file and search for "compensation".  A few clicks will take you to the information.  

 

 

Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII

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