Amtrak Strands Passengers Without Food, Water, Toilets
About 450 Amtrak passengers were stranded in Chicago's Union Station for almost 24 hours — without food, water or access to reliable functioning restrooms.
The Empire Builder, a train to the Pacific Northwest was scheduled to leave at 2:15 pm Monday — but didn't actually leave the station until 1:22 pm today, says Chicago Breaking News. Similar reports of horrible delays are popping up all over the country.
Here's a train to Michigan that left 8 hours late from Chicago and was spotted sitting on a sidetrack waiting for a new crew. And here's another one to Chicago that stopped mysteriously every hour and forty-five minutes.
The stranded passengers in Chicago say that they had trouble getting a straight answer from Amtrak.
They just keep giving us all of these excuses. Excuse after excuse after excuse," Beth Kelly, 29, of Lima, Ohio, said earlier. She had been 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 update with disgruntled and angry passengers on the train, an Amtrak employee said, "If there's a rebellion here, I'm with you."
Passengers say they were allowed to board the train and sleep on hard linoleum floors in the "standing room only" space because the terminals were too cold. In some cars there were no toilets and no one was passing out water.
One passenger said that when she complained about the way they were being treated, the Amtrak employee told her she was being taught a "life lesson."
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."
It's a good thing for that customer service rep that Kelly had previously learned another important life lesson: Don't punch Amtrak customer service people in the face... no matter what they say to you.
A day late, stranded Amtrak riders depart [Chicago Breaking News]
(Photo: Mac (3) )
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Comments:
As a long time Amtrak customer, I must say, these are the breaks with train travel. The proper way to complain about this, is to lobby your congresspeople for more money for Amtrak. The systematic degradation of Amtrak is what has caused the rampant delays, not the shoddy work of their employees.
Considering the alternative of airplane travel, these people werent so bad off. At least Amtrak has fairly accurate web info, so you dont have to leave the house, if things arent moving.
The Amtrak train from Chicago-Grand Rapids was stopped into Chicago overnight because the crew reached maximum hours - 25 miles from its destination (my hometown)
One guy who lived near the area simply walked out into a snowbank with his stuff and had his friend pick him up at a gas station. That would be me if in his shoes.
Oh and according to reports Amtrak refused to let the Holland, MI police board the train to see what was up - after they got calls
This is just because I said I love trains in the Greyhound thread, isn't it?
I'd have spent myself a night in a nice warm jail cell after I beat the $#!+ out of that smug "life lesson" employee.
It's becoming clear to me that the only way to guarantee you get anywhere domestically with little or no delay is to drive there yourself.
I'm also confused as to why they were "trapped" inside the station for 24 hours. The only thing I can figure is they were continuously told that the train would be leaving "any minute" and therefore stayed, or perhaps they were told they'd get no ticket refund if they left?
@TheWillow: All these people are coming to stay at your house next time they're stranded. You KNOW what kind of effects commenting on the Internet can have!
@calquist: That's what I don't understand, either. It's impossible to be "stranded in Chicago's Union Station for almost 24 hours - without food, water or access to reliable functioning restrooms." Outside of the actual trains and ticket purchasing areas, that's pretty much all Union Station IS. How could the passengers not track down a bathroom or restaurant?
So much for the suggestion to use the train instead of the bus.
@calquist:
the last time I took Amtrak, we went through Union Station and there were so many delays we missed our connection by about an hour (the connecting train left about 1/3 full according to the Amtrak employees on our train). Anyways, after we got to Chicago and were in the Amtrak area they told us 2 things - 1) if you go out of earshot of the check-in people, you run a very high risk of losing your seat and being stranded and 2) once you get on the platform, you cannot leave the train without forfeiting your seat (ie no readmission).
So, that's my long winded guess as to how you can be stranded there. They probably weren't letting people off the train and into the station - either that's Amtrak or Union Station, not really sure who would have made that call
As a former Amtrak customer ( as an SIU Carbondale Student without a car ) ,ive found them to be as flexible and helpful as a drill seargent when problems occured.
Its Amtrak.The staff's getting paid whether you, your stuff, or the train gets there on time,or at all.
Ever been stuck in a train without air conditioning for 2 hours in mid-August?I have.
@Joe Caputo: A good reason why the government shouldn't be involved in the transportation business. Congresspeople are lying theiving assholes, what makes you think they'd care about getting stuck in a train station without food or water.
@calquist: Heh, I work Madison and Wacker and me and my coworkers sometimes go to lunch at Union just because there's so much food there. And bathrooms. With Dyson hand dryers, and those automatic toilet seat cover thingies. And a Snuggery, the only one left in America. It's about the best train station in the world to get stuck in.
Funny, I just watched a show on the History Channel the other day about this very train (Empire Builder) and route. It looked nice. Not so much now.
"One passenger said that when she complained about the way they were being treated, the Amtrak employee told her she was being taught a "life lesson."
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."
It's a good thing for that customer service rep that Kelly had previously learned another important life lesson: Don't punch Amtrak customer service people in the face... no matter what they say to you."
It's funny. I failed that life lesson because before I even read that last paragraph, the first thing that went through my mind when reading the quote from the Amtrak employee was 'OMG, I would punch that person in the face.'
@Joe Caputo: Wait... so bad customer service is a reason why they should be given more money?
There's just no place in today's bailout-happy world for an old-timer like me who thinks poor companies should be allowed to fail.
@calquist: according to the article they were in a waiting room in the station for about 11 hours and then they were allowed onto the train in the super early morning and had to stay there because the waiting room was so cold.
@redskull: I know Amtrak has a separate boarding area, with a lounge, etc., for Amtrak passengers; the Metra (local commuter trains to the burbs) take up the bulk of the station. I know that in some limited fashion they control access to the Amtrak area, something to do with ticketing and security.
However, I've always seen people coming and going from the Amtrak area when I've been in Union Station, so I'm a little puzzled as to why they couldn't just go up the escalator to the McDonald's.
worse still, there was no wifi!
didn't this happen on a massive scale in china this past january?
[www.cnn.com]
@Turcicus: Likewise! I think it was extreme trains or something like that. I checked it out, it was like $400. Too much for a 46 hour train ride from Chi to Seattle that turn into a 72 hour death march.
Union station's stores close when work hours are done, most times. I know the mcdonalds is open until midnight, but that's it.
Still, this is ridiculous. Does anyone remember these are people on the train? People!
Amtrak and delays go hand in hand. Amtrak owns the tracks they use in the Northeast Corridor (the only area where they offer high speed routes) and have to lease the tracks with the various freight companies that own them everywhere else. There's a gentleman's agreement (possibly law) in place that says freight trains must yield to passenger trains on all tracks, but it seems that none of the major freight lines adhere to this. Case in point as to how bad Amtrak gets the shaft: I don't recall which route exactly, but Amtrak proudly boasts about how this route runs on-time about 70% of the time. Also, when ice storms occur, the dilapidated track switches will freeze causing all kinds of havoc. Unfortunately, the only way this is going to change is if enough people lobbied their congresspeople to fund the train infrastructures. If enough people bitch about the same thing, Congress does listen.
As for being stuck in Union Station, there's far worse places to be stranded. Walk outside the station on Jackson Street and there lies one of the greatest diners in the country: Lou Mitchell's. There's a blue line subway 2 blocks south of there and the loop trains and red line subway a couple blocks east. There's anything but a lack of food in the Windy City. While I don't know if this is the case or not, shame on Amtrak for making those passengers stay inside Union Station when they could have ventured out for food and drink.
On a side note, I was delayed getting into Chicago from Cleveland last year by 8 hours, all spent on the train. As bad as that was, the airports had shut down and the turnpike was closed, so Amtrak was my only way into the city. I wish I could have been delayed in Union Station...
@cuiusquemodi: Im sorry, but you two need to understand how the railroad industry works in this company. Its not as simple as classic anti-government rhetoric, or current events buzzwording. Amtrak has been caught in a spiral, due 100% to government funding cuts.
Understand, that Amtrak doesnt have competition. They do not have other companies waiting for them to fail, to step into their place. NO ONE wants to, nor COULD they, compete, because the industry is in taters. Amtrak is not only grossly underfunded (which causes these tie-ups and lack of personnel) they are subservient to the Freight industry, which further tosses them to the sides. Amtrak basically rents time on Union Pacific lines.
But go ahead, let Amtrak fail. And the airlines. And the car industry. Then how are you gonna get home for christmas, foolio? Enjoy the greyhound station!
I rode amtrak as a commuter for most of the past year. It is definitely the way to go in terms of affordability, traffic avoidance, etc. However, whenever there is an issue, things just suck. The worst part is probably the lack of communication with the customer. It's not uncommon for them to stop a train on the tracks, not let anyone out (even when within 100 yards of a station) for an hour or two without giving the passengers any notion of what's going on.
Amtrak, all it would really take is for you guys to handle these situations like human beings. We know that sometimes things get messed up. Just tell us what happened, tell us what you are going to do about it, tell us when it will be fixed, and try to attend to your passengers while fixing it. This is all we ask.
I was on that same Empire builder on Saturday. I was going from Chicago to Tomah, WI. It was supposed to get in at 6:30. It left 2 hours late and we didn't get to the station in Tomah until 2 am.
This is pretty typical for Amtrak.
Europe has such great trains and service because they are heavily subsidized.
Amtrak has been strung along on a bare bones budget for decades. That's why it sucks.
@csurugbyhooker: Amtrak also has to pay for all accidents on its lines even when it is the fault of the freight trains. Even when it is blatantly the fault of the freight lines.
Can you say corporate welfare?
Life lesson well-learned: stay clear of Amtrak
Joe is 100 percent correct.
As I said in another post, Europe has wonderful train service because it is subsidized by the government. We have awful train service because we do not subsidize it.
I guess if you don't want train service between cities, then let Amtrak go. But some towns and cities depend on Amtrak. It's the same thing with USPS. Sure, we could let private industry take over the mail system. But then 30 percent of the country won't have any mail service. It's not profitable.
I mean, heck why don't we privative the fire department. And the police. If you can't afford, let people's houses burn down. And if you need a police officer, that will be $295, sir.
@twophrasebark: Train service in England is anything but pleasant. Sorry to bust your bubble. Maybe you should experience it for yourself before continuing that myth.
As I type this, I am waiting for my sister's boyfriend to arrive in Richmond by Amtrak, but his train is delayed by an hour, I just sent him this story saying it could be worse.
The USPS is more or less private now, and profitable. They do not receive funding or subsidies.
Further, there are several competing mail services (UPS, Fedex, DHL) that are also quite profitable, in spite of charing much higher rates.
Comparing Amtrak to USPS is... not so much.
Depending on what the delay was, if it was a known long delay they should have given people the option to leave as long as they were back by a designated time. There is plenty of food and drink in and around Union Station or you can get to it from there. It sounds almost like an airline giving you a 4 hour layover but forbidding you from leaving the gate area.
Amtrak could be a very decent public service given proper funding.
My friend is texting me from a train that was stuck in Chicago and now he's on a train that hasn't moved for 3 hours somewhere in Indiana.
When he was in Chicago, the train was delayed 16 hours. During that time, he was told by amtrak employees that he could not leave the unheated station lounge and was given no estimated time of departure.
@redskull: Agreed with the night in jail. I'm a rather level-headed, non-violent person, but if a customer service representative told me to learn a "life lesson" from their extreme service failure, I'd of beat the living tar out of her. I'm also not a litigious person, but I'd be talking to counsel about a suit against Amtrak.
"The USPS is more or less private now, and profitable."
LOL. When you don't have the facts, just make them up.
As far as being "private" is it both independent and a quasi-governmental agency. Believe me, if USPS could do so, they would cut off delivery to about 30 percent of the U.S. Do you know much it costs to deliver mail to places like North Dakota with low population densities? It's not worth it if you're a business.
That's why FedEx and UPS don't pursue the right to take over completely - they don't want to have to deliver to all those places. At least not without massive surcharges.
Amtrak definitely needs to usher their customer service into the 21st Century. Inevitably, the trains are going to be delayed; that's a fact of life with Amtrak. With that said, the Amtrak employees should have access to GPS tracking so they can give the customers a time frame as to when the trains will be coming and going. Obviously, if Train A scheduled to depart Chicago at 5PM is 120 miles from Union Station at 4PM, then realistically Amtrak can tell customers that they have one hour to do what they please before they have to be back. If passengers want to leave and aren't back in time, then it's their own fault. Forcing people to stay in the unheated, noisy station is overkill.
While on the subject, I think having an option to receive text alerts and/or emails from Amtrak when a service alert occurs is a necessity. A little customer service on Amtrak's part would go a long way in beefing up their image.
@chadbailey: Mind you the show was filmed on the train during peak travel season when Amtrak probably has more staff and is getting more money from higher fares.
@Ninja007: You do realize that if there were money in passenger rail that BNSF, UPac, and SoPac would have never gotten out of passenger rail service in the first place.
What doomed passenger rail service in this country was the CAB and their HEAVY regulation of the commercial aviation industry. The CAB had set airfare so low that railroads just could not compete. After all, why spend a day on the train when you could spend a few hours on an airplane for the same price (or even less in some cases)? The problem was airline deregulation happened too late to help the railroads like Penn Central which was the largest bankruptcy in the history of the country (at that time). By 1978 the still-breathing railroads had gone to strictly freight and remain that way today. Heck, the freight railroads are starting to whine and cry how they need more money for more trackage just for freight.
The railroads might have stayed in the passenger travel business if the airlines had been deregulated before the jet age.
Evidently it's a deli whose webmaster has issues with setting the proper permissions on directories.
I am confused about the "no-heat" part. Does that mean Union Station turns the heat off overnight? The Amtrak gate areas have certainly been heated every time I have been in them.
@ophmarketing: Yes, that's true, but that portion must have been closed. The train tracks are actually outside. I board at the Union Station and Ogillvie nearly everyday.
You have to look at it the same way the transportation industry and the gubimint does:
Soylent Green!
"...and was spotted sitting on a sidetrack waiting for a new crew"
"The 'excuses' have included engine problems and that no conductor was available for the train..."
Stories about trains stopping. Bad omens.
I'm a little confused? Were they locked on the train? Union Station has plenty of restrooms, benches and convenience stores.