Unpacking Amtrak’s Path Forward

Welcome to a special edition of “All Aboard with Stephen.” In this episode, our Lead Ticket Agents, Tanishia and Janice, pose some of our customer’s most pressing questions to Amtrak’s CEO, Stephen Gardner. You will also hear about some of the immediate changes Amtrak customers can expect and long-term transformations set to enhance our service and usher us into a new era of rail. Stephen even gives customers insight into what routes we may expand to in the future.

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[jmajette]

Full restoration of traditional dining service on all the long distance routes would be wonderful!

[virginiatolles]

More affordable roomettes and bedrooms on long-distance trains.

[johnsonsthsquadron]

Restore Sightseer Lounges on the Capitol Limited and Texas Eagle and make traditional dining systemwide again!

[brookswilson]

I recently rode Amtrak (which I love doing - I have an Amtrak Rewards card) from Fresno, CA (Amtrak San Joaquins), via Jack London Square, Oakland, CA to Portland, OR (Coast Starlight), to Milwaukee, WI (Empire Builder), and return. I had a bedroom which I reserved using my points (it now takes almost 2.5 times the points that it did before Covid for the same trip). I know Amtrak is working on replacing the old equipment for long distance trains, but it is way over due. I am hoping Amtrak will add staff at Beech Grove to rebuild, repair and service cars more quickly. Congress has never funded Amtrak appropriately since its' inception to make it a truly viable transportation option. The cars have had new carpet, curtains and seat coverings which is good. Trains, however, are usually late and turn around times are too short to adequately clean each car. I blame the Class 1 railroads for not always following the rules concerning Amtrak operations (they should be held accountable by the people who make the operational rules; i.e., Congress), but I also blame Amtrak management for not checking/inspecting the cleaning and support process like it should be done. For example, the shower/toilet cubicles aren't cleaned well. The walls surrounding the sinks are not cleaned well, if at all - look at the walls in all lighting to see what I mean. Additionally, I hope the designing of the newer cars included input from the customers. It would also be nice to be able to reserve a room using points online rather than have to talk to a ticket agent, but I understand the reasoning. I hope this latest push to make Amtrak better will continue. Changes in Congress may happen soon, but I hope that Congress will realize that passenger rail transportation is essential during times of war. The airlines will not be able to do it all. The United States should always be prepared for its' defense and railroads are a major player in this.

[MrMarshmallow]

Would love to see the VPRA-led CSX RF&P Subdivision state-owned third and fourth track projects gain additional Amtrak support to help push it forward! That will be an important project for improving service, making it more efficient along the east coast, and connecting the southeast with the northeast more efficiently along with the S-Line! Love all the projects that are currently taking place.

[adave]

4:50 Had Stephen waited until Janice finished her question, he would have been able to answer the question she asked. But he just started talking right over her. She asked about routes AND EQUIPMENT. I didn't hear Stephen say anything about equipment - all he talked about was routes and corridors.
8:55 Again, Tanishia asked bout new passenger equipment. The only equipment Stephen touched on, briefly, was the new locomotives, something most passengers really don't care about. Most of his response was about infrastructure.
CEOs: learn to LISTEN!

12:49 I think that after 20 years with Amtrak, every "Lead Ticket Agent" should have already ridden every route so as to be able to express an educated opinion when asked by a customer about a particular route. Maybe not as a paid shift, but as a company-paid experience.

[NathanBofto]

"And the question is: Where does it make sense to run passenger trains?"

That right there is Amtrak Management's little loophole they love to use. Granted, you're not going to run a train from NYC to South Dakota, I get that. But they seem to be planting that seed of trying to get out of LD service anyway they can.

[danlilly]

"We have the largest rail network on earth..." = TRUE! It's also true that 85% of that map is ignored. For decades.

[irvinjones]

Any plans for service from Palm Springs/Indio into Los Angeles ?

[BuilderJay]

Yay! The video clip of the Borealis coming into Columbus WI is mine! Got over 70k miles with Amtrak and glad to Add the Borealis to my list! :-)

[danielstrong]

Who can i contact with Amtrak about what is needed from a city/county/state to get a stop in Cave City Kentucky at Mammoth Cave National park between Louisville and Nashville. Like to look at a long term plan and how we could help Amtrak make that happen.
How long of an area is needed for stop? Who builds Station, parking, Fuel stop. Cave City is going through a renovation and looking at long term planning, love to plan for a National Park stop, which historically is why Cave City was founded in the first place. What can we do to plan long term for a stop?

[virginiatolles]

Still waiting for New Orleans to Baton Rouge to Lafayette to Shreveport service.

[Messivert_]

Push for a better route in Maine, I understand it's state funded / owned but I'm sure if Amtrak stepped in with federal funding something may actually come of it.

[virginiatolles]

More user-friendly website that easily allows one to price up an anticipated trip in advance of making actual reservations.

[ToddShelton-ktfn]

We need a ticket agent/ticket station in Roanoke virginia ?

[NoTimeForNoodles]

Increase the frequency on the Ethan Allen Express, get it down under 7 hours from Burlington to New York, and extend it to Montreal!

[slaybeggar]

Thank you Stephen. Lets get the 3C Corridor done!

[charlesferebee]

Still waiting for trains running from Nashville to Louisville thru to Chicago. And a train from Cleveland to Cincinnati. Probably never happen.

[virginiatolles]

Still waiting for Atlanta to Memphis to Oklahoma City to Albuquerque service with connections at terminal ends to the Crescent and the Southwest Chief.

[RVail]

There's a Stephen Gardner video from over a year ago talking about a Tucson to downtown Phoenix commuter train, possibly extending further west to Buckeye, AZ. And vague wishes of getting the old Sunset Ltd. route between Phoenix & Yuma back into service. Any progress?