I’m going to be attending the annual Spring meeting of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) next April in Washington, DC. As is my habit—and, of course, it’s my preference—I’ll fly to the West Coast and take Amtrak from there. Likewise, when I leave Washington, I’ll take the train back to the West Coast…
Over the past few years, Amtrak has been shaving costs wherever possible. One by one, the nice little extras have disappeared—tokens and gestures that make passengers feel as though they’re appreciated and that their long-distance train ride is a special experience. For example, this morning my coffee mug sat on a souvenir coaster I was…
There’s a new variation on the selfie “fad” and unfortunately it’s bringing people onto railroad tracks and into harm’s way. They’re taking their own photos while standing on the tracks with a train approaching from behind. There have been several fatalities as a consequence of this newest idiocy in the past couple of months. …
By Jim Mathews President & CEO National Association of Railroad Passengers Let’s begin by saying up-front that I have tremendous sympathy for Amtrak’s management, especially those who wear the Food & Beverage Bullseye on their backs. Unfortunately, what’s happening on the Silver Service is likely to disappoint everyone. The premise is that because…