Amtrak Has an Image Problem

David Benton wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2020 1:45 am Wigwag fan , is the little cafe with the train delivering food nearby still Near Portland Union?

Sadly I'm not aware of what you are describing. There is a small newsstand inside Union Station, and there is Wilf's which is a more upscale piano bar restaurant but not very conducive to the railroad passenger.

Beyond that, any other food establishment is at minimum a three block walk through some not-so-nice areas. There is a Subway at 9th and Lovejoy but unless you're familiar with the area, the average tourist coming into Union Station would have literally no clue how to get there. There used to be a cafeteria on the 4th floor of the Main Post Office; not sure if it's still there or not seeing as how all of the non-retail post office functions have moved out to their new facility by the airport. Greyhound used to have a cafeteria but the bus station is fenced off and boarded up.

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2020 7:49 am That is so sad, WigWagFan. My girlfriend and I were in the preliminary stage of planning a cross-country LD trip from CHI to SEA via Portland (EB 27 connecting to Cascades 518) before COVID hit. I guess that's the only way we'd get to see the station...

You'll have no problem visiting since you'll have your train ticket. But, to be honest, there's really not much to see besides the waiting room. You will not be allowed upstairs unless you have business with a tenant (and yes, I have been stopped by the Rent-A-Cops). There are a few small displays here and there and some pictures on the wall, but you can see everything there is to see in less than five minutes. You could walk outside and get your standard photo from the corner of 6th and Irving, and if you have more time maybe walk up the Broadway Bridge, or over to the pedestrian crossing at the south end, or walk to 4th & Hoyt and get a picture of VC Tower through the fences. However, as mentioned before this is a prime area for homeless encampments unless Portland Police does a sweep ahead of time. I have noticed that the PoPo have been keeping the sidewalk along 6th Avenue on the west side of the station (under the Broadway Bridge) clear, though.

You can't blame Amtrak for the conditions outside of the Station. But it does make Portland less appealing to the tourist, which in turn decreases Amtrak's business into the area...

wigwagfan wrote: ↑Thu Apr 02, 2020 1:19 am

David Benton wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2020 1:45 am Wigwag fan , is the little cafe with the train delivering food nearby still Near Portland Union?

Sadly I'm not aware of what you are describing. There is a small newsstand inside Union Station, and there is Wilf's which is a more upscale piano bar restaurant but not very conducive to the railroad passenger.

Beyond that, any other food establishment is at minimum a three block walk through some not-so-nice areas. There is a Subway at 9th and Lovejoy but unless you're familiar with the area, the average tourist coming into Union Station would have literally no clue how to get there. There used to be a cafeteria on the 4th floor of the Main Post Office; not sure if it's still there or not seeing as how all of the non-retail post office functions have moved out to their new facility by the airport. Greyhound used to have a cafeteria but the bus station is fenced off and boarded up.

Sorry,I may have the wrong city, but Portland sticks in my mind. It wasn't in the station , but nearby. A burger joint, you placed your order, and a lionel type train delivered it to your table. This would be late Eighties.
Edit: may have been Seattle , this looks similar.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Horse_(restaurant)

It's a shame because about 4-ish blocks west or south is a much nicer side of town. It's just that little enclave around the station.

If you're on a layover in the area, grab an uber about 8 blocks to Tasty and Alder restaurant, I really enjoy the place, also Shigezo is really good Japanese pub food.

Nobody's avoiding Amtrak because of the condition of the stations...

mtuandrew wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2020 6:12 pm

east point wrote: ↑Wed Apr 01, 2020 8:21 am Image is the lowest of priorities now. We have to lobby congress to keep present Amtrak operating. The LD route demographics have many oldsters riding. That group is most likely to have fatal complications from Corona19, If the concern does not abate for older persons there will not be much traffic to support the LD route trains. However if a way to prevent Corona 19 many oldsters might want to get a last ride .?

Quoting this into the coronavirus thread, because I have an offshoot response there. But yes, the only image that matters right now is Amtrak being responsible.

This is a really prescient post, but on a much larger scale than Andrew's context of just COVID times.

Responsibility.

For your safety. For using taxpayer money well. For reliability.

Acting on those three ideas is really all the railroad is here for. Getting people safely and reliably from place to place with minimal waste.

All the other stuff falls into place when those three ideas are thought of every day. Doesn't it seem kind of silly to do some of the crazy stuff they do in light of those three ideas? How is it reliable or efficient to open 1/8 the doors on the Hiawatha or 1/2 the powered doors on Surfliner? How is it efficient to run cafe cars like that? How is it safe, efficient, or reliable to have mickey mouse boarding procedures.

It isn't, and that's the heart of most of my gripes with the railroad. It seems like they get up in the morning and do everything but run a railroad. The image of the railroad would be great regardless of employee uniform color or paint scheme or such if operating practices were questioned every day: are we reliable? are we efficient? are we safe?