ON-TIME PERFORMANCE: 5/13/04 THROUGH 6/11/04

I have been watching two trains quite frequently, most days I remember
to check, the results have not been encouraging: Train 64 is getting hit
very badly at customs at Niagara Falls and train 68 is likewise getting hit
again very badly at Rouses Point.
Especially in the case of train 68, why can't the train be pre-cleared at
Montreal or at least enroute from Montreal, the only stop it makes and it
is only to pick up passengers is St. Lambert just across the river from
Montreal.
Train 64 is a joint Via and Amtrak train and does station work in Canada so it might be a slightly more difficult situation but it seems to me that
there should be a way to get that train through quicker too. Maybe they
could preclear a car or two for through passengers and seal it upon leaving Toronto.
I think the federal government could and should do more to lessen the
delays that railroad passengers are suffering throughout the nation.
Noel Weaver

Easiest thing to do for the Adirondack is not stop at St. Lambert and do the border checking in Montreal - this would yield the same system that is done for the Cascades in Vancouver. As for the Maple Leaf - good luck! I fear this may be next to the axe - now that the International is gone.

On another note, in my trips to Philadelphia and Boston (from NYC) these past two months, not once has my train been on time - and most were during peak period. That's the time to satisfy your customers the most - during peak periods. It should be all the time, but I think you can get my point. Either I have had a string of bad luck these past couple of months, or on-time performance is slipping further on the corridor. The statistics posted are kinder than what I have experienced.

Have noticed the morning Acela Expresses (around 8 a.m.) being late (getting out of the gate late heading south to Washington). Then even today, the 12:03 p.m. AE to Boston was 40 minutes leaving NYP - after being 28 minutes late getting out of Washington DC. We were over an hour late into Boston. Argh! I don't understand what's causing these delays in the morning - at the originating station.

acela express 2158 was almost an hour late today, well what ever happened, the train started arriving an hour late to boston after train 172 came in. Did something happen that caused big delays between Providence, RI and Washington, D.C.?

As mentioned - I boarded Acela Express 2158 in NYC yesterday, June 18th, bound for Boston. This train was 28 minutes late getting out of Washington DC (its origin - very odd), then arrived approximately 40 minutes late into NYP (I think it got stuck behind a NJT train from Newark to NYP causing additional delays or cancelling out any time it had made up). I was on the platform when the NJT came into NYP followed immediately by AE 2158. We were supposed to leave NYP at 12:03 but we didn't leave until 12:45 p.m.

The layover in NYC should have been quicker than what it was - especially with the train being late - but the who cares attitude seemed to be prevalent.

Then it seemed like we just crawled from NYC to Providence. We did not hit 150 mph. I never remember going this slow - ever - from New Haven to Providence.

We arrived (AE 2158) into Boston one hour and 13 minutes late. Not one apology the entire way for being late - or why it was late.

I rode in first class and it was the first time I didn't tip - the attendants took forever to serve lunch (I think we finally got lunch at 2:15 p.m.) and then after they cleared the plates - the attendants parked themselves in a seat for the remainder of the trip - one even dosed off. Usually the attendants continue to come around and ask people if they want drinks or a snack - periodically for the duration of the trip. Not these attendants. It seemed like they were in slow motion and definitely cranky. They were probably upset with the train being so late, but suck it up and continue to do the job for which you are being paid to do - and for which customers are paying for.

I still see a cost cutting opportunity - they can survive with two attendants in the First Class car - rather than three. On my trips in the First Class car, it has been full, so my observations have not been on a slow day. The three attendants just trip over each other. One serves, one cooks, and the other watches - then they switch it up.

Checked train 64 for Friday (6-18) and Saturday (6-19) and both days the
train was late into New York. Saturday's train was about as bad at
Exchange Street, Buffalo so I have to think that customs is really giving
that train the "royal business".
This is an absolute disgrace, you would not find this in Europe nor
probably anywhere else.
Can't blame CSX nor Amtrak for customs delays, EVERY DAY.
Noel Weaver

You wouldn't find it in Europe nowadays due to the EU having abolished border checks about a decade ago...