Amtrak is Off Track

I'm talking about the Amtrak train that I took from Union Station here in the District to Penn Station in New York City on Saturday -- that never made it to Penn Station in New York City.

As if queued up like some bad prank, the Amtrak train that I was riding on "National Train Day" broke down before it got to its final destination.

The train pulled out of Union Station early Saturday morning around 6:30 a.m. I wanted to get an early start on a quick weekend trip to Gotham.

What I got was a train that lost power -- not once, but twice -- on the way up, and broke down for good in Newark, N.J. -- a few miles from where I needed to go.

Passengers in their nice, cushy, comfy, (and high-priced I might add) Amtrak seats had to transfer to the New Jersey Transit train on the other side of the tracks. Ultimately, it was regular old public transportation which saved the day.

Total delay time: about an hour and a half.

That wasn't then end of it though -- on my train ride back from N.Y.C. on Sunday -- you guessed it -- the Amtrak train lost power. 2 for 2. This time, the problem was fixed with a little more alacrity.

Total delay time: about a half-hour.

I bring all this up because this is not the first problem I've had with Amtrak and the Northeast Corridor. I can remember trying to get back to my college campus in New York after a Thanksgiving break and the train being so crowded that I had to sit on the metal floor in between rail-cars. Try doing that for hours on a cold November day -- you wouldn't be too happy.

Or how about the time it was snowing, and I didn't want to chance the New Jersey Turnpike, so I took Amtrak thinking it would not be an issue -- 7 hours later -- voila -- I was in New York City.

Amtrak has continually disappointed me, and on National Train Day of all days, it happened again.

I don't have to tell Amtrak riders that all of this is made sweeter with the $100.00 price tag that comes with a one-way ticket between D.C. and N.Y.C.

Amtrak, like most transportation agencies, is needy. The agency relies on federal dollars to keep itself up and running, although Amtrak says it set a new record for ridership last year, exceeding 25.8 million passengers, and generated more than $1.5 billion in ticket revenue.

But the basic principle is this: keep your customers happy, especially those that are paying for it. Get your house in order.

Power and track problems are sometimes unavoidable, and riders for the most part are understanding of that. But when it happens time and time again, there is a problem. Something is being missed, and your customers will start giving up on you.

As far as my experiences as an Amtrak rider, I am not batting 1.000. In fact, I'm not even above the Mendoza line. And Amtrak may have just struck me out...on National Train Day.

TRAFFIC/TRANSIT/TRAVEL ADVISORIES

I-95 Lane Widening in Virginia continues this week:

On I-95 SOUTH:

The left lane closes between the Fairfax County Parkway and Lorton Road for electrical work. That happens from 8:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. today through Thursday.

I-95 NORTH:

The right lane closes between Route 123 and Lorton Road for retaining wall work. That happens from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. today through Thursday.

LORTON ROAD AND ASSOCIATED RAMPS:

The right lane on the ramp from Lorton Road to I-95 South closes from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. today through Thursday. Bridge work is taking place.

On Lorton Road itself, between the ramps to I-95 North and I-95 South, the right lane closes between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. today through Thursday so that bridge work can be completed.

Got a traffic/transit/travel question you want answered? E-mail Adam at atuss@wtopnews.com.

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