Done with the Auto Train

[LisaNJ25]

I posted 2 weeks ago about the delay on the auto train going to florida.. we never got into out of sandford, FL till 6pm.. instead of 9:30 am

We were supposed to come back to Lorton, VA yesterday and got to the station and the train was canceled... Since my kids start school tomorrow I had no choice to drive home to NJ. We were so not prepared to drive with the 4 kids. I also wanted a cash refund since we were low on money and did not plan on the extra expense.. Of course they will only issue a credit back to the credit card which was used... than doesn't help when your 1100 miles.

They really need to work on their system with refunds and compensation when problems like this happen.

 

[NHWX]

Thank you so much for writing this post! This morning I was considering the auto train but for us it would not only mean getting out of FL late but also missing connecting trains into the northeast.

I'm trying to figure out someway of getting a Christmas vacation without completely blowing the budget. I think the answer's going to be called Christmas 2008!

Thanks again for saving me from the auto train!

NHWX

 

[jodifla]

Thank you so much for writing this post! This morning I was considering the auto train but for us it would not only mean getting out of FL late but also missing connecting trains into the northeast.

I'm trying to figure out someway of getting a Christmas vacation without completely blowing the budget. I think the answer's going to be called Christmas 2008!

Thanks again for saving me from the auto train!

NHWX

OP got a raw deal, but I loved the auto train. We took it twice, and it was on time both times we took it.

She ran into bad luck.

 

[NHWX]

We were looking at leaving on Christmas Day and returning on New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. We would have been making ressies with no time slop in them and ds14 having to go to high school on 1/2. The high school has an incredibly restrictive policy about missing classes. If we were faced with a cancellation, we would have to fly.

I just never thought about the train being cancelled like that. When we fly, if a flight is cancelled, you can get on the next one! Or perhaps you might have a weather based delay of a day or so but I'd be able to plan for that, even if it meant leaving early. But to just show up and have it be cancelled... that's probably a risk some people can take but not us this year.

I'm glad you had great experiences!

NHWX

 

[DC7800]

Thank you so much for writing this post! This morning I was considering the auto train but for us it would not only mean getting out of FL late but also missing connecting trains into the northeast

There are no connecting trains to or from Auto Train, as there are no other auto-train services nationwide (there have many proposals, though). Only passengers with automobiles are permitted onboard, so everyone is driving somewhere at each end of the trip anyway.

Amtrak does have several conventional trains to/from the Northeast and Florida, and yes, if you miss one you can generally be reaccomodated on the other.

 

[DC7800]

I posted 2 weeks ago about the delay on the auto train going to florida.. we never got into out of sandford, FL till 6pm.. instead of 9:30 am

We were supposed to come back to Lorton, VA yesterday and got to the station and the train was canceled... Since my kids start school tomorrow I had no choice to drive home to NJ. We were so not prepared to drive with the 4 kids. I also wanted a cash refund since we were low on money and did not plan on the extra expense.. Of course they will only issue a credit back to the credit card which was used... than doesn't help when your 1100 miles.

They really need to work on their system with refunds and compensation when problems like this happen.

CSX derailed a coal train near Emporia, Virginia blocking the line. Auto-Train detoured via Greensboro, North Carolina on September 2. My assumption is Sunday's northbound train arrived Lorton too late to turn (be serviced, etc.) and cover the next departure. When that happens, one day's train must usually be canceled to get the operation back on schedule, or else you would spend the next week trying to get everything back in synch (depart one day twelve hours late and you arrive the next day maybe 11 hours down, so you are then 9-10 hours late leaving the second day, and so on, assuming no more problems).

Sorry you had a bad experience. These events really are rare - but sometimes they aren't as rare as they ought to be (when in doubt, blame CSX).

I know Amtrak can't really be prepared to issue cash refunds on the spot, but I agree something more needs to be done. The people with the authority to do that aren't in the stations, of course, they're in an office in Wilmington, so they don't have to deal with the public.

 

[NJRRK]

We took the Autotrain SB on 8/24 arrived 2 hours late on 8/25 and NB on 9/1 arrived 30 min early on 9/2.

Glad we did that schedule instead of returning 9/2 to 9/3.

 

[beccasmom]

We have not taken the Auto Train - although I would like to someday - but have traveled using regular Amtrak service. Going to Florida was relatively hassle-free, returning home was a nightmare. In all fairness, this was during spring break and probably not the best time to rate any transportation service! I am sorry for your awful ordeal.

But the airlines are not much better these days, depending on where you fly from. PHL has been a nightmare for many months and is the topic of much media discussion here in Philly. We are visiting WDW in early December and I am pretty much dreading the "getting there" part of the trip.

 

[LisaNJ25]

We took the Autotrain SB on 8/24 arrived 2 hours late on 8/25 and NB on 9/1 arrived 30 min early on 9/2.

Glad we did that schedule instead of returning 9/2 to 9/3.

yep.. you are lucky you were earlier.

I contacted them about my refund since I had to mail the tickets back last week..paying $10 out of pocket. Now I am being told it will be weeks before a refund is issued. Their reason is it is a very small refund office and they get thousands of refunds. I tried to remain calm explaining that it was not my fault they canceled the train and I wasn't a customer just changing my mind and canceled my tickets. I had no choice. I told her they really need to have a better system especially for situations lke this.


For a 9 hour delay one way and a canceled train the other some type of better customer service should of occurred.

 

[jlmarr]

For a 9 hour delay one way and a canceled train the other some type of better customer service should of occurred.

I'll say. That's on par with the Jet Blue 9 hours on the tarmac story. No media coverage for the Amtrak problem though.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I'll say. That's on par with the Jet Blue 9 hours on the tarmac story. No media coverage for the Amtrak problem though.

Yep.. and I am sure that wasnt the longest delay they have ever had. I was down to my last diaper when we finally arrived. The rest were in the car. I though I was going to have to start walking the train to borrow diapers from other moms lol

 

[HugsForEeyore]

Yikes!! I am surprised reading this! My family took the train southbound on Saturday September 1st, and arrived on Sept 2 in Sanford only an hour late, due to rain in Georgia. So the very next day was this coal car derailment, and the AutoTrain was very delayed or cancelled?? I had no idea we just missed all of this! Our return trip on Sept 8 was flawless, and we arrived in the Lorton station at 8:00 am, over an hour early!

I love the train, and I am sooo sorry the OP hit such rotten luck! On my trip, My nieces were also starting school within 2 days of returning, so if we had our train cancelled, we may have had to drive, too - this was always a possibility in my mind, but fortunately everything was running on time!

I have ridden the AutoTrain about 22 times over the last 10 years, and twice been delayed enough that I remember - once it was 8 hours (trees down on the tracks), and once 5 hours for CSX track work. So overall we been very lucky!