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Well it looks like were kaput. Another 4 days of work, then I was supposed to go on vacation (yes, even Amtrak employees are entitled to a vacation) but it looks like I won't have a job to return to. In a way it feels i've given 26 years of my life for nothing. In another way I say, shut it down. Since March, train operations have crumbled, delays are getting longer and longer on more and more trains, management stupidity is never ending, i'm working in a closed office without an outside window without air conditioning in 110 degree heat, with a fan blowing around hot air, because no one will approve the money to fix it. Look presentable? It's tough to do when your hair is plastered to your head. No raises for 2 years(i know, we don't deserve it). The time has come to shut this fiasco down.
Posts: 49 | Registered: Feb 2002
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I am sorry to hear about your poor working conditions. Nobody should have to work this way(I know,I work in a warehouse that turn into a giant oven in the summer). I am suppose to be going to Calif. from Mass. in Sept. I am wondering If I should cancell my trip and take a plane. The only problem is my parents don't like to fly and they are coming with us. So what am I to do.
Posts: 15 | From: Holyoke, Ma. ,Usa | Registered: Jan 2002
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It's so sad that people such as your parents will not be able to take a train if they choose because of years of mismanagement, and politcal spinelessness. 521 million is a lot of money, but for a government such as ours it's a drop in the bucket. Your what the government pays and what they recieved for that money, a national system, running 365 days a year, they got their moneys worth. We have all been sold a bill of goods. What I keep thinking back to is how after recieving that 5 year appropation, how "high on the hog" Amtrak spent. The money wasted sending us to usless training courses, my word it seems like it was money that could of been spent in other ways.
Posts: 49 | Registered: Feb 2002
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Disgusted wrote: "The time has come to shut this fiasco down." I know I'm just repeating what everyone has already heard, but Gunn says that he will create a new system if the $1.2B FY03 money comes through. I believe him. He knows what he's doing, and isn't squandering money (on stuff like new paint schemes and the useless training courses). He will lower expenses as much as possible, but not in such a way that the whole system literally crumbles from deferred maintenance (almost like it's doing today). I've wanted to become a locomotive engineer for Amtrak since 5th grade (I'm going into 11th), and I'm still holding that dream, even through this "fiasco". If you wish for something hard enough, you can make it come true. It worries the crap out of me that my future is in the hands of people who want to "dissolve" Amtrak, but there has to be someone with persuasive power in DC who knows what's right, and who will do as much as possible to keep Amtrak above water. I hate to sound preachy (although I'm sure I do), but don't lose faith until you know for SURE what the outcome will be. A month from now, this little "speech" of mine might not have any point, but I trust that Gunn, his colleagues, and even the people in Washington will save Amtrak from permanently entering the history books. Posts: 553 | From: Flagstaff, AZ USA | Registered: Apr 2001
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Maybe we will get this 200 million, and 1.2 billion for next year. That's great, but all I know is if all were going to do is run like we have for the last 4 months(pitiful) then shut it down right now. Maybe Gunn can work miracles, so far all i've seen is the 84 v.p. titles reduced to 20. The people are still there, just the titles are gone.
Posts: 49 | Registered: Feb 2002
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By the way the headlines look things seem mighty shaky for Amtrak. I'm a somewhat tolerant railfan but we'll see what happens.
As for the VPs being demoted to managers...I guess I didn't understand Gunn's statements. I thought it meant that the VPs would be let go from the company. The way it is now sounds a lot like corporate USA...in musical chairs, when the music stops, all VPs (and ex-VPs) still have a seat.
MP
Posts: 874 | From: South Bay (LA County), Calif, USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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I'm expecting a call any minute now from AMTRAK telling me my 12-day reservation which was to begin next Friday is being canceled, since the system will very very likely be shutting down next week. But then again -- who at AMTRAK will have time this week to call the thousands and thousands of passengers who have had reservations for this summer for many months? I imagine I may not get a call -- they will expect me to begin my train trip on 6/28 (unless the system does shut down next week), happy and carefree, not knowing what is going on, then I'll get to L.A. or San Antonio and they will say "Sorry -- everyone off." Hopefully the system will be shut down for only a short period of time (????) -- however, if they don't get a loan or a loan guarantee, will they stay shut down until 10/1, when the next FY begins? (assuming of course that they get their $1.2 billion by then for next year, which it appears that they "may".) But with a summer-long shutdown, who will want to re-reserve and try it again in the fall, other than us railfans? Of course, my other concern is that once the system shuts down, it may never start up again.... I think it was Minetta who said something like "We can heal a sick patient (AMTRAK), but we can't revive a dead one."
Assuming, I will likely hear 0 about the shutdown from any "official" AMTRAK source, I will call AMTRAK Wednesday or so and find out if they are going to shut down. I will not cancel my reservation -- I'll let them do that........
Maybe we'll have a national passenger rail system again by this time next year......??????
Posts: 2428 | From: Grayling, MI | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
Wait until this hits Boston and all their MBTA commuter lines shut down...not to mention the other commuter lines. So who runs the Amtrak-owned NEC once the big shutdown occurs? There's no contingency plans by any commuter carriers being floated.
Posts: 566 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Konstantin, I've been reading this site and a few other a bit. I haven't been posting because I don't want anyone to think what i'm doing is looking for pity. I don't expect any, nor want any. I just try to give a little honest idea how it is from the "inside". Everyone is just holding their breaths, some bad attitudes are popping up, some frustration is setting in. We all feel we have been sold out by Warrington, and we all feel that Gunn needs a chance to prove he's the genius everyone is making him out to be. As far as those V.P.'s all that has changed is the titles, as far as I know, no one has been let go yet. If they were, some warm and fuzzy announcement would of been made. Oh yes, it was another night of truly pitiful train performance. It has us just shaking our heads at how bad it has gotten.
If we do get this emergency loan, the first thing Gunn has to do is tear ass into these operating freight railroads. Their killing the passengers with their sorry ass operating of our trains.
[This message has been edited by disgusted (edited 06-22-2002).]
posted
Disgusted, any thoughts on what you might do if it really is over for Amtrak? You have years of travel industry experience, you could transfer those skills to, say, cruise lines, airlines. I hope I'm not making you feel worse, I know you guys must be real down about now. But, there's got got to be a silver lining in this mess somewhere.
Posts: 37 | From: Seattle, WA, USA | Registered: Mar 2002
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It's been 10 years since I started work for Amtrak. Even though it was only for 3 months. At that time & ever since then, Amtraks employees have been hanging in there. A great deal of credit is theirs for Amtrak still being around now. I pray that all the dedicated Amtrak employees will hang in there for just a little while longer. It seems that we are finally at a point where something will be done. It should all come to a head in the next few days or weeks. After years of waiting there could be real change just around the bend. Hang in there just a little longer. Reggie
posted
Hmm...I recall over on the former RRNET forums, there was some flamer who always posted the lyrics to the song referred to in the title of this post, but always got the lyrics wrong (whoever this was always posted "Seems like all, good things must end" with the incorrect comma; the correct lyrics are "They say that all good things must end").
So...any stay of execution yet, or will Boston, MA wake up to no commuter trains (not to mention many other cities) come Monday, July 1st??? Amtrak is more than just the NEC and slow LD trains, you know...
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