posted
Some weeks (months) ago I had made plans, using AGR points, to travel STL-CHI-SAC, round trip. Riding the Zephyr is a "bucket list" item for me. My wife and I were really looking forward to the trip. While in Sacramento I planned to connect with an old friend whom I have not seen for 55 years.
October 7th I was notified via email that all Lincoln Service had been cancelled between STL and CHI. I got on the Amtrak website and noticed that there were busses available and that, oddly, the Texas Eagle was still running.
So, on the 8th I called AGR to make other arrangements. I am still wondering if the person with whom I talked was really an Amtrak employee or someone that was just walking by the desk and picked up the phone.
I requested that my reservations be changed to the TE the day before my departure on CZ due to connection schedule. She said that there was a bus available instead of Lincoln Service and that I would have to opt for that if I wanted to use my points. But then she said that the bus couldn't make the connection because it wouldn't arrive in CHI in time to catch the CZ. Hmmm. Catch 22?
So I told her I did not want to ride the bus but instead I was perfectly happy with booking the TE to CHI the day before and that I would take care of my hotel arrangements. She said I couldn't do that. I asked why and she said that it was an invalid booking?!?! Out of curiosity I asked why the TE was running over the same route if LS was not. She didn't know. Then I asked her again why couldn't I book the TE the day before and the day after on my return 10 days later? She said maybe I could but that I would be charged for an additional 20,000 points?!?! I told her to let me talk to someone who understood the program.
She put me on hold while she talked to a supervisor. She came back on line and told me that I would have to contact Customer Service. She gave me the tel number. I did so. I talked to a capable, helpful, and efficient lady, Toni by name, in Customer Service. She was totally baffled why AGR referred me to her. She said that she was going to talk to AGR and find out what was going on. She asked if I could hold. I said yes. Toni came back on I said that she talked to the AGR supervisor and that were now working on my reservations and that they would call me back. I said fine.
By this time I had been on the phone for a good hour. It was late afternoon I did not get a call. I called Amtrak again but this time there were no agents available because of the high volume of calls. They must have all talked to the AGR boob that I talked to.
The next day I got a call, I wasn't home, but called back and reached someone who seemed to know something, Claudette by name. She apologized and went over my new reservations. She said that I did not need to be charged anymore points and that if I was happy with spending a night in CHI before the departure and after the return, which I am, I would travel sleeper class TE and CZ from STL to SAC and back for the 40,000 points as originally booked.
After a total of about two hours on the phone it was worked out to my satisfaction. I like CHI so my wife and I will have dinner on the 95th floor in the Hancock Building and enjoy the city and visit a friend of hers in a suburb. That will give me a chance to ride Metra.
I thought some of you folks might find this Amtrak "vignette" interesting and or amusing.
PS Toni told me that the host railroad was working on the tracks. That was the cause for the the LS cancellations. Apparently the TE uses different tracks? Or due to a different schedule it doesn't interfere with tack maintenance?
Posts: 140 | Registered: Nov 2008
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From the map, you will note that the C&EI missed any Downstate Illinois locality that had potential for traffic - especially passenger. Therefore, they never had a named passenger train operating STL-CHI.
The route Pana-St Louis is trackage rights over the former New York Central. Which successor road operates over that line, I know not.
Posts: 9977 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
Thank you Mr Norman. I am now intrigued to see the change of venue sights. I did not know that the C&EI did not have named passenger service. Was the C&EI primarily a agriculture product hauler? That route is a big soybean and corn area.
Posts: 140 | Registered: Nov 2008
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posted
Whoops, the C&EI had named passenger trains elsewhere on their system. They operated locally the Meadowlark Chi-Thebes and the Wipporwill Chi-Evansville, as well as interline trains with the L&N through Evansville.
As for freight traffic, they handled interchange with the MP at Thebes, whoever at St Louis and Chicago, and the L&N at Evansville. On line, they had coal traffic from Southern Illinois as well as agriculture. CSX is a joint owner of their line accessing Chicago.
In short, C&EI made a perfectly nice living forwarding traffic to Chicago. By no means was it a moribund property, and it was "the Belle at the Ball" for various merger proposals.
Posts: 9977 | From: Clarendon Hills, IL USA (BNSF Chicago Sub MP 18.71) | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
And what an interline collection of trains it was that C&EI handed off to the L&N: Dixie Flyer, Dixieland, Dixie Flagler - all to FL, and the Georgian to Atlanta. One of their sleepers, Plantation Pine, lives on as Colorado Pine in Iowa Pacific service.
Posts: 2397 | From: Camden, SC | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Pullman, My understanding is that there are six or so bridges on the Lincoln Service route that need to be improved for higher speed traffic.
Posts: 140 | Registered: Nov 2008
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posted
Then either A) let there be a re-route or B) let there be bus-stitutions.
-------------------- The City of Saint Louis (UP, 1967) is still my standard for passenger operations Posts: 1404 | Registered: Oct 2001
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