UPDATE: 110 Passengers left at Union Station DC
ORIGINAL POST:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Amtrak/comments/1hn896q/ne_regional_left_without_100_passengers_from_dc/
Video of Station Manager Announcement:
Outcome (if you were affected try and do the same):
- The customer service rep I called confirmed that 110 passengers were affected
- I (cordially) talked my way onto an early morning Acela. The ticket agents were more than accommodating
- Original ticket is being refunded
- Extra expenses (ex. Uber back to union station for a morning train) can be filed with corporate
- I was sent a healthy amount in Amtrak Credit
- Customer relations told me accommodations were likely sorted if passengers needed a hotel
Discussion:
Does news know?
- WTOP (local news) reached out to me about the story, and is contacting Amtrak for more info.
- washingtonianprobs (IG) posted the original thread this morning.
Why couldn't you wait on the platform?
- Union station makes you line up at 'gates', these are locked doors and an Amtrak agent is supposed to come unlock the doors and move you down to the platform
- The doors were also roped with a signed move in front, not exactly intuitive to go through
- The whole process felt like boarding at an airport. I don't think anyone wanted to stir up trouble with station police in eyesight
Were you all blissfully unaware of the train passing you by?
- The train already had a 10 minute delay, I originally thought our delay was being extended and they were slow to update us. When the delayed departure time came up on us, I think a lot of people just assumed Amtrak was running behind again.
- and yes, maybe a bit of holiday hangover
Why didn't someone go find an agent?
- Diffusion of Responsibility?
- There were people trying to find help, but the ticket office was shut down and I think all the other workers with scrolling in the break room.
- People would've raised the issue if there anyone from Amtrak in the station.
- I think many people were worried that if they got out of line to search an empty station for a worker, that the boarding process would come and go without them
Why couldn't the station police help you?
- An officer was one of the first person to notice something was up
- They were cooperative and just as bewildered myself. But its not their responsibility and assumed Amtrak would chew them out IF the situation was under control.
- A different passenger asked them for help before the train had left, I assume he was told that they should try and find an Amtrak worker