Amtrak
Reviews and Complaints

As someone who has traveled extensively with Amtrak, I have had a mix of experiences. While the scenic routes and the opportunity to relax during long journeys have been enjoyable, there are notable drawbacks. The cleanliness and maintenance of the trains have been inconsistent, with some journeys marred by unclean facilities and unpleasant odors. Customer service has been a hit or miss, with some staff members providing excellent assistance while others have been lacking in professionalism. Pricing also seems to vary greatly, with some tickets being reasonably priced while others feel overpriced for the service provided. Overall, Amtrak offers a unique way to travel, but improvements in cleanliness, customer service, and pricing consistency would greatly enhance the overall experience.

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting Amtrak. We respond to online inquiries 7 days a week between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm (ET). E-mails are answered in the order that they are received. We will respond as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Amtrak Customer Service

ref:!00D0b0RJDS.!5005a02noeYL:ref

Amtrak.com | Routes & Stations | Deals | Plan a Trip | Help

Subject: Travel Feedback

Nature of Comment:

Name: Cathy Carter

Email: [protected]@icloud.com

Phone Number: [protected]

Amtrak Guest Rewards #: [protected]

Reservation Number: 20B7DF

Trip/Event Date: 10/28/2023

Message:

I ordered a rail pass 10/28/2023, put my requested destination in and site returned above trip. I could find nowhere on site where to reschedule for another date so drove the 3 hour trip like a maniac to get there on time. I arrived promptly at 11 pm, Train scheduled to leave at 11:29 pm. I struggled with my luggage as I am 63 yrs old with progressive rheumatoid arthritis, as I approached ticket counter the ticket agent left on the elevator with a group to board train. Already frazzled, myself and several other passengers waited almost 15 minutes but agent never returned. I finally got the custodian to get us all ID tags for luggage, struggled to get it downstairs and half a block to train. There was a Conductor and another guy(who should have been escorting passengers instead of ticket agent leaving her post unattended). I explained I had a small bag of my medication I needed to get. In a LOUD, demeaning reply he let me know they would be leaving in 10 minutes, took my 2 bags and gave me a number on a torn slip of paper. I promised him I would be back in 5 minutes and exited through the Conductors entrance? I returned in plenty of time BUT he yelled and told me I could NOT enter that gate although it was 50 ft from train. He did NOT stop me from using that entrance to leave and there was NO danger as it was not near tracks. Instead, knowing he had NO intention of waiting on me to walk half a block to the front again only to find the ticket agent GONE(or conveniently absent) and the front door locked. I beat on the door repeatedly and watched the train leave with my luggage. Amtracks website says that station is open until midnight. Walking back to my car I find a pair of gloves at the entrance I had been denied entrance to so evidently others used it also. I spent 3 days in Atlanta trying to get someone to give me an update on my luggage. I finally got a call back from an Officer Moyhan informing me my luggage had been sent to unclaimed luggage in New York and I could pick it up there? I filed a lost luggage claim but like everything else it was in cyberspace. Between 3 nights lodging at Atlanta area hotels, food and gas I spent almost DOUBLE what my rail pass costed. Then I had to pay another $75 to get my luggage back, minus some objects. Now I go online only to find my rail pass has expired. I am patiently waiting for SOMEONE to rectify the extreme circumstances surrounding my first rail experience. My tel number is [protected]. I pray this is an exception to the standard service patrons receive on Amtrack. Awaiting your reply as to how to resolve this traumatizing chain of events, I remain, Sincerely, Cathy Carter

I called customer relations several times, never got any callback. I never received any feedback from the above email. When I originally checked my account after returning home it showed that the 10 segments of my rail pass had been restored. After just speaking with an agent she informed me I had used 4 segments and my pass had expired.

Although the ride was great as far as seating, the bathroom had urine all over the toilet seat and floor. The bathroom smelled horrible. I had to hold myself for over 8 hours to get to my destination and the Charlotte station only had one bathroom open with a full line of people. The other two bathrooms had locks on the doors and there was no one at the front desk to ask any questions. It was very inhumane to have a paying customer to hold myself that may hours to return to a station that I had to what 20 minutes more to even eus the one restroom that was open.

I was at the Union Station in Los Angeles California for three days due to my phone coming up missing, my ticket for departure not honored and finally on the third day I was verbally given permission to board a train to Indio California. I boarded the train, but during the check of my ticket and my explanation of what I had been through I was demanded off the train in Fulerton CA. I had no money, no phone and I am a rape victim as well as a survivor of the Dallas Texas human trafficking ring [protected]. I am in the missing and exploited website.

I travelled on train 176 from Trenton, NJ to Providence, RI on September 21, 2023. Upon arrival at home, I noticed that my eye glasses were missing. They were in a brown leather case placed in my pocket. It must have falling out of my pocket between the two train stations. Few days after, I went to the train station in Providence and asked if they found it but was told that they did not and should come home and file a complaint online. The glass case is similar to the one shown below except that it is softer. Paid $250 two years ago.

A trip was planned for my mother and myself, July 31, 2023, train #125 was scheduled to leave at 11:35 am. We were scheduled to attend a concert at 5pm and had arranged to be picked up so that we would have to prepare. Because of the delay I had to make other arrangements. Yes, I realize that things happen beyond our control.

My return trip I received a text that there would be a 45-minute delay, in knowing that I could not take a chance on more delays being added so we were unable to use the return tickets. I made other arrangements for someone to drive us back, that was train #88 on August 5, 2023, which was scheduled to leave at 12:08 but was delayed.

Reservation number 7ABBCO

I took the train from Providence RI to Philadelphia PA Northeast regional 135 on august 13th at 2:14 bar code # BOCADF I ate a caprese sandwich from the cafe car I got violently ill on the train and had to go to the hospital. It is now 4 days later and I am still sick. I have missed several days of work. I am going to report this incident to the CDC. I wanted to make you aware of your poor food handling

practices. I feel a complete refund would be helpful but by no means will it make it better. I hope this prevents someone else from getting food poisoning as I did.

Thank you for youir atttention to this matter

We bought these rather expensive tickets from New York to Atlanta on 29th july, train no 19 / car 1910, room 11, departure from New York Moynihan Trainhall Penn Station on 29th july 2.15pm, which is now standing still for more than 2,5 hours, still not going anywhere.

The delay is very inconvenient and requires a lot of rearranging on arrival.

We are being very poorly informed, eventhough it was known to Amtrak already at departure, knew about the delay.

Im filing this complain because its not acceptable, for a company to consciously choose to delay customers due to another train being attatched to our train - demanding Engineering doing work on our train in the middle of our trip. This is absolutely unacceptable and really bad service. We chose this travel option to enjoy the ride through the country, so its really dissapointing to be held back on a boring station until its so dark outside that there is no longer any view out the windows. We are expecting Amtrak to offer compensation for this highly inconvient event.

Been riding auto train for 15 years. This year we had a brand new vehicle. When we arrived in Lorton April 16, 2023 we were the second car off We had priorty off loading. As usual they try to keep everyone moving We jumped in our SUV and off we went.. When we got to our first rest stop we noticed dirt on the drivers side door. Taking a better look we saw these strange scratches.. Evidentally someone tried to cover them up.

We know there is nothing that can be done but it has been eating away at me since we came home. 2000.00 worth of damage.

Come our next trip I will not be so fast to get in my vehicle and take a better look at it.

Nancy Koscinski

116 Pennsylvania Ave

Lavallette, N.J. 08735

This was my first time on the Amtrak train overnight. I purchased 4 adult tickets and 1 child. There is no one to help you on and off the train with luggage. I found myself helping some older people with their luggage. They asked us how many in our party. They did not sit us together as they said they would on the phone. The bathroom was disgustingly filthy with urine and toilet paper all over. The toilets were full and could not be flushed. The cafe car was the best place to be even though the person who ran it decided it was a good idea to take a break from 6pm to 7pm so the line was backed up for 2 hours. He was rude and when I asked what time he was open to his reply was----until i decide to close it. Nice worker. There were drunk people on there who went in the bathrooms and stayed there. There was no one to tell anything to during the trip either. The whole train was noisy, filthy and no workers to be found. The train was delayed going to Florida and a big delay on the way home. They seem to have no regard if you need to be somewhere but we were assured they would make up time through the night but that never happened. it was a horrible experience that I will never do again or refer people to do. Many people knew I was doing it and asked about it when I returned home. They now await my response to them about reaching out to you and how you handle my complaint before they would consider to ever take the Amtrak long distance.

I am a UK visitor and travelled with my wife (who is a US citizen) from Penn Station NY to Albany NY on 28 May 2023, arriving at Albany approx. 10.00 pm' by which time we had been travelling from UK for 24 hrs. Whilst loading luggage into our pickup car, I inadvertently left my personal shoulder bag on the parking lot ground and drove off without it. We reported it at Albany, who said they had no knowledge of it; and the next day they said they had searched for it, but had no knowledge of it. My wife filled out an Amtrak \lost and Found report.REPORT ID: [protected]. However, 3 weeks later I used an electronic trace on my Samsung Tablet, which reported that my tablet was located at Moynihan Hall - hence that the remainder of my bag was almost certainly there also.

These are the circumstances surrounding my lost luggage and are not the complaint iteself. My complaint concerns the sheer impossibility of your lost property system to restore my lost luggage to me. On locating its whereabouts we attempted to contact your LF office but were directed to contact ChargerBack. If anyone can manage to found their way through this system, they must be geniuses. Amongst all the options offered by their on-line guide, there must be one that is useful to the user but I have failed to discover it! Almost every option I tried assumed I was a business wishing t subscribe to their new system. IT DIDN'T WORK! I finally gave up this solution and made numerous attempts by telephone to contact someone - anyone who might be able to help me.Your lost and found system just does not work - or if it does, one needs the patience of Job and a higher degree in IT in order to make any progress.

My black cloth shoulder bag contains my Samsung tablet and cellphone, my electric razor, a dispenser box full of my medication, the charger for my lap top, spectacles, and other personal items.

I have been in the US for just over one month; I shall be returning to UK towards the end of August, and would like to think that sometime before I do so, the steamroller that appears to be your loss property system might have returned my property to me - and that my unfortunate experience with you might leave you with some thoughts of how your lost property system might be made more user friendly. Robert B. Wordsworth, [protected] BEST # OR [protected] only when away from home in Indian Lake, NY

Reservation Number - 85D553

Seat assigned : 6F

I am a frequent traveler on this same route!

I buy coach from Albany to New York

New York to Wilson , NC

On my return , I have started buying business

On this trip, my two carry on were in small bags!.

Although staff know that I am often on this route , the guy, started to pick on how much I had!

He weighed my bag!

It was a little bit over 50 lbs

I removed stuff

He, then , told me I had to leave my other small bags behind it ! I took a cab and did !

Upon returning, they said it was too late to dispatch my bag, alleging that my train did not allow early check in

Because it was the first time I could not do so!

I thought he was going to put in the train I was on! He did not !.

He has also kept saying that I was going to be kicked out of the train ...all types of harassment

While in the business class! I have realized he did not put them on.

This was my 1st time going through this!

I am requesting that someone calls them, and place my 2 luggages on the next early train today ! 06/30_23a

And I will pick them up

Despite having rooms available at the time of my trip my bid up req was still denied.

2 months before I was planning a trip to visit relatives in Grand Junction, Co. I booked a coach ticket because I am senior on a fixed income.Amtrak gave me a 10% discount, despite being both disabled and a senior. I was accepting of that policy. However a week before my trip I received an email from Amtrak about something called bid up. This Bidup gave me the opportunity to get a room or roomette for what appeared to be a discounted price. They listed the price as $145. Ding on a fixed income I discussed this with my relative and they agreed to go in half with me. So I followed the procedure and did the bid up. I received an email confirming my bid up met Amtrak qualifications, but a few days later I was sent another email explaining I was denied the opportuniy

Once I arrived at the station for my trip I was told by the agent that they had 5 roomettes left, so why did they deny my bid?

After contacting Amtrak they said I was “outbid” by others, yet there

Where rooms available. And in fact they went unused during my trip.

Again I contacted Amtrak customer service through their website received nothing back from them except confirmation they received my email.

The bid up program seems to discriminate against lower income, seniors and those who are disabled. Amtrak doesn’t provide ADA rooms or any low cost subsidies to those in need. This program obviously favors those with max income and seems to violate the Sherman anti trust act, regarding ticket prices.

They offered me a roomette starting at $145.00 I accepted they had rooms available and now claim they receive higher bids.

This seems similar to the grocery store offering 3 apples for $1 and when you go in they change the terms (illegally) and now claim it’s 2 apples for a $1.what happened to that $145 room,

If you set a price for $300 that room it’s fair for everyone because everyone knows the price and can buy it for 300 if they want.

When you bid and prices aren’t listed or known, you could be bidding against yourself. But the winning bidder is 99.9% be the person with more resources money, making the program inherently unfair, and putting the poor, seniors and other at a disadvantage. This program is scheme to get as much money possible.

Second appeal: cc: my copy of my letter to you dated 6/7/23 (w/contact info)

Mary K. Grant

dba Mary Paints ‘N Pencils

1400 Plymouth Ave. S., Apt. 712

Rochester NY 14611

www.mkhazakgrantartspan.com

[protected]

6/7/23

Amtrak Refunds

Box 70

William H Gray III 30th St. Station

2955 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA [protected]

Dear Sir/Madam:

This is a request from a poor lady for a refund due to a glitch or malfunction online with your website. I enclose a copy of the e-ticket, and ask you to provide the monies by reversing purchase on my Chase Bank secure checking account x8695 for $137.70.

It is clear that a glitch occurred. I reserved for 6/7 (today), and instead, the print out reverted to 6/6 (yesterday). By the time I realized by 11 AM, my refund was impossible based on Amtrak’s terms/ however, it is undeniable that something unusual happened.

I was crushed, as I was forced to abandon my trip which I had been looking forward to for some time to Philly. Accompanying this glitch, I lost another $75 on other booking arrangements with the hotel and AirBNB.

So please don’t tell me that it was human error or an older person’s mistake. Truth be told, some gremlin or nearby scam artist hacked into the system and ruined it for me. I live on a Social Security benefit and need every penny. So, I beg you, please make an exception in my case and refund the payment 100%.

I hope to try again this summer to go somewhere, but from now on will only purchase in person at the Amtrak station man first/.

Sincerely, Mary Khazak Grant,

originally sent to:

Amtrak Refunds

Box 70

William H Gray III 30th St. Station

2955 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA [protected] NO REPLY

--------------------------

proof of purchase from my bank ledger: 1115

Chase Bank NA

date of transaction: 6/3/23 Posting Date: 6/5/23

entry: Amtrak.com Trans. [protected] Washington, DC 0603

method: online Amt: $137.70

Reservation #-D30F9E

INCIDENT-#421-6/18/2023-Longview TX-Removal from car #2130-Bedroom C. about 3:30 PM. Told that all passengers going west of San Antonio TX had to vacate the train.

CIRCUMSTANCE-Bussed to Houston 225 miles west without any provision for the services we paid for. AMTRAK knew full well that #1 had no provision for us. Forced to endure a night with no sleep (in lounge car) and wait in San Antonio TX for our sleeper to arrive at 4 A.M.-the same one I was forced to vacate at Longview. Over 100 people left in crowded waiting room at San Antonio Station or forced to remail on platform with high heat and humidity. Suspect that AMTRAK removed us at Longview to avoid paying for overnight lodgings for westbound passengers on a 3 day a week train.