Enjoying a speedy (148 mph)
ride to Boston last week on Acela, I started thinking about the differences
between Amtrak and Metro-North. Both are
railroads, but each has a different mission.
Still, there are a few things Metro-North could learn from its national
counterpart.
QUIET CARS: Amtrak invented the concept in 2000 and
it’s been a big success. The cars are
well marked and the “library-like atmosphere” rules are explained and enforced,
both by conductors and passengers. But
on Metro-North, the QuietCalmute concept
didn’t happen until 2011. The cars are
not marked and the rules are seldom enforced.
WI-FI: Here again, Amtrak was an early
adopter offering free Wi-Fi in 2010. The
response was so great that the “tubes” were quickly clogged, forcing a major
tech upgrade. Today on any Northeast
Corridor train (not just Acela) the Wi-Fi is fast and dependable, allowing
passengers to be productive all through their journey. Metro-North says it has no plans for Wi-Fi.
FIRST CLASS: For those that want it, first class
seating is available on Amtrak complete with at-seat dining options. The upgrade from coach isn’t cheap, but
highly popular and the cars are usually full.
When the New Haven RR ran our trains, there were private parlor cars on
some commuter runs. Given the
demographics on MNRR, I’m pretty sure a premium seating option would be quite
popular. But none is planned.
DYNAMIC PRICING: Book an advance seat on Amtrak and
you’ll find three different ticket prices, the cheapest akin to airlines’ no-show / no-refund
pricing, and others with higher fares giving you more flexibility. Because Metro-North doesn’t book seats, they
only offer peak and off-peak fares. You
can walk up and grab a ride anytime on Metro-North. But on Amtrak you usually must have a
reservation and be pre-ticketed.
REFUNDS: Once
I was on an over-booked Acela with literally no empty seats. After arrival I contacted Amtrak and was
given a full refund for being a standee for 3+ hours. On Metro-North your ticket only gets you a
ride, not a guarantee of seating.
REWARDS:
Amtrak has a great Amtrak Guest Rewards
program where your loyalty gets you points toward upgrades and free
tickets. Last year I went from Chicago
to LA (in a private bedroom, meals included) for free, just using points I’d
earned riding Acela. There’s also a
co-branded credit card where everyday purchases earn you these perks. On Metro-North, no points, perks or rewards.
NEW CARS: To its
credit, Amtrak has already ordered the next generation of its popular “high
speed” Acela trains long before the current rolling stock has worn out. On Metro-North the railroad and CDOT waited
until 2005 to order the new M8 cars to replace older cars that were 25+ years
into their 20-year life expectancy and were being held together with gaffers
tape.
ON-TIME PERFORMANCE: If your train is running late on Amtrak,
they’ll text or e-mail you, just like the airlines. On Metro-North, they only Tweet or e-mail if
several trains are affected. On
Metro-North trains are considered “on time” if they’re up to six minutes late,
so the railroad’s 90+% on time record is dubious. Still, it’s better than Amtrak where even
Acela, the pride of their fleet, is on-time only 74% of the time (even
including a 10 minute leeway).
Apples and oranges? Sure.
These two railroads are quite different.
But Metro-North has a monopoly while Amtrak must compete with everything
from discount buses to the airlines. Maybe
that’s why Amtrak is better?
Reprinted with permission of Hearst CT Media.
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