by:  Diane Benjamin

High speed rail has been shown many times not to be so high-speed.  Since it’s still Amtrak, success is questionable.

Below is a first hand account from a friend of mine travelling via Amtrak yesterday:

 So if you are planning on taking the Empire builder train with Amtrak anytime before September 30th, don’t do it.

They have major repair issues or something going on until then.

My first trip from Bloomington to Chicago was delayed by 5 hours. My current return trip is delayed by 7 hours and I haven’t left Minneapolis yet. I’m missing my connection train in Chicago now. I’ve been told that Amtrak usually buses people when this happens and the trains aren’t running.

If they give me a free hotel stay and a new ticket for tomorrow and some comps then I’ll delete this post. I’ll also make a post about ongoing deals with Amtrak

Later he posted:

Its midnight. Amtrak just put me and 5 riders in the lounge room at Union Station. We are locked in here until the next train at 7.  We can’t leave unless we call a police officer.

There are only chairs, you know the uncomfortable hard kind.

There is literally a 74 year old woman in tears.  She thinks she might faint.

Were given drinks, no food

After the 8 hour delay.
#amtrak

That’s not the first Amtrak horror story I’ve heard!  Can you top this one?

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