Amtrak
reviews and complaints

My husband and I booked a round trip to Seattle from Chicago on the Empire Maker, and a return trip via Sacramento on the Coast Starlight and the California Zephyr. We planned to visit our son an his family there. We booked a roomette for each leg of the trip and paid in full on March 1st for a trip scheduled to begin in 9 days. Our first notice that there was a problem was in the form of an email this afternoon, informing us that we had been refunded a large portion of our payment. No explanation as to why. When we went to the website to view our reservations, the first leg of our trip had been changed from a roomette with sleeping accommodations to coach seating. We were never previously informed of the change. When we called customer service to inquire, we were told by “Alex G”, who supposedly was not allowed to reveal his last name, that there had been a scheduling change, delaying the departure for 45 minutes, and that when they got to reissuing the tickets for us, there were no more roomettes left. My husband and I are senior citizens. We had no desire to spend 52 hours on a train sitting in a seat with no sleeping facilities. We requested that Amtrak refund the full amount for that leg of the trip, and we would keep our reservations for the return trip, or we would like a refund for the entire trip. We were told that was not possible, because cancellations require 15 days notice, and we’re only 9 days away from our departure. This is in spite of the fact we had no notice of the fact that our trip had been changed until today.

We have been planning this trip for months, talking it up with our friends, and watching YouTube videos describing the train trip. We have reservations at a VRBO, which we will forfeit, if we have to cancel our trip. After this, we will never consider using Amtrak again, and will make sure everyone we know is aware of this atrocious customer service.

Unfortunately, one of the passengers got sick and he tested positive with COVID-19. I contacted Amtrak every day to solve my problem and explained that the passenger really wanted to travel, but couldn’t due to his health problem.

I sent to Amtrak the proof of the official test result report where it was possible to see this whole situation. I called Amtrak and they told me for I open refund request, that never was answered. I never received a response from Amtrak, and I never received my money.

It is possible to check the cancellation policy in Amtrak Website:

https://www.amtrak.com/refund-and-cancellation-policy

I tried everything to get my money but the truth is that Amtrak never answered me. To make this situation worse, I fam unemployed which makes my life even more difficult, and which deserved reinforced attention according to what happened to me. This is causing me serious health problems, as I discovered that I have an autoimmune disease, and this situation is making my disease even worse, which is mostly affected by stress. I need this money to survive and nobody at the company wants to know. I have all the proves andI am available to provide more information. Please help me please.

Please refund my money.

Regards,

Bruno

I booked a vacation package for 4 adults with Amtrak Vacations going for June 17 to June 24 going from Washington DC to Chicago and from Chicago to Seattle and San Francisco. Got to Union Station in Washington on 6/17 and learned that tickets were only available for 2 adults and the train was sold out. In order to make the connecting train on 6/18 from Chicago to Seattle, we had to drive 9 to 10 hours through the night to Chicago. I initially booked a bedroom car and a roomette but was later told that Amtrak took off the bedroom cars because it was short staffed and we could only have 2 roomettes. What we actually got was a roomette for 2 and coach for 2. We also saw that Amtrak was indeed running bedroom cars on the train. We finally got a roomette and bedroom car on the leg of the trip from Seattle to San Francisco. On 6/18, I was promised a refund to my credit card for the leg of trip from Washington, DC to Chicago as well as for the roomette that we did not get from Chicago to Seattle. I still have not seen a refund. Getting through to customer service is pretty near nonexistent.

Depart 7: 35pm Train No. 421 6/30/22 - 7/1/22

Tucson Az - Los Angeles Union Station Reservation No. C8AC27

Ticket No. [protected].

7 hours delayed made it very distressing, uncomfortable, painful, and so discomforting miserable for my Mother and I and she's disable!

A specific resolution will be vouchers!

Thank you much!

Mrs Berma Mayberry

Miss Alice Mayberry

[protected]@juno.com

[protected]

(562) [protected]

My family & I took a train trip from Purcell,OK.. to Fort Worth TX. on [protected]. Our train departed at 9;02am should have arrived at 12:30, we arrived at Fort Worth TX. at 4:00. We were on the train for 7 hours, instead of 3,1/2hours. one way. We had no time to do anything we had planned that day, we had to run & get dinner, bring it back to the train, & eat it on the train & get ready for a 3,1/2 trip back to Purcell, OK. My 8year old daughter & son were very disappointed that we didn't get to do anything fun on our trip. We would like a full refund of $189.00, no train vouchers. Then we could take that money, & have a real vacation. We have taken the train before so we know we can go to the Stockyards & spend 3,1/2 hours. Thank You.

My two friends and I thru a travel agent acquired round trip tickets to Florida on the auto train. We were not taking a car but was assured by the ticket agent that we could ride it without a car. We got the train in Lortan Va. no problem. Return trip from Sanford Fla was a nightmare. A man named Rahshid refused us to board. Told him we were granted seats on train 53 for trip to Florida. He said "well your luck just ran out" I asked him how were we suppose to get home and his reply was "not on this train."We had confirmed tickets that were paid for on train 52 and showed him them. Then he told us to rent a car. He made us take another train from a train station in Winter Park Fla. Our driver taking us to train station was inconvienced plus it cost us more money. It wasnt our fault that we were issued the tickets we thought it was all ok. Of incidental note my one friend is blind and I am hard of hearing and we our all in our seventies. We were treated very rudely and I will never travel by Amtrak again or recommend it to anyone. Dates for this fiasco were June 5th departure and June 12th 2022 was the return date. apparently the right hand doesn"t know what the left hand is doing in your poorly run company

I am writing about the service the Amtrak train 91 and 92. A bought a round trip ticket from Columbia SC to Savannah GA. Two tickets $78.00. We left Columbia on train 91 June 15,2022 at 1:49AM and arrives in Savannah GA at 5:30. That was a hour late. Our return was June 20,2022 but decide to come back June19,2022. We had to pay a extra 27.00. We took train 92 out of Savannah GA. Train 92 was to depart at 1:30 and arrives in Columbia SC at 4:00 AM. Train 92 did depart until 5:00 AM and arrives in Columbia SC until 10:00 AM. Train 92 was going slow. I do not know why it was going so slow.

I am writing to file a complaint with Amtrak for services on 6/11 and 6/17. First, I was traveling with my sister who requires accessible seating, she travels with a wheelchair and a walker and I was traveling with my 14 year old son who is still very dependent.

Upon boarding the 4:30 train at Philadelphia, it was packed. A woman traveling with her infant and companion had to leave the seats that were for my sister and a companion. I told my son to sit with my sister because I didn't want him on another cart by himself. Meanwhile, I had to search for a seat, but returned to my sister and son after not finding one close by. My sister opted to sit in her wheelchair from Philadelphia to Norfolk, Virginia.

While in Fredericksburg, Virginia, the conductor announced that he could no longer drive the train because he could not exceed 12 hours and that his relief was traveling from Richmond. We waited 45 minutes or so. We were supposed to arrive to my mother's who is recovering from a near death illness at 11:30pm. My brother who picked us up from the train station had his five year old daughter with him when we arrived after 1:15 AM. By the time we were situated and in bed it was 3:00am. My sister requires rest and meds and she took ill later that day.

Our return trip was just as crowded. People did not wear masks, some were coughing and families were separated. The wheelchair accessible bathroom was full of water/urine that I cleaned with gloves and my foot so my sister would not slip and fall. Even after cleaning, tissue was all over the floor. There were people who came around to collect trash but did not check the bathrooms.

It was pointless to collect tickets a second time since everyone was scattered. Passengers had to assist me in getting my sister off the train in her wheelchair because no one came and said anything to us about a ramp upon our sudden arrival to Philadelphia. We were afraid we would be stuck on the train. After everyone had boarded and de-boarded the train, my family and I were the only ones standing on the platform. The train had not left the station yet. Moments later, the conductor comes and says she was coming and there was only two of them.

Lastly, it has been two days since our return trip to Philadelphia and I tested positive for COVID today after showing symptoms yesterday, which I think was from the crowded unmasked train.

Sincerely,

Nayjuana Stephens

I’m in a roomette from Wilmington to west palm beach. We were supposed to arrive at 5:00 pm. It’s 11:00pm and we’ve been sitting in Tampa for over an hour. I need to take a taxi from train station to PBI to pick up my car which I left there in long term parking. I’m stressed as to not be able to get a taxi to pbi because we’re so late and maybe the parking lot is closed at pbi. Closes at 1 am. This is by far the worst train experience I’ve ever had. You even ran out of food. Everyone is tired and cranky. Please put my points back in my travel bank. Thanks

Jill Johnson. [protected]

[protected]@aol.com

I was on the 5:00 pm Amtrak Train From New Haven to Hartford. Your employer made me get off in Meriden Ct becouse my dog kept barking. My dog gets over protetivewhen she heres a noise, My dog was in a crate. I am a perso with a disability. You and that female employer don't like people like me.

RES# F1B22D

Train 2, Sunset Limited May 29, 2022

Los Angeles, CA - New Orleans, LA

Car 230 Room 3

My name is Jackie Dickson. I traveled with my husband, Ricky Dickson, approximately 7000 miles by rail between May 23, 2022 and June 5, 2022. We were on five different trains, and the Sunset Limited wins the award for being the hands-down, absolutely, worst experience of the entire trip.

First, I want to take a moment to say what an excellent job Robin and Monika did of providing the best service they could, never complaining, and always with a smile on their face. Their professionalism was always present as they continued to serve us under circumstances an employee should never be placed in. The Titanic is the only traveling experience I can think of that would have been harder for someone in a service industry to continue working and remaining pleasant while experiencing the same unfortunate circumstances their patrons were.

This unfortunate experience was caused by a failing air conditioning system, in a part of the country that requires temperature control for survival. The train was already four hours behind, and evidently the decision was made to not report this because of the additional time that would be lost. It was impossible to remain in the sleeping rooms, and sleep on an upper berth was very hot, and very impossible. We shared our sleeper car with several of the Amtrak employees. They finally abandoned the sleeper, since they had to find a place to sleep some before rising to continue to serve what were now very unhappy patrons. Our scheduled arrival at 9:40 PM on the 31st became 2:00AM on June 1. So not only were our two days on the Sunset Limited unbearable, one of our days in New Orleans was lost to much-needed sleep. If anyone reading this is thinking, what would the customer like to see happen to make this right? The answer is a full refund of this portion of the trip, as well as one night of my hotel stay, since I never even saw the hotel until the next day. I understand that vouchers are sometimes offered in circumstances such as these. It would take quite a voucher to make me walk away from a refund of my money, since I haven't decided if another Amtrak train trip is something I would ever consider doing.

I have always received excellent service with Amtrak, and I hope this was an isolated event, but I await to hear from you regarding what can be done to make this right.

Hi I AM VERY VERY UPSET the way Amtrak is running anymore, no courtesy, hateful rude people going up and down the isles and the trip I had back I thought I was going to die from heat. On May 30th my friend and I arrived in Houston at the train/bus station where we caught our bus back to Longview Texas.. We left Houston at 1:a5-1;15 and headed back to Longview. Before we got on we were told something very disturbing about our train and we were given a choice to make another reservation, only to find out we couldn't get that train until the 4th of June, Now how many people has the money to reschedule and stay that long. NOT ME not my friend that traveled with me, we both have jobs and are on disability plus I have had a liver transplant and didn't pack enough medication for me to stay that long. It would have cost an arm and a leg, to get another rental, hotel and whatever.. So we went, we had to sit in that train station till1:00 am and I tried to get a sleeper on the way back and they wanted 250 more on top of what I paid, that there was absolutely wrong with all we were going through already. Me having 27 surgeries, 7 on my neck, 3 lower back surgeries, liver transplant, spleen removed, elbow, 4 on my nasal which made it worse to breathe and the gentlemen behind the desk said Amtrak is not going to give anyone any accommodations, I have been with them to many years not to know this. Another issue. With as huge as y'all are and can't even have someone fix the AC unit but let someone have a stroke or die from Asthma or something. Shame on you guys.. I am so disgusted with this trip that I will be traveling another way from now on and I will tell everyone how we got treated while riding in no air. The last guy that came on board was very upset and told everyone to contact Amtrak when we could and complain. He brought big bags of ice and passed it around the only one who cared. Amtrak is huge and could have called someone to meet us at a train stop and fix that AC, I talked to several people who knows these trains and they threw a fit the way this was NOT handled but let us get sick and overheated. You honestly need to make this right because people depend on this transportation to get around and us that our disabled anyway can't handle this kind of stuff, I tried sitting in there to eat and the conductor said no, what a shame.. So we got in Springfield at around 1:30 - 1:45 Wed am and I got back home at 3:30 am and I am still not back to normal, I feel like I have been beaten with a bat and then hit by a mac truck, and I am not exaggerating one bit.. How would you handle this without complaining? Not very well. One very unhappy elderly lady here!

Hi,

I rode the 283 train today from Albany to Depew.

Can the toilets be filled with a citrus deodorant? Can anyone put a swiffer on the train to clean up urine on the floor? Can the tank be drained more regularly? The odor travels to the business class more than the regular cabins. I hate flying and driving, but I think I'll have to balance gross odors with driving now.

Thanks,

Sue

Train 52 in Sanford did not make the run as scheduled. I received a notice stating a 1 hour delay and that was ok. On the morning of Departure May 16, I was packed and leaving for Sanford to get train 52. Two day later I see an email telling me of a further delay, too late I already left home for the station and was not able to check my email. Upon my arrival at the Sanford train station, I get in line with other car. Upon reaching the gate I was told that train 52 would not be leaving until midnight or later. I decided to drive as a 10 hour delay was not expected. My new cars needed serviced and I thought ok I still have many miles before I reach my service mileage. In driving the 1000 miles, I went over my service mileage, stayed 2 nights in hotels and was inconvienced greatly with new related expenses that I had not given a lot of thought before as I figured I was getting on the train. Not a happy camper with Amtrak at this time. No reason to say more as I believe you get the understanding of my message. There was a long line of unhappy customers as I left the station. Amtrak need to address this inconvience to all the customers who were getting on train 52.

In 2020 my husband purchased a ticket for the auto train to go from VA to FL for a family wedding, which was cancelled and rescheduled because of covid. It was rescheduled to May 2021. He was unable to go because I was suffering with severe anxiety and depression and he couldn't leave me alone. He was issued a voucher that expired on April 28, 2022, but was unable to use that because I am still dealing with anxiety and depression. I wrote to Amtrak 3 times between March and April 2022, with no response. We paid $1,267.00 and I would like a refund.

Lucia Canales

[protected]@comcast.net

[protected]

Complaint:

Yesterday trains were severely delayed from Philadelphia to New York, and we couldn't get through to your customer service. I'm writing to request a refund for the trip. We ended up catching an Uber to New York.

RESERVATION NUMBER 1B6627

RES# 1B6627-30APR22

PHL NYP One-Way

Philadelphia, PA New York, NY

MAY 2, 2022

William H Gray III 30th St. Sta. Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Sta.

TRAIN NORTHEAST REGIONAL Philadelphia, PA - William H Gray III 30th St. Sta.

DEPARTS ARRIVES (Mon May 2)

To New York, NY - Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Sta.

84 May 2, 2022 1:14 PM 2:38 PM 2 Coach Seats

PASSENGERS (2) AMTRAK GUEST REWARDS

CANALES, LUCIA ADULT No member number provided. Join at Amtrak.com

REYES, CHRISTOPHER ADULT No member number provided. Join at Amtrak.com

Proper identification is required for all passengers. This document is valid for only passengers listed. See www.amtrak.com/ID for details.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• CANCELLATION FEE MAY APPLY.

• Congratulations on reducing your carbon footprint. This train trip will produce 83% less greenhouse gas emissions than if you drive (saving

In 2020 my husband purchased a ticket for the auto train to go from VA to FL for a family wedding, which was canceled because of covid. He had to change the ticket date to May 2021. He was unable to go because I was dealing with extreme anxiety and depression and he didn't want to leave me alone. He was issued a voucher, but was unable to use it because I am still dealing with anxiety and depression. I have written to Amtrak 3 times over the last 6 weeks asking for a refund and all I get is an automated message saying they will get back to me. We are out $1,267.00, which we can't afford.

Made a trip Chicago-Grand Rapids april 23 2022 6;30 train number 370 The train delayed a lot. But the worst was a passenger that didnt speak english, disturbing me all trip asking when was gonna arive in Holland. I could not sleep, read, rest nothing. Til arrive in Holland he anoyed me all trip .Sad and bad. Hope to have a kind of reimbersiment for that and maynever happens again. Tks MARCELO SILVA PHONE [protected] [protected]@icloud.com

4/21/22

AMTAK online reservation system is crap. I have to call evey time I want to book a trip. I fill out all required information several times and when I click "Continue"...NOTHING! No explaination. Why do you have an online system if it so frustrating?

I am trying to book a round trip for two seniors, from Chicago to Lansing, MI. May 19 - 24, Coach

My Companion Gary Sandow and I Sheila Ford were returning to Lakeland Fl from Miami on Friday 15th of April. Gary had purchased a room on car 9212 room 4. As we boarded the train in Miami a woman by the name of Fay Garner introduced herself and explained that she was our attendant for the trip and would be taking care of us. Shorltly after the train departed, she stopped by and took our lunch order and time we wished to be served. We ordered and asked for a 1:30 time. She dropped off our lunch at 2:00 and we never saw her again. As we were approaching Lakeland FL I pushed the call button twice to get information on where we would be exiting the train. She never responded. Another passenger in the same car was also trying to find how to exit when we came to Lakeland. The three of us then walked the length of our car and another trying to find help. Some how we ended up at the luggage compartment. The young lady in front of us yelled for help to get us off, we were told to return to our rooms and the attendant that was in luggage would come to us. Her name was Mrs Garner but not the attendant we has met befor. This second lady came and asked us who was our attendant. The train had now continued on with us still on the train. She brought back Fay Garner who told us she has mistakenly thought we were going to Tamps. They would take us back to Lakeland but it would be an hour and 30 mins. When asked why she did not answer our call she said she was in a meeting. My companion siad he has seen her taking to someone earlier. She said she was sorry. Well I told her I would be filing a complaint and she said if I did I might cost her her job. She obviously wasn't doing her hob to start with. Our tickets clearly stated Lakeland FL not Tampa and never saw her after lunch delivery. All she had was the three of us for that stop, the rooms are more expensive then couch yet we were left and forgotten. If we had not gone searching for our own way off how long would we been stuck on the train. We have plans for additional travel in the future and had hopes of doing more train travel I no longer wish to do so. UNhappy traveler Sheila Ford