By Andrew C. Selden, Railway Age Magazine; June 18, 2018
Amtrak is embarked upon an aggressive plan to “de-staff” the majority of its stations, to “cut costs.” The project downgrades the service support for its largest and most commercially successful group of trains, the long-distance interregional services. Amtrak justifies this by the trend toward selling tickets on the web rather than from agents at stations.
De-staffing smaller stations is penny-wise, but pound-foolish. Agents do far more than sell tickets. Agents consult with customers contemplating the highest revenue trips and vacation packages. They provide checked baggage service and train status information. They are the face of the business in their community. They help passengers who miss a train or a connection. They can tell a passenger where to park a car, where to make a transit connection, and where to buy lunch while waiting for a train. They provide safety and security on platforms. They advise greeters when to expect a delayed arrival. They market Amtrak as a good choice for travel.
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