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Amtrak launches eTickets
Amtrak has also been trying it on the San Joaquins and the Capitol Corridor for a few months.
Good job Amtrak in not only advancing into the 21st century of e-ticket travel, but this should provide customers with a lot more convenience and security. This should also save Amtrak money in the long run.
The e-tickets do not have the price of the trip on them, useless for expense reports. And, you cannot get a receipt either - at least not on the Acela.
If what Jeffrey writes is correct, Congress must have told Amtrak to begin e-ticketing. When did that happen?
Finally. It was always a hassle to have to have someone stay at the house all day waiting to sign for the ticket when I was visiting friends in Granby, Co. This is like a whole new world of convenience for those who live far from Quik-Trak machines.
A good move on Amtrak’s part, although a bit late in coming. This should be very attractive to riders.
Late, just like typical old dinosaur Amtrak. But why should anything be done in a timely manner? Government agencies answering to nobody except Congress have no need to do anything until Congress says it must be done. And then, much time and money is wasted in the process of performing the task.
Several years ago Amtrak mailed tickets to your house if you ordered them a couple of weeks in advance. For some reason (probably a brilliant idea from the mind of a government appointee) that practice was stopped. This is a restoration of a small amount of sanity in the ticketing process, and it’s about time, also.
For expense reports use your emailed confirmation and if you need the ticket you have that, too. BTW everybody, remember that government pays the salaries of 72,000 FAA employees, maintains all the ports, dredges all the rivers, builds all the roads, does precious little for Amtrak or any rail.
California leads the way again! Met a conductor on a Surfiner train and said he was having a ball with the new device. I’ll like it so I can print tickets at home for those unstaffed stations, many of which I’d like to see the baggage service return…
California leads the way again! Met a conductor on a Surfiner train and said he was having a ball with the new device. I’ll like it so I can print tickets at home for those unstaffed stations, many of which I’d like to see the baggage service return…
Great idea. Don’t let Congress find out.
Computerized ticketing increases customers. Make it easier and more convenient for consumers to purchase tickets, goods, services online and they tend to patronize those businesses. I have seen repeated examples of this phenomenon in action, including examples from the world of tourist railroading where eTicketing boosts ridership during what would ordnarily be slack periods. Amtrak’s ridership statistics will be no different. Now, all it needs is the equipment and infrastructure improvements necessary to accommodate all of its new patrons. That will happen as soon as the Luddite Republicans in the House of Representatives are removed from office and the U.S. resumes its rightful place among the modern nations of the world who are leading the race in cutting-edge RR technology.