Amtrak announces grand opening. However has been used since late September 2013.
Visited it its first week and appears somewhat small for a LD passenger crowd but found one big problem.
-
Lounge is located west of the south end of station.
-
There is a surface service road from the station & lounge that crosses at the south end of the station to access all track platforms.
-
This road before did not cross any station tracks.
-
However the light rail extension from LAX US going south now crosses this surface road . The LRT extension is protected by flashers and crossing gates.
-
When a southbound LRT approaches the Union station platform the crossing gates are activated even though the LRT was not even in view.
-
During the whole dwell time at the station the crossing gates remained active until the LRT passed the service road…
-
Lounge passengers and disabled are carried across the LRT tracks in small 8 passenger carts… We had to wait 17 minutes
-
During off hours a LRT appears to wait at its platform for time.
-
There is no time out provision in the crossing gate mechanism.
-
The back up for both passengers and baggage caused a slight delay in departure of the Sunset… This problem needs to be fixed
NOTE: all this was late September and may have been fixed now but if not ? ?
http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/406/751/Amtrak-Metropolitan-Lounge-Grand-Opening-LA-ATK-13-155.pdf