Amtrak train timing question?

Question

need a train from boston to baltimore

there is a train that goes from boston to RI and from RI to baltmore which only shows up if i search for it in that fashion

but if i search for boston straight to baltimore it doesnt show up,,,,

same train #, times and everything

y is this?

Answer 1

first of all, where in RI?  and, i dont understand what your question really is or what you are trying to do?

are you trying to actually leave from some station in rhode island?  or are you riding from boston to baltimore and you want someone in rhode island to get on the same train to join you for a portion of trip?  

OOH OOH! i just remembered, there is a bridge replacement going on at new london that will close the rail line completely for several days.  So, depending on your travel date, you might be trying to book a train for one of these dates.  since the trains are actually NOT operating thru, then it is VERY possible that it is actually 2 different trainSETS that day, ie a BOS-westerly RI where it terminates, and then another train set from New London to washington dc.  amtrak was going to run some alternate services or detours, but not for all schedules.  so in this case, talk to amtrak ticket clerk or 800 res agent directly to ask your question, they have the complete advisory and can tell you what is going on.  i know there is stuff going on, but im in illinois so im not paying much attention to that story...but i do remember reading about it, it was supposed to happen last week and a problem with the counterweight happened, and they had to reschedule the dates to try again in the next week or two, i forget when.

or are you going boston-baltimore, and perhaps the train is "sold out", or at least showing sold out per the computer.  see below for more on this....

chances are, the train from boston to baltimore is stopping at various other points along the way, such as providence, new york, philly, etc.  so, if you are trying to actually use a RI station for some purpose, it should be the same train.  so, try to book exactly what you want, dont try to infer other things that may or may not apply with other city pairs.

now, another possibility is that spaces may not be available at all, or the computer inventory people might be purposely controlling the computer to prohibit certain sales temporarily, or there could be some cases where trains split or join en route, thus changing total capacity availalbe for sale.

so it is hard to say for sure.

frequently, "short sales" are prohibited until a few days or weeks before departure, to allow "longer distance" sales to occur.  thus, as an example, say, BOS-PVD would show sold out, while BOS-BAL would be showing available.  so even though the seat would have to be available BOS-PVD if it is available bos-bal, there may be a temporary block on selling it for such a short distance, so that it remains available for a longer-distance passenger that might want to book, and thus paying giving the carrier a higher revenue.

altho' it sounds like in your case, it is opposite.  the seat is available bos-pvd, but not bos-bal.  so again, it could be inventory control, but this might be a train that will have coaches added en route.  (altho' probably not at providence, but i dont know--i think on that route, most likely is that any coaches would be added at new haven for when the springfield mass split portion of train is added, or maybe additional cars are added at new york).  so say for example, if this train is normally a washington dc to boston AND a washington dc to springfield MA, it could be 2 trains combined together as 1 for washington-new haven, where it then splits into 2 parts.  and of course, same for return, it could be 2 separate trains, 1 a BOS-WAS, and the other train a SPG-BOS.  as 2 separate trains to new haven, where they then join to become 1 train the rest of the way south to WAS.

so in your case, perhaps the train is available BOS-NHV even, but then maybe when the 2nd train is added at NHV and perhaps a huge huge crowd is getting on at NHV where they were booked by the computer on the BOS-WAS train, then your train might be "sold out" for a BOS-BAL itinerary, but then you could move to the SPG section of train at NHV once it is attached, thus still creating a BOS-BAL trip albeit having to do it by (what we call at amtrak) a "split space".

whew, that is just 2 examples, there are many more examples.  and the ticket agent or 800# probably wont know exactly either, as equipment matters are the Operation Department's domain, and the computer controlling of inventory for fares, short sales, etc is Yield Management's domain.  none of these departments write or tell what they are doing to other departments, especially to ticket clerks.

so, although you should try to book direct space BOS-BAL, it is permissible, and done by ticket clerks frequently, to split space, if you can only get the train by splitting the reservation over an intermediate city code, then that is ok so that we make the sale and we as agents can and do do it, but it is not preferred, simply bcs the general public doesnt like to have to move seats, or dont understand what "split space" is all about, or bcs we are over-riding what Yield Management is trying to do (but hey, if they dont tell us, then how are we to know???).

so, even if same train #, there might be a temporary problem that the train is not operating thru, thus prohibiting thru sales while allowing short sales.  this would be my 1st guess.

but it could be other factors too, such as yield mgt or other operational factors.

*** ok, well, not sure who gave me a thumbs down, and dont know why.  i worked for amtrak for 12 yrs as a ticket clerk or reservations clerk, and was even a trainer of new hires for 3 yrs.  i have  SOME  knowledge of the amtrak ARROW/STARS computer system, what with more than a decade of experience working on it every day.  and so far, i dont see anyone else responding, so, if you have a better answer, please post it for us to see.***