Amtrak

Last trip I took was Dec 22, extremely rude staff, headed by a loud Hispanic female Frances. Omg.
As one attempts to clamber on board, she bellows, Get On ! Go Upstairs!
Reminds me of great grandmother’s one way to Nuremberg. Hurry Up!

When I first started riding the train out of Seattle … to visit fam and tour the northwest… it was all about the function of the trip… granted the outside of the station has always looked like something from a by gone era. But a few years ago they started the renovation of the inside of the building and gave us a glimpse of what was to come by cutting away some of the dry wall that was obscuring the ol’ plaster work.
These days something like 8 trains run south to portland and beyond and 1 or 2 run east towards chicago from a revamped station. I grab a train twice a month and out of Seattle they almost always run on time. I think the latest they have ever been have been 20 minutes. And by the nature of rail travel they are on time to their destination 90% of the time which is an extra benefit, in addition to bathrooms in every car, booze, food, wifi, etc. But this review should be more about the station itself. On the edge of downtown, near the stadiums, super clean with helpful staff and like I was saying at the start of the review a great spot to sit and soak up the view.

My partner and I just received the most racist, classist and completely offensive service on your train, in your stations and by the customer relations department.
Coming to Seattle, my partner experienced feces, blood and other bio hazardous conditions in the coach trains’ bathrooms, racist conversations about Mexican immigrants from your onboard staff with other passengers and felt unsafe for the remainder of the trip. After reporting all of these problems, she was issued NOT a full refund but $ 50 and was not able to actually get on a train until 2 days after her original departure date.
As we arrived on Monday to the Seattle King Street Station, at the gate, the «conductor» was rude, condescending and sarcastic to my partner when we asked how long until boarding. We did not receive actual answer that made sense. It was something like «let’s take baby steps» and continued to talk slowly as to insult our intelligence. My partner calmly walked away and asked me to handle the discussion with the «conductor». I called out his behavior and he denied my experience of him while mocking my hand movements and mimicked my words. My partner was frustrated with the situation, rightly so as she is attempting to go home to her children, called him an asshole for speaking to me that way. He then denied her travel. We were marked as «violent» and «aggressive» and I believe only because we are Visibly Brown and Black people. I have seen many instances in the past in which white passengers were out of line and called conductors and onboard staff assholes, bitches and other vulgar terms with no consequence.
I am a travel rewards member and will not be returning to use Amtrak as a service ever again.
I have already called customer relations who initially hung up on me when I requested to hear what action would be taken surrounding this incident. Then, the ticket was refunded but this is not the appropriate action to be taken.

Great service from Seattle to Portland. The station was clean and the staff were attentive at directing passengers to the propers gates.

Train was 3 hours late. Completely forget that on the west coast Amtrak shares lines with Freight Trains. Never again.

We took my mother and cousin to the King Street Station today (8-​3-​2015) to catch the 507 Amtrak Cascades from Seattle to Vancouver, WA.
The renovated King Street Station is a true gem. We were awed by the grand beauty of the place.
We were even more impressed by the incredibly helpful staff, especially the Amtrak employee who helped find the seats in Seattle and then was there to help my mother and cousin off the train in Vancouver (see photo).
We really appreciated the attentive and very kind service.
Thank you so much!

Arranging a train ride from Seattle to Vancouver was supposed to be a fun, stress-​free experience. I had heard great reviews from previous travelers and had taken Amtrak often on the east coast while a consultant.
My experience booking a ticket had been a nightmare. When I first booked my ticket I had made a mistake in schedule, quickly realized it, and attempted to change dates. My credit card was rejected for «incorrect» zip code several times and so I was forced to call in to change my reservation. My zip code was not incorrect, it was the exact same one I used to book my first ticket.
Apparently, my credit card was still rejected even calling an agent to help and I was told to pay on site. When I arrived at the Amtrak station in Seattle for my bus ride, I went to the counter and paid the fare difference. There was no other way I could have gotten my ticket because of my situation. I wasn’t told anything else and simply handed my tickets.
When I departed back to Seattle from Vancouver, I misplaced my ticket on the nightstand of the apartment I was staying at. I was in a hurry and neglected to bring it, but I didn’t think it would be a problem. Coming back, I stood in line to reprint my ticket and was asked to repay the full fare for my ticket. MY FULL FARE. This was TO REPRINT A PIECE OF PAPER I HAD BEEN FORCED TO PICK UP A FEW DAYS AGO.
I called customer service and was told that there was no choice given how «I paid for my ticket» and was a rare exception. First, how does this make any sense? I paid my fare in full and had no choice because I needed to make my schedule change via a kiosk. The agent who printed my tickets told me absolutely nothing as it was late in the night. Second, if I booked my travel in any other way, this could have been avoidable — paying the same amount? Why would it even be an option in the first place if there is absolutely no benefit? Finally, even if I couldn’t get on the train, I paid a Refundable Value fare rather than a Saver Fare which guarantees a refund and a penalty of 10% if there is less than 24 hours notification — which I was not allowed to do either.
I was desperate to get back to Seattle as I had a flight out the very next day and had no choice to pay the fare. Over $ 100 for a one way ticket to Seattle. I could have taken a bus for $ 20 or even rented a car for $ 60. I am so incredibly unhappy that I was taken advantage of, my cousin needed to get back to work the next day and I had my flight to catch later the next day. This is not at all the Amtrak that I had come to respect. With so much scrutiny recently with a train derailing and injuring many passengers, I can’t possibly have any more faith in this company. Where is the respect?

Beautiful station but totally disorganized. Stood in one line, then another. No signs as where to check bags, scan tickets. Get here way before the recommended 30 minute time. About an hour or so especially if you don’t travel by train a lot.

I only walked through here from my train to the bus outside, but the station is gorgeous! Full of marble and big pillars, and the people working there were decently helpful. Our bus driver was fantastic, really hilarious.

We arrived late and they let us board right before the train left, thanks Amtrak.
This was my 1^st train trip in years but I enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure at 1^st whether we should rent a car and drive to Portland or try the train but the train wound up being pretty cheap and pain free.

Maybe it’s because this was my first train ride but I thoroughly enjoyed my experience on Amtrak.
I went from Seattle to Vancouver WA. The trip should have been three hours but added an hour when the train in front of us had a medical emergency.
From a cost standpoint it was a fraction of what a one way car rental would have been. I had a chance to crash out for a bit «sorry about my snoring other passengers.» relax and take pictures of things I’m sure I wouldn’t have seen driving.
I’m definitely going to use the train again. Maybe the next one will be the LA to San Diego ride I’ve had on my list of things to do for a long time.
Cheers.

In the last few months, I’ve taken Amtrak from Seattle to Corvallis (Albany), Seattle to Portland, and now Seattle to Leavenworth. Each time has great service, very attentive staff, power at every seat, and with advanced purchase never spent more than $ 40 one way. If you want to avoid the hassles of driving the I-​5 corridor or crossing the mountain passes with snow in winter or fire and rock blasting in summer, then Amtrak out of Seattle is your best bet!

The renovation is done! It’s phenomenal.
I recently traveled out of here to Vancouver, and had the chance to sit in the station and just revel. I felt transported back in time, to the richness of the 20s. The crowd about me was your average train-​traveling crowd, but the building wrapped around us was just beautiful. The marble… Good gracious the marble is breathtaking.
I was on the Coast Starlight, which is a moving national park during the summer months if you’d like the tour guide narration in the sight-​seeing car. I really enjoyed it! Give it a go and enjoy.

Seattle to Vancouver train 510. Car 6.
Sat next to a very expressive family group of 12. Adults talking about their lives, daily going ons, next cruises, college plans, politics, haiku, teen practicing auditioning for Idol (badly),
Broadcasting card games, little ones screaming at will, all as if the train car is their living room. For 3 hours. FML
Star Trek door swoosh sound effect every time door between cars opened.
What there not to like?

The Amtrak «Empire Builder» is their train line that runs between Seattle and Chicago. If you have the time and don’t mind spending a bit more for sleeping accommodations, this train is very civilized alternative to the misery that has become air travel. I like to think of it as ‘travel at the speed of life’. That said, rail travel may or may not be your cup of tea.
THE ROSES: Unlike the Cascades, which runs from Vancouver BC to Eugene, the Empire Builder has a real dining car that turns out very respectable and reasonably priced meals, considering the size of the galley they have to work in. The conductors and sleeping car staff are very nice and helpful as well. On our outbound trip from Seattle to East Glacier, MT, the SC attendant played pleasant swing tunes from the 30s and 40s in the car, which really helped the ambiance. Compared to airplanes, seats are huge and comfortable. Legroom is not an issue on these trains. The Lounge Car is very nice as well, but unfortunately is only on the part of the train that goes to Portland, OR. If you’re on the Seattle train, you have to wait until the Portland departure links up with your train in Spokane WA before you can use that car. The scenery is one of the big draws, but unfortunately under the current schedule, you’re passing through the Rockies in the dark.
THE THORNS: The staff, while clearly trying their best, can be variable. One SC attendant allowed (and even participated in) loud conversations in the corridor late at night while I was trying to sleep. Another let the bathrooms get pretty gross with overflowing wastebaskets, and no coffee in the morning. When you’re paying roughly a $ 200 or more/​night premium for a sleeping compartment, you expect these little extras. Another very big issue concerns westbound EB trains. Due to the volume of coal and oil trains heading west on the tracks that the EB uses, the westbound trains can experience incredible delays. On Monday, June 23, the westbound Empire Builder was delayed 11 HOURS!!! Obviously, if you’re traveling west to catch a cruise ship in Seattle, for example, this sort of thing can be a disaster. As for us, our train back to Seattle was delayed only 90 minutes, so I suppose we should’ve counted our blessings on that one.
THE VERDICT: Trains are a great way to go if you have the money and the time, and they allow you a more intimate look at the countryside as you go along. That said, the wild variations in car cleanliness and staff can make the trip either a joy or a study in frustration and disappointment. I give our own experience four stars for the eastbound trip, and 2 for the return.

I was PDX bound and was very impressed with the friendly service. The experience was delightful and your cabin mates can really make your trip a memorable experience. I would highly recommend taking the train to PDX and avoiding all of the traffic and driving you have to do. It is also very cost effective. Plus, taking the train ushers you into another era and it’s fun to be a part of history.

Taking the train from Seattle to Portland was a very pleasant and relaxing experience. The conductors and ticket agents were very friendly and helpful. There was an error with our boarding pass that was resolved quickly, and they did not make us get back in line to board. The train itself is very comfy, with reclining seats and plenty of leg room. They have a little canteen that sells snacks and microwaveable hot food, as well as acceptable coffee and tea. We also sat in the viewing car for a while and watched the scenery pass by. There was a Park service volunteer giving some commentary about the local sights as we passed.
Compared to driving, the train took about 3 and a half hours instead of 3. It was a great experience and MUCH preferable to driving.

Two trains
1 Canada bound
1 Oregon bound
The conductors handle the crowd seamlessly and get you boarded and on your way. And when an issue rises on board the train they handle it in the same fashion.
The train station seems to transport you back to a different time and you can tell train travel is making a come back.

A few trips I’ve used Amtrak Cascades for Vancouver BC trips. The PSA dudes have ranged from systematic friendly to shove the Ben Stein aside, please… Trips are generally smooth aside from the occasional ROW for a passing BNSF train. The chairs suck rotting tomatoes… lame back lumbar support. Wi-​Fi is YMMV but it’s still complimentary. If you ever catch the older lady, Louise, in the café car, she’s wonderful chat.
The station remodel (restoration) is BEAUTIFUL. Love the rebirth of the old Seattle beauty, elegance and charm from the steam era. The dirt crap ceiling tiles bit the dust.

My second time riding from Seattle to Oregon City. I didn’t have problem at all. Bought ticket online… super convenience!!! Pretty much just walk on in to the train! :)
Free wifi on the train. I didn’t try the food on the train, I went and got dinner at Uwajimaya (near by) and enjoyed it on the train. Mmmmmmmmmmmm :)