Originally Posted by AlanB
Once again this idea died for several reasons. The technology at the time they started this project wasn't were it is today. Today we have PDA's which would have worked quite well for this, they didn't have them back at this time. The device that the conductors would have had to carry was rather bulky, and the conductor's union refused to support the project. There was even a threat of a strike over this issue.
Next, funding ran out on the entire Acela project before the software could be fully developed.
And finally John Q Public helped to kill this project. One aspect of this project that did materialize was being able to book assigned seats. Amtrak initially tested this only with seating in the First Class car. Passengers used to the sit anywhere mentality of the Metroliner's refused to sit in their assigned seats, to the point were major arguments sometimes ensued.
Finally the conductors and the attendants just gave up on trying to enforce the seat assignments. Shortly after that the ability to pick one's seat in First Class went away and the project faded into the history books.
Since that point, even though we now have better technology to revist this idea; lack of funding, union resistance (they also fear job losses with this idea), as well as passenger resistance keep it from being revisited.
But this project didn't go away just because some hair-brained exec in Amtrak decided to kill a good idea. Amtrak didn't just abandon this idea, there is a lot of blame to go around for the failure of this project, including some for the riding public.
If the funding could be found, and the public could be counted on to cooperate; I'm sure that Amtrak would revisit this project, even if it had to fight the union over it.
Once again, the victim is to blame.
Even if those pesky passengers, er customers, were to sit down where they're supposed to, that wouldn't change the fact that the system failed to work. Even if all passengers sat obediently, tickets out, Amtrak would simply fall back on another excuse.
PDAs have certainly been around since the news release (below) was posted. And if Amtrak management and workers couldn't come to agreement prior to starting such a project, then shame on them both. And if the project funding ran out before the software was completed, then there are some serious management issues.
Amtrak simply has a poor track record when it comes to maintaining electronic customer amenities on their trains including the non use of Business Class at-seat videos on the Pacific Surfliners, the fading out of video players in the Viewliner sleeping car bedrooms, the non use of at-seat music on Acela, the Motorola ticketing fiasco and now the inability to even maintain power points on their flagship train.
For those interested, here's what the Motorola system was supposed to do:
www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=13090
Note that the value of the contract was $24 million, and that it was claimed it would generate an additional $7 million in revenue annually.
Somehow wireless functions for ticket collection/reservations seems to work on Japanese trains, witness:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/environmen...ighlight08.pdf
Note that the timeframes are comparable, just a couple of years apart. Shinkansen trains in Japan feature both reserved and unreserved cars.
Finally, the Motorola system could have worked in a different manner even if customers boarded the train and selected any seat they wish. The seat assignment simply could have been noted at the time of ticket collection.