Amtrak closing ticket office in Havre

The National Passenger Rail Corp. confirmed this morning that due to the volume of service there, it is eliminating the Amtrak staffed ticket office in Havre, effective June 1, putting two people out of work in Havre and requiring people to buy online, by phone or when they board the Empire Builder.

Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said almost all tickets — more than 9 out of 10 — are now purchased online or using Amtrak’s telephone ticket sale service, so the passenger rail service is eliminating some ticket offices.

“We have to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars,” he said.

He added that the service is greatly appreciative of the work done by the Havre employees, and, based on seniority through their labor union, they could request a transfer to another location.

“These are not easy decisions for us,” Magliari said.

He said people will be able to buy tickets at the train, but that will eliminate getting any kind of deal such as through early booking. If space is available on the train, people can buy a ticket but paying in cash while boarding ensures they will pay the highest possible fare, he said.

For people who don’t use credit or debit cards, Magliari said Amtrak recommends people buy pre-paid cards, available at many outlets. As long as they are issued through a bank and have the logo of approved services — Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express — they can be used on the telephonic or online ticket purchasing services, he said. Cards such as a gift card to a specific store or restaurant cannot be used, he added.

“We encourage the use of prepaid cards rather than cash on the train,” Magliari said.

He said Amtrak still is looking at the baggage situation in Havre. People will not be able to check their luggage in at the ticket office, but at some locations Amtrak has started programs where people can tag their own luggage and check it in with an assistant conductor, he said. Amtrak is considering whether that option could be used in Havre, and should be making an announcement soon.

“Stay tuned,” Magliari said.

He said other stations that have had their ticket station eliminated such as Wolf Point have not seen a significant decrease in use. Magliari said Wolf Point has seen a reduction of about two passengers a day, 600 a year, since its ticket office closed. The Empire Builder still sees about 5,000 passengers a year at that station, he said.

When asked about speculation that Amtrak is considering reducing the number of days long-distance trains will run — National Passenger Rail Association members have told the Havre Daily News that those rumors exist — Magliari said that is speculative and he could not comment.

He said plans are not in the works at the moment to change the meals served on the Empire Builder. He said the hot meals served in the dining cars on the Lakeshore Limited and Capital Limited have been eliminated, and Amtrak is waiting to see the results from those trials before it makes any decisions on other trains.

Magliari said that the service is always looking for ways to be more efficient and better use the money allocated for the service.