Daines grills Amtrak exec over restaffing offices

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., asked some point-blank questions in the Senate of an Amtrak executive Wednesday about planned changes to service on the Empire Builder that runs along Montana’s Hi-Line.

Amtrak announced that it would eliminate ticket agents at its stations in Havre, which has two agents, and Shelby, which has three agents, effective June 1.

“I’m concerned about the impacts this decision might have on Havre as well as Shelby,” Daines said in a recording of the session. “ … What specifically can Amtrak do to continue to meet the needs of rural Montanans in these communities, who in many cases are elderly, on fixed incomes, who do not have reliable Internet access or the understanding of technology necessary to obtain electronic tickets.”

Stephen Gardner, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Amtrak, said the passenger rail service has prioritized eliminating positions from stations with fewer than 40 off-on passengers a day.

Gardner said the network is in some cases using caretakers and volunteers to create “a good footprint, a good presence to serve folks.”

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., sent a letter April 8 to the Amtrak president and CEO today urging him to “review and reverse a plan to eliminate staffed ticket offices at Amtrak stations in Havre and Shelby.”

Tester asked for a response to his letter by May 15, but a representative of his office said this morning no response had been received as yet.

An Amtrak spokesman said April 8 that the service had been moving to destaff small stations as more and more tickets are purchased online or by phone. Amtrak reports that 93 percent of tickets are purchased by telephone or online.

Amtrak said it encourages people to purchase prepaid cards they can use to make the purchases online or by telephone. Purchasing tickets by cash at the train only works if space is available and guarantees the rider will be paying the highest price.

Some, like Daines did Wednesday in the Senate, expressed concern that some people would have difficulty purchasing tickets without an agent Many people in this part of north-central Montana do not have reliable internet access, credit cards or even bank accounts or telephone service, they say.