Amtrak

Used this station to catch an Amtrak train to Portland. The station is a comfortable place to wait for the train. Seats are comfy, there are vending machines and bathrooms. There is a ticket machine to print pre-​orchard tickets outer to buy new ones but there is also a service agent on site if you need human attention. The only things that could be better in my opinion would be to increase the number of power outlets and to provide a hook or shelf in the bathroom to stow your purse or bag. Other than that, no complaints.

Recently took an Amtrak bus to Leavenworth, and everything about the Leavenworth experience was great EXCEPT the bus. We started off leaving late from the Everett station on a bus that didn’t have working a working air system, making for an 85 degree trip over the passes. Apparently an issue that had been going on for weeks, per the driver, and hadn’t been addressed?
On the way back, waiting at the «bus station» in Leavenworth (a 76 station with a gas leak inside which meant we had to wait outside in 20 degree weather while snowing), the bus was half an hour late and the driver extraordinarily rude. When it was 10 minutes late and we attempted to call customer service to find out just how late the bus would be, to see if we needed to find a place for kids to get inside out of the weather, they told us there was no way for them to know if a bus was running on time.
Poor customer service, buses with major issues, and schedules that seem more like a make-​believe ‘best case scenario’ than anything approaching reality — yikes.

If there was a ZERO or MINUS 5 award for Amtrak… They don’t deserve one penny of taxpayer money next time they’re asking for a government handout just so they are kept alive… They MUST FAIL!
Rates that change depending on the day you book, not on how full the trains are.
Reserved seats that don’t exist, because the conductor decides where you sit — and even if there’s a totally empty area, HE will dictate where YOU are allowed to sit.
NO service whatsoever at the Stations…

This is for the Amtrak station in Edmonds.
It’s barely 3 stars. My biggest gripe is that the signage for it is really, really poor. There signs to get to the station are inconsistent, and the signs designating the stationhouse are almost invisible. Why can’t they put out a sign with Amtrak in a size visible from all sides. Not everyone will know that Sound Transit and Amtrak share a stop here, and it’s really hard to tell what is going on.
Also, the parking is dumb. They have a really old-​school «stuff-​your-​money-​in a slot» system. Why not one of those solar-​powered electronic machines that are on every block downtown in major cities? Just one or two of those wouldn’t be too expensive and with the price you charge shouldn’t be out of reach and would promote better usage.
On the other hand, the waiting area is okay and the fact that it’s a manned station is nice.