Chicago Union Station — Attraction in West Chicago Township

The Customer Service recieved from the agents and gate attendants this past trip was deplorable. It was unfriendly and like pulling teeth. Two attendants were particularly rude .I hadn't traveled on Amtrak in over a year, I was waiting in the Members Lounge which is new to me,prior to boarding I was trying to make sure I recieved "Red Cap" assistance that I requested and the ticket or reservation agent failed to update when I changed my reservation.

SITUATION: The woman ( blue shirt)who eventually arrived and was at the desk was evidently moved from another area and not to happy about it. She was recieving a crash course training from another employee ( woman in a blue shirt) and slightly frendlier then later a man ( in a white shirt) bald with glasses who was curt and crass.

He looked at me and let me know I was a bother to him upon approaching the desk. When I questioned that the assistance had not been checked off on this particular reservation he started interrupting me mid sentence and then sassily told me when the train is called go to the back doors, I Thanked him and explained that there was no posting of instruction and I was just trying to get clarity before the train was called to avoid confusion, he again interrupted that statement. Meanwhile there was a Red Cap employee who came in to complain about his work conditions too so I guess I was disrupting the Disgruntled Employee Meeting !!

Not to mention that there is construction being done on Canal Street so it is closed off, therefore you have to walk down a bit to the Main Entrance with no signage or direction. If you are not a frequent traveler or familiar you will be a bit lost and if you ask questions you will be met with an attitude of agitation from the very employees placed to help or provide information.

The trains have been remodeled or upgraded since I last took the train, it looks great however the newer seats are smaller a tight fit especially if your larger or taller not comfy at ALL, the overhead space is not the best design either and the seats don't appear to let back anymore, this will make an interesting 5hr trip especially if you have any neck,back or knee issues UPDATE : IT WAS AN UNCOMFORTABLE TRIP ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD TO SHARE A SEAT, I FELT CRAMMED....on my trip back I sat in the disability seating and it was much better for my legs to stretch out to take pressure off my spine and my knee. I also suffered a mild respiratory illness (undetermined) because the person sitting directly behind me on the way to STL kept coughing and clearing his throat incessantly!!! I could not move because the train was full, he was not covering his mouth and was seated at the window such as myself and had his head resting on the let down table so I was probably getting concentrated side sprays of SICK for 5hrs despite wearing my mask.😷 I will test for COVID when I get home.😞

As it is seemingly more evident customers are purely at the mercy of businesses and the few employees willing...

Why was the last car of the train overwhelmingly Black, while the café car was entirely White?

Is this station sorting passengers by race per train car?

The station's staff was rude, dismissive, and disorganized from the moment we arrived, despite us showing up two hours early for our train. I was traveling with my developmentally delayed sister, who uses a wheelchair, and yet my simple question about where to find Passenger Services was ignored. Instead, a staffer's first response was, “Is that your family there? Those cases are oversized. We’re going to have to charge you $20.” Again, my question went ignored.

A second staffer then told us to "go sit in the assisted boarding lounge," still not addressing my concerns about how my sister would board or whether our party could sit together, as the train was expected to be crowded. When we finally reached Passenger Services, staff focused more on our luggage than on confirming our disability accommodations. One employee even started venting to us about another passenger who had expressed frustration.

Later, an Amtrak staff member in the assisted boarding lounge became confrontational when I simply asked if disabled passengers were boarded first or last. She offered no clarity. When boarding time came, priority was announced for Business Class only. No mention was made about passengers with disabilities. It felt like those needing accessibility support were simply passed off to Red Caps — but all we needed was care, clarity, and a platform lift.

When we tried to board, we were stuck behind a crowd despite our early arrival and wait in the assisted boarding lounge. I flagged down a staff and showed him my sister in her wheelchair. He opened a robe to let us through, but then interrogated my fiancé with “Where are you going?” My fiancé calmly replied, “I am with them.”

We shouldn't have to speak out to stop our family from being separated!

Why was our party, which included a developmentally delayed wheelchair user, forced to navigate all of this without dignity or basic communication?

Why did staff fixate on our bags while ignoring disability-related questions?

Unlike this station, the Detroit Amtrak station staff had handled us with clarity, care, and dignity when leaving for Chicago. However, coming home through this Union station was an appalling and disrespectful experience. And an investigation of conductors racially sorting passengers should be opened as soon...

The most disrespectful train ride I ever had in my life. The people here are super rude including the customers. I thought traveling was supposed to be easy and what less complications . My first time traveling with Amtrak my train was supposed to arrive at 7 20 a.m. but didn't come until 2:02 p.m. and then after that I had to wait on another late train, which was 2 hours late and supposed to be there at 3 p.m. at the train station but didn't arrive until 5 p.m.. and after getting on the train. I was late getting to my destination we we're supposed to arrive there at 10 p.m. but, came at 12 in the morning. Within the Great Hall people will report you for the stupidest of things. During my first train trip up to Chicago's Union Station I was reported because I had luggage locks on my suitcases. The second time, I was reported was because I had a privacy screen on my Galaxy S8. Both are just the dumbest reasons to report someone yet the Amtrak police apparently have search my luggage. My second time traveling through Amtrak wasn't as bad though. I decided to take the south Shoreline to Chicago this time which was cheaper than riding an Amtrak. After that I had a four hour wait. But, during my four hour wait I was reported for once again for the most dumbest of reasons. Some Caucasian woman thought that because I was an African American with a Calvin Klein luggage case I was automatically a drug dealer. Because apparently African Americans can't afford high-end luggage cases without being a drug dealer or some type of drug head. So once again I ran into the issue with Amtrak police wanting to search my belongings for no reason. So, they walked a K9 unit through the Great Hall because of this Caucasian lady wanted to stereotype someone. I didn't mind I was perfectly happy with proving her wrong that I wasn't a drug dealer just some African American lady with a nice high-end Calvin Klein luggage case.😊 the train ride to my destination was a pain. The train arrived early at the train station but we didn't leave until 30 minutes after because the train wanted to wait on another train for some odd reason. So, once on the train I experience rude behavior from the customers there. Apparently they don't fancy people who have stomach problems or have high-end mouthwash. Because that was the top complaints throughout the train. They thought my mouth was so strong. so, they called freaking Amtrak police.🤣 people are super immature...