Not announcing the platform in advance is a conscious choice by Amtrak. They do it intentionally because they do not want people waiting on the platforms, osten

Not announcing the platform in advance is a conscious choice by Amtrak. They do it intentionally because they do not want people waiting on the platforms, ostensibly in the interests of safety and efficient passenger flow in the limited space. It's not really an matter of incompetence, Amtrak absolutely could announce the platforms in advance if they wanted to do that.