Passenger Trains > More Diners Cut effective Oct. 1

From today’s hotline:
“Rail Passengers Association was disappointed to learn this week that Amtrak plans to extend its Contemporary Dining menu and dining service on to all of the long-distance trains east of the Mississippi.

The move takes effect October 1 -- the beginning of Fiscal 2020 -- as part of a package of changes rolling out on trains in the eastern half of the country. Western trains are not affected by this move. “

Ride them while you can ...

Posted from iPhone

Do you suppose this actually includes Auto Train?? There would be a MAJOR rejection if so.

It wasn’t mentioned on way or the other ...

Posted from iPhone

PRSL-recall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do you suppose this actually includes Auto Train??
> There would be a MAJOR rejection if so.

Good question. I also wondered if it includes the Cardinal too (and maybe Silver Star?) 

...and then call/email your congressional representatives.

At some point in the future I confidently predict Amtrak will announce a new "enhanced" dining service that, for an extra cost, will provide at-table ordering and delivery of meals. Of course this will be pretty much the traditional dining car service (at no extra cost) that Amtrak is dumping now. Reminds me of the part in George Orwell's "1984" in which Big Brother, with great fanfare, announces a "new" chocolate availability at a price increase after previously totally eliminating it.

John Webb
Trinidad, CA

Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time. 

Will another "boxed" option be considered since there are more meal offerings on the Crescent and Silver Meteor? These are more than breakfast and dinner trains!!!

Will the Silver Star get a Viewliner Diner II with the boxed meal offering? Coach passengers really get the shaft since they are limited to just the food that you get in the Amfleet II Cafe Car. Not sure why the Cardinal has not already gotten this new contemporary dining......

Has Amtrak completed any modifications they wanted on the Viewliner II Diners? It's too bad the production of these cars took so long, and the decision made so as to not match up to the current intended purposes/operations of the car. For example, the car is now just doing minimal re-heating and storing of boxed meals. I am sure the design would have been different and cheaper had this been brought to light earlier. What a waste of what could be. 

And I am sure the sleeper price will now be cheaper since Amtrak has a cost savings with said modifications to "contemporary dining!" HAH! 

chrsjrcj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Good question. I also wondered if it includes the
> Cardinal too (and maybe Silver Star?) 

As for the Cardinal (and City of New Orleans for that matter) I'm sure they're included as that is how the Lake Shore was taken over by this foolishness. With the Silver Star one could maybe even classify it as an "improvement"  and that would add strength to what Winnemucca has just said. The real losers of course are the Silver Meteor and the Crescent. 

The even greater potential negative would be if Auto Train is included as I have been wondering. These are ALL dedicated overnighters (no short-distance among them) all of whom now get a full included dinner. It would be nothing short of amazing if many patrons do not say "Game's Over"! 

Will have to wait and see with Cardinal -- but remember, it does not run with a dining car.  It uses an Amfleet dinette unit.  The new food service requires a certain amount of refrigerator space that is not available on the Cardinal (each of those boxes needs to be kept refrigerated as a unit, not as individual components ... and those boxes take up more room)

Good question about Silver Star -- would be great to have this option available on that train. 

 

Silver Star doesn't have a diner to start with. The Cardinal is down to 2 food service people as it is.

I am surprised they didn't do that to the Crescent to begin with. Most people do not use it south of Atlanta.

Posted from Android

I would think the Cardinal would be easier than the Star. Only 2 (or is it 3?) trainsets vs 4 on the Star. Plus, the Star does not offer any extra meal service for sleeping car passengers and apparently the rooms are having no problem selling despite this. 

PRSL-recall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> chrsjrcj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Good question. I also wondered if it includes
> the
> > Cardinal too (and maybe Silver Star?) 
>
> As for the Cardinal (and City of New Orleans for
> that matter) I'm sure they're included as that is
> how the Lake Shore was taken over by this
> foolishness. With the Silver Star one could maybe
> even classify it as an "improvement"  and that
> would add strength to what Winnemucca has just
> said. The real losers of course are the Silver
> Meteor and the Crescent. 
>
> The even greater potential negative would be if
> Auto Train is included as I have been wondering.
> These are ALL dedicated overnighters (no
> short-distance among them) all of whom now get a
> full included dinner. It would be nothing short of
> amazing if many patrons do not say "Game's
> Over"! 

As much as I would NOT want "contemporary dining" on the Auto Train, it would seem to be VERY hypocritical of Amtrak to not put it on this train as well. They could make a distinction though. The breakfast is already geared this way to a degree. But dinner is not - for coach or sleeper car passengers. However, coach passengers AND sleeping car passengers have cost of meal built in. I think the Auto Train product though would be killed if it also did contemporary dining. 

If going totally contemporary dining, they could also put in pre-ordering of meals when sleeper space is booked. As discussed in another thread - some airlines are doing this for business class or their "premium classes." 

The City of New Orleans - it should probably go contemporary dining too. It's meal service recently has been suffering to the point that contemporary dining may be an improvement!

Why not do a pilot program with the Silver Star. Still leave sleeper class alone with its price, but put the Viewliner Diner on and allow it to "sell" meals to sleeper and coach passengers who want something more than the regular cafe food. Test out what people would actually buy and if it could be a diner/lounge type operation. 

I have to wonder, with contemporary dining in place, how "accessible" did Amtrak have to make the Viewliner Diner. I have had a "mobility" disability for two years now. I know what it is like to have difficulty in walking and standing. I had issues on the Capitol Limited "waiting in line" for my boxed meal in a trip in May. No extra special service was granted to me, course nor did I ask for it to deal with the fact that I really couldn't stand and wait in line or shuffle through the dining car to get my "box meal" and then sit in the booth with a special brace and cast on my leg at the time. This has been a complicated disability for two years, and although I made it "work" on the train, it wasn't easy in the diner with this new contemporary program. I could have easily used a wheel chair during the two years, but I chose an option not to. Many now just take their meals in their sleeping car compartment. Amtrak took one booth and half of another out to be able to get a person with a wheelchair in the Viewliner. But that really only works if meal service is brought to you with wait staff. That's now abolished in the contemporary dining option. My leg was so bad on the way home from Chicago in May that I had to take my meal, for the FIRST time ever in my sleeper compartment - because I could not afford to stand in line. I also did not want to stand out and burden someone in helping me get my "box meal" and drinks etc. in the diner. And it was just this one time - easier to just take my meal this one time in sleeper compartment. My sleeper was directly adjacent to diner, but that was only due to planning on my part. I know this is a sensitive topic, but I had to deal with this head on for the first time this past year. Thankfully, my disability is only temporary. Not trying to be offensive in any way, just curious.    

chrsjrcj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would think the Cardinal would be easier than
> the Star. Only 2 (or is it 3?) trainsets vs 4 on
> the Star. Plus, the Star does not offer any extra
> meal service for sleeping car passengers and
> apparently the rooms are having no problem selling
> despite this. 

Two trainsets for the Cardinal and four for the Star....

EDIT - Didn't complete post.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/19 20:03 by jp1822.

It keeps getting worse and worse each time we hear these stupid dumb butt annoucnemnts, Anderson needs to go, all he's been doing is finding ways to dismantle Amtrak, this is proof that he's determined on accomplishing that goal!

Give boxed meals a cute name such as ConTempoDin and millenials in SoHo, BedStuy, LoDo, NoHo, etc will love it.

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It keeps getting worse and worse each time we hear
> these stupid dumb butt annoucnemnts, Anderson
> needs to go, all he's been doing is finding ways
> to dismantle Amtrak, this is proof that he's
> determined on accomplishing that goal!

No, it’s not proof of anything other than that we are now in the 21st Century.  Those of us old enough to have experienced, as adults, “real” pre-Amtrak dining service on trains like the Denver Zephyr and the Empire Builder think things started going to hell when there quit being silver fingerbowls at the end of the meal.  Baby Boomers didn’t care about that, quit wearing ties in the diner and didn’t notice when trainmen quit removing their hats when passing through the car.  By the time Richard Anderson arrived the food in LD diners had become much more “institutional” with very little of it actually prepared fresh on board.  Now it is Millenials that are dictating fashion and most of them simply graze rather than dine.  While I think Amtrak has done a very poor job in explaining the changes they are making, I think “contemporary dining” will be perfectly acceptable to the age group that will soon dominate the economy.  The key is going to be the quality of the food and we don’t know that yet.

Gordon

Amtrak may someday realize that their existence relies more on the passion of its customers and advocates than ridership or revenue, and they’re losing those supporters left and right with actions like this. Who in Congress will be willing to support it when their constituents stop asking them to? I would love to see future CEO Gardener’s face when the NEC gets taken away from Amtrak as his corridor-only strategy lies in tatters, having destroyed the only reason for Amtrak to exist. But I’d love more to see him and Anderson gone before they can do anymore damage to the network and Amtrak’s future prospects. 

njfrn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amtrak may someday realize that their existence
> relies more on the passion of its customers and
> advocates than ridership or revenue...



If that's true, Amtrak's already dead as a transportation mode. Bury it.

Advocacy = propaganda = fake = unneeded.

jp1822 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> chrsjrcj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I would think the Cardinal would be easier than
> > the Star. Only 2 (or is it 3?) trainsets vs 4
> on
> > the Star. Plus, the Star does not offer any
> extra
> > meal service for sleeping car passengers and
> > apparently the rooms are having no problem
> selling
> > despite this. 
>
> Two trainsets for the Star....
The Star uses 4 sets of equipment, not 2...So does the Meteor and Crescent..

chess Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jp1822 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > chrsjrcj Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I would think the Cardinal would be easier
> than
> > > the Star. Only 2 (or is it 3?) trainsets vs 4
> > on
> > > the Star. Plus, the Star does not offer any
> > extra
> > > meal service for sleeping car passengers and
> > > apparently the rooms are having no problem
> > selling
> > > despite this. 
> >
> > Two trainsets for the Star....
> The Star uses 4 sets of equipment, not 2...So does
> the Meteor and Crescent..

2 trainsets for the Cardinal and 4 for the Star. Sorry - posted and didnt' complete. 

Here's complete rundown of single level LD Trains, east of Mississippi:

2 Trainsets - Cardinal
3 Trainsets - Lake Shore Limited
4 Trainsets - Silver Meteor
4 Trainsets - Silver Star
4 Trainsets - Crescent

17 Trainsets Total
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/19 20:08 by jp1822.

gbmott Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It keeps getting worse and worse each time we
> hear
> > these stupid dumb butt annoucnemnts, Anderson
> > needs to go, all he's been doing is finding
> ways
> > to dismantle Amtrak, this is proof that he's
> > determined on accomplishing that goal!
>
> No, it’s not proof of anything other than that
> we are now in the 21st Century.  Those of us old
> enough to have experienced, as adults, “real”
> pre-Amtrak dining service on trains like the
> Denver Zephyr and the Empire Builder think things
> started going to hell when there quit being silver
> fingerbowls at the end of the meal.  Baby Boomers
> didn’t care about that, quit wearing ties in the
> diner and didn’t notice when trainmen quit
> removing their hats when passing through the car.
>  By the time Richard Anderson arrived the food in
> LD diners had become much more “institutional”
> with very little of it actually prepared fresh on
> board.  Now it is Millenials that are dictating
> fashion and most of them simply graze rather than
> dine.  While I think Amtrak has done a very poor
> job in explaining the changes they are making, I
> think “contemporary dining” will be perfectly
> acceptable to the age group that will soon
> dominate the economy.  The key is going to be the
> quality of the food and we don’t know that yet.
>
> Gordon

Keep believing the stereotypical viewpoint Gordon, I'm still saying he's out to dismantle Amtrak!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/19 19:23 by ProAmtrak.