Passenger Trains > Auto Train downgraded? well, yes & no

Looks like Sleeping car passengers are getting some improvements - but coach passengers are being downgraded (maybe).
But, having "food trucks" at the stations -  and calling them an enhancement or a "dining option"  is pure BS.

I'm hoping it won't be too bad.

FOR SLEEPING CAR PASSENGERS:
.  Upgraded towels and bed linens
.  and "other pleasantries" (whatever this means)
.  the diner will get a "New Menu" (good or bad?)
.  free wine with dinner (sleeper class only)
.  And how about this for a completely vague statement--
.  "Expanded "availability of of every sleeping car accommodation...to meet
.  the demand of this class service".

FOR COACH PASSENGERS: (I would call these downgrades--not enhancements)

.  Meals no longer included with ticket.
.  (Amtrak calls this an enhancement--but is actually a fare increase).
.  "Cross Country Cafe" to replace full service diner.
.  (probably a downgrade, but I'm not sure)
. coach passengers will get a free "Continental Breakfast"
. (definately a downgrade from a full dining car breakfast).

So, to me it looks like they are downgrading coach, and slightly improving sleeper service.
.  

Day late and a dollar short.

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4829178

Looks like they're just making Auto Train the same as the rest of the system.
Coach passengers have to pay for their meals on all of the other LDT's.

ronald321 Wrote: (in part)
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> FOR SLEEPING CAR PASSENGERS:
> .  Upgraded towels and bed linens
> .  and "other pleasantries" (whatever this
> means)
> .  the diner will get a "New Menu" (good or
> bad?)
> .  free wine with dinner (sleeper class only)
> .  And how about this for a completely vague
> statement--
> .  "Expanded "availability of of every sleeping
> car accommodation...to meet
> .  the demand of this class service".
I read this as meaning they will expand the sleeper section of the train by reducing the coach section as needed based on bookings
>
> FOR COACH PASSENGERS: (I would call these
> downgrades--not enhancements)
>
> .  Meals no longer included with ticket.
> .  (Amtrak calls this an enhancement--but is
> actually a fare increase).
As others have noted, coach fares have decreased, and represent a low level compared with coach fares on conventional trains.  (recent inquiry showed $89 for AutoTrain and $108 on Silver Service
> .  "Cross Country Cafe" to replace full service
> diner.
> .  (probably a downgrade, but I'm not sure)
> . coach passengers will get a free "Continental
> Breakfast"
> . (definately a downgrade from a full dining car
> breakfast).
The breakfast on AutoTrain has been, for decades now, only a continental breakfast in both classes of service.
>
 

Don't sneer at Food Truck food. It know it sounds demeaning, but it can be very good stuff. 

Can someone please explain  - exactly what does "Cross Country Cafe" mean.?

On the Auto Train -- dose this mean that the existting Superliner diner will become nothing more that a big Amcafe car?
 

The Cross Country Cafe is an awkward, unusable cafe, that is currently being used as a half diner,  half wasted space on the Texas Eagle. The intention was good for a lightly traveled train, half cafe, half diner. The end product sucked as the tables face inward and aren’t good for more than a handful of people.

I noted on the other thread, reading between the lines the CCC’s and extra sleepers could come from a 3 day a week or discontinued Texas Eagle, nothing should be a surprise at this point.

Meals have never been included when booking coach tickets on long distance trains.

As for the concept of Food trucks, it’s not a bad idea! In fact, that would give passengers more of a variety of selection of food and refreshments.

Posted from iPhone

So you buy your food from a food truck and then try and save it somehow on board until you want to eat??

restricted_speed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So you buy your food from a food truck and then
> try and save it somehow on board until you want to
> eat??

This is the part of the food-truck thing I don't get. You have to be aboard the Auto Train at what, 3 p.m.? So what if you don't want to eat dinner right away? Do you just have your formerly hot food sitting at your seat until 6 or 7? No, thanks. If that were the deal, I'd probably just bring along a deli sandwich and be done entirely with Amtrak's offering.

 

regarding the food trucks

are you supposed to go aboard the train - store your carry on bags - then go back out to the trucks - in the rain, maybe

or are you supposed to juggle bags and food up those steep Superliner steps?

And this is supposed to be an enhancement over a a dining car---some people believe anything Anderson says, I guess

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> regarding the food trucks
>
> are you supposed to go aboard the train - store
> your carry on bags - then go back out to the
> trucks - in the rain, maybe
>
> or are you supposed to juggle bags and food up
> those steep Superliner steps?
>
> And this is supposed to be an enhancement over a a
> dining car---some people believe anything Anderson
> says, I guess

"Fresh Choices!!"

Food trucks are the rage even in the staid Midwest. Some pretty tasty choices can be found. I think it would be a better "value" than the diner for the average citizen.

King_Coal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Food trucks are the rage even in the staid
> Midwest. Some pretty tasty choices can be found. I
> think it would be a better "value" than the diner
> for the average citizen.

Sure - if you were to load the food trucks onto a flatcar in the train somewhere.

restricted_speed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So you buy your food from a food truck and then
> try and save it somehow on board until you want to
> eat??




The rest of the world is able to figure it out. Americans can too.

?

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> .  And how about this for a completely vague
> statement--
> .  "Expanded "availability of of every sleeping
> car accommodation...to meet
> .  the demand of this class service".

They are probably selling the former coach dining car OBS employee roomettes to the public. 

TWC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ronald321 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > .  And how about this for a completely vague
> > statement--
> > .  "Expanded "availability of of every
> sleeping
> > car accommodation...to meet
> > .  the demand of this class service".
>
> They are probably selling the former coach dining
> car OBS employee roomettes to the public. 

Possibly.

Amtrak is operating within the 50 total car constraint, so dropping a diner means they can sell another coach or sleeper in peak season.  Or, rooms currently assigned to car attendants as they move into the dorm car.

But, that's only going to go so far.  Auto-Train runs at capacity 48-50 cars for about four months, maybe five, each year.  Unlike many Amtrak lines, A-T is vigorous in adding and subtracting cars.  Right now, the consists have about 15 passenger cars, and have for about six weeks. Plus 20-22 auto carriers.  There's no need to drop cars to add capacity, but there will be by early November.

ronald321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> regarding the food trucks
>
> are you supposed to go aboard the train - store
> your carry on bags - then go back out to the
> trucks - in the rain, maybe

No, you'd buy it before hand.

> or are you supposed to juggle bags and food up
> those steep Superliner steps?

I take it you never bought snacks at the snack shop in Lorton to avoid paying more in the lounge car.  You are allowed to carry on bags, and there are convenient luggage carts to move your stuff around on site.

> And this is supposed to be an enhancement over a a
> dining car---some people believe anything Anderson
> says, I guess

The snack shop is an enchancement over the limits selections of the lounge car, so why not?

Breakfast for both classes has always been "continental". Juice, banana, cereal, bagel, coffee.

I see Amtrak LDT experiential travel and leaf-peeping evolving into Amtrak LDT tours of five-star food trucks.
Anderson is a marketing genius.
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Food+Trucks&find_loc=Lorton%2C+VA
https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Food%20Trucks&find_loc=Sanford%2C%20FL