Passenger Trains > Dining Changes now on Amtrak website

The changes to the Cardinal/CONO/Silver Meteor/Crescent dining have been posted on Amtrak's website. No service alert announcement yet but would imagine that is probably dropping soon now that it's on the site. Along with the expansion of the program, they are renaming it from contemporary to flexible dining and refreshing the menu items. There are new entrees for lunch/dinner and they switched the breakfast sandwich to a sausage/egg/cheese on a muffin. It also appears based on a photograph on the site that they are dispensing with the boxes and switching to trays. The only holdover on the menu from the previous iteration is the continental breakfast items and the vegetarian option (Asian Noodle Bowl.)

https://www.amtrak.com/onboard/meals-dining/flexible-dining.html



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/19 10:28 by lordsigma.

Better than I expected, but that's not saying much.

Paul Wilson
Arlington, VA

I am cautiously optimistic.

Does this indicate the dining car is staying in the consist?

And from today's Amtrak Media Release:

WASHINGTON – Amtrak continues to evolve the travel experience on long-distance trains with the introduction of a new, flexible dining service for Sleeping Car customers traveling on the Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Crescent and Silver Meteor starting on Oct. 1 and the Silver Star in 2020.

https://media.amtrak.com/2019/09/amtrak-introduces-enhanced-menu-and-flexible-dining-experience-on-five-routes/

So it would appear that the Star will be getting 'Flexible Dining' and presumably a Viewliner II Diner/Sleeper Lounge.

This is good NEWS!

mbutte Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And from today's Amtrak Media Release:
>
> WASHINGTON – Amtrak continues to evolve the
> travel experience on long-distance trains with the
> introduction of a new, flexible dining service for
> Sleeping Car customers traveling on the Cardinal,
> City of New Orleans, Crescent and Silver
> Meteor starting on Oct. 1 and the Silver Star in
> 2020.
>
> https://media.amtrak.com/2019/09/amtrak-introduces
> -enhanced-menu-and-flexible-dining-experience-on-f
> ive-routes/
>
> So it would appear that the Star will be getting
> 'Flexible Dining' and presumably a Viewliner II
> Diner/Sleeper Lounge.
>
> This is good NEWS!

Be prepared to be throughly thrashed by our usual suspect list of "passenger experts"!

new
changes
refreshing
contemporary
expansion
evolve
enhanced
flexible

Substitute DOWNGRADED for all of the above.  Based on the comments and feedback on the "pilot" program,  this is "Seafood Americana" all over again.  A disaster about to happen.

Anybody here old enough to remember "Seafood Americana"?    BSB

The end of the world is coming and ridership is going to hit rock bottom.

Yes, I’m being sarcastic.

Posted from iPhone

> Anybody here old enough to remember "Seafood
> Americana"?    BSB
No.

I am encouraged by
1. Menu listed on website.  No surprises. If it isnt what u want, bring ur own food.  No different than airlines.
2. Hot food selections. 
3. Trays, not boxes
4. Meal times listed.
5. No dining reservations needed
6. Eating in my room option.
7. No being seated where u dont want to sit, with ppl u dont want to sit with, by some surly guy who doesnt like his job, and cant wait for mealtime to be over.

 


 

On the LSL and CL, it save a total of $3 million, so figure $1.5M per train. If because of  this ticket revenue declines 5% on the LSL and 7.5% on the CL, getting rid of the diner was financially self-defeating.  

Some interesting bullet points in this week's RPA Hotline: 

• Amtrak is getting rid of the box, the bag and the “takeout Chinese” presentation in favor of a meal-specific tray
• Amtrak is going to restore the ability of Coach passengers to buy food from the diner, implementing an order-ahead system so that passengers have the option to make selections at booking
• Amtrak is introducing FOUR additional hot options for a total of five available
• Amtrak is introducing two meat-and-egg breakfast sandwiches: a sausage-egg-cheese English Muffin and a ham-egg-cheese on a ciabatta roll
• Amtrak is using a combination of processes and technology to ensure that there is enough food on board for service, and enough variety so that passengers’ first choice is more likely to be available

https://www.railpassengers.org/happening-now/news/hotline/hotline-1134/

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/19 15:23 by chrsjrcj.

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Anybody here old enough to remember "Seafood
> > Americana"?    BSB
> No.
>
> I am encouraged by
> 1. Menu listed on website.  No surprises. If it
> isnt what u want, bring ur own food.  No
> different than airlines.
> 2. Hot food selections. 
> 3. Trays, not boxes
> 4. Meal times listed.
> 5. No dining reservations needed
> 6. Eating in my room option.
> 7. No being seated where u dont want to sit, with
> ppl u dont want to sit with, by some surly guy who
> doesnt like his job, and cant wait for mealtime to
> be over.

Regarding 6 and 7-

Eating food in your room is an option under the traditional dining service as well. On my last trip on the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited (peak season in August), practically all tables were occupied and some people were forced to sit with strangers. Of course, this may not be as big of an issue during off-peak times. 

Those who remember the old Wine and Cheese packs provided in their rooms, and the resulting MICE take over of the cars, I can see the scrapes building up again and the Mice Army will climb on board.

Very high content of salt not healthy at all.

Chris

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am encouraged by
> 1. Menu listed on website.  No surprises. If it
> isnt what u want, bring ur own food.  No
> different than airlines.

Yep. Nobody is stopping you from boarding in Pittsburgh with a Primanti Brothers Sandwich if that is what you want.

> 2. Hot food selections. 

They actually look good.  Easy enough to expand and change for variety, just like on Acela.

> 3. Trays, not boxes

Positive move.

> 4. Meal times listed.

Takes the guess work out.

> 5. No dining reservations needed

Big plus.

> 6. Eating in my room option.

Also a plus, sometimes I just want some peaceful downtime.

> 7. No being seated where u dont want to sit, with
> ppl u dont want to sit with, by some surly guy who
> doesnt like his job, and cant wait for mealtime to
> be over.

Praise the Lord, I will never be sat in an empty dinner again next to a 400 pound gentlemen where I have to sit with my legs in the aisle.

At least they're finally (hopefully) figuring out that downgrading services isn't gonna work with not only complaints, but loss of ridership, also glad 91 and 92 are getting their diner back, took them long enough!

Mudrock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very high content of salt not healthy at all.
>
> Chris

Why are you concerned about this now?  Based on what you wrote in your travelogues, it seems that McDonald's, which is not known for healthy food offerings, has always been your go-to place.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/19 19:24 by RuleG.

The fat lady hasnt sung yet, but so far it looks like the "The automats are coming, the Automats are coming"  people are behind in the count.
Anyone care to admit that they jumped the gun?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/19 19:42 by pdt.

Here’s an interesting tidbit from Amtrak’s response to RPA:

“As you are aware, our long-term objective is to move to a one car model that can service both Coach and Sleeper customers. We have hired a design firm to develop conceptual designs that will embrace this vision and bring a contemporary feel to the car. In FY20, we will begin to progress these designs into integration, then operation.”

I wonder if that means a refit to existing equipment, or a new car design to be ordered? I’m not sufficiently up to speed with contemporary corporate doublespeak to interpret this statement.

Here’s a direct link to the response:
https://www.railpassengers.org/site/assets/files/9381/rpa_dining_letter.pdf

Regarding Pete's letter:
Where does food dwell before it is "launched" onto an "elegant reusable tray?"
What happens to the "elegant reusable tray" after use and before reuse?
On Page 5, what does this mean?
" ...I believe that change management of our initiatives is greater than the actual food design..."