Long-Distance Train Amenities Being Cut
Mar 19, 2014, 7:28 pm
#16
Join Date: Sep 2009
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A little surprised there wasn't a thread on this yet!
The following amenities are scheduled to be cut from long-distance trains (primarily impacting sleeping car passengers), as of the indicated dates. Note that several of these only apply to the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder (and one applies to those two plus the Lake Shore Limited), but some do apply to all trains:
On the first item: orange and apple juice boxes will still be available in sleeping cars, and cranberry juice will continue to be available in dining cars.
Original source for this was a leaked Amtrak memo, but it's been confirmed by other sources.
The following amenities are scheduled to be cut from long-distance trains (primarily impacting sleeping car passengers), as of the indicated dates. Note that several of these only apply to the Coast Starlight and Empire Builder (and one applies to those two plus the Lake Shore Limited), but some do apply to all trains:
- Cranberry juice boxes in sleeping cars (February 8)
- Flowers and vases on dining car tables (February 15)
- Wine & cheese receptions (March 31)
- Complimentary champagne/apple cider (March 31)
- Chocolate squares (March 31)
- Amenity kits (May 31)
- Complimentary newspapers (May 31)
On the first item: orange and apple juice boxes will still be available in sleeping cars, and cranberry juice will continue to be available in dining cars.
Original source for this was a leaked Amtrak memo, but it's been confirmed by other sources.
Mar 20, 2014, 6:39 am
#17
Join Date: Jun 2005
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I have a reservation on the Empire Builder connecting to Coast Starlight for 4/25. I just received an email from Amtrak mentioning that these services will be cut on or around 3/31. However, the email also mentioned there would no longer be an amenity kit, so I wonder if the timetable has changed. This is very disappointing because I reserved this trip a long time ago with the amenities (especially the wine/ cheese tasting on CS) as a key reason for this itinerary. I hope Amtrak offers some incentive for those of us who had reservations prior to the change. I would gladly pay a nominal fee for the wine tasting.
That said, many of us are surprised when the Builder runs it's entire route on time .... issues include traffic on the BNSF and this time of year flooding in ND.
Bob H
Mar 20, 2014, 8:53 am
#18
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 39
The timetable wouldn't have been changed as a results of these cuts, but Amtrak does change it's schedules a few times a year.... typically around the time we spring forward, or fall back.
That said, many of us are surprised when the Builder runs it's entire route on time .... issues include traffic on the BNSF and this time of year flooding in ND.
Bob H
That said, many of us are surprised when the Builder runs it's entire route on time .... issues include traffic on the BNSF and this time of year flooding in ND.
Bob H
Mar 20, 2014, 1:30 pm
#19
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: AA Plat,AS MVP Gold, Hilton Gold, Accor Plat, Amtrak(all routes, VIA same, AUS 90%)
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'Tis a Pity
Yep, got the same email and having done the CS twice with full amenities it is a bit of a loss. BTW, there has always been a $5 charge for the wine and cheese tasting even if in a sleeping car. One has to wonder about the revenue exchange with typical full PPC of 40=$200 for each tasting. No more than 8-12 oz total of wine served per pax(three varieties), 1-3 oz of cheese as well. That would seem like a break-even deal for Amtrak-oh, they used to give away a bottle of wine to the winner of the trivia contest-I won it about three years back, tasty!
Happy Rails!
Happy Rails!
Mar 20, 2014, 1:37 pm
#20
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'Builder delays
The timetable wouldn't have been changed as a results of these cuts, but Amtrak does change it's schedules a few times a year.... typically around the time we spring forward, or fall back.
That said, many of us are surprised when the Builder runs it's entire route on time .... issues include traffic on the BNSF and this time of year flooding in ND.
Bob H
That said, many of us are surprised when the Builder runs it's entire route on time .... issues include traffic on the BNSF and this time of year flooding in ND.
Bob H
Happy Rails!
Mar 20, 2014, 9:49 pm
#21
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 33
These routes overall are a money loser for Amtrak. However, the sleeping car upgrade is a money maker, and the existence of it increases the number of passengers. Incremental passengers are a money maker. Even if the train overall loses money don't bite the hand that lays the golden eggs.
Amtrak has analogous faulty logic in the Northeast corridor. Cafe car loses money. Therefore raise prices in cafe car. Again the incremental passengers this loses were money makers.
Amtrak has analogous faulty logic in the Northeast corridor. Cafe car loses money. Therefore raise prices in cafe car. Again the incremental passengers this loses were money makers.
Mar 22, 2014, 3:11 pm
#22
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This is not correct -- the charge for the CS wine tasting was relatively short-lived. Looking at my travel notes, there was definitely no charge in both 2002 and 2011; the charge was in effect at some point between those years (I can't find the exact dates).
Mar 22, 2014, 4:54 pm
#23
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No charge for the wine tasting in March 2012, either.
Mar 27, 2014, 12:12 pm
#24
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Who recalls?
The "trac-paks" consisting of wine, cheese, crackers. The beautiful little pottery piece(signed)whenoin the Chief. Or the real leather photo album from the Lake Shore Ltd. I keep all these momemtos-alas, they remind me of better days, in some ways. Also miss the CBOE(Chief, On-Board Services)who could voucher you immediately for service disruption, etc.
Mar 29, 2014, 7:42 am
#25
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 23
I just received this email announcement this morning for two EB and CS trips that I have in August. FWIW, the email begins with
It's interesting - it sounds like Amtrak expects the dining/lounge car ("the Food and Beverage Department") to make a profit, or at least break even, on their own, independent of the transportation arm of the business. Kind of like a rolling restaurant that has to be financially sound in it's own right. I would think that at least some of the ticket cost would be allocated to covering the dining and lounge cars, but maybe not.
And the part about being "good stewards" sounds like spin doctoring to me - Amtrak wants to show Congress and the public that their money isn't being wasted.
In an effort to be good stewards of the federal funding received to operate our Amtrak service, a number of steps are being taken to eliminate losses in our Food and Beverage department over the next five years. Some of the changes being made to accomplish this include the discontinuation of select amenities on the Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, and Lake Shore Limited.
And the part about being "good stewards" sounds like spin doctoring to me - Amtrak wants to show Congress and the public that their money isn't being wasted.
Mar 29, 2014, 12:58 pm
#26
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Judging by the amount of sales I see, especially of alcohol, on long distance trains I'm surprised they don't break even on food and beverage.
Mar 30, 2014, 1:14 pm
#27
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$$$
Indeed, my observation as well-a slight drop-off in sales after ALB, perhaps due to the(usual)one hour service stop where some might roam 'round for some "duty-free" shopping. On my one-time full transcon, Sunset LTD, many, many years ago, did the same in Tucson with like-minded folks, an exhilarating run back to the soon-departing train.
Mar 30, 2014, 5:22 pm
#28
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Indeed, my observation as well-a slight drop-off in sales after ALB, perhaps due to the(usual)one hour service stop where some might roam 'round for some "duty-free" shopping. On my one-time full transcon, Sunset LTD, many, many years ago, did the same in Tucson with like-minded folks, an exhilarating run back to the soon-departing train.
Mar 30, 2014, 7:29 pm
#29
Join Date: Jan 2003
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Posts: 3,790
Food & beverage operations have been money-losers for US railroads for decades, well before Amtrak. There is probably some fat that can be cut, but when airlines are adding all sorts of enhancements to premium-class travel (and cutting them from coach), I am surprised that Amtrak is doing the opposite.
May 5, 2014, 8:20 pm
#30
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan USA
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Posts: 5,472
On a recent Auto Train trip, the first class dining car crew was extremely unhappy over the changes. They expressed the thought that what was now being provided to customers in their dining car was anything but a first class experience and had gone very much downhill. To me, the elimination of wine-tasting and snacks was not a big deal (we brought our own wine, cheese and crackers). But the deterioration in the dining car was sad.
Last edited by ohmark; May 11, 2014 at 5:34 pm