My initial reaction was negative for all the reasons above, but based on
this post, it might be a step in the right direction (at least for long-distance/non-corridor trains). For anyone who has ever had to board in CHI as a general coach passenger, assembling in the Great Hall is a big improvement over the crowded, chaotic gate areas and it makes sense for long-distance pax who aren't as time-sensitive. That said, I do wish all the corridor trains (not just Hiawathas) were exempt from the process.
Bottom line, CHI is not well-equipped for the current volume and flow of traffic, and won't be for quite some time until major capital upgrades are completed. Amtrak should be as flexible as possible as it grapples with finding a happy medium in the interim, making
lessons from its recent OIG report on boarding as actionable as possible.