Originally Posted by
jackal
but still, if they're (Pacific Parlour Cars) not the difference between sleeper class making or losing money, I'm not sure it could really be argued that removing them is going to be the difference between Amtrak continuing and discontinuing their long-distance services.
While I can't speak for others, that's certainly not the point I was trying to make. Given the higher maintenance costs of the PPCs combined with their long track record of unreliability/unavailability due to maintenance related issues, retiring them seems like only one of many cost cutting efforts that will ultimately serve Amtrak well. BTW, does anyone here know if there are any reports/evidence indicating whether or not the Pacific Parlour Cars ever actually increased ridership or otherwise enhanced profitability on the Coast Starlight since their introduction in the late 1990s? I'm for whatever serves Amtrak best over the long run and given the current climate, I'd rather see the PPCs retired than see a major downgrading of food services aboard Amtrak trains. Or worse - route cutting a la the Desert Wind and the Pioneer back in the 90s.
The "experiment" currently being conducted aboard the Silver Star (New York to Miami) where the dining car has been removed leaving passengers to make due with snack food from the Café Car is of greater concern to me as it affects ALL passengers, not just those in First Class. Apparently the status of its implementation has now gone from "trial basis" to "indefinite". The Cardinal (New York to Chicago) already has a Café Car serving microwaved meals to sleeping car passengers and the City of New Orleans has also suffered downgraded service.
On long distance overnight trains, Amtrak passengers are a "captive audience" for far longer than any airplane flight. A quality food and dining experience is not only a cherished and integral part of long distance train travel, but also an important one. Degrading or outright removing that might very well be the final straw between choosing to take the train or purchasing an airplane ticket regardless of class traveled. This is especially true along the west coast where airfares between LA Area/Bay Area airports and PDX/SEA are as competitively priced as any in the nation. The potential for diminished ridership due to cuts like this would seem more likely to be the difference between Amtrak continuing and discontinuing its long-distance services. It'll be interesting to see how this all plays out in the coming year...