# Shower access in coach L/D?



## Jamling

Hello all. I am taking the train out of CHI to SAC, and I was wondering if any one has tried to get access to the sleeper compartment showers while they have a coach ticket. (I can't afford 700-1000$ just for what amounts to a bunk bed and a shower !). My trip is very low budget, and I was wondering if I could ask the conductor if I could borrow the shower, even though i don't have a compartment?

Thanks for any help


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## Bob Dylan

In a word, No!

Only Sleeping Car passengers with tickets are allowed into the Sleepers where the Showers are located!

There are several Restrooms downstairs in the Superliner Coaches (Bi-Level) where you can Wash up,change clothes, brush your teeth etc.. You also might want to take Handi-Wipes,a wash cloth and small towel and some soap to wash up!

Sometimes you can find Roomettes @_a cheaper price midway in the trip. Chicago to Sacramento is a 2_Day/2 Night Trip with an overnight between Chicago and Denver, and another night in Utah to Reno.

Remember, meals in the Diner are included in the Sleeping Car fare. So if you could find a Roomette overnight say from Denver,Glennwood Springs or Grand Junction to Sacramento, or Salt Lake City to Sacramento for a good price ,it would be worth it! ( say $200)


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## Kat314159

My past adventures in coach I've done the sponge bath, reapply deodorant, clean clothes and do not pass go go directly to the showers on arrival. Hot showers are unfortunately not a reality for coach class.

Persistence is key in getting a low price sleeper. I snagged one last night for a trip in under a month because I've been watching and hoping for a price drop for the last few months. Amsnag could be quite useful if your dates are flexible. You may well find that a day sooner or later will drop the price in half. I did see several fares for the whole length in a sleeper for $300 upgrade charge when I plugged in some random dates in November.


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## Devil's Advocate

Being left to sit in your own filth for days on end without access to soap or a shower is the kind of disgusting existence you'd expect from a third world hovel. Unfortunately on Amtrak coach passengers are still forbidden from entering the showers and are stuck with a commercial grade artificially scented liquid detergent that does a poor job of body cleaning and mostly just replaces one bad odor with another. In fact it's probably advised to avoid putting it anywhere but your hands unless you want to risk a rash or other breakout. In order to work around Amtrak's four decades of resistance against installing a showers anywhere coach passengers can reach them you'll need to bring a portable cleansing solution with you.


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## me_little_me

Devil's Advocate said:


> Being left to sit in your own filth for days on end without access to soap or a shower is the kind of disgusting existence you'd expect from a third world hovel. Unfortunately on Amtrak coach passengers are still forbidden from entering the showers and are stuck with a commercial grade artificially scented liquid detergent that does a poor job of body cleaning and mostly just replaces one bad odor with another. In fact it's probably advised to avoid putting it anywhere but your hands unless you want to risk a rash or other breakout. In order to work around Amtrak's four decades of resistance against installing a showers anywhere coach passengers can reach them you'll need to bring a portable cleansing solution with you.


No. It's called transcontinental bus service and has been around for many years even after trains started offering rooms with shower availability.

Possibly Amtrak could make a few bucks offering a shower in a modified Superliner downstairs cafe where you pay the attendant for a key to the shower room and he/she makes sure it is not shared and not used for more than, say, 15 minutes.


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## OlympianHiawatha

So I was on the _*California Zephyr *_a few years ago and went to take my evening shower, kit and towel in one hand and change clothes in the other. I opened the Shower Room door and there was a young couple obviously from Coach about to get frisky! At least they were still dressed and when they saw me, they scurried faster than a Turpentined Cat!


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## FormerOBS

Olympian's response is one reason sleeping car attendants do their best to keep their cars free of unauthorized visitors. I suppose it would be nice to make some arrangement to provide this kind of service to coach passengers, but I can't think of a practical way to do it without compromising service to sleeper passengers, while virtually inviting abuse. Of all the things Amtrak might do to improve service to coach passengers, this is one of the most unlikely to come to pass, especially in the current climate of creature-comfort service cuts.


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## Acela150

me_little_me said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
> 
> 
> 
> Being left to sit in your own filth for days on end without access to soap or a shower is the kind of disgusting existence you'd expect from a third world hovel. Unfortunately on Amtrak coach passengers are still forbidden from entering the showers and are stuck with a commercial grade artificially scented liquid detergent that does a poor job of body cleaning and mostly just replaces one bad odor with another. In fact it's probably advised to avoid putting it anywhere but your hands unless you want to risk a rash or other breakout. In order to work around Amtrak's four decades of resistance against installing a showers anywhere coach passengers can reach them you'll need to bring a portable cleansing solution with you.
> 
> 
> 
> No. It's called transcontinental bus service and has been around for many years even after trains started offering rooms with shower availability.
> 
> Possibly Amtrak could make a few bucks offering a shower in a modified Superliner downstairs cafe where you pay the attendant for a key to the shower room and he/she makes sure it is not shared and not used for more than, say, 15 minutes.
Click to expand...

After 15 minutes I'd hope there's water in the tank.....


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## SarahZ

Acela150 said:


> me_little_me said:
> 
> 
> 
> Possibly Amtrak could make a few bucks offering a shower in a modified Superliner downstairs cafe where you pay the attendant for a key to the shower room and he/she makes sure it is not shared and not used for more than, say, 15 minutes.
> 
> 
> 
> After 15 minutes I'd hope there's water in the tank.....
Click to expand...

Well, to be fair, that 15 minutes would include the shower time plus drying off and getting dressed. That's about how long it takes me at home, and I'm not dealing with swaying/shaking in a room the size of my closet.


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## willem

Yes, showers for coach would be nice. And yes, it is probably not feasible for the the reasons mentioned.

What I think should be feasible is to have shower facilities at transer points. I understand that Chicago's Union Station had shower facilities at one time, and I would think it much simpler to put such facilities in a station rather than modify a train car and provide monitoring and service for an on-board shower.

Probably most people traveling from the coast to coast get a sleeper anyway, but for someone going from Pittsburgh or Memphis to Saint Paul or Denver or Albuquerque, it might be worthwhile. Even for sleeping car passengers, some might rather wait for the transfer station rather than deal with the "swaying/shaking in a room the size of my closet." (Thanks, SarahZ, for the phrasing.)


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## OlympianHiawatha

willem said:


> Yes, showers for coach would be nice. And yes, it is probably not feasible for the the reasons mentioned.
> 
> What I think should be feasible is to have shower facilities at transer points. I understand that Chicago's Union Station had shower facilities at one time, and I would think it much simpler to put such facilities in a station rather than modify a train car and provide monitoring and service for an on-board shower.
> 
> Probably most people traveling from the coast to coast get a sleeper anyway, but for someone going from Pittsburgh or Memphis to Saint Paul or Denver or Albuquerque, it might be worthwhile. Even for sleeping car passengers, some might rather wait for the transfer station rather than deal with the "swaying/shaking in a room the size of my closet." (Thanks, SarahZ, for the phrasing.)


Any Truck Stop worthy of stopping at has Showers available for the Truckers; so there is no reason "pay per view" Showers could not be installed at the transfer Stations.


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## Devil's Advocate

willem said:


> Yes, showers for coach would be nice. And yes, it is probably not feasible for the the reasons mentioned.


After breathable air, drinkable water, and life sustaining pressures and temperatures I'd put the ability to easily clean yourself at a similar level of need as food. We can have a whole separate car with a massive labor cost that does nothing but feed us and yet we can't have even a single shower in a coach car?



willem said:


> What I think should be feasible is to have shower facilities at transer points. I understand that Chicago's Union Station had shower facilities at one time, and I would think it much simpler to put such facilities in a station rather than modify a train car and provide monitoring and service for an on-board shower.


Agreed. If Amtrak was serious about making the long distance coach experience moderately pleasant they would at least offer showers at terminals and major connecting hubs. Charging a modest amount like $5 for routine cleaning and upkeep would be fine with me.



willem said:


> Probably most people traveling from the coast to coast get a sleeper anyway, but for someone going from Pittsburgh or Memphis to Saint Paul or Denver or Albuquerque, it might be worthwhile. Even for sleeping car passengers, some might rather wait for the transfer station rather than deal with the "swaying/shaking in a room the size of my closet."


Most people who ride Amtrak travel by coach regardless of the distance.


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## Ryan

Devil's Advocate said:


> After breathable air, drinkable water, and life sustaining pressures and temperatures I'd put the ability to easily clean yourself at a similar level of need as food.


How about I don't shower for a month, you don't eat for a month, and then we can sit down and talk about how similar those needs are.

At home, my morning shower is pretty much a mandatory way to start every day, but for a trip that's a single overnight (or maybe two) forgoing a shower isn't a big deal at all.


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## Bob Dylan

Most of the world doesn't have any potable drinking water, yet we're obsessed with cleanliness!

We spend more on Laundry and Dry Cleaning and hygene and cosmetic products than most countries spend on food!( same for our pets)

Showers are nice ( some people say baths are even nicer!) but most people in the world don't have a clue what its like to operate one, yet alone take one!

Ryan has it right, one day/night without a shower isn't the end of the world, but anymore and it becomes uncomfortable for we spoiled Westerners.

Anyone that's served on a Naval Ship, or been in Combat, knows what a luxury a nice shower or bath is!


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## Devil's Advocate

Ryan said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
> 
> 
> 
> After breathable air, drinkable water, and life sustaining pressures and temperatures I'd put the ability to easily clean yourself at a similar level of need as food.
> 
> 
> 
> How about I don't shower for a month, you don't eat for a month, and then we can sit down and talk about how similar those needs are. At home, my morning shower is pretty much a mandatory way to start every day, but for a trip that's a single overnight (or maybe two) forgoing a shower isn't a big deal at all.
Click to expand...

Point taken. Nonetheless I'd happily take a challenge of not eating anything for however long it takes to travel with Amtrak from Miami to Seattle, which I believe is around four days or so. There is no way I'd willingly go four days without showering, but maybe I'm just weird like that. Just in case it's not obvious I'm not interested in taking away your food just to get my shower.


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## BCL

Devil's Advocate said:


> Most people who ride Amtrak travel by coach regardless of the distance.


Long story, but I had a friend/house mate who took a few weeks off and traveled by Amtrak on an unlimited pass back in the 90s. All by coach. My back would have been gone doing the same thing, and I was pretty young.


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## TinCan782

jimhudson said:


> Anyone that's served on a Naval Ship, or been in Combat, knows what a luxury a nice shower or bath is!


Ahhhh...."water hours" on a tin can!


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## jis

The need for frequent showering I am told is a peculiarly American middle class and above obsession


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## crabby_appleton1950

jis said:


> The need for frequent showering I am told is a peculiarly American middle class and above obsession


_Uh_, who told you that_?_

I grew up poor on a small farm in the 1950s, and we were raised_ "'cleanliness is next to godliness"*.*_


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## iggy

Interesting rant on poisonous Amtrak soap = only to offer up a just as toxic solution to that problem. One that in fact could cause just as many rash / sensitivity issues. Basic alcohol wipes will get job done. Personally I don't use hotel soap and try to avoid using public restroom soaps. I carry my own supply from a vendor in my area who handcrafts soaps.

I understand the need and the want for showers on trains for coach. But think about how bathrooms look after a few hours of travel. I can only imagine how a shower stall would look. As was mentioned with current funding - past and present - there will be more important priorities.

While I greatly appreciate the availability of a shower in sleepers. It has been mentioned that shower area is little more than a closet. This is mostly in refurbished cars. Older cars seem to have a larger shower room. After showering it is hard to maneuver to get dressed and normally shower room is an oven. Which has me sweating and defeating purpose of shower.

Pay for showers are an option that should be explored. It was mentioned within this forum or somewhere online that showers in Union Station Chicago may have been shutdown do to security issues. I'd have to re-watch my video. But area were showers used to be - might be where they are planning on relocating Metropolitan Lounge.


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## Cho Cho Charlie

OlympianHiawatha said:


> Any Truck Stop worthy of stopping at has Showers available for the Truckers; so there is no reason "pay per view" Showers could not be installed at the transfer Stations.


Some stations used to have showers for train travelers. Aren't they still located in the lower/basement level of WAS, though not accessible anymore by the pubic.


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## Devil's Advocate

iggy said:


> Interesting rant on poisonous Amtrak soap = only to offer up a just as toxic solution to that problem. One that in fact could cause just as many rash / sensitivity issues.


My experience was with the green pack that says it's for sensitive skin like on faces and babies and it seemed to work fine for me in a pinch. I'm not big on rubbing alcohol, in fact I absolutely hate the smell, but if you don't mind then it's probably just as good if not better.



iggy said:


> I understand the need and the want for showers on trains for coach. But think about how bathrooms look after a few hours of travel. I can only imagine how a shower stall would look. As was mentioned with current funding - past and present - there will be more important priorities.


So far as I can tell the reason the coach bathrooms look like crap is primarily because Amtrak coach staff are too proud and/or too lazy to clean them properly on a regular basis. The sleeper staff seem to do a much better job. Technically it's the same staff but they only seem to bother with it when they're on sleeper duty.



iggy said:


> After showering it is hard to maneuver to get dressed and normally shower room is an oven. Which has me sweating and defeating purpose of shower.


Never seen anyone who can sweat a whole day's worth of filth back onto their body immediately after showering, but if that's your experience then I can understand why you'd be disinterested. Maybe you should turn the water temperature down a bit.



iggy said:


> Pay for showers are an option that should be explored. It was mentioned within this forum or somewhere online that showers in Union Station Chicago may have been shutdown do to security issues.


I'd be curious to hear how the only way to resolve the "safety" issue was to remove the showers permanently. Were people sniffing bath salts? Were they fashioning shivs out of soap holders? Were they pulling pipes out of the walls? Inquiring minds want to know.


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## Cho Cho Charlie

Devil's Advocate said:


> So far as I can tell the reason the coach bathrooms look like crap is primarily because Amtrak coach staff are too proud and/or too lazy to clean them properly on a regular basis. The sleeper staff seem to do a much better job. Technically it's the same staff but they only seem to bother with it when they're on sleeper duty.


I wonder if such is related to tipping; sleeper passengers tend to tip more than coach.



Devil's Advocate said:


> I'd be curious to hear how the only way to resolve the "safety" issue was to remove the showers permanently. Were people sniffing bath salts? Were they fashioning shivs out of soap holders? Were they pulling pipes out of the walls? Inquiring minds want to know.


I wonder if these showers attracted the homeless, and such tends to also bring other problems in with them.


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## Kat314159

Maybe showers should've been part of the new legacy club. Say $25 for the 'deluxe' entry that includes shower. That I could get behind (well if Chicago weren't place where I knew people who would happily let me pop in for a shower on a layover).


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## KmH

Booked far enough in advance and riding during the 'off season', a Roomette from Denver to Reno can be a little as $185.

That would include 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner in the dining car.

You could ride coach to Denver, roomette from Denver to Reno, and coach from Reno to Sacramento.

Denver to Reno is about 25 hours. As an additional benefit, once in Sacramento you are still considered a sleeper berth customer and get access to the sleeper berth passenger waiting area and no fee baggage storage perks in the SAC station for the remainder of the day your were a sleeper berth passenger.

Lots of westbound CZ roomettes empty in Denver and don't get booked from Denver to Emeryville.

Oh! That 'bunk bed' will sure feel nice after a night of sleeping in a coach seat. Assuming you don't join the 'Lounge Lizards' and sleep in the SSL car.


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## Asher

Bottom line, if you want a shower you got to pay the piper. It would be pretty embarrassing to be led back to your coach wearing a towel.


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## sgtsluder

The value of a sleeping car is well worth it; on most routes. Great free food, plus free showers!

Enjoy!


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## willem

iggy said:


> Pay for showers are an option that should be explored. It was mentioned within this forum or somewhere online that showers in Union Station Chicago may have been shutdown do to security issues. I'd have to re-watch my video. But area were showers used to be - might be where they are planning on relocating Metropolitan Lounge.


The showers, as I understand it, were on the west side of the Great Hall and down one level. The new Metropolitan Lounge is to be on east side (actually southeast corner) of the Great Hall.


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## NW cannonball

willem said:


> iggy said:
> 
> 
> 
> Pay for showers are an option that should be explored. It was mentioned within this forum or somewhere online that showers in Union Station Chicago may have been shutdown do to security issues. I'd have to re-watch my video. But area were showers used to be - might be where they are planning on relocating Metropolitan Lounge.
> 
> 
> 
> The showers, as I understand it, were on the west side of the Great Hall and down one level. The new Metropolitan Lounge is to be on east side (actually southeast corner) of the Great Hall.
Click to expand...

I saw that CUS shower area, but so long ago, fuzzy memory -

I think that some train stations in Europe have pay-access showers available even now. USA truck-stops - sure. Far East stations -- likely.

On-train showers available for free for coach passengers on the train? Nowhere nohow.


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## me_little_me

NW cannonball said:


> I saw that CUS shower area, but so long ago, fuzzy memory -
> 
> I think that some train stations in Europe have pay-access showers available even now. USA truck-stops - sure. Far East stations -- likely.
> 
> On-train showers available for free for coach passengers on the train? Nowhere nohow.


I don't believe anyone suggested that the showers would be free.


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## NW cannonball

me_little_me said:


> NW cannonball said:
> 
> 
> 
> I saw that CUS shower area, but so long ago, fuzzy memory -
> 
> I think that some train stations in Europe have pay-access showers available even now. USA truck-stops - sure. Far East stations -- likely.
> 
> On-train showers available for free for coach passengers on the train? Nowhere nohow.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't believe anyone suggested that the showers would be free.
Click to expand...

Right. On-train and free, never. Pay shower on-train, probably also not .

I'm imagining a Mica-manager in Congress saying "that shower is half the space of a roomette, it should get at least half the revenue that a roomette does! And what's this with free toilets in coach, huh? Toilets should be a revenue center too, people should pay at least a few dollars to use the restroom, "

Just kidding

<edit> doing some really rough math here, say we replace 2 Superliner coach seats with a pay shower, say $10 for a 10-15 minute shower time -- would need 40-50 users on an end-to-end western LD train run to break even, dunno the cost for more water on board.

Could that be a revenue booster? No idea.


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## me_little_me

NW cannonball said:


> Just kidding
> 
> <edit> doing some really rough math here, say we replace 2 Superliner coach seats with a pay shower, say $10 for a 10-15 minute shower time -- would need 40-50 users on an end-to-end western LD train run to break even, dunno the cost for more water on board.
> 
> Could that be a revenue booster? No idea.


I was thinking of using a small area of downstairs cafe table to be shower room as the shower room can be monitored by cafe attendant for use. Keycard sold by attendant that would open shower room door then once inside room, card would activate water for a certain period. Towels and soap provided at time of purchase.

Two timers -

Room time fixed. No extensions. (15 minutes to wash and dry?)

Shower time - less than room time would be fixed but could be suspended so that you can wet yourself, suspend it, then restart to rinse. Same total time but longer in-shower time. (4 minutes of water?)


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## Bob Dylan

Good idea except where does the money come from for the conversions?

And the Cafe LSAs don't want to clean the Bathrooms that are there now. They keep them locked, usually have a Homemade "Out of Order" Sign on the door!


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## FormerOBS

"The shower can be monitored by café car attendant" ??

Maybe this would be possible, but I suspect it would be impractical for the café attendant to close the service counter so he can clean the shower. That would often be necessary.

Tom


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## KmH

sgtsluder said:


> The value of a sleeping car is well worth it; on most routes. Great free food, plus free showers!
> 
> Enjoy!


Neither the food, nor use of the shower is free.

The cost of those perks is part of the sleeper berth price.

Amtrak is conducting a pilot program whereby the food is separated from the cost of a sleeper berth and the sleeper berth cost has been reduced.

Food service for sleeper berth pax has changed (been downgraded) on the Cardinal and the City of New Orleans.


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## Ryan

Your title for the second link is misleading, nothing has changed on the Cardinal.


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## Devil's Advocate

Cho Cho Charlie said:


> Devil's Advocate said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'd be curious to hear how the only way to resolve the "safety" issue was to remove the showers permanently. Were people sniffing bath salts? Were they fashioning shivs out of soap holders? Were they pulling pipes out of the walls? Inquiring minds want to know.
> 
> 
> 
> I wonder if these showers attracted the homeless, and such tends to also bring other problems in with them.
Click to expand...

Personally I'd think that clean homeless people would be a substantial improvement over dirty homeless people, but maybe that's just me. Over in Japan they have showers at the airport with a subsidized cost of around $5 per person per use. They are also extremely clean by American standards because they pay someone to tidy up after every use. By Japanese thinking fewer stinky passengers is a benefit to everyone involved. Not sure why Americans prefer stinky passengers instead.



NW cannonball said:


> doing some really rough math here, say we replace 2 Superliner coach seats with a pay shower, say $10 for a 10-15 minute shower time -- would need 40-50 users on an end-to-end western LD train run to break even, dunno the cost for more water on board. Could that be a revenue booster? No idea.


I hope you're not assuming that every last seat is sold in every coach, because that is almost never the case in my experience.



me_little_me said:


> I was thinking of using a small area of downstairs cafe table to be shower room as the shower room can be monitored by cafe attendant for use. Keycard sold by attendant that would open shower room door then once inside room, card would activate water for a certain period. Towels and soap provided at time of purchase. Two timers - Room time fixed. No extensions. (15 minutes to wash and dry?) Shower time - less than room time would be fixed but could be suspended so that you can wet yourself, suspend it, then restart to rinse. Same total time but longer in-shower time. (4 minutes of water?)


Sounds like something that's at least worth a try.



jimhudson said:


> Good idea except where does the money come from for the conversions? And the Cafe LSAs don't want to clean the Bathrooms that are there now. They keep them locked, usually have a Homemade "Out of Order" Sign on the door!


Presumably the money comes from a loan based on expected revenue from charging for showers. Obviously Amtrak would have to advertise it regularly and the staff would have to go along with it. I've never quite understood why the staff can't be bothered to clean the coach toilets regularly, but presumably that's something that management needs to address.


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## A Voice

NW cannonball said:


> me_little_me said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> NW cannonball said:
> 
> 
> 
> I saw that CUS shower area, but so long ago, fuzzy memory -
> 
> I think that some train stations in Europe have pay-access showers available even now. USA truck-stops - sure. Far East stations -- likely.
> 
> On-train showers available for free for coach passengers on the train? Nowhere nohow.
> 
> 
> 
> I don't believe anyone suggested that the showers would be free.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Right. On-train and free, never. Pay shower on-train, probably also not .
> 
> I'm imagining a Mica-manager in Congress saying "that shower is half the space of a roomette, it should get at least half the revenue that a roomette does! And what's this with free toilets in coach, huh? Toilets should be a revenue center too, people should pay at least a few dollars to use the restroom, "
> 
> Just kidding
> 
> <edit> doing some really rough math here, say we replace 2 Superliner coach seats with a pay shower, say $10 for a 10-15 minute shower time -- would need 40-50 users on an end-to-end western LD train run to break even, dunno the cost for more water on board.
> 
> Could that be a revenue booster? No idea.
Click to expand...

Although clearly some people would take advantage of the amenity, I'm just not convinced pay-showers for coach passengers would be all that popular or widely used. Only western long distance trains have routes covering more than one night, and even then only a small fraction of the passengers are actually on board for that long; Most people are traveling shorter distances between intermediate points. Further, how dirty do you really get sitting around all day in a coach seat? While a shower might be nice, its not going to hurt anyone to miss one night. I absolutely support added on board amenities (even for a fee), but it needs to be something that will produce revenue and which the passengers want and are willing to pay for (no "nickel and dime" charges, such as the airline model).



jimhudson said:


> Good idea except where does the money come from for the conversions?
> 
> And the Cafe LSAs don't want to clean the Bathrooms that are there now. They keep them locked, usually have a Homemade "Out of Order" Sign on the door!





FormerOBS said:


> "The shower can be monitored by café car attendant" ??
> 
> Maybe this would be possible, but I suspect it would be impractical for the café attendant to close the service counter so he can clean the shower. That would often be necessary.
> 
> Tom


Wouldn't it feel sort of weird to go to the lounge (cafe) car to use the shower, while everyone else is in their eating, drinking, and socializing?


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## FormerOBS

Be sure to wear your formal towel & an Ascot. Nobody will notice.

T


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## D.P. Roberts

As with many issues related to rail travel, I think a comparison to the amenities offered by the airlines is in order. Since air travel far exceeds rail travel for cross-country routes, I think it's fair to say that people's expectations on Amtrak are similar to what they'd expect from an airline - especially for first-time travelers, an important Amtrak demographic.

Some high-end airlines have showers onboard, but that's unusual. However, many first class & business class passengers get free access to lounges at major airports - aside from free food, many of those lounges have showers, as well as massages and other pampering services.

Those lounges are free to many first/business class passengers, as an upgrade to those with the available points, or a charge (usually about $50, from what I've seen) to coach passengers who want to pay.

I have never seen a coach passenger lounge at an airport, but it's possible that they exist. Many people nowadays spend 24+ hours flying around the world in coach & never shower.

So, if airlines are any indication, it's doubtful that people in coach expect a shower or would be willing to pay for one, but it would be a coveted amenity in the higher fare classes. From that perspective, Amtrak is meeting expectations (although the quality of those facilities on Amtrak leaves MUCH to be desired compared to the airline counterparts).


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## alan_s

This is one of the reasons I break up long trips with a stay of a day or two in a town en-route. I try to pick an interesting town, but sometimes just a whistle stop with a cheap (much less than a sleeper) hotel room - with en-suite bathroom - can make a long trip a lot less stressful.


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## neroden

It would definitely make sense to restore pay showers at major transfer stations. They'd get used.

Showers on board train are enough of a pain to manage that it probably makes sense to keep them as a sleeper perk.

If you think about it, most overnight Amtrak train rides are only single-overnight. Most people, even "morning shower EVERY day" people, can manage to wait to have their shower until they get off the train later in the same day.

Most of the the two-night Amtrak trips, and *all* of the three-night Amtrak trips, require changing trains. Putting pay showers in the key transfer points (Chicago most of all, but also possibly DC, LA, NY, New Orleans, Portland, Boston) would make a lot of sense. Maybe a private company could be enticed to do it. It could be profitable. And I see no problem with letting homeless people pay to use the showers too.


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## willem

> Most of the the two-night Amtrak trips, and *all* of the three-night Amtrak trips, require changing trains.


Texas Eagle, CHI-LAX or LAX-CHI?

This does not detract from the point that transfer station should have showers.


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## seat38a

DSC03891 by Brian H, on Flickr

Personally, some option like this would probably work for coach passengers. This is what is offered at Basel Station. One problem I see is that soon people will probably complain about the price and what is "fair" etc etc. $12.00 dollars to take a shower is probably well worth it if you have not bathed for couple days. At the same time, if your going directly to your hotel or home, why would you want to take a shower at the station?


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## Bob Dylan

For $12 they must use Champagne instead of water! Yikes!


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## railbuck

For that matter, US passengers would rebel over the $2 WC charge. At least that's still free on European trains.


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## Bob Dylan

railbuck said:


> For that matter, US passengers would rebel over the $2 WC charge. At least that's still free on European trains.


But there used to be pay toilets in bus and train stations and airports here!( most were 10 cents)


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## GG-1

jimhudson said:


> railbuck said:
> 
> 
> 
> For that matter, US passengers would rebel over the $2 WC charge. At least that's still free on European trains.
> 
> 
> 
> But there used to be pay toilets in bus and train stations and airports here!( most were 10 cents)
Click to expand...

And How many would crawl under the door.?

Aloha


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## willem

jimhudson said:


> For $12 they must use Champagne instead of water! Yikes!


More likely it's bottled water.

Americans do not seem to balk at absurdly high prices for potable water in bottles, so it's really a marketing issue.


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