# Restoring Traditional meals in the Dining Car?



## MDRailfan (Mar 17, 2021)

I heard when the western LD return to daily that the meal service will return to traditional from flexible. Any idea when the eastern LD will do the same. I know AT never changed but I was referring to others?


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## jis (Mar 17, 2021)

MDRailfan said:


> I heard when the western LD return to daily that the meal service will return to traditional from flexible. Any idea when the eastern LD will do the same. I know AT never changed but I was referring to others?


Amtrak has just hinted that it may happen some time in the latter half of this year, but there is no set date. It is mostly reading between the lines at present.


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## fdaley (Mar 17, 2021)

Officially Amtrak is returning to the pre-pandemic service levels, which had traditional dining on the western trains and "flexible" meals (Amtrak-speak for prepackaged food tubs reheated on board) on the eastern overnight trains except for Autotrain. There have been some vague comments from Amtrak officials about changes being contemplated within the next year for the eastern trains, but we don't know yet whether that means real dining service or some other variation on the current service model.

Even on the western trains, it appears Covid restrictions will at least temporarily prohibit or limit normal seating arrangements in the diners, so many sleeper customers may wind up being served in their rooms, but at least those trains are expected to return to the traditional level of on-board food preparation and menu selections.


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## me_little_me (Mar 17, 2021)

Their plan is to follow what the AU members suggested were better than the flex meal - and that ranges from garbage from the Fresh Kills landfill to others just slightly better than the current meals. Then they will say that the frequent riders suggested those changes.


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## MDRailfan (May 12, 2021)

any further update on restoring east coast traditional meals?


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## TinCan782 (May 12, 2021)

MDRailfan said:


> any further update on restoring east coast traditional meals?


Eastern LD trains had already implemented "Flexible Dining" prior to the pandemic induced service reductions. Their return to traditional dining is probably less likely than the western trains.


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## Cal (May 12, 2021)

There have been several rumors and employees stating that traditional dining is coming back on Eastern trains late this year. What this means is dining will change. For better or for worse, who knows.


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## zephyr17 (May 12, 2021)

Apparently the 5 year fleet plan still calls for the Viewliner diners to be converted to general cafe style food service cars to serve both coach and sleeping car passengers by gutting the galley and installing more convection ovens.

They may or may not be moving away from that. Management is planning to do a review and determine their future food service policy this summer, from what I've I've heard through RPA.

I don't have any idea of what the results of that review will turn out to be. They've been making friendlier noises lately, but I don't take that at face value.

Who knows what "upgrades" lie in store? Especially considering Amtrak calls any changes to food service an "upgrade".


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## MARC Rider (May 12, 2021)

fdaley said:


> . . . but at least those trains are expected to return to the traditional level of on-board food preparation and menu selections.



Which means that most of the food is going to be pre-cooked, but it will be plated on-board, I guess.


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## jis (May 12, 2021)

zephyr17 said:


> Apparently the 5 year fleet plan still calls for the Viewliner diners to be converted to general cafe style food service cars to service both coach and sleeping car passengers by gutting the galley and installing more convection ovens.
> 
> They may or may not be moving away from that. Management is planning to do a review and determine their future food service policy this summer, from what I've I've heard through RPA.
> 
> ...



AFAIK they have not exactly moved away from their single food service car on eastern LDs goal quite yet. And annoyingly RPA mostly appears to be sitting around with their thumbs up their rear ends doing not much about it that is visible to anyone either.


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## Bob Dylan (May 12, 2021)

MARC Rider said:


> Which means that most of the food is going to be pre-cooked, but it will be plated on-board, I guess.


Honestly, just having healthier, higher quality meals, even if they are Heat and eat, would be a good compromise, I'm pretty sure we wont see a return to the old Menus, no matter what plan is implemented. 

Eating the same ole same ole day after day on LD trips, is NOT an improvement!

I for one, favor returning to the traditional Dining method on LD Trains, with a al carte Meals available to ALL Passengers, with pre- ordering possible!

The same applies to the Cafes, the current choices are expensive for what they are, but better than some of the Flex Meals slung to Sleeping Car Passengers.


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## MARC Rider (May 12, 2021)

Aside from upgrading the food from what they're serving in flex, they need to change the service model back to the "good old days," when the goal was "cordial efficiency," not a half-assed attempt at pseudo-fancy dining. Back in the day, there were no diner reservations, you just showed up and sat in the first available empty seat. They were so efficient that there were always a few empty seats. The menu was also the order form. You looked at the menu and checked off what you wanted (pencils provided). Then the waiter came by and took your order, and a little while later, the food appeared. Then you paid. You hardly even talked with the waiters, they just came and did their jobs. Of course, it would be even more efficient if passengers could pre-pay, which they could do when making reservations, or even on-board, or through a smartphone app. The whole idea is to move as many customers through the diner as quickly as possible, so that even on busy trains, everyone who wants to eat at the diner can eat at the diner. This would help encourage more coach passengers to try the dining car which would improve the revenue. Of course, sleeper passengers could also get room service. They could also sell tray meals in the cafe car for coach passengers who would rather eat at their seats. I'm not sure whether it would pay to have at-your-seat service for coach passengers, but that's a possibility, too.


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