# Dining cars on Amtrak western trains



## Paul D (Aug 19, 2018)

My sister and I will be taking a multi train trip (via rail pass) the last two weeks of Oct that will span multiple trains. Last time I did this about 10 years ago, the dinning cars typically had decent food. I now see lots of comments complaining that Amtrak is changing the style of serving in the dining car with changes to box lunches or even eliminating the dining car. I am looking for info on what I can expect to experience on following western trains (SWC/CS/CZ) since we will be traveling on them their full length and we will be in a sleeper. Our overall travel will be MEM >>>>CHI>>>LAX>>>SEA>>>SAC>>>>CHI>>>MEM with a short stay in SEA.

This is my sisters first train trip and she is taking it at my urging. I want it to be a positive adventure.


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## jis (Aug 19, 2018)

You will most likely have dining cars and at table dining service on all the trains that you are taking same as today, in the October 2018 timeframe. So don;t worry and enjoy your trip.


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## cpotisch (Aug 19, 2018)

Since you're only traveling in about two months, you'll almost certainly have full meal service on all your trains. The Coast Starlight and California Zephyr are flagship trains, so I highly doubt those will be getting boxed meals anytime soon. The Chief isn't quite a flagship route, so it might lose full dining service before those other ones, but fortunately it doesn't seem like there has been any recent talk of them making the change particularly soon. Put simply, you'll almost certainly be fine.


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