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I’m guessing that drug smugglers use long-distance trains for the same reasons that many of us do: it is less stressful and fatiguing than driving across country, one doesn’t have to stop along the way to eat, buy fuel, or answer a call of nature, one doesn’t have to stop for the night to sleep...

The Amtrak Police are obviously “in the loop” along with other local and Federal agencies regarding information turned up by the FBI, Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, etc. We must assume that if anything comes to...

On those occasions when we needed to speak to someone in Customer Relations, we called the Amtrak number and told “Julie” that we wanted to speak to an agent. When we got through to an agent, we asked for Customer Relations and were transferred. We always call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time...

About a year or so ago, someone posted that the Kosher flex meals are somewhat better than the regular flex meals, and recommended them as a better option, even to those travelers who are not Jewish. Apparently, Kosher flex meals must be requested in advance as they are not routinely stocked on...

Since Pacific Surfliners figure prominently in the beginnings and endings of our trips, we always download and print out a copy of the latest PSL timetable to have with us when we travel. It is particularly valuable when we’re preparing to arrive in Los Angeles on Southwest Chief No. 3. If our...

On occasion, and usually right after we’ve completed a long-distance trip, we have received surveys from Amtrak asking us to provide feedback on our travel experience. We always complete these surveys, making a best effort to be as honest as possible. For the most part, we’re usually able...

IMHO, a well-written trip report that is up front in describing all that happened (including how one had to deal with some of the not-so-nice aspects of the trip) is more likely to be believed by the average person than any Amtrak advertisement dreamed up by Madison Avenue flacks who would...

It will be interesting to find out if a flex meal, served up as if it was a traditional menu meal, will be more readily accepted by the traveling public.

You’re right, they were called Code Talkers. (I confused this with the 2002 war film “Windtalkers” starring Nicolas Cage which was about the Navajo Code Talkers.)

The first time we rode the Coast Starlight was back in 1997 when we took it from Los Angeles to Seattle. Back then, there were two (2) sightseer lounge cars, one for coach passengers and one for sleeping car passengers. For that trip, there was even a wine tasting event in the sleeping car...

Great! (The problem can’t be fixed unless Amtrak knows there is a problem.)

Thanks for answering my question. Do you have any idea why that uniformed member of the APD was on our train for the entire passage from Chicago to Fullerton? As far as we could tell, he just stayed in his room during the trip and didn’t make his presence generally known.

Write to Amtrak Customer Relations to inform them of the poorly prepared meals you were served. (Be sure to give them full information as to the dates you traveled, the train you were on, how long you were on the train, etc. They should be able to figure out who was responsible for preparing...

On our 2021 trip west on Southwest Chief No. 3, a uniformed member of the Amtrak Police Force rode our train from Chicago to Fullerton. He had a room in one of the sleepers and apparently kept a low profile for the entire trip. We only saw him when he boarded in Chicago and when he got off in...

Michigan Mom, Once again, thank you so much for another fascinating trip report. Unlike you, we’re not at all clever in coming up with travel arrangements at the last minute. Nor are we brave enough to undertake a trip to a distant city without knowing for sure how we will be getting home. The...

We, too, no longer bring anything with us on our long-distance trips that needs to be checked as baggage. Having everything with us at all times gives us greater flexibility should unforeseen circumstances force us to change to our travel plans in mid-trip. If two seniors in their late 70's...

We've always wondered about this too, particularly when a train is full and people want to use the observation car to observe the scenery.

This derailment serves to remind us how vulnerable Amtrak passenger service can be to events caused by the weather and/or human or structural failure.

The help which the kind people on this forum furnish has also been invaluable to those of us who have already made more than a few long-distance train trips!

Shortline, It is my understanding that SWC Nos. 3 and 4 are only providing service between Albuquerque and Chicago for the time being due to the BNSF derailment that took place near the Arizona-New Mexico border last Friday. No trains are departing LA but one should be departing from KC as...