Amtrak dining and cafe service

[railiner]

I think many of those here are more bothered by not knowing the full restoration plans in advance, than anything else...When the resolution to the dining debacle finally comes, I wonder what will replace it as the number one 'hot topic' of speculation will be?

 

[jis]

I think many of those here are more bothered by not knowing the full restoration plans in advance, than anything else...When the resolution to the dining debacle finally comes, I wonder what will replace it as the number one 'hot topic' of speculation will be?

The earlier big concern was flower vases on the tables. Perhaps we will revert back to that!

But it really is going to be most of the rest of this year for resolution of Dining in the east, and then too it will probably be at most SDS type thing, and there will be plenty left to belly-ache about is my guess.

 

[me_little_me]

Seems like some people here just don't get it. When I buy a ticket, I expect a certain level of service. When I pay as much as Amtrak is charging these days, I DEMAND that level of service. Amtrak is not delivering that level of service nor is it delivering what it promises. Moreover, they can't be upfront with me or truthful about when they will deliver that service. As a customer and taxpayer who pays their salaries and benefits, I am owed at least them being honest about it so I can make an informed decision as to whether I want to pay the price asked for the service delivered.

So when they cut down the service (making it less enjoyable by cutting items or services of minuscule cost), totally fail to deliver their promises (ala the new linens), or simply change the date when they will deliver that service with no explanation causing me to have to change my plans and/or lose money on the other services I use (hotels, etc), I don't like it.

They have never shown me any example of competence; they lie like a rug; they are damaging what we taxpayers have been paying for to the extent they may be destroying it.

There is nothing wrong with saying "We thought we could meet this date but xxxx happened and we must delay it" but they need to be open about that and know enough about what they are doing to provide a date they know they can meet so I can make an informed decision about spending my money. As of now, based on THEIR PROMISES and their LACK OF OPENNESS, they are IMHO just incompetent and/or lying.

Other than that, I think the world of them! And I'd love them more if they'd quit and take a job in another world.

 

[Palmetto]

Airlines have a Contract of Carriage. Perhaps Amtrak should, too.

 

[me_little_me]

Airlines have a Contract of Carriage. Perhaps Amtrak should, too.

They do. And all of them, Amtrak included, say if we don't provide it, tough luck. It may have taken you a month to get where you were supposed to go and we had to transport you with the baggage, but we got you there and that's all you are entitled to. Anything more than that is just good will on our part.

 

[Sidney]

Seems like some people here just don't get it. When I buy a ticket, I expect a certain level of service. When I pay as much as Amtrak is charging these days, I DEMAND that level of service. Amtrak is not delivering that level of service nor is it delivering what it promises. Moreover, they can't be upfront with me or truthful about when they will deliver that service. As a customer and taxpayer who pays their salaries and benefits, I am owed at least them being honest about it so I can make an informed decision as to whether I want to pay the price asked for the service delivered.

So when they cut down the service (making it less enjoyable by cutting items or services of minuscule cost), totally fail to deliver their promises (ala the new linens), or simply change the date when they will deliver that service with no explanation causing me to have to change my plans and/or lose money on the other services I use (hotels, etc), I don't like it.

They have never shown me any example of competence; they lie like a rug; they are damaging what we taxpayers have been paying for to the extent they may be destroying it.

There is nothing wrong with saying "We thought we could meet this date but xxxx happened and we must delay it" but they need to be open about that and know enough about what they are doing to provide a date they know they can meet so I can make an informed decision about spending my money. As of now, based on THEIR PROMISES and their LACK OF OPENNESS, they are IMHO just incompetent and/or lying.

Other than that, I think the world of them! And I'd love them more if they'd quit and take a job in another world.

Agree 100%. As almost everyone has stated at the price point sleepers are,decent dining should be expected.

 

[jis]

Airlines have a Contract of Carriage. Perhaps Amtrak should, too.

Are you looking for something more than this?

https://www.amtrak.com/terms-and-conditions.html
It seems to contain every section that for example the UA Contract of Carriage contains. What additional things are you expecting?

 

[lizpackslight]

I rode the Crescent yesterday from Birmingham to New Orleans. The train was completely sold out. By Hattiesburg, we were running an hour late. I had not planned on needing dinner on the train, but by 6:00 I was getting a little hungry and decided to check out the cafe car. Silly me. It was picked clean. There were no sodas, no food, only a few bags of the less desirable chips and some candy bars. Bless their hearts. I don’t think they were prepared to go back to full capacity.

Maybe things were better for the sleeper passengers.

 

[MisterUptempo]

I rode the Crescent yesterday from Birmingham to New Orleans. The train was completely sold out. By Hattiesburg, we were running an hour late. I had not planned on needing dinner on the train, but by 6:00 I was getting a little hungry and decided to check out the cafe car. Silly me. It was picked clean. There were no sodas, no food, only a few bags of the less desirable chips and some candy bars. Bless their hearts. I don’t think they were prepared to go back to full capacity.

Maybe things were better for the sleeper passengers.

I never understood why the trains, LD to be sure but corridors even more so, don't have cashless vending machines on them (and, yes, I know there are a few that do), in addition to cafe cars and/or diners.

Let a nationwide vending company like Canteen service the machines at the termini. Having fully stocked machines means more available inventory and a wider selection of items to choose from. Plus, it would reduce the foot traffic into the cafe and allow the service attendants to concentrate on better serving those wanting something more substantial than a bag of chips or a bottle of juice.

And, yes, the machines might run out of some popular items during the trip, but inventory mixes can be reassessed and changed very quickly.

The Caltrans Venture car order includes vending machine cars (though it would also include a condiment area that would likely not be needed on trains with food service), and it will be interesting to see if the experiment succeeds. If it does, there is no reason why Amtrak shouldn't tack on a few vending cars as part of their Amfleet replacement order.

 

[railiner]

I never understood why the trains, LD to be sure but corridors even more so, don't have cashless vending machines on them (and, yes, I know there are a few that do), in addition to cafe cars and/or diners.

Let a nationwide vending company like Canteen service the machines at the termini. Having fully stocked machines means more available inventory and a wider selection of items to choose from. Plus, it would reduce the foot traffic into the cafe and allow the service attendants to concentrate on better serving those wanting something more substantial than a bag of chips or a bottle of juice.

And, yes, the machines might run out of some popular items during the trip, but inventory mixes can be reassessed and changed very quickly.

The Caltrans Venture car order includes vending machine cars (though it would also include a condiment area that would likely not be needed on trains with food service), and it will be interesting to see if the experiment succeeds. If it does, there is no reason why Amtrak shouldn't tack on a few vending cars as part of their Amfleet replacement order.

Like on the Piedmont?
https://www.ncbytrain.org/passenger-services/Pages/train-amenities.aspx

 

[IndyLions]

It will be one or the other - not both.

if there are vending machines - there will be no cafe attendant and vice-versa.

In CA, they may become popular as some new trains (as you say) are switching to them.

In Michigan 15 or 20 years ago - they were not popular. They relatively quickly brought back the traditional cafe car.

 

[user 14106]

And since Amtrak has delayed it once again, their official position on the web site was incorrect and that, I am sure had to be approved by upper management" - so "historically executive staff are not particularly accurate sources."

Not sure what has been delayed. RPA indicated in Friday’s hotline that management has told them traditional dining will be returning on June 23rd and we should hear more this week it sounded pretty official to me. I am guessing the OBS crew member saying July heard wrong.

 

[zephyr17]

I am guessing the OBS crew member saying July heard wrong.

Would not be the first time.

 

[ref5035]

I think many of those here are more bothered by not knowing the full restoration plans in advance, than anything else...When the resolution to the dining debacle finally comes, I wonder what will replace it as the number one 'hot topic' of speculation will be?

SSL returning

 

[Cal]

I think many of those here are more bothered by not knowing the full restoration plans in advance, than anything else...When the resolution to the dining debacle finally comes, I wonder what will replace it as the number one 'hot topic' of speculation will be?

The Proposed Routes map?

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

jiml said:
The consist yes, the crew not so much. Their crew base was in Kamloops, so OBS would work to either extremity (Vancouver or Calgary) then return on the next service. I believe the service manager/cruise director would be the only common staff passengers would see for an entire trip. Since they haven't been operating for some time, who knows how it will work on resumption.

I rode the Rocky Mountaineer in 2010 Vancouver to Banff and while we stopped overnight in Kamloops, the entire on board staff continued for the full trip Vancouver to Calgary and then return to Vancouver so they were gone four days from home. Incidentally, each car is a separate trip and maintains on board crew in that car for the entire trip. You cannot move from car to car. If there was a conductor for the train he must have rode in the engine with the operator since they are the only crew that changed after traveling a certain number of hours, etc.

 

[railiner]

jiml said:
The consist yes, the crew not so much. Their crew base was in Kamloops, so OBS would work to either extremity (Vancouver or Calgary) then return on the next service. I believe the service manager/cruise director would be the only common staff passengers would see for an entire trip. Since they haven't been operating for some time, who knows how it will work on resumption.

I rode the Rocky Mountaineer in 2010 Vancouver to Banff and while we stopped overnight in Kamloops, the entire on board staff continued for the full trip Vancouver to Calgary and then return to Vancouver so they were gone four days from home. Incidentally, each car is a separate trip and maintains on board crew in that car for the entire trip. You cannot move from car to car. If there was a conductor for the train he must have rode in the engine with the operator since they are the only crew that changed after traveling a certain number of hours, etc.

If the CN (or CP) Conductor rode in the engine, how did the Rocky Mountaineer OBS crew communicate with them, if there was some issue that needed stopping, short of pulling the emergency brake?

 

[zephyr17]

Cannot answer for Rocky Mountaineer, but can answer for VIA, which also doesn't have conductors in the train.

VIA has an OBS frequency that is used by the crew to communicate instead of the intercom that Amtrak uses. The engineer is also on that frequency and the Service Manager uses it to communicate to the head end. The VIA radios can't get on the road or dispatcher (RTC up there) channel. The engineer has all of them, road, dispatcher(RTC), and VIA OBS.

BTW, I just found another reason not to take the Rocky Mountaineer, inability to move about the train.

 

[me_little_me]

BTW, I just found another reason not to take the Rocky Mountaineer, inability to move about the train.

Boy, do I agree! No way, José!

 

[railiner]

Cannot answer for Rocky Mountaineer, but can answer for VIA, which also doesn't have conductors in the train.

VIA has an OBS frequency that is used by the crew to communicate instead of the intercom that Amtrak uses. The engineer is also on that frequency and the Service Manager uses it to communicate to the head end. The VIA radios can't get on the road or dispatcher (RTC up there) channel. The engineer has all of them, road, dispatcher(RTC), and VIA OBS.

BTW, I just found another reason not to take the Rocky Mountaineer, inability to move about the train.

Must be the same on the Rocky Mountaineer, then. They must also have a "service manager" in charge on the train, with communication to the operating crew.

As far as inability to move about, on the Rocky Mountaineer, if they are like the cruise ship cars in Alaska, there is no need to...each car is identical to other's in the same class, and are self-contained...assigned seats, dining room, bar, observation area, etc.,

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I rode the Rocky Mountaineer in 2010 Vancouver to Banff and while we stopped overnight in Kamloops, the entire on board staff continued for the full trip Vancouver to Calgary and then return to Vancouver so they were gone four days from home.

That’s what I had assumed as that makes the most sense but I wasn’t going to argue with others who claimed to know.

I’m hoping to make the trip one day!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

BTW, I just found another reason not to take the Rocky Mountaineer, inability to move about the train.

Each car has an outdoor viewing platform and a dining room plus the coach seats all have dome car style windows.

 

[deBASHmode]

We should be passing each other somewhere in Nebraska in the middle of the night as I’m departing Chicago for SF on July 4. I had originally planned on June trip but rescheduled when they extended the crap meals. Too complicated to reschedule again.

Cool! If I'm awake in Nebraska, I'll be sure to wave at any passing train, just in case!

 

[Cal]

Cool! If I'm awake in Nebraska, I'll be sure to wave at any passing train, just in case!

Y'all can wave to each other through the railfan window

 

[railiner]

Y'all can wave to each other through the railfan window

Thru Nebraska? Better use a flashlight (or phone light)...