Amtrak to Pull Cafe Cars from Empire Service

[AlanB]

The cafe car is closing on many Amtrak trains running between New York City and the Albany-area station.
Amtrak officials say starting July first, the passenger rail service will no longer sell snacks and beverages on trains traveling daily between Penn Station in Manhattan and the Rensselaer station, across the Hudson River from Albany.

The full story from 1010 WINS News Radio.

 

[lepearso]

This isn't so bad. There will still be some food service in the Empire Corridor even with this service revision, and the reduced costs will be a huge benefit. I don't forsee Amtrak eliminating food service anywhere else; however, we may see some service revisions in the future. Perhaps, just perhaps, a future "revision" will include a dining car on the Cardinal!

 

[AmtrakFan]

Amtrak has to make though choices these days so I think this is a good move.

 

[AlanB]

Actually I do see it as a problem. Not so much for the true corridor trains, those only running between NYC and Albany, but more for the other Empire trains that run west of Albany along with the Lake Shore.

I was on the Maple Leaf last summer, coming back from Toronto. Due in part to several delays that had us running three hours late, by the time we had reached Utica the cafe car was basically sold out of all food.

Thankfully they restocked the car in Albany, so that those who hadn't been able to eat, were finally able to have a late dinner. Had the comissary been closed last summer in ALB, we would have needed to endure 5 hours with no food. Three hours was bad enough.

The same is also true for the Lake Shore, which often replenishes in ALB, along with other Buffalo trains. Finally, I now have to wonder how they plan to put food on the Boston Lake Shore shuttle train in Albany. This move also means that the LSL will never run through again, since the cafe car always came from the Boston section as was refilled in ALB.

So while I can understand the need to cut costs, I'm also not sure that all aspects of this plan have been fully thought out.

 

[engine999]

I thought they were just going to cut offering food service on the train. I don't see any reason why they would not keep food stored in Albany still.

 

[AlanB]

I thought they were just going to cut offering food service on the train. I don't see any reason why they would not keep food stored in Albany still.

No if you read the full article, the plan also includes eliminating the comissary in Albany, in addition to cutting food service on the NYP-ALB corridor trains. That means no resupplying of any train in ALB if that happens.

 

[Guest]

The cafe from boston is relatively recent. In the late 90s, the cafe went to NY, while a amlounge1 was tagged to the boston segment.

 

[AlanB]

The cafe from boston is relatively recent. In the late 90s, the cafe went to NY, while a amlounge1 was tagged to the boston segment.

That is correct, but again that doesn't change the current issue, that the Boston section now has a cafe. And many's the time that when the cafe did run through to NY back then, that it too got a restock at ALB.

 

[Amfleet]

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but the article did not state that the ALB ‘restocking facility’ would be closed. Therefore, 448/449 will still have the ability to be restocked in ALB along with trains continuing to Niagara Falls, Toronto, and Montreal. I’m guessing the move was to free up badly needed food service cars for the NEC as well as a cost saving measure. In the future maybe we’ll see similar cart service that is in place on the Hiawatha service out of CHI for Empire trains, maybe Keystones aswell?

 

[AlanB]

Now correct me if I’m wrong, but the article did not state that the ALB ‘restocking facility’ would be closed. Therefore, 448/449 will still have the ability to be restocked in ALB along with trains continuing to Niagara Falls, Toronto, and Montreal. I’m guessing the move was to free up badly needed food service cars for the NEC as well as a cost saving measure. In the future maybe we’ll see similar cart service that is in place on the Hiawatha service out of CHI for Empire trains, maybe Keystones aswell?

Hmm, it doesn't now, but it did say that before they revised it.

 

[AlanB]

The story from the Albany Times Union would indicate that I was right, the comissary is closing.

From the story:

The impact of the commissary closing on 14 employees of Gate Gourmet, an airline catering company that operates the commissary under a contract, could not immediately be determined.

 

[GG-1]

The impact of the commissary closing on 14 employees of Gate Gourmet, an airline catering company

That's Scarry. This Company was cited for serious vioations, I think the morning paper here said 42 people were made sick from their food. The Article is here

 

[engine999]

Its a shame, I hope Amtrak can do something to keep trains stocked with enough food for long trips west of albany.

 

[jschmitz]

Please see my post in the other forums. For those of us who ride this line everyday, removing the cafe cars is a huge deal. In addition to having no ability to get something to nosh on while we are (frequently) stuck in 1 or 2 hour delays (especially for those of us with children!), the inability to work on your daily commute is especially awful.

The people who travel this route on a semi regular basis, including commuters, weekenders, and business people from albany to ny, will be really impacted by the food service cars being gone.

It's taking away an awful lot on a line that is mostly profitable but suffers some of the worst delays because of the lack of attention it receives: it's a second class citizen. There are over 140 daily commuters on this route (420-560$ a month), we should at least be able to get a cup of coffee.

Thanks

foodservice petition, amtrak