Coach restrooms

[Aqeela]

It’s really up to coach passengers to care about hygiene..
When traveling in coach class I always carry small cleaning supplies.
I don’t let the restroom affect my overall experience.
If everyone made a little effort it would help a lot.

 

[Aqeela]

Was it your Brother who charged you the "several hundred dollars"?

I agree. There is something magical about train travel.
It’s all in what you make it out to be.

 

[Eric in East County]

In the last ten years I have never been on a long distance train with clean restrooms. This includes when initially leaving terminus. Restroom smell permeates the coaches and they are in various states of disrepair. They don't seem to be designed for normal repair so they are ignored.

Back in the early 1970s and not long after Amtrak came into being, one of the humor magazines (it might have been the National Lampoon) ran a parody ad for an Amtrak electric train set. One of the accessories available to add realism to running the train were urine pellets.

 

[MARC Rider]

Was it your Brother who charged you the "several hundred dollars"?

No, he lives in a different city from me.

 

[rs9]

Just return home, riding Coach, on the Texas Eagle. If if wasn't for the short trip we took on the TE there is no way in Hades that I would ride in Coach ( we have always payed for sleeper accommodations of some sort). The coach car we were in was filthy...and it wasn't filth from JUST one trip..... it was filth from years of not being "deep" cleaned.

BUT.... the customers.... some.... are PIGS. No class, no attempt to have class, and never will have class. And no doubt the Amtrak employees having to deal with these PIGS are "frustrated" by their "behavior".

Sign of the times of "western culture". When having your pants pulled down to the middle of your "backside" is considered "execptable" by the Hollywood types and thus "spinning off" to mainstreet USA no wonder We, not only Amtrak, is in the condition We find ourselves see around us.

To each their own. I would be much less focused on the clothing a person is wearing, which has no bearing on anything, and more on their behavior. My biggest problem with long distance Amtrak travel in coach is rather well-dressed people talking on their phones for hours on end. But I presume it's not because of their clothing.

Remaining on topic, at least for Amfleet II long distance cars, one of the cleanliness problems is that the bathrooms are designed as if they are on an airplane, which is a sign of the times of the cars' manufacture but patently ridiculous. I would love a bathroom without water everywhere, but when I try to wash my hands in a minuscule sink, where I can barely fit my hands under the faucet, water inevitably sprays everywhere.

I could wipe up the water with paper towels, but the garbage bin in in the bathrooms has a retractable lid more fit for Barbie than human use. And the receptacle is full pretty quickly.

Often, I see people putting their trash - generally food and beverage waste - in the lavatory garbage because there is no easily identifiable garbage bin in the coaches. Usually it's tucked behind the last row of coach seats in the back of the car, but you have to be looking for it. In typical Amtrak fashion, there's no signage and no explanation at the beginning of the trip as to the location of garbage bins.

For the most part, I have not experienced odor issues on Amfleet II cars.

 

[Rasputin]

It is interesting that many gas stations and stores seem to be able to maintain restroom facilities that are reasonably clean and many are quite clean. Many of them get far more use than a restroom in an Amtrak coach.

 

[MARC Rider]

It is interesting that many gas stations and stores seem to be able to maintain restroom facilities that are reasonably clean and many are quite clean. Many of them get far more use than a restroom in an Amtrak coach.

It's also interesting that many gas stations and stores have restrooms that are as disgusting, if more spacious, than the worst of Amtrak.

 

[Rasputin]

It's also interesting that many gas stations and stores have restrooms that are as disgusting, if more spacious, than the worst of Amtrak.

I am in New England and have not found that to be the case.

 

[Qapla]

I have worked for many, many years on construction sites. I tend to find the restrooms on Amtrak to be far cleaner than the port-a-lets on job sites, so I have not really had a problem with any of the Amtrak restrooms I have encountered while traveling coach.

 

[basketmaker]

I ride the Silvers more than any other train since I live in Florida. Over 20 years ago, I traveled from Winter Park to Hollywood on the Silver Meteor in coach and experience the worst restroom I had ever seen. I blamed it on the fact that the train originated in NY and that it had not been cleaned enough in the many hours the train had been traveling. My return coach trip was much better.

However, after that experience, I generally travel in a roomette for short distances. Back then, the upcharge was not so bad and meals were included.

For about 5 years, I was on the Amtrak Customer Advisory Committee, and for every trip I took, I was responsible for filing a trip report. One of the questions I was asked was about the cleanliness of the restrooms. So, even when traveling in a roomette (or bedroom) with my own toilet, I would walk to coach and examine the restrooms. I think half the time they were OK, the other half, not so much. I reported when I saw coach attendants cleaning the restrooms, which happened fairly regularly for some coach attendants. One coach attendant, in particular, was excellent at cleaning the restrooms. She is now a sleeping car attendant and is excellent in that position.

Love it. My sister-in-law rides Winter Park to Hollywood all the time. Though we've never spoken about restrooms on the Silvers. I've ridden all of the western long distance trains several times and all have been in a sleeper roomettes or bedrooms. Though did have a couple of occasion to visit the coach facilities. I can't say I have ever found any restroom to be really disgusting. Usually just some splash around the sink from the ungodly high pressure from the faucet. I would usually wipe the counter down after I have finished.

 

[Bonser]

It is interesting that many gas stations and stores seem to be able to maintain restroom facilities that are reasonably clean and many are quite clean. Many of them get far more use than a restroom in an Amtrak coach.

I would think that a train restroom gets far more usage than a gas station restroom. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[BlackDiamond]

It's also interesting that many gas stations and stores have restrooms that are as disgusting, if more spacious, than the worst of Amtrak.

Here in Maine generally the Irving/Circle K stations have decent restrooms that get checked periodically with a checklist on the door that is initialed. Other brands of gas stations seem to vary.

Going back to Amtrak, my experiences with restrooms on the western superliner trains was generally good. In the east, when traveling in sleeper on the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited, I often would use the adjacent BC restroom rather than bother my wife by using the en suite toilet. I found it to be reasonably kept up.

 

[PrduPete]

Love it. My sister-in-law rides Winter Park to Hollywood all the time. Though we've never spoken about restrooms on the Silvers. I've ridden all of the western long distance trains several times and all have been in a sleeper roomettes or bedrooms. Though did have a couple of occasion to visit the coach facilities. I can't say I have ever found any restroom to be really disgusting. Usually just some splash around the sink from the ungodly high pressure from the faucet. I would usually wipe the counter down after I have finished.

I've never understood why the faucets have as much pressure as a power washer But, like you, I always wipe around the sink after every use. I think as long as people consider the next person, the restrooms would stay okay. My last coach trip on the SWC from LA to Chicago, the coach attendant (who actually sat in coach most of the trip), also did a decent job of keeping them clean as well.

 

[jpakala]

I thought there was a change so there would be less water pressure & splashing, and I think I've experienced that as well, but I'm talking the Saint Louis to KC or Chicago lines and possibly Chicago into Michigan and maybe a bit on the NEC and usually Business Class outside the NEC. Long-distance we use sleeping cars.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

So the burst of high pressure water can be the first time it’s use, since the tank was filled. Amtrak like to pressure the water system with air. So you get a burst of air and water the first few times when you are use it. The tiny sinks in Coach or a Sleeper does not help the problem.

Just wipe things down before leaving.

Finding a place to dump your at seat trash is just another issue we the riders have to deal with. So many solutions over the years.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I thought there was a change so there would be less water pressure & splashing, and I think I've experienced that as well, but I'm talking the Saint Louis to KC or Chicago lines and possibly Chicago into Michigan and maybe a bit on the NEC and usually Business Class outside the NEC. Long-distance we use sleeping cars.

I think the change was made on the VLIIs. I doubt plumbing was included in the refresh of the other cars

 

[zephyr17]

I think the change was made on the VLIIs. I doubt plumbing was included in the refresh of the other cars

The faucets on the Superliner I refurbs don't do it. They used that same design on the V II common restrooms.

 

[NYP2NFL01]

My first Amtrak experience was the Palmetto between NYP and Rocky Mount, NC in December 1982.
One of the things I remember were how clean the restrooms were. Walking through a heavy curtain, you were in sort of a small lounge area. A separate door opened to where the toilet and sink were. Instead of the smell of stale urine, there was the most fragrant smell of oranges. For sure this was not Amfleet equipment but rather legacy equipment from the private rail companies still in use. Does anyone else remember this? Or, was I dreaming?

 

[zephyr17]

My first Amtrak experience was the Palmetto between NYP and Rocky Mount, NC in December 1982.
One of the things I remember were how clean the restrooms were. Walking through a heavy curtain, you were in sort of a small lounge area. A separate door opened to where the toilet and sink were. Instead of the smell of stale urine, there was the most fragrant smell of oranges. For sure this was not Amfleet equipment but rather legacy equipment from the private rail companies still in use. Does anyone else remember this? Or, what I dreaming?

You were not dreaming. Long distance streamlined coaches purchased by the railroads generally had men's and women's "lounges" that were spacious with several sinks (and sometimes a couch) in an open area, with two or three little, lockable toilet cubicles off the lounges.

 

[Gary Behling]

Any time I go to use the toilet, I always bring spray Lysol and 2 paper towels to clean the toilet seat (top and underneath) because so many men pee on them cuz they are too lazy to lift the seat

 

[susanlindsey]

Me, headed to the bathroom in coach

 

[Aqeela]

Any time I go to use the toilet, I always bring spray Lysol and 2 paper towels to clean the toilet seat (top and underneath) because so many men pee on them cuz they are too lazy to lift the seat

I applaud you for giving the extra efforts. I think if we all did a little it would make out journey that much more relaxing..
I do my part when traveling. I think of the children who are traveling as well. They should be able to use a clean
restroom. Sometimes people has personal challenges and it helps to be courteous.
A little bit of attention goes a long way.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Any time I go to use the toilet, I always bring spray Lysol and 2 paper towels to clean the toilet seat (top and underneath) because so many men pee on them cuz they are too lazy to lift the seat

These days many public restrooms are so rarely/poorly maintained that the seat is broken/chipped and won't stay up. This makes it a real pain to keep clean. I do not intend to say that this means leaving a restroom in a disgusting state is acceptable, just that we need staff and owners to do their part as well.

 

[MARC Rider]

These days many public restrooms are so rarely/poorly maintained that the seat is broken/chipped and won't stay up. This makes it a real pain to keep clean. I do not intend to say that this means leaving a restroom in a disgusting state is acceptable, just that we need staff and owners to do their part as well.

A lot of the seats in the Amfleet 1 toilets don't stay up.

 

[Aqeela]

Thank so much coming from a well season traveler.. We should all follow your attention to detail
and your consideration of other. Bravo!!