Coast Starlight concerns

[Yumacool]

My wife and I have been passengers on the Coast Starlight many times over the past 20 years, normally travelling by sleeper. We particularly enjoyed the "glory" days of the train -- not that long ago -- when local cuisine was featured in the dining car, free wine tastings featuring California and Washington wines took place in the Pacific Parlour car and the train seemed "special." We have now seen many years of gradual downgrades, from removal of flowers (even silk ones) from the dining car, standardized menus in both directions that change only twice per year, and the use of minimally maintained, aging equipment with no plans to purchase new cars. I also fear the trend of switching meal service to box lunches, which could be a killer. And sleeper prices remain high.

I still remain a loyal Amtrak traveler, but it is getting tougher to justify. I suspect things will be bad for awhile, but, hopefully, eyes will open and service ultimately improves. The Coast Starlight offers some of the best scenery on any train in the nation. The route deserves a great train experience.

 

[Johanna]

"The one thing they can't screw up is the scenery" - some guy I had lunch with on the California Zephyr, May 2016.

 

[Maglev]

"The one thing they can't screw up is the scenery" - some guy I had lunch with on the California Zephyr, May 2016.

But they are screwing up the scenery on the Coast Starlight!

When the Point Defiance bypass reopens, it will cut out a nice stretch of scenic coastal running.

 

[Mystic River Dragon]

To enhance your scenery viewing experience and make your trip more interesting, Amtrak is proud to announce the introduction of: blackout curtains!

"We are covering all passenger windows to provide you with the excitement of guessing what spectacular scenery you might be missing. If you want to have the curtains removed to see the actual scenery, there will of course be an extra charge for that. The only exception will be the Northeast Regionals, because we don't want you to miss the gritty miserableness of the Northeast Corridor."

Is this drivel good enough to get me a job in Amtrak's marketing department?

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

"The one thing they can't screw up is the scenery" - some guy I had lunch with on the California Zephyr, May 2016.

But they are screwing up the scenery on the Coast Starlight!
When the Point Defiance bypass reopens, it will cut out a nice stretch of scenic coastal running.

The Ventura to Surf Beach stretch is now the only coastal section on the Coast Starlight, then. It's still a nice couple hours of remote coast. Remember, there's still the Sacramento River (Redding to Dunsmuir), Mt. Shasta, and the Cascade Mountains! The actual Cascades trains & the Empire Builder go along a coastal part Seattle-Everest. But unfortunately, the days of eating dinner while looking out at the Puget Sound sunset are over soon.
By the way, when are they moving off of Point Defiance?

 

[railiner]

To enhance your scenery viewing experience and make your trip more interesting, Amtrak is proud to announce the introduction of: blackout curtains!

"We are covering all passenger windows to provide you with the excitement of guessing what spectacular scenery you might be missing. If you want to have the curtains removed to see the actual scenery, there will of course be an extra charge for that. The only exception will be the Northeast Regionals, because we don't want you to miss the gritty miserableness of the Northeast Corridor."

Is this drivel good enough to get me a job in Amtrak's marketing department?

Or....they could follow the example of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines which provides "virtual windows" for its inside cabins. Amtrak could freshen up that concept, by playing recorded scenery of the coast....

 

[cpotisch]

My wife and I have been passengers on the Coast Starlight many times over the past 20 years, normally travelling by sleeper. We particularly enjoyed the "glory" days of the train -- not that long ago -- when local cuisine was featured in the dining car, free wine tastings featuring California and Washington wines took place in the Pacific Parlour car and the train seemed "special." We have now seen many years of gradual downgrades, from removal of flowers (even silk ones) from the dining car, standardized menus in both directions that change only twice per year, and the use of minimally maintained, aging equipment with no plans to purchase new cars. I also fear the trend of switching meal service to box lunches, which could be a killer. And sleeper prices remain high.

I still remain a loyal Amtrak traveler, but it is getting tougher to justify. I suspect things will be bad for awhile, but, hopefully, eyes will open and service ultimately improves. The Coast Starlight offers some of the best scenery on any train in the nation. The route deserves a great train experience.

Reading this I only just remembered that when I first started riding the Silvers, the menus were different in each direction. But now, not only are the meals the same southbound and northbound, they are the same as almost any other LD train in the country. When I took my first coast to coast trip in February, on the Sunset/Eagle and LSL, it was four nights and TEN MEALS of the same menu! The food was good, but I can only have so many pecan tarts before I get bored.