Feasibility of LD Trains with Sleeping Cars Only

[Barb Stout]

redacted on account of stupidity, hopefully momentary.

 

[hlcteacher]

Would it be feasible to have long distance trains made up entirely of sleeping cars with all passengers either in bedrooms or roomettes? This idea would certainly appeal to those who are leery of spending two or more days in an open coach. Could a full sleeper hold about as many people as a half-filled coach? We’ll be interested to read the comments this thread is sure to generate.

Eric & Pat

NO thank you. I have tried all of the offerings and am perfectly happy with and will only travel COACH.

 

[west point]

As usual dreaming gets smashed by that old problem. Where do you get the equipment? An all sleeper train would need 10 - 12 sleepers, 2 diners, 1 lounge, 1 baggage. Present schedules need at least 3 train sets or 43 - 49 new cars per service. 4 train sets 52 - 66 new cars etc. Then the optics of not spreading the additional sleepers to all routes will never fly by politics alone. So only a paper to be filed .

 

[Mailliw]

The only route this could possibly work is on the Auto-Train.

 

[Seaboard92]

I think it could work if you went to a Platzkarty style of sleeper. Have the regular sleeper for starters as your 1st/2nd class style rooms like we have now. Then have the open berth sleeper for your coach passengers. That might actually work. Then the main thing for the sleeper class valuation becomes privacy more so than privacy and a bed.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

I believe Amtrak's charter and/or public funding rules preclude operating sleeper-only trains in scheduled service. A third party would have to charter a sleeper-only train and resell those rooms outside of the normal booking process.