They may be considering it for LD Coach offering as an option of some sort, is my understanding reading Car Fowler's description of the questions. He received it, I did not.
I just got permission from Carl Fowler to post the article that he posted on the AU Facebook group earlier today. Here is what Carl wrote there, in its entirety, for all your perusals and thoughts and discussion:
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Written by Carl Fowler:
I received a fascinating email Friday from Amtrak--seeking feedback on new long distance equipment and new potential marketing/operational approaches. More on that in a moment. I'm sharing the parts of the email that don't lead to a dead-end. This was adapted so only the intended participant could complete the questionaire. I have no problem with that--but I still think this deserves to be more widely explored. I got this on Friday with a Monday deadline. I hope I've shared enough to convince you to complete the survey if you got the link. Amtrak has done some fine work here and hopefully will soon to ready to share more complete design details. This process needs to be transparent all the way.
Note without immediate comment that the survey defines long haul as being runs over 250 miles. I have to think further about this, but at present the minimum length by statute is 750 miles.
So here are salient parts on the email. Only the direct link is omitted, as it will not work:
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Dear Carl,
As Amtrak is contemplating important changes to its Long Distance service (trips of 250+ miles), we are now turning to our customers to help us better understand your experiences with our Long Distance service (trips of 250+ miles) so that we can determine what amenities and offerings to include in the future. Northstar Research/HarrisX, an opinion research group, is conducting a survey to that end.
We invite you to submit your feedback by April 3rd, 2023:
Because we value your insights and opinions, you have been selected to participate in this research study. Your comments in this survey are confidential and are extremely important to all of us at Amtrak.
<Inactive URL link to the survey>
Please note that this survey must be taken on a laptop/desktop/tablet because sketches/drawings of future amenities will be presented. It is NOT compatible with mobile devices. It should take approximately 20 minutes of your time to complete.
Receive 1000 Amtrak Guest Rewards points as our thanks for completing the survey. Bonus points will be awarded within 4-6 weeks. You must be an Amtrak Guest Rewards member to receive the points and your email address must match the address associated with your member account. If you are not yet a member, learn more and join the program at
Amtrak.com/guestrewards.
Your feedback is crucial in helping us improve our service to you. We sincerely appreciate your time. We thank you for your continued ridership and look forward to welcoming you on board again soon.
Sincerely,
Amtrak Market Research & Analysis Department
30th & Market Streets, Mailbox #11
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Now my comments:
The survey mostly consisted of a series of questions about particular new car designs and how Amtrak might integrate and price services around those designs. There was some very interesting stuff here.
Possibilities for entry-level coach replacement options ranged from a current-era adaptation of the leg-rest reclining seat coach, as on Amfleet II and the Superliners, to an upgraded overnight coach offering lie-flat bed seats. I have been hoping to see this design adopted by Amtrak (even by immediately retrofitting existing coaches) as a replacement for the lost and deeply missed Slumbercoach bargain priced/high capacity sleeper.
The Queensland Ry in Australia has been offering these lie-flat bed seats on its overnight Brisbane-Cairns Tilt-train (which is a narrow gauge service!) for a few years and the new Night Trains for Norway appear to have a variant included for their new overnight coach design (these cars are just ordered there).
For private rooms the full gambit of contemporary European designs was floated. There were possible single bed rooms, as well as multiple designs for doubles, some including not only spaces with private toilets but also showers. There was even an option for a Deluxe Suite that was almost a hotel option. While no design drawings of these options were provided, there were renderings in graphic sketches for each type of accommodation.
The evaluation process essentially had multiple stages. There are many pages offered and each is dense with real ideas and information.
First reviewers were asked to rank the seat/room designs by desirability and "would you consider this" responses, sometimes on a ranked numbered scale. Then multiple service/price examples were offered to be ranked against price/service/comfort levels. Key here was that the same seat/room designs appeared each time--but at very different pricing points (fares) and included different food service choices. Reviewers were also asked to rank the options against at least two airline seat/price options and against a bus option that I think was inspired by modern Greyhound coaches.
There was a lot to take in in each of these areas and I commend the thoroughness of the process. But there was at least one set of options that never appeared.
Across all of the service comparisons the coach travel choices either included only access (for purchased on-board food) to a cafe/lounge car or via some sort of at seat service and in a few cases no food service in coach at all. This included the lie-flat bed choices. In one or two versions even the least expensive sleeper room had only access to a cafe car. Proper dining car table-service meals would be still an exclusive perk of private room accommodation.
There was no choice offered that might have approximated traditional rail service where everyone could chose--if they wished--to visit a proper diner.
The final "summary" questions at last included a hint a dining car service choices for everyone via an echo of the just opened approach to coach dining on the western long-hauls--paying by the meal at table. Basically these survey questions asked if you, as a coach passenger, would be willing to pay $40, or/ and in a second option, $60 to be able to buy a dinner in the diner.
Sadly, throughout the survey there was a clear bias being expressed regarding food options, for following the current (in my view disastrous) practice of closely limiting/even banning access to the diner by coach passengers and that was a real disappointment.
Also, although more moderately priced options for sleeper accommodations appeared in several scenarios, there were also choices where a long haul sleeper space could have exceeded $3000 (or more) per person. I suspect this was to test the market for something like VIA Rail Canada's "Prestige Class" on the CANADIAN. But the options in these choices were very hard for me to swallow coming from a publicly-supported carrier about to spend on an entirely new publicly-financed fleet.
I do not want to overly bash this survey. Amtrak has some fascinating ideas here--not only for car-design but also for how it provide on-board service and how that should be priced. There was even an illusion to offering some sort of dedicated sightseeing car (grand-daughter of the vista-dome car--I hope?!?). It is very commendable they've reached out at least to Guest Rewards members for advanced feedback on this and it is also very positive that they shared so many service and design ideas.
If you get an opportunity to take this survey do not pass it by if you care about maintaining an truly national Amtrak. Read each page very carefully and pay close attention to the matrix suggested of comfort and price.
Unfortunately the survey does not include a free-form follow-up page for comments and/or further suggestions, but it does ask if you might be willing to talk directly to the survey team. You get a chance if you wish to share an email and/or phone--but this is NOT mandatory.
I hope you say yes.
They need to hear from passengers that America wants a truly national Amtrak that provides sanely priced service options, both in coach and sleeper cars and including quality food service access to all riders.
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