D.P. Roberts
Conductor
A recent article in "Trains" magazine highlighted the fact that Amtrak's long distance trains lose a ton of money, and that with increased state contributions the NEC & state-partnered trains are basically breaking even, while the LD trains are loosing millions each year. I've been on this forum long enough to see "doom and gloom" predictions every year, but a significant portion of our government and the public believe this to be true, and no matter how you look at it, Amtrak costs money. And, it seems like dining is one area where costs are exorbitant. So, here's my idea.
Most of the growth in food service lately has been in "fast casual" dining (Panera, Chipotle), and even food trucks are more popular now. People care a lot less now about going to a "sit down" dinner than they used to. Amtrak could use this to their advantage to cut down on food service costs, but they don't. Instead, they hold on to traditional, service-intensive dining. This also forces community seating. I know, everybody on this forum loves community seating. However, outside of rail travel and the cruise industry, nobody uses community seating. It's a cost cutting measure, and one most people, when free to choose, don't want. In general, the public does not want to dine with strangers. It's a simple fact.
So, here's my idea. Combine an SSL with a dining car. Instead of an SSL and a dining car, have two of my new "Sightseer Diner".
The downstairs would be the prep area, just like the current dining car. The upstairs would have the layout of an SSL, with perhaps the addition of a larger platform along the outside for more trays/plates. Most of the single seats would have to be swapped for double seats to increase capacity, but again you're talking about two cars on each train now, so I don't think capacity would be a problem.
So, instead of 2-3 service people upstairs, you'd have 1-2. I really think 1 person could take the orders, especially if it's computerized. That same person would take the food as it comes off the lift, call out an order number, and hand it to the person waiting.
With two cars, a lot more people could be served. Each car could even have a different menu. One car could have the regular diner menu, another could specialize in Mexican or Italian cuisine, or something like that.
Drawbacks (sort of): you'd lose the SSD for regular use during dining and prep hours. While some passengers may see this as a drawback, it's a win for Amtrak. Everyone in the SSD becomes a paying customer. Close the SSD for 10-15 minutes for "cleaning in preparation for mealtime"; then, during meal service, seating is for SSD diners only.
Seating would still be somewhat open. People who want to sit with their group could still do so; you're still sitting next to people in other seats, so those who want to socialize could do that too.
Lower costs for Amtrak, which is a win. More dining options, hopefully lower cost, & more seating flexibility mean more people might eat in the diner. The only thing that's lost is the experience of somebody actually carrying your food to you, instead of picking it up at a counter.
Most of the growth in food service lately has been in "fast casual" dining (Panera, Chipotle), and even food trucks are more popular now. People care a lot less now about going to a "sit down" dinner than they used to. Amtrak could use this to their advantage to cut down on food service costs, but they don't. Instead, they hold on to traditional, service-intensive dining. This also forces community seating. I know, everybody on this forum loves community seating. However, outside of rail travel and the cruise industry, nobody uses community seating. It's a cost cutting measure, and one most people, when free to choose, don't want. In general, the public does not want to dine with strangers. It's a simple fact.
So, here's my idea. Combine an SSL with a dining car. Instead of an SSL and a dining car, have two of my new "Sightseer Diner".
The downstairs would be the prep area, just like the current dining car. The upstairs would have the layout of an SSL, with perhaps the addition of a larger platform along the outside for more trays/plates. Most of the single seats would have to be swapped for double seats to increase capacity, but again you're talking about two cars on each train now, so I don't think capacity would be a problem.
So, instead of 2-3 service people upstairs, you'd have 1-2. I really think 1 person could take the orders, especially if it's computerized. That same person would take the food as it comes off the lift, call out an order number, and hand it to the person waiting.
With two cars, a lot more people could be served. Each car could even have a different menu. One car could have the regular diner menu, another could specialize in Mexican or Italian cuisine, or something like that.
Drawbacks (sort of): you'd lose the SSD for regular use during dining and prep hours. While some passengers may see this as a drawback, it's a win for Amtrak. Everyone in the SSD becomes a paying customer. Close the SSD for 10-15 minutes for "cleaning in preparation for mealtime"; then, during meal service, seating is for SSD diners only.
Seating would still be somewhat open. People who want to sit with their group could still do so; you're still sitting next to people in other seats, so those who want to socialize could do that too.
Lower costs for Amtrak, which is a win. More dining options, hopefully lower cost, & more seating flexibility mean more people might eat in the diner. The only thing that's lost is the experience of somebody actually carrying your food to you, instead of picking it up at a counter.
