New dining options (flex dining) effective October 1, 2019

[Winecliff Station]

I assume we are talking about the same meal. When I had it on train 48 in March, the noodle bowl was the vegan option and it was served cold. I was not given the option to have it heated. I ate the noodle bowl, without the sauce (since the sauce contains many ingredients I do not eat), using olive oil instead of the sauce in the box.

This was my experience on the Maple Leaf as well as Empire cafe cars between Syracuse and Albany. I didn't think to ask about it being heated, the attendant simply said it comes cold when I asked about it. So it was another mac n cheese night for me

 

[Winecliff Station]

Now that's a neat looking container/cooker! My only concern for use on the train is the voltage draw; could it trip the car's breakers?

I don't think so.... the outlets have a rating on them which I can't recall at the moment, and I know my mini flatiron, which gets a lot hotter, is under that rating. I'll have to check next time I'm on the train, which is Wednesday.

 

[Winecliff Station]

The dining cars will continue to operate; they will just be utilized differently.

This is what I was wondering, like chessie said, if I get on the Crescent on 9/30 in NY, I get one traditional dining car dinner and then the next morning I wake up to box breakfast and then box lunch?

 

[Winecliff Station]

A natural progression, I guess. No one should be surprised.

While this would absolutely be an overall meal service improvement on the CONO - the train I probably take the most - it’s a big downgrade for the Crescent, which I also ride often.

Will have try to squeeze in one last ride on the full service Crescent.

Still - I’ll keep on riding the trains as long as they keep running...

Do you mean CONO north or south? Maybe I read the menus wrong but it looked like one direction was better than the other.

 

[NativeSon5859]

Do you mean CONO north or south? Maybe I read the menus wrong but it looked like one direction was better than the other.

IMO, either direction.

The boxed meals I’ve had on the LSL and CL were far and away better than anything I’ve had on 58/59 since the food service was curtailed a couple of years back.

 

[user 14106]

Just curious as to why? I’ve gotten more used to flying than I ever thought I would. First class on delta isn’t anymore than a sleeper and is a pretty decent product.

I’m pretty sad I reached the tipping point with Amtrak. I loved taking the train so much.... but enough was finally enough for the LD trains. I’ll try to take the crescent with a full diner one last time.

I pretty much detest everything about it - in addition to not liking it generally (I am somewhat afraid of flying also - I understand the irrationality and I have made myself fly in the past - but the experience comes with huge amounts of anxiety preceding the flight for days and I just prefer not to put myself through it unless it’s absolutely necessary such as going overseas), the vast majority of flights out of my local airport to the places I go are lower cost carriers like Southwest and Spirit- IE cattle car, zero legroom stuffed in like a sardine and I detest Southwest’s herding cattle boarding procedure- if anything I’d go back to just driving over flying. I still enjoy traveling in sleepers enough that I will continue - and for the most common train I take, the auto train, it still has the unique convenience of carrying my vehicle. I understand that it can sometimes affect change by boycotting out of principle, but to me if I just out of principal never ride an Amtrak long distance train again that just caves to that narrative of Amtrak should only operate in short haul corridors - a narrative which I don’t support.

 

[Rasputin]

Wow, my upcoming SM trip is on Sep 30th. Wonder if they remove the dining car after the arrival.

No. All but one crew member will be liquidated upon arrival and the car will be turned into a table car before the next trip.

 

[Rasputin]

The boxed meals I’ve had on the LSL and CL were far and away better than anything I’ve had on 58/59 since the food service was curtailed a couple of years back.

I may be in the minority but on our trip in May I found the food on 58 to be noticeably better than the crazy dining food on the Lake Shore. Of course that is still not saying much. Both leave a lot to be desired.

 

[me_little_me]

Vegetarian meal is hot. It’s an Asian noodle bowl - you can get it served cold if you prefer but if it was me I’d certainly get it hot.

I'm surprised vegetarians think like that. I thought they picked fruits and vegetables live from the plant and eat them even before they die! You don't find carnivores ripping the t-bone out of the cow while it's still alive. Only a few weirdo carnivores go into that when they call it with one of those foreign-sounding words - tartare.

We learn something new every day! Wow!

 

[jis]

redacted

 

[tricia]

I agree. I wonder if I complain and request full refund on my October trip on the Crescent if I can get a full refund so we can fly First Class instead. The high prices combined with ever deteriorating onboard experiences has made it difficult to go to the Northeast on the Crescent. Amtrak should allow that as the advertised service will be changing Did they offer that when the other trains dumped regular dining?

If you do ask for a refund, please post here how that goes. Thanks!

 

[Winecliff Station]

I'm surprised vegetarians think like that. I thought they picked fruits and vegetables live from the plant and eat them even before they die! You don't find carnivores ripping the t-bone out of the cow while it's still alive. Only a few weirdo carnivores go into that when they call it with one of those foreign-sounding words - tartare.

We learn something new every day! Wow!

Me personally, I only eat from dead Asian noodle trees. Some companies like Ronzoni harvest their pastas from live ones. It was even in a commerical back in the 70's.

 

[user 14106]

I'm surprised vegetarians think like that. I thought they picked fruits and vegetables live from the plant and eat them even before they die! You don't find carnivores ripping the t-bone out of the cow while it's still alive. Only a few weirdo carnivores go into that when they call it with one of those foreign-sounding words - tartare.

We learn something new every day! Wow!

Well I didn’t say I was a vegetarian - but if I was going to eat a noodle bowl I’d have it hot.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I am somewhat afraid of flying also - I understand the irrationality and I have made myself fly in the past - but the experience comes with huge amounts of anxiety preceding the flight for days and I just prefer not to put myself through it unless it’s absolutely necessary such as going overseas), the vast majority of flights out of my local airport to the places I go are lower cost carriers like Southwest and Spirit- IE cattle car, zero legroom stuffed in like a sardine and I detest Southwest’s herding cattle boarding procedure-

The fear I get and totally understand. Reducing stress and anxiety is an important part of life!

I actually really like southwest in general, I just wish they had an extra fare 2x2 seating.

I need to travel by sleeper again soon... I do miss it.

 

[Rasputin]

My travel anxiety is usually caused by 448 and whether it will be operated efficiently and reasonably on time so that we will arrive in Boston before public transportation closes for the night and we end up spending the night on a bench at South Station (which has happened more than once).

On our next trip we will be taking 449 and 5 west but will fly back. Amtrak management has now downgraded service on 448 sufficiently (poor food, no checked baggage, horrible delays at times, outright cancellation of the train at other times) so that I will now have few regrets about missing the train coming back. My congratulations to Anderson and Gardner. You have got your wish and have caused this veteran train rider to actually look forward to his flight (kind of a double entendre I guess).

 

[user 14106]

The fear I get and totally understand. Reducing stress and anxiety is an important part of life!

I actually really like southwest in general, I just wish they had an extra fare 2x2 seating.

I need to travel by sleeper again soon... I do miss it.

I had a great experience on the Crescent last year and decent on the Meteor this year - the diner crew on last years Crescent trip stood out as outstanding and friendly - this announcement makes me unhappy that they will be out of a job soon. I guess all we can do is hope that this expanded version of the contemporary program will come with some improvements to the presentation and choices.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Yeah.... if you chase off the people that actually like riding trains, eventually when you say “no one rides trains anymore” you’ll be right.

 

[OBS]

This is what I was wondering, like chessie said, if I get on the Crescent on 9/30 in NY, I get one traditional dining car dinner and then the next morning I wake up to box breakfast and then box lunch?

Trains generally complete their trip under whatever menu/system they had in use departing the originating station.

 

[Winecliff Station]

Trains generally complete their trip under whatever menu/system they had in use departing the originating station.

That was my hope, but the more I read about cutting services lately the less likely I am to the assume the common sense answer over the penny-pinching one, so thanks for the clarification

 

[bretton88]

It's a little bit of a mixed bag here. On one hand it's a potential downgrade for the SM and Crescent. On the other hand these meals are better than what the CONO has had for years and better than most of what the Cardinal serves up. The Star we assume will be unchanged, possibly with some cafe menu upgrades. So really this is a standardization of the product across the Amtrak Eastern system. The big question is, will the Cardinal get a full diner in this? In which case it's a big win for Cardinal passengers.

 

[Rasputin]

It's a little bit of a mixed bag here. On one hand it's a potential downgrade for the SM and Crescent. On the other hand these meals are better than what the CONO has had for years and better than most of what the Cardinal serves up. The Star we assume will be unchanged, possibly with some cafe menu upgrades. So really this is a standardization of the product across the Amtrak Eastern system. The big question is, will the Cardinal get a full diner in this? In which case it's a big win for Cardinal passengers.

I think it is a real downgrade. Nothing potential about it.

 

[jis]

That was my hope, but the more I read about cutting services lately the less likely I am to the assume the common sense answer over the penny-pinching one, so thanks for the clarification

There is actually alignment between the common sense answer and the penny-pinching one in this case

 

[Seaboard92]

It’s just the regular capitalist stand point. We can do more with less. It stinks but I don’t have any fight left in me to fight this. I’ve been fighting this administration tooth and nail since April of 2018 and I just can’t keep it up.

That’s the other big problem there are so many things to fight that we just get tired of fighting. I will email Richard and Stephen however.

 

[seat38a]

I mentioned this in one of the other threads regarding rude Amtrak staff. Many on here have been advocating through the years to call in and complain about the staff, food etc in the dining car, well I'm sure Anderson will eventually come out and use those complaints as justification for all of this. People used to complain about the free food in domestic coach and now those are gone. The airlines justified it by saying people complained that the food sucked.

Generally complaining in corporate America, will not improve things, just gives it an excuse to save cost by cutting it.

Complaint: Your staff are rude and apathetic.
Anderson: Due to high number of complaints over the years regarding our dining car staff, we decided eliminate any interaction with the dining car staff going forward. blah blah blah.

Complaint: The lounge lizards from coach and crew are taking up all the space in the cafe car.
Anderson: Due to the high number of complaints from sleeping car passengers that our lounge car is overcrowded, we decided to dedicate the dining car 100% for our sleeping car passengers. No coach passengers allowed.

Complaint: Your dining car prices are too high for coach passengers.
Anderson: No worries, we will no longer have a dining car for the price conscious passengers to worry about.

Etc etc etc.

 

[Chessie]

No. All but one crew member will be liquidated upon arrival and the car will be turned into a table car before the next trip.

Are you saying all but one crew member will lose their jobs?