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21 (1) WAS 4 hours 39 minutes late at Cleburne. 22 (2) showed black and 3 hours 53 minutes late at Cleburne but now doesn't show on the map.
 
We left Chicago on time Saturday morning and were slightly ahead of schedule when we reached east Texas Sunday morning for the bustitution. We arrived at Fort Worth ahead of the scheduled time as the bus hit no significant traffic until Arlington.

However, the TE turnaround in FW occurred after 6 PM, not at 1:53 PM. We boarded around 7 PM and arrived in Austin just after midnight, this morning.

It was grueling. Our attendant, Debra, was excellent. She maintained her smile and her courtesy throughout. She was to make the turnaround in San Antonio and do it again, and although she was not looking forward to it she told us she would maintain her smile throughout, no matter what. But she will have to go through this four days on four days off for a few more weeks. We tipped her well.
 
Yeah, I had Sheila coming back on 21 (BNL-MIN) on.....Thursday?*

She was super professional and friendly. The whole bustituiton thing at LON was kind of a mess, we sat for a long time because apparently people didn't listen to the Amtrak worker telling them what bus to go to to get to the destination. Also MAN are motorcoaches cramped. and we took I-20, and it was a rough ride - I don't normally get carsick but I was nauseated by the time I got off it.

(*long story but I had a tree come down in a storm while I was gone, came home to a damaged meter box - affecting power to the house - and no internet, and I spent Friday evening scrambling to get the power cut off to prevent fire risk and to find a motel to stay at. Things are slowly resolving but MAN Friday feels like it was a century ago.)
 
ygbsm said:
Can anyone confirm if the Texas Eagle Chicago-San Antonio is getting full dining car service (not flex) in 2025? Thanks
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Amtrak has asked Congress for more funding to make this possible, but considering what they've done to this Orphan, I wouldn't bet any money on it happening in our lifetimes!🤬
 
ygbsm said:
Can anyone confirm if the Texas Eagle Chicago-San Antonio is getting full dining car service (not flex) in 2025? Thanks
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I don't recall hearing any speculation to that effect. I will believe it when it actually takes place if it ever does. But corrections would be welcome.
 
Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it. Does anyone have a ballpark idea when we'll know what FY25 will bring? I'm trying to book 2 bedrooms on the Texas Eagle for March 2025, but I will not do it until the traditional dining and SSL are back on the Texas Eagle (family requirements).

Sidney said:
A travesty flex food and a lack of a sightseer car are STILL on a 32 hour trip. Pathetic
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Agreed. I know Amtrak operates on a shoestring budget, but throw us a bone! I'm trying to give them my money (again)
 
ygbsm said:
Thanks for the information, I really appreciate it. Does anyone have a ballpark idea when we'll know what FY25 will bring? I'm trying to book 2 bedrooms on the Texas Eagle for March 2025, but I will not do it until the traditional dining and SSL are back on the Texas Eagle (family requirements).


Agreed. I know Amtrak operates on a shoestring budget, but throw us a bone! I'm trying to give them my money (again)
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Assume current conditions for March 2025, anything else is asking for disappointment.

Even on the off chance they get the money, I think it is pretty unlikely they'll have it in place by next March. Their track record is they are pretty slow in implementing dining changes.
 
frequentflyer said:
22 Today has a lounge car, 6 car consist.



At 14:09
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That consist is:
Diner
Coach-Bag
Coach
Sleeper
Sightseer Lounge
Coach

My strong suspicion is the trailing Lounge and Coach are deadheading. I doubt they are part of the "live" consist. Why and to where I don't know. My guess is they're heading from LA back to Beech Grove, but why they'd be deadheading on the Eagle rather than the SW Chief to do that, I don't know.
 
uncleboots said:
Amtrak had asked for a 27,000 grant for FY 2025 to restore Traditional Dining back to o the Texas Eagle
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That’s just pitiful. On board service should be standardized across the board and funded by the annual operating budget. That’s where the money should come from. Not a piecemeal funding request. What a terrible way to manage a company.
 
Actually Amtrak did not make a piecemeal funding request. They made a base request and a higher level request for service improvement and modernization for their annual appropriation. They then listed examples of items that they could move on, or move on a faster schedule with improved funding. I actually thought it was a pretty smart way to point out to congress the things they could do with more serious funding. It actually did not say that restoring the Texas Eagle’s dining is contingent on a supplemental appropriation it is listed as an example of food and beverage improvements they would like to make - and that receiving more funding would help Amtrak implement those. One can assume that a base funding would result in items they plan on doing taking longer to get done. If we want to improve our rail system beyond fourth world status we should be advocating for the higher amount. When you compare what we spend on passenger rail compared to just about every other civilized country it is pathetic. Regardless of how you feel about Amtrak’s management we should all be advocating for the higher amounts that they requested.
 
Palmland said:
That’s just pitiful. On board service should be standardized across the board and funded by the annual operating budget. That’s where the money should come from. Not a piecemeal funding request. What a terrible way to manage a company.
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Blame the Government for underfunding Amtrak when they switched to Flex Dining. Let them know about it.
lordsigma said:
Actually Amtrak did not make a piecemeal funding request. They made a base request and a higher level request for service improvement and modernization for their annual appropriation. They then listed examples of items that they could move on, or move on a faster schedule with improved funding. I actually thought it was a pretty smart way to point out to congress the things they could do with more serious funding. It actually did not say that restoring the Texas Eagle’s dining is contingent on a supplemental appropriation it is listed as an example of food and beverage improvements they would like to make - and that receiving more funding would help Amtrak implement those. One can assume that a base funding would result in items they plan on doing taking longer to get done. If we want to improve our rail system beyond fourth world status we should be advocating for the higher amount. When you compare what we spend on passenger rail compared to just about every other civilized country it is pathetic. Regardless of how you feel about Amtrak’s management we should all be advocating for the higher amounts that they requested.
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It was a grant request according to the FY 2025 Budget on page 42 just like I mentioned.
 
zephyr17 said:
My strong suspicion is the trailing Lounge and Coach are deadheading. I doubt they are part of the "live" consist. Why and to where I don't know. My guess is they're heading from LA back to Beech Grove, but why they'd be deadheading on the Eagle rather than the SW Chief to do that, I don't know.
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A post on another forum reported a lounge on the Heartland Flyer this week, for 25th anniversary celebrations this month.
 
The time keeping for #21/# 22 is really taking a beating in Texas.

In addition to the Trackwork in E ast Texas between Longview and Ft Worth requiring Bustitutions,
Freight Interference ( UP and BNSF), derailments and Equipment problems are causing delays of 2-6 Hours on this route.( which also effects #1/#2 out of SAS)

Today's #22 (6/06)left San Antinio on time ( 648AM), left San Marcos a few minutes Late, then lost over 2 Hours due to " crew sign up problems" in Austin.

Austin is an Engineer only change stop , but last nights #21 was so Late into Austin that the engineer that brings #21 from FTW had to have the Required Rest before boarding #22.

Needless to say, no alternate transportation is available thru Amtrak!
 
zephyr17 said:
That consist is:
Diner
Coach-Bag
Coach
Sleeper
Sightseer Lounge
Coach

My strong suspicion is the trailing Lounge and Coach are deadheading. I doubt they are part of the "live" consist. Why and to where I don't know. My guess is they're heading from LA back to Beech Grove, but why they'd be deadheading on the Eagle rather than the SW Chief to do that, I don't know.
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It does seem these days that the diner is at the head end and the sleeper is at the end, I bet you're right about those final two cars deadheading. Usually in St Louis a coach is attached or detached to the very end (depending on direction of travel, in most cases, or how heavily the passenger load getting on is)

do they even have enough staff on the TE to staff BOTH a diner (usually 2 people these days) AND a Lounge? I'd love to see the lounges back but I want to see traditional dining back first.
 
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