Texas Eagle Sightseer lounge discontinued

[jis]

I realize the Sunset still has a sightseer lounge. But if you want to go from, say, Chicago to Tucson, you're without a lounge car for a large part of the trip. That makes the train a much less appealing option overall compared with past trips, so maybe you don't go or you decide to fly. So it becomes a negative for ridership on the Sunset as well. And of course, all of these downgrades reduce the appeal of travel that involves multiple trains in the national network.

AFAICT ( and I could be wrong on this one) Amtrak accounts for the 421/422 ridership as for the TE. Which already works against Sunset's total ridership.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Since they are taking away the Sightseer Lounge, hopefully they are at least putting in a cafe car that can be used as a respite from the coach seat...for the passengers,? Sarcasm here due to seating in cafe cars being monopolized by crew.

It's apparent... as was stated several times on this forum regarding a decline in service... the passenger is at the bottom of the pecking order!

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I am glad AGR Points are redeemable for other choices as I have over 100,000 of them to cash in. My "train" of choice is now the 737!

 

[20th Century Rider]

That's exactly what Amtrak leadership wants, IMO.

IMO... agree with you!

 

[Rasputin]

The Texas Eagle is a long trip from Chicago to San Antonio - 32 hours. I believe It is the earliest of the long distance trains to leave Chicago and departs at 1:45 p.m. It is not scheduled to arrive in San Antonio until about 10 p.m. the next day. So it is a long first day out and a longer second day. The two night Southwest Chief is only about 11 hours longer going all the way from Chicago to LA. What is Amtrak management thinking of? Have they fallen on their heads (maybe that is an observation and not a real question.) Get real! This train needs and deserves an SSL and it is an outrage to see this service with so much potential downgraded.

 

[jis]

Time for TEMPO to step upto the plate again I guess.

 

[20th Century Rider]

I am glad AGR Points are redeemable for other choices as I have over 100,000 of them to cash in. My "train" of choice is now the 737!

But have you seen the offerings??? The best use of points is for rail travel. According to 'The Points Guy' Amtrak is valuing your points at 0.83 to 1 cent apiece for hotel and rental car redemptions, which is sub-par. I have found that a one night hotel stay is the equivalent of several hundred dollars worth of Amtrak travel.

No surprise they are downgrading their rewards system along with everything else. The best deal was with Choice Hotels... but now they have been eliminated from the program.

Meh! Feeling like I am caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to silver linings for Amtrak.

 

[20th Century Rider]

The Texas Eagle is a long trip from Chicago to San Antonio - 32 hours. I believe It is the earliest of the long distance trains to leave Chicago and departs at 1:45 p.m. It is not scheduled to arrive in San Antonio until about 10 p.m. the next day. So it is a long first day out and a longer second day. The two night Southwest Chief is only about 11 hours longer going all the way from Chicago to LA. What is Amtrak management thinking of? Have they fallen on their heads (maybe that is an observation and not a real question.) Get real! This train needs and deserves an SSL and it is an outrage to see this service with so much potential downgraded.

I guess we should still be grateful that they haven't discontinued the engine that is needed to pull the TE!

 

[jis]

Petition ...

https://www.change.org/p/amtrak-bring-back-the-texas-eagle-sightseer-lounge?redirect=false

 

[20th Century Rider]

Petition ...

https://www.change.org/p/amtrak-bring-back-the-texas-eagle-sightseer-lounge?redirect=false

Yep! I signed it!

 

[Sidney]

How much money can Amtrak be saving by eliminating the SSL car? It's like they are deliberately discouraging people from long distance travel. Anyone taking Coach has nowhere to go on a long trip besides their seat.

I'll be on the TE in two weeks. I booked it for late May in anticipation of the return of traditional dining and the SSL car. We all know how that turned out.

I just hope the bonehead management doesn't do any further damage. Sky high sleeper pricesand fewer amenities. Glad I booked a roomette before the prices jumped up by almost $300. This will be my last TE trip for quite some time.

 

[me_little_me]

A coach and sleeper car carry revenue pax, the SSL does not, and really does not pay for itself accounting wise.

Neither does the space occupied by the restrooms. Good for at least 4 more coach seats/car.

 

[me_little_me]

We seem to have forgotten that the Sunset runs only 3 times a week. No SSL on the TE on those days that the Sunset doesn't run? That means no SSL at times on one of the longer trains.

 

[user 14106]

There are other, less negative, possibilities that could explain this situation. It could be this is a temporary move due to the return of daily service and making sure enough cars in good order are available for the daily service on the trans con routes and CS. The Superliners are also due to get an interior refresh - it could be this is being done for logistical and staffing reasons for now and the SSL may come back eventually once all the cars are refreshed. I don't have any inside information or anything just trying to offer an alternative glass half full possibility..

 

[Cal]

There are other, less negative, possibilities that could explain this situation. It could be this is a temporary move due to the return of daily service and making sure enough cars in good order are available for the daily service on the trans con routes and CS. The Superliners are also due to get an interior refresh - it could be this is being done for logistical and staffing reasons for now and the SSL may come back eventually once all the cars are refreshed. I don't have any inside information or anything just trying to offer an alternative glass half full possibility..

Amtrak staff have said Amtrak has no plans to return for SSLs to the TE once daily service returns.

 

[Palmetto]

Amtrak staff have said Amtrak has no plans to return for SSLs to the TE once daily service returns.

Which staff? If you're referring to the reservationists in the call centers, they seem not to have a clue as to what's going on out in the field.

 

[Cal]

Which staff? If you're referring to the reservationists in the call centers, they seem not to have a clue as to what's going on out in the field.

OBS and conductors

 

[user 14106]

OBS and conductors

Understood - but there were also crew reports that traditional dining would never be returning anywhere even after the pandemic. Rumors sometimes only end up partially true or don’t end up panning out. Never is a long time and sometimes things change.

 

[bms]

Amtrak got all this additional public funding, but the people running it still seem committed to the goal of cutting service to make a profit. If President Biden and Secy of State Buttigieg think it's worth investing money to improve service, they need to get rid of some holdovers and put people in power who share their goal.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

I do agree with ”bms” share goals.

The current status is
Superliner I original fleet 25, Currently active 19
Superliner II original fleet 25 Currently active 23
Total active 42.

About 37 are need for service.

Since Amtrak like to have 20% in the shops, that a available of 34 which is lower than the current fleet needs.

Not given a excuse just put the numbers out.

 

[PaTrainFan]

Amtrak got all this additional public funding, but the people running it still seem committed to the goal of cutting service to make a profit. If President Biden and Secy of State Buttigieg think it's worth investing money to improve service, they need to get rid of some holdovers and put people in power who share their goal.

They don't have it yet. Congress has yet to appropriate "all this additional public funding."

 

[Willbridge]

That is true, I believe they only ordered 50 in total, right? 25 I's and 25 II's? -

They weren't part of the original Superliner plans and were added to the orders with the bare minimum to cover the Western long-distance trains.

 

[MaisieM]

Emails often seem to generate a standard reply...

I contacted the Amtrak international department: [email protected]

They mostly dealt with overseas rail pass queries, but I found them helpful with obtaining a refund at one time. Maybe give them a shot first? Fingers crossed in any case!

That's good to know, thank you!

 

[MaisieM]

I had a trip on the SWC planned last November but had to cancel due to not being able to enter the US.

I phoned the number and the lady there was very helpful. She explained that my ticket was actually non refundable but she offered to ask her supervisor and then I did get a full refund. The whole thing didn't take more than a few minutes. I was very satisfied.

That's heartening to hear, thanks.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

We’ve spent a lot of time beating this to death. Let’s get some emails and calls out to all pertinent people involved. Congress, DOT, Amtrak, Amtrak’s board. Amtrak’s board may not give a dam but they don’t have the Trump Administrations anti Amtrak agenda to hide behind anymore. Coscia’s responses to me in the past have been about profitability and being a good steward of public funds. Im curious to see how the Board‘s form letter has changed since the election.