Will dining cars resume 12/15/20?/Flexible dining extended to May 2021?

[crescent-zephyr]

Very true. I was more thinking of the publicity, especially the part where he turns up his nose at the stuff he's served.

True! I’d pay lots of money to see Gordon Ramsey tell Amtrak leadership what to do with those flex meals haha

 

[Willbridge]

There are a few of us who are old enough to remember the Penn Central snack-coach food service. In 1969 I escorted the daughter of a French marquis from DC to Middletown, NJ and Isabelle was horrified by their simple sandwiches and packaged items. I was in the Army so I hadn't really thought much about food, except that I was in favor of it. I ended up eating the items she had bought, along with my own. We were in coach on an Eastern railway so there wasn't going to be much right for her, but Amtrak is doing it to people who are paying premium fares and I can understand the griping.

The irony of all this is that the Penn Central snack-coach was often cited as a reason for creating Amtrak! "We're making the trains worth traveling again."

 

[railiner]

There are a few of us who are old enough to remember the Penn Central snack-coach food service.

I sure do...ordered plenty of their “hot beef sandwiches”...

 

[jiml]

I sure do...ordered plenty of their “hot beef sandwiches”...

Compared to flexible dining that sounds delicious, but I'm old enough to remember real food too.

 

[Sidney]

I remember real food as recently as last March. October 2019 for the Eastern trains and June 2018 for the Lake Shore and Capitol Limited.Richard Anderson touting a new and improved food service that will revolutionize food on Amtrak. Never in my life have I seen such a positive spin for such a negative move.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Regarding this 'contemporary dining fiasco' one must face on a three day journey... unhealthy, tasteless, monotonous, unsatisfying... and on and on. Around and around we go with this topic... not much to say or do now until the pandemic is behind us and they go back to daily service... if they do... but after that, blame it on Amtrak's bad bad bad management!!!

Our rail system needs to be fully supported by the government for its environmentally friendly service.

And then expanded too!

 

[Lonestar648]

In 2021, will our new Congress be willing to support Amtrak? Unfortunately, being politicians, they will continue to kick the can down the road, which means just remaining the same. No one seems interested in attracting passengers, which Chef cooked meals would do. I doubt our new President will have the time to lobby Congress for major support of Amtrak.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Compared to flexible dining that sounds delicious, but I'm old enough to remember real food too.

Yes! But compared to 'flexible dining' anything is delicious!!!

 

[Dakota 400]

In 2021, will our new Congress be willing to support Amtrak? Unfortunately, being politicians, they will continue to kick the can down the road,

I am a bit more hopeful. The most significant news out of Washington that I have heard today is that another political odd couple have developed: Senators Hawley and Sanders regarding trying to have an impact on any proposed Stimulus Bill by including another round of $1200 checks for Americans qualified to receive them.

If men of so diverse political views can learn to work together, I have hopes that more bipartisanship may become possible in the next Congress. I still hope to see a Biden-McConnell relationship develop because of their many years as colleagues in the Senate. Such relationships, i.e. Sanders/Hawley, Biden/McConnell, ought to keep "cans from being kicked down the road" for Amtrak and how many other needs and concerns of our country.

 

[Lonestar648]

I hope your optimism proves correct. Too many times I have been disappointed by the politicians in Washington, irregardless of party.

 

[Dakota 400]

I hope your optimism proves correct. Too many times I have been disappointed by the politicians in Washington, irregardless of party.

I am a "glass is half-full" person and just as you, I have been disappointed as well far too many times in what is supposed to be a "representative democracy". The needs of the people too often get ignored because our voices get drowned out by the influence of lobbyists. And, in most recent years, by the cowardice of those who are in a position of "speaking truth to power" and fail to do so. All of that means to me is that I must continue to "bug" my legislators about those issues, like Amtrak, that are of much concern to me.

I wish more of "We, the People" would do the same.

 

[Willbridge]

I am a "glass is half-full" person and just as you, I have been disappointed as well far too many times in what is supposed to be a "representative democracy". The needs of the people too often get ignored because our voices get drowned out by the influence of lobbyists. And, in most recent years, by the cowardice of those who are in a position of "speaking truth to power" and fail to do so. All of that means to me is that I must continue to "bug" my legislators about those issues, like Amtrak, that are of much concern to me.

I wish more of "We, the People" would do the same.

Perhaps we should put the dining cars into the Agriculture department under the heading of "produce marketing". Then there'd be no quibbling about serving interesting and attractive food, at least for grains and beef. The ag industry is never ignored.

Seriously, when I worked for Oregon DOT we kicked around working with the agricultural marketing boards to get local products onto our planned Willamette Valley service. The idea came to me while eating dinner on Train 11 back when that took place in some of the best agricultural land for high value crops. None of it had made it onto the menu. Since then some state sponsored trains do feature local products, but I haven't seen any that turned their state's promoters loose or linked up with farm lobbies.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Perhaps we should put the dining cars into the Agriculture department under the heading of "produce marketing". Then there'd be no quibbling about serving interesting and attractive food, at least for grains and beef. The ag industry is never ignored.

Seriously, when I worked for Oregon DOT we kicked around working with the agricultural marketing boards to get local products onto our planned Willamette Valley service. The idea came to me while eating dinner on Train 11 back when that took place in some of the best agricultural land for high value crops. None of it had made it onto the menu. Since then some state sponsored trains do feature local products, but I haven't seen any that turned their state's promoters loose or linked up with farm lobbies.

At one time you could get a wonderful pasta dish with Beechers Cheese (made in Pike Place Market, Seattle) on the starlight and empire builder. Also an entree salad with apples grown from Washington state.

That was also the time when those trains served wines from the states they traveled through.

Those were the days! (Like 8 years ago?)

 

[Bob Dylan]

Perhaps we should put the dining cars into the Agriculture department under the heading of "produce marketing". Then there'd be no quibbling about serving interesting and attractive food, at least for grains and beef. The ag industry is never ignored.

Seriously, when I worked for Oregon DOT we kicked around working with the agricultural marketing boards to get local products onto our planned Willamette Valley service. The idea came to me while eating dinner on Train 11 back when that took place in some of the best agricultural land for high value crops. None of it had made it onto the menu. Since then some state sponsored trains do feature local products, but I haven't seen any that turned their state's promoters loose or linked up with farm lobbies.

Well, the Starlight and Empire Builder did serve California,Oregon and Washington Wines and Cheeses
during the Wine Tastings.

And on some Routes, the Chefs and Dinning Crews did actually shop for Fresh, Local Products to prepare in the Diner.

I personally saw this on the Sunset Ltd ,Texas Eagle,CONO and Crescent and I'm sure there are others too.

 

[railiner]

I recall these....
https://www.google.com/search?q=nor...BAgPEAE&biw=1920&bih=937#imgrc=4I-pxRxwH85L9M

 

[tgstubbs1]

I read an article on Trains. Com yesterday about the Amtrak dining situation ( can't find it now).

It blames the problem on lack of infrastructure and manpower.

Anyone with specific tastes really needs to plan ahead to procure their food or bring it along. It could be a while before food service gets any better.

 

[me_little_me]

You mean the "flex meals" aren't organic, locally-sourced, fair-trade, non-GMO, low salt, high fiber, gluten free, no-sugar-added, peanut-free, fresh picked, never frozen, using grass-fed beef and cage-free eggs and chicken, and following FDA nutrition guidelines?

I'm crushed to hear that! I thought Amtrak was catering to us millennials.

 

[jis]

Maybe Mayor Pete will bring some Millennial Reality to the old fuddy duddies in Amtrak management that claim to know what Millennials want.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Maybe Mayor Pete will bring some Millennial Reality to the old fuddy duddies in Amtrak management that claim to know what Millennials want.

Millennials don’t want microwave dinners that’s for sure.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Geee Wiz!!! Has the present Amtrak management actually indulged in this new contemporary salty oily tasteless mush? Maybe they were shown 'samples' of it as they headed towards the in house restaurant for their lunch of aged steak with gratin potatoes and haricot verts with slivered almonds in scented lemon sauce.

The real issue is the management... they are out of touch and just don't care. They sit at a desk all day trimming costs then leave with the pockets full of cash from bloated salaries. According to glassdoor.com those managers are getting around $87,000 per year. C'mon folks! They're just out of touch!

Maybe if the antiquated management structure is updated Amtrak can realize better profits that accompany better service. Yup, I know... first lets get vaccinated and back to normal... but I'm hoping the new normal for Amtrak is a robust and successful rail system! Remember? After WWII America rebuilt with the interstate system. Now it's time to rebuild America with an up to date rail system!

 

[crescent-zephyr]

After WWII America rebuilt with the interstate system. Now it's time to rebuild America with an up to date rail system!

The US is going to need jobs to get the economy back up and running... I’m hoping President Biden and his team will invest in Amtrak and public transit nationwide. They can start by creating some new jobs at Amtrak (by cleaning house.... haha).

 

[20th Century Rider]

The US is going to need jobs to get the economy back up and running... I’m hoping President Biden and his team will invest in Amtrak and public transit nationwide. They can start by creating some new jobs at Amtrak (by cleaning house.... haha).

And how!!!

 

[IndyLions]

The real issue is the management... they are out of touch and just don't care. They sit at a desk all day trimming costs then leave with the pockets full of cash from bloated salaries. According to glassdoor.com those managers are getting around $87,000 per year. C'mon folks! They're just out of touch!

Not gonna argue about the management for sure. But...

It’s a good salary, but no one is “filling their pockets” earning $87k in DC. Unless they are a two income household - they are definitely not doing that great.

 

[jiml]

It’s a good salary, but no one is “filling their pockets” earning $87k in DC. Unless they are a two income household - they are definitely not doing that great.

That's the case in a lot of big cities. Until you've lived in one where a studio condo starts at $600K and a single family home is out of reach for all but couples making a combined income of $200K, $87,000 sounds like a lot of money.

 

[daybeers]

Amtrak travel is free for employees. What if there was a requirement, at least for certain employees, of a certain number of trips or miles per year?