I love the legroom and for the most part, being able to go where I want to on the train.
Positive comments about Amtrak?
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My husband and I had a wonderful experience on the Coast Starlight. I'm looking for a place to give my review.
Lorraine P., Oregon
I went up to New York in early May. Took the Vermonter up and a Northeast Regional back. Both trains left on time, The Northeast Regional arrived on time, and the Vermonter was only a few minutes late. The trains, including the bathrooms, were clean and in good repair. No muss, no fuss. Sure beat driving up on the New Jersey Turnpike.
As part of my trip I rode in a private car hitched to the back of Empire Service trains between New York and Albany. These trains also ran on time with no problems.
As part of my trip I rode in a private car hitched to the back of Empire Service trains between New York and Albany. These trains also ran on time with no problems.
And what was riding in coach like in the 1950s?
Everybody may have been riding the train, but most of them were riding coach.I did a long-distance coach trip on Amtrak in 1973 (Broadway Limited). It was all Heritage equipment, the coaches were a bit old and musty, but clean and mostly in good repair. The best thing was that the coach passengers could patronize the dining car (no reservations needed), and the rear-end observation lounge was also open to coach passengers.
My next long-distance coach trip was in 1989 on the Capitol Limited. The coaches were Amfleet 2's, which at the time I found had somewhat uncomfortable seats (this was the old red upholstery.) This train had a dome car, which was fortunate for us, because on the trip back, our coach was full of rowdies and we had a bulkhead seat with no window, so we spent the entire night up in the dome. The dining car was the prototype Viewliner dining car (the production models didn't go into service until after 2015.) Again, no reservations needed, and coach passengers were free to eat there.
My last long-distance coach trip was around 2010 on the Silver Star. A packed train in Amfleet 2 coaches with the blue upholstery. The seat cushions felt like they were filled with concrete after a while, but I did manage to get some sleep. They had Heritage diners, but there weren't enough dinner reservations available, so I was forced to have a pizza from the cafe car. I did get to eat in the dining car (no reservations needed) for breakfast. The passenger coach was clean and in good repair, and the bathrooms were clean an d sparkling the whole way to Florida. They had a cleaning log posted on the door. It must have been some sort of initiative that I wish they had kept going.
Everydaymatters
Engineer
The people I meet are the best part of taking the train. The people I have met on the train, in the depot, and on this forum are awesome. Secondary is the scenery. I love watching the land change from farms to plains to deserts to mountains to cities. I even enjoy the crazy things that happen sometimes, but not at the time they are happening. With that thought comes the time the engine's computer stopped working and the time the leaves in the vestibule caught on fire. (Do they still use those cars with vestibules?) It's been a wonderful experience and I wish it could go on forever.
Hubby and I just got home a couple of days ago from a trip that included Southwest Chief from Los Angeles to Chicago, Lakeshore ltd from Chicago to Boston, Downeaster from Boston to Portland Maine. (We rented a car there and drove to Bar Harbor, the only part of the trip that was not Amtrak.) We then did the entire thing in reverse. So from Southern California to Maine, about as cross-country as you can get. For the most part, it was a fantastic experience on the train. We had fine service from onboard staff, the meals on the Southwest Chief were very good (still flex dining on the Lakeshore Ltd unfortunately) and we actually got home to Los Angeles 40 minutes before scheduled. What a great way to see the country.
Bembidion
Train Attendant
Funny, I thought of that book immediately when I read the post about abominable pre-Amtrak service. I don't think some of the railroads were ethical in the way they sought to end passenger service, but I sympathize with their plight.
blueman271
Lead Service Attendant
I rode the LSL from Boston to Albany on Saturday 6/10 and was downgraded from a roomette to coach due to the sleeper being bad ordered. There were a handful of people in the same situation and the on board crew handled it very well. We were all given lunch (including an alcoholic beverage) for free in the cafe car and they did their best explaining the situation as thoroughly as possible. Although I was only going a relatively short distance and didn’t have to spend the night on the train I did appreciate the crews openness and transparency.
I survived that era. The saddest part was the frustration of employees who wanted to do a good job. Some managed to sabotage top management's schemes by doing a great job (Durango & Silverton narrow gauge, SP Del Monte, SP Commute for example). Others suffered until they could retire or find other jobs.
A big problem was the "national" media coverage of broken down, disrupted service in the NYC area. The Northern lines were doing such a good job that even Menk could only get a start on running things down, but they couldn't buy enough advertising to overcome media generalizations based on NYC service.
In the last five years before Amtrak, at Portland we could see the Northern lines trying, including marketing innovations, the UP doing a good job if a customer wanted to ride, and the SP acting like a vandal. When Phil Anschutz took over the SP, one of his rare public comments was that he was surprised to find so many people who hated the SP. I did some arithmetic, and the regulators, politicians, journalists, and business leaders he had to deal with were university students and customers when the SP was doing its clever moves.
The range of service quality that I observed at Portland gave me a scale with which to measure Amtrak, VIA Rail, commuter rail service. For example, the Pioneer is still remembered favorably in spite of no SSL, tri-weekly schemes, little marketing support, and an outbreak of malicious dispatching between Denver and Portland. As often noted by passengers who rode through into the California Zephyr, the Pioneer crew somehow was doing a better job.
I have seen to many negative comments on here about about this is dirty this is not clean. Let’s post positive feedback. Recently took the Empire Builder from Seattle to Chicago. Train was 50 hours after the delays. All delays were on BNSF !!! Now since we were on for an extra dinner which was supplied by Amtrak. Best Employees ever. Donna in Car 831 always had a smile on her face no matter the Delays. Jerze in Dining Car. Always willing to do anything. So let’s think about the good not bad. Shout outs for Good not Bad. Thank you. Donna and Jerze I will be back. Jim
I travel on the Silvers a couple of times a year. I take roomettes. The attendants are generally helpful and sometimes flat wonderful. People grumble about Flex food but it's okay--certainly at least as good as food in the small town where I live. During the pandemic attendants were quick to take orders and deliver meals. My roomettes have been clean and neat. Lights work. Heat and air work. My complaint is with track condition north of Savannah--which is mostly about CSX freight beating up the railbed. Train beats air travel unless you are in a huge rush.
John from RI
Train Attendant
I was in the Army traveling between Washington, DC and Providence. Returning the train was almost always late; this was a train that started in Boston and was late getting into Providence. Occasionally I could find a seat but usually I rode standing in the aisle as far as New Haven where enough people would get off so I could find a seat. Usually I would take a Pennsy train to NYP and then take a subway to GCT to get the New Haven train; usually going to Providence I would find a seat. Everything was dirty although in those days I didn't notice it. But I made it a point to use the rest rooms in the station which were less dirty. The trip was somewhat longer--maybe half an hour longer--than the Regional I ride today. Of course there was always a 20 minute layover at New Haven to change engines between electrical (southbound) and diesel (northbound).
I rode during the dying days of Pat McGinnis and also duing the Penn Central days. On Penn Central I could get a train that would use the Hell Gate Bridge so I wouldn't have to change stations.
It very much depended on the railroad. Some railroads downsized where they could but kept high standards on trains that remained. Santa Fe is the foremost example of this, but others include Union Pacific, Seaboard Coast Line, Burlington, GN, NP (BN didn't really exist long enough to establish an independent track record). Southern kept standards up where they weren't trying to set a Brosnan Trap, truncating trains at tiny towns just short of a state line.
Other railroads didn't care and let things go, notably Penn Central, but even Pennsy and NYC prior to the merger. Money was an issue so there at least was some excuse. My particular disdain is reserved for Southern Pacific, which was a profitable railroad in those days. They severely downgraded services and actively tried to run passengers off. The most egregious example was dropping sleepers and dining service from the Sunset. Even Flex is better than an SP Automat. They also would instruct agents not to sell tickets, claiming trains were sold out when they were not. The difference between a Santa Fe train and an SP train was jaw dropping.
I had the privilege of riding on the Super Chief shortly before Amtrak. Not only was the food and service superb, the train itself seemed like it had just been delivered from the factory the day before, it was in such good condition. The only sign of wear was the curtains in the diner were quite faded.
Nothing on Amtrak since Amtrak took over OBS services has remotely compared.
It’s great to post positive feedback. People should definitely do that more often.
I will note however that filthy conditions are a nonstarter and should not be overlooked.
I will note however that filthy conditions are a nonstarter and should not be overlooked.
uncleboots
Service Attendant
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2009
- Messages
- 172
I was riding the Southwest Chief and I was the last one in the dining car. The chef came upstairs and we started talking. We had a good conversation. He then said I’ll be right back. He went downstairs and came back with some food for me to take back to my room if I got hungry later that night. That was a pretty cool thing for him to do.
Bembidion
Train Attendant
I have rarely ever had concerns about cleanliness of Amtrak trains except for the windows.
Just don't look under the seats in a roomette...
nshvlcat
Service Attendant
Just returned from vacation using #58 & #59. Both trains were clean (roomettes & rest rooms). Wonderful ride to NOLA & back.
Just sayin' don't look under the beds in my house.
joelkfla
Engineer
Dust bunnies ≠ unidentifiable gunk.
crescent-zephyr
Engineer
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2015
- Messages
- 4,627
I LOVE Amtrak! I've had way fewer delays on my Amtrak journeys than on major airlines this year that's for sure.
I don't like Flex dining and will continue to complain about it, but it's slowly being corrected so I'm happy about that.
I have had some poor customer service experiences when traveling on amtrak and I do wish that Amtrak would enforce rules and standards with employees so I know what to expect, but overall amtrak is still a great way to travel.
I don't like Flex dining and will continue to complain about it, but it's slowly being corrected so I'm happy about that.
I have had some poor customer service experiences when traveling on amtrak and I do wish that Amtrak would enforce rules and standards with employees so I know what to expect, but overall amtrak is still a great way to travel.
Our last trip to Winslow AZ (with a drive to Zion National Park) was a good experience. The trains arrived and departed on time and the food was very good on the SW Chief. All of the room attendants on the four LD trains (RT) were polite, attentive and accommodating. The negatives were the awful Flex food on the CL, that the bedroom door fell off its tracks (on the return trip) and that the snacks in the CHI metro lounge were not good. The coffee and soda machines were removed, they put out warm canned sodas and a coffee earn full of barely warm coffee. . Overall I'll give it a 8 out of ten. The other positive comment is that most of the good food places in WAS Union Station have reopened.
