Missing dinner due to late train

I will be on the westbound Empire Builder in a sleeper from E. Glacier Park with a scheduled departure of 7:48 PM. According to the website, dinner is served until 9pm. What happens if the train is running late? If it's too late for dinner, would I receive any compensation since meals are included in the sleeper fare?

minnrider said:

I will be on the westbound Empire Builder in a sleeper from E. Glacier Park with a scheduled departure of 7:48 PM. According to the website, dinner is served until 9pm. What happens if the train is running late? If it's too late for dinner, would I receive any compensation since meals are included in the sleeper fare?

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No, you won't.

You could make a report by phone (Amtrak ignores emails in my experience) and give them the opportunity to make a good faith offer toward future business. Even a $50 credit would help smooth things over. They might refuse but at least you gave them the opportunity to do the right thing.

OBS said:

No, you won't.

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If you are late and miss a meal,Amtrak figures that train will continue running late,so you may end up with an extra meal.

Sidney said:

If you are late and miss a meal,Amtrak figures that train will continue running late,so you may end up with an extra meal.

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Doesn't always work out that way though. If it's 3 hours late and the scheduled departure is about 1 PM, then it probably won't extend into dinner.

I remember once I wanted to go on a short trip for about 2 hours, but where breakfast in the dining car was part of my plan. But it was an hour late and the dining car wasn't taking anyone. We traveled coach though.

I boarded the CZ eastbound at Denver at 10:30ish, with a scheduled 8ish departure. They rushed us into the dining car and fed us.

Your mealage may vary...

I was at Denver a few years back waiting for an Eastbound, and heat restrictions were killing it. After it was very clear the train would not make dinner, they gave us money to buy food locally. I probably would have gotten more with a complaint, but I just wanted to be fed.

About a decade ago, my dad and I boarded a late westbound EB at East Glacier long after 9PM. Our SCA, the fabulous Gul, said he'd arranged to have dinner available for us in the dining car. We'd already eaten, so we said no thanks.

I still wonder how Gul pulled that off.

tricia said:

About a decade ago, my dad and I boarded a late westbound EB at East Glacier long after 9PM. Our SCA, the fabulous Gul, said he'd arranged to have dinner available for us in the dining car. We'd already eaten, so we said no thanks.

I still wonder how Gul pulled that off.

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He was "fabulous" and he really cared about his passengers.

And when Amtrak arrives at your stop early (hey, it happens!), you can miss a meal, too.

But then on another trip, when it’s late to your stop, you might get an extra meal.

I’ve had both happen and, in the scheme of things I get upset about with Amtrak, this doesn’t even register.

I just consider it the luck of the draw.

I’m also always traveling during the day and to a place that has restaurants if I need them, so that helps.

Based on my limited experience I think this is hard to predict and like many things on Amtrak it probably depends on the practices of the employees more than anything.

In 2014 we were going to leave Denver on the eastbound Zephyr. The train was late and was not expected to arrive until well after 9 p.m. I assumed that we would miss dinner on the train that night so we ate before going to the station. As soon as we arrived at the station the agent gave us compensation for our missed dinner. However, when we boarded the train at 9:30 p.m. or later, the LSA came to the sleeper and invited us to dinner in the dining car. He seemed quite disappointed to learn that we had already eaten (and been compensated for our missed meal.)

A long time ago in a galaxy far away that had no cellphones, I still got a pizza delivered to the train in Ogden, Utah. Just saying.

Brian Battuello said:

A long time ago in a galaxy far away that had no cellphones, I still got a pizza delivered to the train in Ogden, Utah. Just saying.

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Was that Pizza on Amtraks dime. Justasking

pennyk said:

He was "fabulous" and he really cared about his passengers.

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He still does.

Brian Battuello said:

I boarded the CZ eastbound at Denver at 10:30ish, with a scheduled 8ish departure. They rushed us into the dining car and fed us.

Your mealage may vary...

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yes but 10:30AM is still breakfast hours (although I think most crews stop by then). 9 PM is a bit on the edge imo.

Apologies, should have said 8pm and 10:30pm. It was when Amtrak was in the temporary Denver station with no food options anywhere. I was hoping I could still get an Amburger from the SSL. But they took care of us.

And I paid for the pizza. This was during the Reagan years and Amtrak's first round of meal cutting. They were serving "meals" in tin trays that looked like an early TV dinner. It was worth it to see the looks of people in the SSL as we enjoyed our sausage and mushroom pie with a decent beer from downstairs.

Cal said:

yes but 10:30AM is still breakfast hours (although I think most crews stop by then). 9 PM is a bit on the edge imo.

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Currently on the Texas Eaglette #21/#421 there is only One option for Dinner between Ft Worth and Austin,( Flex Food)and that is a 5pm Setting that usually starts around Temple depending on the OTP, which lately is Poor!

And this means the Cafe is Closed till after the stop in Austin, since the One LSA aboard has to fill both jobs as Diner and Cafe LSA!)

For #22/#422 Breakfast is served after leaving San Antonio @7AM with Last Call for boarding Sleeper Passengers @ Austin unless the Train is Late which it usually is!