Amtrak dining and cafe service

[Amtrakfflyer]

Maybe make announcements for breaks like the lounge attendant does. That’s a great example of one position at Amtrak that generally works their tail off from 6am to 11pm. Close the diner for 3 announced 1 hour breaks for the dining crew.
With 15 long distance trains all sorts of experiments could/can be done over a 6 month period with a winner chosen each for western and eastern trains. I think everyone’s on agreement there is a difference between a sub 24 hour train and the western trains.

 

[fdaley]

The need is clearly greater on the western trains, but in the east, the Crescent is about 30 hours end to end, and the Cardinal, Star and Meteor are all more than 24 hours. And the Lake Shore and Capitol are long enough that they require something far better than the current level of service before I'd want to ride them myself, let alone recommend them to anyone.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

The main concern being who will cook when the chef is on breaks for his/her meal, etc.
They may have had 2 people if they were using china etc.

No the cross country cafe did not use China, I remember that.

The chef would take the same breaks as the LSA. So there would be no concern.

 

[Cal]

Here’s the Cross country Cafe menu - 2009.

(At the time this was the worst thing Amtrak could do... combine the diner and cafe into 1 car!)

http://www.atdlines.com/pdf/cafe.pdf

View attachment 21010

Wish we still had menus like this, with lots of options, decent food, and an actual menu...

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

I’d settle for decent food. No actually just edible. No way we’re spending $4000 plus RT for our usual summer Galesburg to Lax trip to see family. The food is the highlight of the trip for my wife and 2 kids. Our 3 year old wouldn’t even eat what’s being served now. And did I say $4000 RT that’s only if I look around for a decent price on the family bedroom. I’ve seen the actual bedroom $3400 one way the past 12 months. United/AA/Spirit are still selling seats Chicago to LAX nonstop for $49, how out of touch is Amtrak? Covid or not. This whole thing just upsets me

“Wish we still had menus like this, with lots of options, decent food, and an actual menu..”

 

[crescent-zephyr]

What I also liked about the menu posted above was inexpensive items were available for dinner (burger/veggie burger). This was a huge issue before dining was discontinued.

Yes. I remember the burger, veggie burger and entree salad being offered as part of the dinner menu on many long distance trains. This was great for passengers on a budget as well as picky eaters who just wanted something basic for dinner.

 

[Dakota 400]

There is prep work before, and cleanup work after, each meal, especially in the kitchen.

Your post is a good one for people to keep in mind. Prep and clean-up is not quickly or easily done at times.

Personally, I am a late diner and would prefer the dining car remaining open later than 8:00 P. M. I'd prefer 9:00 P. M. 6:00 A. M. is much too early for me for breakfast. 7:00 or 7:30 A. M. would be fine for me. The "early birds" could go to the Lounge Car for their early morning cup of coffee. (Or, let's have the SCA deliver one's choice of coffee or juice when one arises? The service was once available.)

 

[IndyLions]

I typically carry beef jerky and hardtack.

Sorry - I’d take a Flex meal over that. Yikes...

 

[jiml]

The "early birds" could go to the Lounge Car for their early morning cup of coffee. (Or, let's have the SCA deliver one's choice of coffee or juice when one arises? The service was once available.)

Used to be available right in your sleeper - self-serve.

 

[Sidney]

I’d settle for decent food. No actually just edible. No way we’re spending $4000 plus RT for our usual summer Galesburg to Lax trip to see family. The food is the highlight of the trip for my wife and 2 kids. Our 3 year old wouldn’t even eat what’s being served now. And did I say $4000 RT that’s only if I look around for a decent price on the family bedroom. I’ve seen the actual bedroom $3400 one way the past 12 months. United/AA/Spirit are still selling seats Chicago to LAX nonstop for $49, how out of touch is Amtrak? Covid or not. This whole thing just upsets me

“Wish we still had menus like this, with lots of options, decent food, and an actual menu..”

I'm taking the Capitol Limited and Te xas Eagle to LA in May from BWI. Low bucket coach to Chi and sleeper to LAX $700. Flying back to BWI on Southwest for $49.

 

[fdaley]

No way we’re spending $4000 plus RT for our usual summer Galesburg to Lax trip to see family. The food is the highlight of the trip for my wife and 2 kids. Our 3 year old wouldn’t even eat what’s being served now.

This is exactly the kind of business that will be disappearing if dining service doesn't come back. Even worse, some people who've traveled in the past may book family vacations without knowing how bad the current food is; then they return home saying, "Never again." The reputational damage will build over time if nothing is done.

 

[Cal]

This is exactly the kind of business that will be disappearing if dining service doesn't come back. Even worse, some people who've traveled in the past may book family vacations without knowing how bad the current food is; then they return home saying, "Never again." The reputational damage will build over time if nothing is done.

I've seen countless videos on YouTube saying something along the lines of "That trip looks so good, I am gonna try to take one" or "Can't wait for my trip". Can't imagine how irritated those people would/will be when they see the dining...

 

[TrackWalker]

I typically carry beef jerky and hardtack.

Sorry - I’d take a Flex meal over that. Yikes...

It's part of my pioneer spirit when traveling cross country. (No, not that Pioneer.)

 

[crescent-zephyr]

Or, let's have the SCA deliver one's choice of coffee or juice when one arises? The service was once available.

Still available as of October 2019 when I rode the Metoer.

 

[Cal]

Still available as of October 2019 when I rode the Metoer.

I don't know if anything from pre-2020 is applicable today

 

[crescent-zephyr]

I don't know if anything from pre-2020 is applicable today

Yeah I’m not sure what is available with covid restrictions. This was after Flex Dining though.

 

[Cal]

Yeah I’m not sure what is available with covid restrictions. This was after Flex Dining though.

Well, the coffee and juice station, as you probably know, wasn't available since COVID so.

 

[CTANut]

I m hoping full service dining returns in May. If not,Amtrak..please offer other food like sandwiches soups or full salads! Do they have any idea how unpopular this flexible dining is?
..

Seems like it might if the staff are called back.
(c) Long-Distance Service Restoration And Employee Recalls.—Not less than $165,926,000 of the aggregate amounts made available under subsections (a) and (b) shall be for use by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to—
(1) restore, not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the frequency of rail service on long-distance routes (as defined in section 24102 of title 49, United States Code) that the National Railroad Passenger Corporation reduced the frequency of on or after July 1, 2020, and continue to operate such service at such frequency; and
(2) recall and manage employees furloughed on or after October 1, 2020, as a result of efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

 

[Exvalley]

It would certainly be a bad PR move for Amtrak to recall all of their employees but not restore the level of service that they had prior to the furloughs. That said, they can still justify restrictions on seating in the diner.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

That said, they can still justify restrictions on seating in the diner.

I’m sure the majority of sleeping car passengers will choose to eat in their room right now... I know I would.

 

[Amtrakfflyer]

On the flip side bring cooks and servers (at least most of them) back, work on basic cooked to order meal service which most of the passengers would eat in their rooms for now. Experiment with basic hot food service without a packed the gils diner. Maybe start with 3 items each meal. They need to work on the food obviously but also an appropriate presentation with minimum waste in packaging it to from tables and or rooms.

I heard many complaints about the waste and non recycylebility of the originally contemporary/flex dining presentation. No better time then the present to experiment with new concepts while we are in a lull.

It would certainly be a bad PR move for Amtrak to recall all of their employees but not restore the level of service that they had prior to the furloughs. That said, they can still justify restrictions on seating in the diner.

 

[me_little_me]

I looked at the ($4000+ grossly overpriced) R/T sleeper fare from WV to Glenwood Springs in June and it showed "Traditional Dining" for the Zephyr and "garbage food" for the Cardinal.
I'm hoping that they'll soon announce a full schedule and I can quickly make a reservation at a significantly lower price but there is no hope for real food (except perhaps kosher) on the Cardinal.

 

[fdaley]

(2) recall and manage employees furloughed on or after October 1, 2020, as a result of efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

The switch to flex dining on the western trains happened at the beginning of the pandemic, well before October 2020, so I don't think this language guarantees any restoration of dining service. It does cover employees cut because of the switch to thrice-weekly operations.

 

[Cal]

The switch to flex dining on the western trains happened at the beginning of the pandemic, well before October 2020, so I don't think this language guarantees any restoration of dining service. It does cover employees cut because of the switch to thrice-weekly operations.

Yea, however are they going to bring back the servers and cooks to prepare microwave food?

 

[OBS]

Yea, however are they going to bring back the servers and cooks to prepare microwave food?

Just because they bring them back doesn't mean they are guaranteed to return to same positions. They may end up as coach attendants or sleeper attendants....