Amtrak dining and cafe service

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lordsigma said:
Today is the first day of traditional dining out of origination terminals in both directions for the zephyr, builder, and southwest chief - first day on trains 3, 6, and 7. It will take a couple more days for all intermediate stations in the “return direction” back to the OBS crew base to have it. The exception is the sunset which will originate its first west bound train with traditional dining tomorrow (Sunday)
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Thanks for the info.
 
BoulderCO said:
Hopefully the restriction of traditional dining to only sleeper passengers is just temporary until they see how it goes. I personally will not be riding Amtrak until I can be in coach and still have meals of my choice in the dining car.
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I believe they said they will be letting coach at least eat the meals made from the diner soon, not sure about where they will eat them though.
 
... and the steak that came with your Red Wine Braised Beef Flex Meal wasn't?

Food cooked off the Traditional Diner Menu is a substantial portion of the experience on the train. The reassurance is encouraging. I'm thrilled to expect it next week on the full route Zephyr!
 
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joelkfla said:
They couldn't get any flowers, so they went to the side of the roadbed and cut down a bush?
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They fired all the flowers to save money. They tried hiring them back but they had all died in the interim (probably of Covid). So they are trying to recruit and train new flowers but as you can see, they are new to the job so they are not as sharp as an experienced flower would be.

On the other hand, those might be leftover "flex" flowers.
 
Steve4031 said:
Looks like I might be the first. I will be boarding 14 tomorrow. I will document with pictures from my trip report
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If you mean 14(27) (which it sounds like you are), you might be departing a bit late. 11(25) is running almost nine hours late out of OXN this morning! Not sure how fast they can turn it plus stocking the diner might be slower than usual with all the new changes the commissary and OBS employees will be learning.
 
jruff001 said:
If you mean 14(27) (which it sounds like you are), you might be departing a bit late. 11(25) is running almost nine hours late out of OXN this morning! Not sure how fast they can turn it plus stocking the diner might be slower than usual with all the new changes the commissary and OBS employees will be learning.
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I have been following that train. Hoping there is a spare set of superliners they can use.
 
I’d advise y’all to check out their separate trip report threads. Several photos of traditional dining has been posted in one of them.
 
bestcee said:
This would be nice.
Just travelled on the Zephyr, coach, first (longer than 4 hours) Amtrak trip (6/23-24) Naperville to Provo. I got to listen to constant dining room calls. Breakfast starting at 7am, with 2 additional calls for come and eat, followed by a last call. Then the lunch call started: 11:30, 12:30 & 1:30. Then the announcement that she would be coming to the sleeper cars to get your order and reservation time. Then hey, if you didn't get your reservation I'm in the dining car come to me. Then last call for reservations! Then the calling to dinner: 5:30, 6:30 & 7:30. Then the hey, if you haven't gotten food, come tell us because we don't know about you!
All this punctuated by extra announcements that this doesn't apply to coach. You can check the cafe for food, but that's it.
Having to listen to so many food announcements with the constant reminders that it doesn't apply to me was a real turn off and makes me rethink taking the train again. I've never felt more like a second class citizen. Maybe they can program the speakers so that coach cars don't have to hear all the excess meal announcements.
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Not a second class citizen - just a second ('coach') class passenger.
 
bestcee said:
Having to listen to so many food announcements with the constant reminders that it doesn't apply to me was a real turn off and makes me rethink taking the train again. I've never felt more like a second class citizen. Maybe they can program the speakers so that coach cars don't have to hear all the excess meal announcements.
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I agree that they should stop broadcasting these unnecessary messages over the public address system and work on getting enough staff hired and trained to handle the dining needs of coach passengers as well. We really only need a notice that the dining car has opened or closed and which time zone they're using. The rest of it can be handled by simply sticking to the schedule, leaving tables free and clear for more customers, and moving people along when they're done eating. I've never understood why every single seating needs its own special announcement. If you're able to miss a meal by accident then set an alarm or have it brought to your room. I started out in coach myself and if Amtrak had turned me off back then it's doubtful I'd be riding in sleepers today.
 
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I'll be sending pictures of dining on #3 in late July as well (and maybe the Starlight in August, if the diner is open to coach or I get upgraded)
 
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