Amtrak vs. VIA Dining Car Comparison

[TVRM610]

Maybe this should get merged back into the existing Dining Car topic.. but I thought it may deserve it's own thread. So many people seem to question Amtrak vs. VIA (which isn't completely fair.. since when we do that we are comparing ONE VIA rail train vs. several Amtrak trains.) that I thought I would post some photo comparisons from my trips. I tried my best to pick fair comparisons...



Amtrak Mahi Mahi Filet vs. VIA Rail Fish (I honestly can't remember what type of fish it was).
&
Salad vs. Salad.



Amtrak Pasta Dinner Entree vs. VIA Rail Pasta Dinner Entree
&
Brownie vs. Brownie

 

[TVRM610]

Breakfast to Breakfast

and

Lunch to Lunch (Amtrak Deluxe Grilled Cheese vs. VIA Rail Hummus Flat bread Sandwich Plate).

 

[rrdude]

There is NO comparison in my mind. I think the pix make Amtrak's offerings look better than they actually are.

 

[TVRM610]

There is NO comparison in my mind. I think the pix make Amtrak's offerings look better than they actually are.

haha. all photos were taken with the same iphone...

 

[pennyk]

Frankly, when I was on the VIA Canadian, I longed from Amtrak chips. I do not eat potato salad. I have food allergies and I found that Amtrak had more choices than VIA, especially on the Ocean.

 

[TVRM610]

Frankly, when I was on the VIA Canadian, I longed from Amtrak chips. I do not eat potato salad. I have food allergies and I found that Amtrak had more choices than VIA, especially on the Ocean.

Penny... how does the Ocean compare? I've heard it's very different than the Canadian.

 

[Blackwolf]

Speaking from experience a few years ago and earlier, the Ocean is worse than the Cardinal in terms of food service. You have only two options for dinner, and both are overpriced and incredibly small portions. They're precooked and refrigerated, and then microwaved on board the trains since there is no kitchen. Also, they only pack a small amount more than what is needed to cover Sleeping Car passenger counts, and usually run out.

The Canadian is by-far in an entirely separate league from the Ocean.

 

[pennyk]

Speaking from experience a few years ago and earlier, the Ocean is worse than the Cardinal in terms of food service. You have only two options for dinner, and both are overpriced and incredibly small portions. They're precooked and refrigerated, and then microwaved on board the trains since there is no kitchen. Also, they only pack a small amount more than what is needed to cover Sleeping Car passenger counts, and usually run out.

The Canadian is by-far in an entirely separate league from the Ocean.

Agree, however, I did not have to pay since my meals were included. There was one meal where both choices contained garlic, which I am unable to eat, so I drank my lunch. Also.... I believe that there may have not been non-dairy dessert options for lunch.

 

[Guest]

dinner.jpeg

Amtrak Mahi Mahi Filet vs. VIA Rail Fish (I honestly can't remember what type of fish it was).

In terms of just appearance, the Amtrak dish on the left looks more appetizing to me.

 

[yarrow]

in our experience the food on the canadian is very much superior. fresh, baked on board dinner breads and breakfast muffins, different menu for each meal, each day, each way. the soups are freshly made on board. i do not believe anything is reheated. no comparison to amtrak. plus, when we have traveled via it has been during a 50% or better discount sale so the price has been comparable to or less than amtrak

 

[MrFSS]

I like the chairs in the Via dinners vs the booths Amtrak has.

 

[jimhudson]

I can't speak to the Ocean since I haven't been on it (its on the Bucket List)but the Canadian versus Amtrak LD Trains, no contest, The Canadian hands down when it comes to Food and Ambience! I also think the Food and Service in Acela FC is better than VIA's Corridor Biz Class!(used to be VIA 1 when I rode regularly)

 

[jis]

VIA like chairs would not be permitted in Amtrak Diners by the FRA. My understanding, which can of course be wrong and subject to correction, is that VIA Diners without significant change of furnishing, could not be legally operated in a public service train under FRA jurisdiction.

 

[TVRM610]

I like the chairs in the Via dinners vs the booths Amtrak has.

Thanks for those pics! The pics also show off the nice table settings that VIA has.

As for the chairs vs. booths... if you were ever on a train that derailed you would much prefer the booths I can promise you that.

 

[Notelvis]

These comparison photos are great -

It's a shame that VIA doesn't have a china pattern though, isn't it?

 

[tricia]

dinner.jpeg

Amtrak Mahi Mahi Filet vs. VIA Rail Fish (I honestly can't remember what type of fish it was).
&
Salad vs. Salad.

I think that's pickerel with caper butter on the VIA Rail plate, served on the Canadian at dinner in eastern Canada--which is where the fish likely came from. As I recall, at least some of the entrees on the Canadian are matched at least approximately to the region you're traveling through when they're served.

The pickerel was really, really good when I had it earlier this year, with a glass of very nice wine--VIA Rail also does a much better job providing good wines that pair well with the food that's offered. Amtrak could DEFINITELY profit from offering better wine options with dinner, and noting on the menu which goes well with which dish.

 

[Guest]

I like the chairs in the Via dinners vs the booths Amtrak has.

IMHO, it can't be called a Diner if it doesn't have booths. It would be like a Lunch Counter without stools.

 

[XHRTSP]

So what does the Canadian do exactly that sets it apart from the other LDs? Are there more cooks, bigger kitchens, less regulatory interference, higher prices, etc?

 

[TVRM610]

Amtrak Mahi Mahi Filet vs. VIA Rail Fish (I honestly can't remember what type of fish it was).
&
Salad vs. Salad.

I think that's pickerel with caper butter on the VIA Rail plate, served on the Canadian at dinner in eastern Canada--which is where the fish likely came from. As I recall, at least some of the entrees on the Canadian are matched at least approximately to the region you're traveling through when they're served.

The pickerel was really, really good when I had it earlier this year, with a glass of very nice wine--VIA Rail also does a much better job providing good wines that pair well with the food that's offered. Amtrak could DEFINITELY profit from offering better wine options with dinner, and noting on the menu which goes well with which dish.

Yes! That's exactly what it was!

The pickerel was excellent.. but I must say the mahi mahi on Amtrak is also excellent, I've had it on several different trains and it's consistently a great choice.

Totally agree on the wine options too.. I mentioned in the dining car thread how the VIA Rail Stewards stop by each table and ask "would anyone care for something from the bar?" in such a classy way. It adds class, and it also adds to the alcohol sales I'm sure.

 

[cpamtfan]

I'd hope the food would be better than Amtrak for the price and time you expend for that trip.

They are two completely different can of worms. You are not getting the same quality on an Amtrak train as the Canadian. However, people make it out like Amtrak food is way worse than it actually is.

 

[MrFSS]

Don't know if they still do it, but the steward walked through the sleepers playing the Westminster Chimes (on a small xylophone type thing) before each dinner service. Sort of a nice touch.

 

[SarahZ]

Those tables don't have flowers! /gasp Clearly, that is not first class service.

All kidding aside, I love the table settings and the chairs. I get that booths are safer, but I'd much prefer a chair.

All of the food looks pretty good. I believe VIA is more expensive, depending on sales and such obviously, so I would expect slightly better food.

 

[TVRM610]

Those tables don't have flowers! /gasp Clearly, that is not first class service.

All kidding aside, I love the table settings and the chairs. I get that booths are safer, but I'd much prefer a chair.

All of the food looks pretty good. I believe VIA is more expensive, depending on sales and such obviously, so I would expect slightly better food.

When I rode they had plastic flowers. I remember a customer making a comment about the plastic flowers to the waitress and she said "yeah... that's what we call a budget cut"

And yes the full price tickets on VIA are WAY more than Amtrak.. and VIA is still losing money.

 

[NS VIA Fan]

My Amtrak LD meals have been just fine especially the steak…..but service has ranged from poor to excellent but averaging on the plus side.

On the Canadian it’s the variety offered with the regional specialties. Service is consistently top notch and one thing I liked…..on the first day out the dining car crew was introduced…..even the chef stuck his head out of the kitchen.

Meals on the Ocean are pre-prepared but plated onboard on china. Heating is in convection ovens…..not microwaves.

The Ocean’s Renaissance Diners have booth seating (360deg view in link below)

http://www.viarail.ca/sites/all/files/media/360/Renaissance_dining_car/index.html

 

[Larry H.]

As a piece of history I will offer this historic comparison.. Within several weeks of the Amtrak take over of all most all passenger rail my grandfather and I took the Canadian National from Toronto to Vancouver. At that time they were running a 22 car train cross country.. Fine high level domes, Interesting bar car, and a rather spartan dinner. The meals as mentioned came with the trip in a sleeper.. the problem then was that they had a limited menu which didn't vary much the whole three days. The vegetables were straight out of tin cans no doubt.. The service was lousy as they didn't accept tipping from what I recall. We had round trip tickets but on arrival in Vancouver we changed our route so that we dropped down to Everett and caught the old Empire Builder partly due to the food.. It was a great train with wonderful cars and diner. Oddly the train was empty even though they consistently told the ticket agents in Vancouver that no bedrooms were available. (the ticket agent who must have been though this before suggested we go ahead and go as far as Everett to meet the Empire Builder and then ask the Conductor for a room. To our surprise there were four pullmans, nearly all mostly empty. ( it seems the GN had been claiming poor ridership when in fact they were fudging the reservations to run empty).. However the crew and diner were still top notch.. Fresh caught Salmon out of Seattle was something I recalled fondly.. China and table cloths with cut glass paneled dividers and paintings of the Founder of the GN on the end wall. On the walls in the pullmans was a notice to discontinue service in around 30 days which was the start of Amtrak. Amtrak has managed to go from rail systems with very fine food at reasonable cost to one of high cost with questionable quality. It seems the Canadian has reversed the trend..