Amtrak's New "Fresh Choices" Dining on CL & LSL

[TinCan782]

Published yesterday, May 31 in Toledo ...

Unions call for Amtrak to restore full dining-car service

http://www.toledoblade.com/business/2018/05/31/Union-calls-for-Amtrak-to-restore-full-dining-car-service.html

"Marc Magliari, an Amtrak spokesman, declined to comment on the union’s statement except to state that the pre-packaged meals to be offered to sleeping-car passengers are not limited to the cold examples cited in initial statements about the new meal service." Wonder what those meals are? Purchase from the cafe/lounge car?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Just looked at the menu. The breakfast is inadequate. Some of the cold choices for dinner may be appetizing, but still inadequate. The blurb about so your journey will have no boundaries is a glaring example of a corporate crock.

This!
The boundaries will be either dying of hunger or beating a path to the Toliet due to swill being given fancy marketing names by the BS wizards in charge of this flim flam scam.

 

[Lonestar648]

Just more Corporate and Legal spin attempting to placate the passengers and the unions.

 

[TinCan782]

Here is the email address so we can stay on this clown.

VP.customerexperience at amtrak dot com

A week ago I sent my comments to this email address. I received a reply today from a "Customer Relations Specialist", a person with a persons [email protected] email address. It was also assigned a case number.

Here is the reply I received today ...

Dear Mr. xxxx:

Thank you for your comments regarding our upcoming Contemporary Dining service on theCapitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited routes.

Amtrak is introducing new dining options this summer on board these routes. Amtrak aims to provide a more sustainable approach that produces less waste while maintaining the quality that our passengers have come to expect. These new offerings are intended to provide a more contemporary food service and will contribute to improved financial performance on these routes. The existing café menu will continue to be available to all passengers. Customers purchasing premium service will have additional amenities including exclusive access to tables in the sleeper lounge or in the private comfort of our passenger’s accommodations. In the future, customers will be able to pre-select their meals prior to departure. Our new service will allow additional investment into these routes to further improve the passenger experience.

Customer comments will play an important role in how we offer our service and we will take your valuable feedback into consideration as we make future changes to the dining experience on our trains. Thank you for taking the time to write to us and we hope to see you on board soon.

Case #: xxxxxx

Nothing unexpected in the response.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Here comes the new more contemporary Sleeping Car Attendant...

 

[Bob Dylan]

Only real news in the Corpspeak email that Fresnic received is the statement that ".. in the future,customers will be able to pre-select their meals prior to departure.."

Inquiring minds want to know how long into the future will this occur? Maybe as soon as the VLII order is completed and delivered?

"..the answer my friend is Blowing in the Wind.."

 

[cpotisch]

Only real news in the Corpspeak email that Fresnic received is the statement that ".. in the future,customers will be able to pre-select their meals prior to departure.."

Inquiring minds want to know how long into the future will this occur? Maybe as soon as the VLII order is completed and delivered?

"..the answer my friend is Blowing in the Wind.."

I was thinking the same thing. I do agree with that strategy, even if I ultimately prefer the previous system of table service and hot meals.

 

[tommylicious]

So any photos or reports by the earliest victims of this slowly unfolding LD sleeper experience deprecation?

 

[AmtrakBlue]

So any photos or reports by the earliest victims of this slowly unfolding LD sleeper experience deprecation?

Isn’t dinner the first meal on 449(1), 448(1), 29(1) & 30(1)? If so, the dinner hours haven’t started yet.

 

[cpotisch]

So any photos or reports by the earliest victims of this slowly unfolding LD sleeper experience deprecation?

the dinner hours haven’t started yet.

Well, they just did. We've got a couple hours until the Cap starts serving dinner, but the Lake Shore should be at this point. That said, I realize we don't know how meal times work out with this new system, so who knows?

 

[chrsjrcj]

If there are no boundaries, can I eat dinner at 4 pm?

 

[dlagrua]

So any photos or reports by the earliest victims of this slowly unfolding LD sleeper experience deprecation?

the dinner hours haven’t started yet.

Well, they just did. We've got a couple hours until the Cap starts serving dinner, but the Lake Shore should be at this point. That said, I realize we don't know how meal times work out with this new system, so who knows?

To refer to a meal in a cardboard box as "dinner" is a stretch. Look at the federal bureau of prisons dinner menu and understand that convicts eat better food. That's right the prisoners are eating hot food that's better than what Amtrak passengers that pay big bucks get.

Check it out: https://www.bop.gov/foia/national_menu_lun_en.pdf

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Have you ever actually eaten prison chow? How about a county jail kitchen tray? If yes by all meals spill the beans, but if not can you please stop with this overreaching message diluting nonsense? Jail and prison food is horrible and if you'd ever actually had any you'd stop talking about it in a positive light.

 

[Tennessee Traveler]

FrensicPic, in comment 1029 above, I got the exact same email yesterday word for word so that is all I expect. I'm riding the Capitol Limited DC to Chicago June 13 and will reserve critical or complimentary comments until then since I am not opposed to a cold food Item and I usually wait until I get to Chicago to eat breakfast off the train.

 

[crescent-zephyr]

If you look at the complimentary drink menu it's pretty clear they are trying to please a certain demographic. I guess I fall into that demo partially because I got pretty excited when I saw Starbucks cold brew and LaCroix on the list.

And yes... I eat salads at Panera or Jasons Deli quite frequently for lunch or dinner.

If the end result is the current menu plus some hot items, I would be quite happy.

 

[cpotisch]

That's right the prisoners are eating hot food that's better than what Amtrak passengers that pay big bucks get.

Check it out: https://www.bop.gov/foia/national_menu_lun_en.pdf

Really? Are you kidding? I think I can say that you'd probably take a cold continental breakfast or a chicken salad over some hot gruel in a prison cafeteria. If that's not the case, why don't you go rob a convenience store and you can enjoy three to six months of fine dining.

 

[iplaybass]

So what do the CL and LSL consists look like now?

 

[Ryan]

From back on page two. Not sure if this plan is what actually executed.

New consists:

29/30 Capital Limited:

Diesels - P42s

Baggage - 61000 series

TransDorm - 39000 series

Sleepers - 32000 series

*Sleeper Lounge

*Sightseer Lounge - 33000 series

Coaches - 31000/34000 series

48/49 Lake Shore Limited:

Diesels - P42s/P32

Baggage(BOS) - 61000 series

Sleeper(BOS) - 62000 series

*Cafe/Business(BOS) - 48100 series

Coaches(BOS) - 25000 series

Coaches - 25000 series

*Sleeper Lounge - 68000 series [New CAF diner operating as a sleeper lounge, something that has been foreshadowed here for some time now]

Sleepers - 62000 series

Baggage - 61000 series

(*) staffed with one Lead Service Attendant(LSA)

 

[cpotisch]

So what do the CL and LSL consists look like now?

I'm pretty sure the Capitol's is physically the same is it always was, however the CCC is now being used as the Sleeper Lounge. And the LSL seems to have just replaced the Amfleet II diner-lite with a Viewliner II Diner-turned-Sleeper-Lounge.

 

[PVD]

Sometime after midnight tom'w I will board the LSL. Since my hockey meeting will end around 3, my ride from one of the board members who lives 2 minutes from the Depew station should get me there about 8 hours before the train. Look for comments and observations from me sometime Sunday, assume I will conk out quickly on the train (Bedroom B)

 

[lordsigma]

I will try to catch when 449 LSL comes through Springfield, MA tomrorrow and check out the consist.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

And the LSL seems to have just replaced the Amfleet II diner-lite with a Viewliner II Diner-turned-Sleeper-Lounge.

So these brand new Diners that took forever to come into service are being wasted as Lounges!

 

[tommylicious]

Our family shan't ride either of these lines agin until proper diner service is restored. We just jettisoned our Amtrak plans for the fall because of the sleeper service depreciations amd bought plane tickets instead.

 

[JRR]

Just got an email from Amtrak informing me of the food changes. Still no menu, link goes to the original press release on Amtrak's website.

I just received probably the same email. Although I have several trips in June, I will not be traveling on the Capitol Limited until July.

Same here.

 

[cpotisch]

It seems like the LSL consist has changed a lot since it stopped running to NYP. This was filmed yesterday in Ohio, before contemporary service had started:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVUrf2EwIZY

In order, that's:

• 1 P42
• 1 Viewliner II Baggage Car
• 4 Amfleet II Coaches
• 1 Amfleet I Business/Cafe
• 1 Amfleet II Diner-Lite
• 2 Viewliner I Sleepers

Previously, the combined consist was usually:

• 2 P42s
• 1 Viewliner II Baggage Car
• 1 Viewliner Sleeper
• 1 Amfleet I Business/Cafe
• 6 or 7 Amfleet II Coaches
• 1 Amfleet II Diner-Lite
• 2 Viewliner I Sleepers
• 1 Viewliner II Baggage Car