Auto Train Lounge Car Status?

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Joined
Mar 1, 2021
Messages
10
Location
Pennsylvania
Hello Everyone,
I have a trip planned on the Auto Train, in a few weeks, where I am in a group of 4, and we have Superliner roomettes.

I know the Dining Car is doing its standard traditional dining and is the only the long distance train on the Amtrak system that is currently. So my question is are the Lounge's on board the Auto Train still open to guests due to covid or are they closed?

I was not able to find the answer to this on Amtrak's website but maybe I just missed it.

Thanks,
Max
 
Are you talking about the Sightseer Lounge or the lounge lounge?

Sightseer lounge is open, as for the custom Auto Train one, I have no idea.
 
The sleeper lounge was open and was one of the custom ones when I rode two weeks ago, however the standard table half was taken for dinner service as an extension of the dining car seating for dinner as they only had one seating using every other table available for dinner which was long gone before I arrived to check-in. Majority of the dining times offered are for in room meal delivery. The other portion of the lounge was available for lounge seating using every other table. After dinner it was all open with staggered seating. The next morning all breakfast was grab and go from the dining car with seating available in either the lounge car or your room. The dining car was not available for seating in the morning. Food service was available in the sleeper lounge from boarding until 1030pm with service resuming around 630am the next morning.

Hope that helps.
 
There’s no difference between the “sightseer” lounge and the smaller-windowed lounge on the Auto Train. IIRC, the train used to not run with a sightseer lounge, but one got repurposed over there when one of the dedicated lounges got wrecked in a derailment.

There would be no reason for the auto train custom lounge to have a different policy than the sightseer lounge just because of the different window sizes.
 
Having ridden both types recently, the lounges have different layouts and were operated alightly in different ways due to that fact on the trips I experienced. The Autotrain lounges were essentially like nicer versions of the Cross Country Cafe that was used for the Coach Passengers with a similar food policy and tables blocked off with the "Seating Closed" straps. The food service counter was on the upper level with distancing markers on where to stand. The table half had every other table blocked off and was not available during dinner time. The lower level was blocked off for the conductors and used as a crew area though they did allow one to use the restroom. The side with the round booths and single two seater tables did not have anything blocked off but was more naturally spaced.

The Sightseer lounges typically had more open seating available upstairs due to the arrangement of the seating but were also restricted downstairs to one person/party at a time in the food service area with no seating besides for the conductors.

Not sure that the OP and subsequent poster meant the auto train custom lounges vs. Sightseer lounge on an auto train or sightseer lounge in general, but just wanted to post my experience with both. I do prefer the color of the seating in the "custom" Sleeper Lounge and thought the seats were more cushioned and provided a bit more space between me and the table but maybe that's just me?

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Auto Train Sleeper Lounge Car

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Diner Table
 
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Looking at it I believe you are correct. On the phone they all look fairly similar and I haven't uploaded my trip photos yet. Thanks for noting. I'll update the caption but still feel similarly about the space. Could just be personal perception though.

👍
 
Hello Everyone,
Thank you for helping me determine the status of the Lounge cars. I would really like to thank Roadman3313, for their help and the amazing pictures. I will have a trip report in a few weeks after this trip occurs.

I plan on taking an Amtrak Northeast Regional service for another trip this winter.

Keep On Chugging,
Max
 
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