I do not think it is cool to have separate train names, in fact I think it is stupid when those names have no meaning. I think Amtrak has hung on to those old names about 25 years too long.
But, if we are going to name a service at all (and airlines, for example, do not), then I think the name should serve a marketing purpose. It should tell the public what the train is, and if possible, where it goes. Surfliners, Capitals, Cascades: these are all descriptive names of classes of service. They work. They suggest a pride in the locale of the service and a unique branding. Is “Regional” the best Amtrak can come up with for service in the northeast? Isn’t there some aspect of the northeast that can be descriptively applied to make this class of train service seem special? Are the Amtrak marketing people that unimaginative (I’ve dealt B-B with them and, yes, they are that unimaginative). Even the old “Northeast Direct” was better, although not much.
By the way, battalion51, one “No Sir” would have sufficed. Last time I checked, I am entitled to an opinion.