Disappointment with the Great Dome leads to my new love: VIA Rail

[Chi_Train_Fan]

Hello all!

This fall I attempted to ride the Great Dome on the Adirondack. Unfortunately due to the warehouse fire in Albany my Adirondack train set did not have the Great Dome. Along the way I discovered how great VIA Rail was. I had booked my trip through Canada because I wanted it to be all rail and be away for only two days.

Why you need to ride VIA Rail

The following link is the beginning of the trip report. Click through on my blog to access parts 2 through 5.

Part 1 of 5 Great Dome Trip

 

[Michael061282]

I L_O_V_E riding the Canadian. That is truly a train that you look at more a land cruise then a mode of transportation. The first time I took it we had a 24 train consist.. 2 coaches, 2 diners, the rest were Domes and sleepers, and it was PACKED. The 2nd time I took it was in the dead of winter. We had 8 cars and a max load of 40 the entire route.. which was kind of fun also, because the staff got very informal.. you want to use the drawing room in the park car instead of the roomette? Why not ? Sure go ahead.. seriously. The food, though a bit... over my head (I'm not a foodie, I like things plain and simple) is magnificent.. and the only better scenery in North America is on the old pre 1990 CP routing. I just wish is wasn't so $&%& expensive to ride it.

 

[rrdude]

Yeah, I agree on all counts. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons that have been re-hashed here over an over, Amtrak is just not EVER going to approach the same level of SERVICE, (I'm not talking equipment or even food / amenities on board) that you find on Via Rail.

Many times you run into a great Amtrak employee, just as good as any Via Rail employee. But then seconds later it seems like another employee will squash whatever goodwill the first one generated.

I firmly believe it is a "top-down" approach, and no one at the top of Amtrak's management team is serious about delivering "World class customer service".

Hey, we all know you can have a sub-par meal at a posh restaurant, but if the service staff is on their toes, you'll walk out singing praises for the place.

It's a shame too, because changing the culture of the employees, is probably where Amtrak could get the biggest bang for their investment buck. just start by HIRING the right people, TREATING them right, (not just pay) and TRAINING and EVALUATING them all the time.

It's not the SIZE of Amtrak that prevents it, it's the culture. If Walt Disney, and his descendants can have approximately 30,000-plus employees at WDW in Florida give the DEMANDING guests there superior service, day in and day out, Amtrak could too. If management wanted it.

Rant over. Recommendation coming. Remember that recent thread about "what was rail travel like before Amtrak"? remember all the tales posted of how great things were?

Ride Via Rail while you can. It's like that. Save up your money. Accrue your vacation time. Sell the house. But ride Via Rail. You will not be disappointed.

 

[Train2104]

If you liked that corridor trip, you should really try the Canadian, Ocean or Jasper - Prince Rupert, as they have true dome cars, and a couple of them per train at that! But beware of exorbitant sleeper prices, especially on the Canadian.

 

[Chi_Train_Fan]

If you liked that corridor trip, you should really try the Canadian, Ocean or Jasper - Prince Rupert, as they have true dome cars, and a couple of them per train at that! But beware of exorbitant sleeper prices, especially on the Canadian.

I enjoyed the corridor trip so much I took a trip to Halifax and return on The Ocean. Trip report planned but not finished. I was lucky to book during the 50% off sale. We had Renaissance equipment eastbound and Stainless Steel Budd equipment on the return. I was lucky to experience both.

I have a winter Canadian trip booked from the Express Deals page, so I have a very good deal on that trip as well. Can't wait to write about both of these trips

David