First Class Lounges

[NativeSon5859]

I'm curious as to why certain large endpoint cities with Sleeping Car-equipped trains (namely Los Angeles and Seattle) do not have a Metropolitan Lounge of some sort for the Sleeping Car passengers? I thought L.A used to have one for a time...is this correct? If so, why did it close?

Also, any word on when NOL's "Magnolia Room"will get an upgrade?

Thanks as always!

Steve/NOL

 

[Anthony]

If there indeed was a lounge in LA, I wonder where in the station it would have been? I'm just trying to visualize where it would be as I don't remember any "extra rooms" like that out in the main area. :unsure:

 

[EmpireBuilderFan]

It still surprises me that Portland's Union Station has a Metropolitan Lounge, but Seattle's King Street Station does not. While Portland is the origin of one part of the Empire Builder and is an important stop on the Coast Starlight, Seattle is the origin of the other part of the Builder as well as the Coast Starlight. Seattle probably should have a first class lounge as the Seattle section of the Builder almost always has two sleepers, while the Portland section usually only has one. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like a first class lounge is part of the refurbishment plan for King Street Station, so Seattle will still have to go without.

 

[battalion51]

I think Orlando would be a good spot for a First Class Lounge. On a daily basis 10-20 passengers are picked up or dropped off in Orlando, per train. So that's 40-100 people who'd be using the lounge daily, for the five trains daily (except Friday when there's no Sunset).

 

[Viewliner]

In all fairness, I think Newark (NJ) should get some kind of first class lounge. Its the 5th Busiest station on the system, and would probably see a fair amount of usage. It could use a decent place for First Class Passengers to wait (besides the restaurant in the Hilton). :lol:

 

[tp49]

I would think that with the massive restoration taking place at Seattle that they might incorporate a lounge into the building.

 

[AlanB]

Well I'd love to see Seattle get one, along with LA. I'm not so sure about Newark as I don't think that they have enough first class passengers boarding there.

Orlando might also be a nice candidate, however that's unlikely to ever happen. The entire Orlando station is smaller than several of the first class lounges already in use. I'm not sure if they could spare the room for even a small lounge, unless they were to add onto the station.

 

[battalion51]

Don't forget Orlando is all part of my Grand plan once I (hopefully) get some sort of position of power. I'm planning to redo the station, well almost completely. Starting with the track structure itself I'm planning to install Dual Crossovers just north of the station past Columbia Street (CTC would be extended to just past the Dual Crossovers). Then the center platform between Track 1 & 2 will be rebuilt to be a high level platform (NEC style). This will aid in the loading/unloading process at the biggest stop in the south for Silver Service. Now to get passengers across to the Station a overhead bridge will be added on to get people across and drop people right into the main waiting room. Now, the Conductor on arrival would walk up the stairs into the main waiting room, there will be a seperate enterance to the stairwell for First Class passengers from their waiting area. First Class tickets will be lifted, those passengers will board. The general boarding call will be made and coach passengers will approach the door, have their tickets lifted, then they will be allowed to go to the platform and get their seats. Now as for the First Class lounge itself, it will be built where the exsisting parking lot is on the North side of the station, a new parking area will be created on the South Side of the station, in addition to the parking garage already there at the Hospital. Most trains would arrive on Track 2 (closest to the station) so that the checked baggage can be worked with little trouble on the east side of the station. Meanwhile there will still be a low platform so that bi-level trains like the Sunset can still work the station with no problems.

 

[railman]

The "Metropolitan Lounge" was an outgrowth of the NEC Metroliner Improvement Project back in the mid 1990's. The three original lounges were installed in Washington, Philadelphia and New York. The lounge in Chicago was added to the project to keep the non-NEC factions within Amtrak management at bay. Chicago was a logical choice as virtually all transcontinental passengers must change trains there. Note that now the NEC lounges are called "ClubAcela". (yuk!)

Later, with the Acela Express project, renovation of South Station and the electrification of the NHV-BOS segment, Boston got one. The remaining lounges are still called "Metropolitan Lounge" (except for New Orleans).

The "Magnolia Lounge" at New Orleans is a sort of watered down Metropolitan Lounge, offering fewer of the amenities found in a true "Metropolitan Lounge".

Portland, OR is the southern end of the Cascades Corridor, hence a Metropolitan Lounge was installed at the behest of the state. Los Angeles was indeed supposed to get one and so were Seattle and Miami. Sadly, the steam evaporated as quickly as the money for those initiatives...

 

[Steve4031]

Well I'd love to see Seattle get one, along with LA. I'm not so sure about Newark as I don't think that they have enough first class passengers boarding there.
Orlando might also be a nice candidate, however that's unlikely to ever happen. The entire Orlando station is smaller than several of the first class lounges already in use. I'm not sure if they could spare the room for even a small lounge, unless they were to add onto the station.

There must be 20 or more trains a day that stop at Newark that have first class on them. I'm surpise there would not be a lot of first class passengers at that station.

Another thought, that airport stop near Newark could also have a Metropolitan lounge for first class passengers transferring too or from airplanes. It could have an airport monitor in it too to give airline info.

I know, just dreaming. There's no money for such things.

 

[AMTRAK-P42]

Another thought, that airport stop near Newark could also have a Metropolitan lounge for first class passengers transferring too or from airplanes. It could have an airport monitor in it too to give airline info.

I really like that idea. It might encourage more Train-Airplane transfers and visa versa. They could also put an Amtrak Monitor in the Airport/Monorail Station.

 

[AlanB]

There must be 20 or more trains a day that stop at Newark that have first class on them. I'm surpise there would not be a lot of first class passengers at that station.

Steve,

There are indeed many trains that do stop at Newark, however the number of first class pax boarding there IMHO is just not that significant. I've taken plenty of Metroliners, Acela's, and even LD's out of NYP. The number of FC pax that I see boarding at Newark is at best 1/10th, and maybe less, than number boarding in NYP, PHL, or even WAS.

Another thought, that airport stop near Newark could also have a Metropolitan lounge  for first class passengers transferring too or from airplanes.  It could have an airport monitor in it too to give airline info.  

That will never happen for two reasons. One there is simply no room within the station for such a lounge. This station is largely just a pedestrian bridge over the NEC and the local freight tracks. There isn't even an Amtrak ticket office here.

The second reason that this will never happen is the fact that there are no trains that carry FC pax that stop at this station. No Metroliners, no Acela's, and no LD's stop at this station. The only Amtrak trains that stop here are a handful of the Regional's. None have first class seating.

Frankly I'm surprised that there is no Acela or Metroliner service at the Airport and I do think that Amtrak should consider stopping at least a few trains there. However, since Amtrak just cut back Acela service to Metropark and BWI, I doubt very much that they will start stopping at Newark Airport anytime soon.

Maybe if Amtrak ever gets proper funding and is able to fix the NEC to permit 150 MPH running over most of its length, the Acela's will then have enough time to stop at Newark Airport.

 

[battalion51]

Los Angeles was indeed supposed to get one and so were Seattle and Miami. Sadly, the steam evaporated as quickly as the money for those initiatives...

Well that's not entirely true. There is actually a First Class lounge in Miami, I personally have never been in there, but it does appear to have sofas, a wet bar with sodas and coffee, plus complimentary newspapers. Also, when trains like the Star get late departures they often will order in pizza or something like that for First Class passengers since they most likely will miss their lunch in the Diner.

 

[AlanB]

Los Angeles was indeed supposed to get one and so were Seattle and Miami.  Sadly, the steam evaporated as quickly as the money for those initiatives...

Well that's not entirely true. There is actually a First Class lounge in Miami, I personally have never been in there, but it does appear to have sofas, a wet bar with sodas and coffee, plus complimentary newspapers. Also, when trains like the Star get late departures they often will order in pizza or something like that for First Class passengers since they most likely will miss their lunch in the Diner.

My understanding though of the Miami quote/unquote lounge, is that it is simply a roped off area of the main station. Not a separate room with a closed door to cut down on the station noise.

Hence Amtrak classifies this as a special waiting area and not a Metropolitan lounge.

Have you seen this station B51? :unsure: I'm just curious if the above is true. While I've taken Amtrak to Florida several times, I've never made it south of Hollywood. Got to go where the movie stars are, right? :lol:

 

[battalion51]

Well I'm not sure if it used to be that way, but it is its own little room. If you are standing on the west side of the main waiting room looking east to your left in the back (behind a set of stairs with a mural on it) is the room. It's not a large room, and it has no ceiling of its room (so noise wise it's open), but it does have doors, and glass, so on and so forth.

 

[Chatter163]

The "separate waiting area" in Miami does have a door and is walled off from the larger station, but the ten-foot wall does not go from ceiling to floor, so one can hear a fair amount of noise from the station. There are two couches and several armchairs and a television. There typically are coffee, tea, juice, soda and danishes available on a self-serve basis. These passengers are escorted out first, before coach is called to board. On several occasions, when I have been among only a handful of first class passengers, they have taken me out to the sleeper on a golfcart, since it is a long walk down the platform. :lol:

 

[battalion51]

You almost always can get the Golf Cart ride. Usually elderly passengers get first dibs though. I personally wouldn't take the ride, there's just something so great about walking the length of the train.

 

[gswager]

There's a room at Los Angeles Union Station where the roped-off old-fashioned ticket booths are, left side of main entrance. It's a waste of space for not using it, except filming for movies or commericals! It would be nice to use first class waiting room because LAUS serves Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited, Pacific Surfliners and potential Las Vegas and San Joaquin (for high speed train) lines in the future.

 

[battalion51]

Chances are that wouldn't happen though. Historical societies would find a way to protect it.

 

[Anthony]

There's a room at Los Angeles Union Station where the roped-off old-fashioned ticket booths are, left side of main entrance. It's a waste of space for not using it, except filming for movies or commericals! It would be nice to use first class waiting room because LAUS serves Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited, Pacific Surfliners and potential Las Vegas and San Joaquin (for high speed train) lines in the future.

Oh yeah! I forgot about that as I hardly ever come in through the main entrance. (Always connecting there from other trains)

I wonder if that area in front would be too close to the bums that wander around, for it to serve as a good place for a first class lounge :lol:

 

[battalion51]

Well you do the same sort of thing that they do at other lounges where you have to buzz to get in.