Texas Eagle: Coach Pax Food Service and Seat Assignments?

[Explore]

I understand there is no Sightseer Lounge car on the Texas Eagle these days....so what food service is available to coach passengers and what car is it served in? Also, do they force you to sit in specific seats assigned by the crew, even for day rides like Chicago-St. Louis?

Thanks...

 

[zephyr17]

There is cafe food service in lounge end of the diner/lounge (aka "CCC" - Cross Country Cafe).

 

[Cal]

The TE has a CCC (Cross country cafe, AKA a diner lounge). It is similar to a normal diner, but on one half of it there is lounge seating and theres a counter in the middle which has normal items you find in SSL's for sale. On the other side it acts as a normal diner for sleeping car passengers only. Note that right now due to staff shortages ONE LSA has to handle both jobs, so the cafe might close during meal times or there might be a long line.

Not sure about seat assignments

 

[Cal]

There is cafe food service in lounge end of the diner/lounge (aka "CCC" - Cross Country Cafe).

Second time you've beat me by a few seconds

 

[20th Century Rider]

Just got off the TE yesterday... the poor overworked attendant has to first go through sleepers to take meal orders, then heat, prepare, and bag flex meals for sleeper pax and after that she calls for help from the attendants to distribute them to the rooms... then she reopens the cafe for coach pax for which there is always a long line. As she announces... 'Please bear with me... I'm doing the job of four people!" [And she's right!] The understaffed crew on that train is always scrambling just to keep up.

 

[MARC Rider]

Seems like nobody's talking about coach seat assignments. I never rode coach on the Texas Eagle, but I rode coach on the Capitol Limited and the Crescent last June. On the Capitol, the conductor on the platform directed us to a specific coach car depending on our destination. However the train wasn't very full due to a missed connection from a western train in Chicago, so on board, the conductor just told people to find seats wherever they liked. The Crescent was pretty full, with only 2 coaches, and the coach attendant assigned actual seats on the platform, depending on your destination. I think he was trying to put passengers traveling overnight into one car that they could have to themselves without being disturbed by people getting on and off in the middle of the night. As there was only one coach attendant this slowed boarding at every station.

I think the short answer is that if the train is crowded, they'll assign seats (they also want to put groups, especially families with children, together.) If the train isn't so crowded, they may just have you board a particular car. And you never know what it will be until you get to the platform and the train comes in.

 

[Bob Dylan]

On Most of the stops on the Texas Eagle between San Antinio and St Louis, Coach Sseats are assigned, mostly by the Coach Attendant, but @ the late night stops ( Little Rock North)the Conductors handle this.

With the Texas Eaglets running Short consists( 1 Sleeper, No SSL and 2 Coaches on Non 421/422 Days) the Trains are mostly Full and Fares are High Bucket most days!

 

[20th Century Rider]

On Most of the stops on the Texas Eagle between San Antinio and St Louis, Coach Sseats are assigned, mostly by the Coach Attendant, but @ the late night stops ( Little Rock North)the Conductors handle this.

With the Texas Eaglets running Short consists( 1 Sleeper, No SSL and 2 Coaches on Non 421/422 Days) the Trains are mostly Full and Fares are High Bucket most days!

Not to mention 'cozy covid seating.' The conductor announces before certain stops... "Please remove any of your items from the seat next to you as we are expected to fill up and it'll be taken.'

On yesterday's trip aboard the 'eaglet' the conductor was chatting with staff in the lounge car... "Boy it's like a zoo back there!"

 

[Sidney]

Not to mention 'cozy covid seating.' The conductor announces before certain stops... "Please remove any of your items from the seat next to you as we are expected to fill up and it'll be taken.'

On yesterday's trip aboard the 'eaglet' the conductor was chatting with staff in the lounge car... "Boy it's like a zoo back there!"

Without a SSL car the only way I would ride on the Eagle between Chi and SAS is in a sleeper. In Coach you are stuck at your seat. With a SSL car at least you can break up the trip and if you don't feel like putting up with a seatmate overnight,you could sleep there. Not as comfortable as Coach but at least you have a single seat.

 

[20th Century Rider]

Without a SSL car the only way I would ride on the Eagle between Chi and SAS is in a sleeper. In Coach you are stuck at your seat. With a SSL car at least you can break up the trip and if you don't feel like putting up with a seatmate overnight,you could sleep there. Not as comfortable as Coach but at least you have a single seat.

And sleeper passengers are allowed to linger in the lounge car designated for them... I was able to enjoy the view of the St. Louis Arch crossing the Mississippi River... my assigned room was on the right side heading north... sun glare most of the way. So I was able to compensate by sitting in the lounge... also able to talk with passengers who had been in the TUS shooting coming back on this train... made for interesting conversation... I shared some of their stories on another post.