Texas Eagle Diner To Be Extended

[The Chief]

Dinner will be served...in Central Texas. The Texas Eagle Dining Car will soon be in service between Fort Worth and Austin, Amtrak staff said this weekend.

In 2002, Amtrak pulled staffing from the Southbound Diner in Fort Worth in a projected $1 million cost-saving plan. Apparently labor costs went down but passenger stomach-grumbling went up.

The Amtrak staffers, speaking in Fort Worth, Texas, said that running Dining Car crew to Austin will provide passengers meals, and still save some operating costs. Amtrak anticipates the plan will be “up and running” by the end of May, 2004. On the Northbound morning train, a plan is to provide for early breakfast box lunch availability due to an improved storage and delivery plan. Passengers boarding in Dallas and Fort Worth (and other southbound smaller towns) again will have the opportunity to eat dinner enroute to San Antonio.

The Texas Eagle -- which has Superliner equipment -- runs daily between Chicago and San Antonio, with tri-weekly connections to/from Los Angeles via the Sunset Limited.

©2004 The Chief

 

[RandyJay]

Thanks for the good news, Chief. Too bad they aren't going to extend service for the few extra miles between San Antonio and Austin, though. That would allow for a "real" breakfast northbound out of SAS. Still, this change adds both a northbound lunch on #22 and the southbound dinner meal on #21 as you mentioned, so I'm not going to complain too much!

 

[Save Our Trains Michigan]

Dinner will be served...in Central Texas. The Texas Eagle Dining Car will soon be in service between Fort Worth and Austin, Amtrak staff  said this weekend.
In 2002, Amtrak pulled staffing from the Southbound Diner in Fort Worth in a projected $1 million cost-saving plan. Apparently labor costs went down but passenger stomach-grumbling went up.

The Amtrak staffers, speaking in Fort Worth, Texas, said that running Dining Car crew to Austin will provide passengers meals, and still save some operating costs. Amtrak anticipates the plan will be “up and running” by the end of May, 2004. On the Northbound morning train, a plan is to provide for early breakfast box lunch availability due to an improved storage and delivery plan. Passengers boarding in Dallas and Fort Worth (and other southbound smaller towns) again will have the opportunity to eat dinner enroute to San Antonio.

The Texas Eagle -- which has Superliner equipment -- runs daily between Chicago and San Antonio, with tri-weekly connections to/from Los Angeles via the Sunset Limited.

 ©2004 The Chief

What is an Amtrak staffer there called Ticket Agents if thats what you mean

 

[AMTK@AUS]

I have been waiting for this news for a long time. I live in Austin, and can't stand those cold lunches (Train 22) and cold dinners (Train 21) whenever I ride the Eagle. I'll be down there that day to watch, and maybe ride!

 

[Viewliner]

This is certainly a step in the right direction, finally news of adding service! B)