How About a New Amtrak Dining Car Experiment?
Back in October, a charming Irish lady and I shared a table for dinner one evening in the Empire Builder’s dining car. After returning home, and knowing of my involvement in NARP, she very thoughtfully put together some comments and observations of her Amtrak experience. On the whole, she enjoyed the trip, but she did have some polite criticism of her experiences in the dining car. Mostly, she was less than thrilled with the sameness of the menu, the so-so quality of the food, and the casual and inconsistent service.
While reading her critique, I had a moment of possible inspiration: Why couldn’t Amtrak undertake an experiment that would be, in effect, the complete reversal of what they’re doing on the Silver Star? To refresh memories, Amtrak operates two daily trains that run between Miami and New York City on very similar routes: the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star. Thinking that sleeping car passengers would prefer lower fares to having their dining car meals included in what they now pay for their tickets, Amtrak has removed the dining car from the Silver Star. That means passengers from the sleepers are now standing in line with coach passengers for the microwaved sandwiches in the train’s café car. In theory, say the responsible Amtrak executives, the lower fares will prove so attractive that increased ridership will generate greater revenue.
But what about reversing that approach? What about raising fares on the other train, the Silver Meteor, and adding a REAL dining car? By that, I mean a dining car with white linen table cloths, real china, stainless steel tableware … a dining car with a different menu every day, featuring gourmet food, prepared on board by a real chef and served by a professional wait staff. Let’s see what happens if Amtrak were to tack another $50 or $60 onto sleeping car fares, but offer food service like that.
But, you say, that’s not realistic. Railroads just don’t do that anymore.
Oh, yeah? VIA Rail does.
I am curious how it can be explained that VIA Rail Canada, as a Crown corporation, faces extinction at any given time if but 3 (?) ministers vote against it. Yet, VIA continues to operate the most specular train in North America; considered 1 of the 5 best in the world. With similar financing and equipment issues, how does Amtrak rationalize that its mission is so uniquely different? How is it that VIA understands the need for a senior employee in the role of Service Director over the train+a Service Manager for the diner and lounges? Perhaps the answer to why you will not encounter, surly, indifferent crew members on VIA is simply because they do not have to handle angry, disappointed passengers, as on Amtrak. As well, they work on beautiful, well maintained, functioning equipment.
What better preface to the sorrow facing Amtrak long distance passengers and their diminishing dining/lounge experience. The sentiment is just around the corner will be the Southern Pacific’s approach to food/beverage–vending machines! To what extent does Amtrak’s Board of Directors know and approve the degradation of dining car service; the lack of any meaningful club bar service? Where does the “deaf ear” begin at Amtrak to be so oblivious to the pent up anger towards its continuously downgraded dining experience–same menu everyday for each meal on every train, half heartedly prepared from its frozen state, with no grill or toaster; an indifferent approach by the servers and LSA towards offering to ‘up sell’ revenues with drinks (although they are not trained as bartenders)? Or the cafe lounge experience of its focus on being a rolling “7-11” with limited liquor kits, and an untrained bartender. Makes one question how is food & beverage managed at Amtrak, given how liquor (cocktails) is a significant revenue (profit) center everywhere, including VIA. Also, a restaurant will typically have a 15% margin on hamburgers; yet, Amtrak allegedly pays $16 for a pre-fabricated frozen burger to sell at $9.50.
As it is easier to build-up to develop a base to continue to build upon, the opportunity is there, if not for Amtrak, than a private operator, to re-invigorate the dining/lounge experience, focused on first class. Just learn from VIA:
-Every meal, every day on VIA offers a different menu (including rack of lamb, duck, roast beef, steak, fish); a true first class experience, served on linen, glassware, and china.
-Depending when you go to the VIA diner for breakfast will determine your set reservation time for lunch and dinner. This eliminates the waiting list and the constant PA clamor of calling names to the diner, as on Amtrak, starting at 0700. Indeed, a VIA server position goes thru the sleepers verbally announcing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd call for meals.
-VIA Diner has a very experienced Service Manager (the old Steward position) vs. Amtrak’s Lead Service Attendant approach. On VIA, the Service Manager takes liquor/wine orders to support his staff. AND-a wait position also helps in the galley to wash/dry china, silver, glasses!
-“Park” car end of train observation-lounge with dome provides a full bar AND a trained bartender/sleeper attendant, who can really make cocktails (yes, Martinis-including frozen glass and olives!).
-The sleepers are impeccably clean, with real mattress, pillows, and duvet; toilet annex in bedrooms.
The epilogue is simple and clear: VIA is indeed the template to re-engineer and follow by Amtrak, or its successor. Otherwise, the only remaining option will be to stop the trains en route at a luncheonette for passengers to eat a meal.
I suppose you have never read the remarks on NARP’s collegues at Transport-Action Canada. They are not as raving about ViaRail’s performance, I’m afraid. And if I read about delays in the many hours (it’s not just with Amtrak), running times that have been extended and extended some more, the Canadian has his own set of problems. And Via Rail’s management is, according to them, even less capable than Amtrak’s… But it’s tempting to think the grass is always greener on the other side.
No, I have read critical comments about VIA’s operation. But the bottom line on this issue for me is that people LOVE the Canadian. They could care less if it’s a slow meandering trip. And, most of all, they rave about the food. The last time I took the Zephyr, people were grumbling that we were running a few hours late and the dining car ran out of most of the luncheon entrees. The most frequent comment I hear about the Amtrak dining experience is “the food was better than I expected.”
As I have no experience on either Amtrak or Via Rail, leave alone on their flagship the Canadian, it’s difficult to say who’s most right, the raving crowd or the complainers. Still, if the Canadian wants to be more than a train cruise, they should probably work on their timekeeping, frequency and pricing, too. Food is important, especially if you’re on the train for several days, but as you have pointed out multiple times, trains are not just for trips from either end to the other end, but also for trips from and to intermediate stops, were people can and probably will bring along their own pick-nick. And I guess you know it’s no fun to have to wait for a couple of hours in the snow for a train that’s not coming. Being on a delayed train is one thing, waiting for a delayed train is something entirely different.
Very true. In fact, I’ll prevail on my VIA contact to see what numbers they may have about how much “local” traffic the Canadian handles. It makes a great many stops at stations in between the larger cities and towns … some literally so small they could be picked up and hauled off on a flatbed truck. I suspect, like most of Amtrak’s long-distance trains, there’s a substantial number of people for whom the train is the only reasonable way in or out of their little town. It is, in effect, essential public transportation.
I am quite aware of those expressions; however, unlike Amtrak, they have nothing to do with the actual consistent high quality of On Board Services: sleepers, cleanliness, quality of food & beverage-diner, Park, attitude and service of crew, etc.
As do several eastern European train companies, like MÁV from Hungary with their food business Utasellátó, or WARS on the Polish long distance trains (although they might sometimes give paper plates, if I remember correctly). It has to be said, however, that in Western Europe, these amenities are rather scarce, with many having no restauration whatsoever.
Yes, indeed. In fact, I had quite a very acceptable meal on a Russian train en route from Berlin to Moscow. In fact, it was included in my fare! I’ll dig up the photo I took of the interior of the dining car. It was amazing!