Try Giving ‘Em MORE, Not Less.
Ask someone who has just made their first long-distance train ride what they liked most about the experience. Then find a veteran rail traveler, someone who’s made a dozen overnight journeys on passenger trains here in the U.S. and in Canada. Ask them the same question: What do you enjoy most about your long-distance train rides?
I’ll wager that at least 80-percent of those people will tell you the same thing: What they liked best about their overnight train rides was meeting and getting to know other passengers over meals in the dining car.
Of course the experience wasn’t the same a half-century ago. In those halcyon days, there was white linen on tables that were set with real silverware and handsome china and glassware with the railroad’s logo tastefully appearing on each piece. The food was high-end restaurant quality prepared pretty much from scratch in the dining car’s full kitchen.
The Great Northern railroad claimed that the rainbow trout offered on their menu had been caught in a Rocky Mountain stream that same afternoon and handed up to the Empire Builder’s chef while the train was stopped at Glacier Park.
The railroads found that offering high quality food and good service in their dining cars generated more ridership.
Added to that was the unique experience of being seated with strangers for meals. At first, rookie travelers may have found “community dining” a bit awkward, but almost always that concern evaporated within minutes and conversation flowed easily. It’s the same today in Amtrak dining cars.
So here’s my question: If it’s the dining car experience that passengers enjoy most and talk about later with their friends and families, shouldn’t Amtrak be looking for ways to enhance that experience? Instead, on at least two long-distance trains, Amtrak has decided to deliver meals to each passenger’s roomette in a cardboard box.
Amtrak calls it “contemporary dining”. I call it counter-productive marketing.
I took the westbound Lake Shore Limited From Albany to Toledo when a dining car was still part of the operation. I recall that my dining time for dinner was toward the end of the serving period. As I was finishing my meal, a yell directed at the tables of the diner came from the serving pantry: Who wants more coffee (or similar words)? I chose not to yell a response. I asked for my check and for a coffee refill. I got the check. I tipped for the meal, thinking to tip or not to tip would have no real effect on the bad behavior. Eliminating his job certainly did.
I guess my first thought is that I would not have left a tip. In all my travels on Amtrak, I can only recall two times when I experienced really bad attitudes and/or performances from any on board crew members. Plenty of casual service, but mostly good to very good service. You got a bad apple. It happens.
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Sacramento via the Lakeshore Ltd and the California Zephyr. The Lakeshore Ltd has boxed meals. The box is lovely and seemingly expensive, which seems ridiculous, and they tell you about the construction of the box in paperwork. The enclosed meals, in our opinion, were worse than airline food, and limited for long distance. The steward was calling the dining lounge car “the dining car”, which was going to be attached in Albany so we were initially hopeful that Mr Anderson had changed his mind, but no, there was no real dining car. On top of the indignity of having to eat a boxed meal, the dining lounge car was 8 cars back. There was at least one elderly person who couldn’t even think about walking back for her meal. And, in fact, we didn’t want to bother to walk back there either after the first time.
The California Zephyr had the dining car, which we expect. As usual, the conversations at meals were wonderful. I love to meet people whom I would not ordinarily meet for a general conversation. Interesting people ride the train. I found the dining car meals to be better than in the past. Was this because the Lakeshore Ltd was such a disappointment or because they were indeed improved? I don’t care, just give me a dining car experience. Of course, the views from the Zephyr were everything we expected!
We’ve never thought Amtrak publicizes this mode of transportation via sleepers at all in an adequate manner. Whenever we mention this type of travel to friends, blank faces look back at us. You can’t sell what people don’t know is for sale. Regardless, long distance trains should be part of our infrastructure for the entire population to use, but especially for those living along the more isolated route. I will say that the sleeper cars were in better shape than the last time we took the train, several years ago, when the textiles were a bit shabby, so we were at least encouraged by that.
I know there were many people planning on writing to Mr. Anderson with whom we spoke. We will also, finally, be joining the Rail Passengers Association. I’m thinking I need to take the Empire Builder before this mode of transportation is a thing of the past.
Thank you for this thorough and perceptive account of your recent Amtrak travels. Please do write to Mr. Anderson because you make exactly the right points and he needs to understand what it is we want and expect to find on a long-distance train … and that our patience is running out! He has to realize that we’re not riding his trains for the transportation; it’s for the total experiences that occur while the transportation is taking place. And a meal in a cardboard box is NOT part of the experience we’re willing to pay for.
It could not be any clearer when comparing your thoughts and experiences with what Mr. Anderson is doing at Amtrak that there exists a divide seemingly greater than the one at Moffat Tunnel. You, me and the great majority of all contributors on this site are on one side; Mr. Anderson, and I suspect most if not all on the Amtrak board on the other. Much of the reason for the difference is that these latter individuals very evidently do not ride long-distance trains, therefore dining car meals and the whole experience itself means nothing to them. In fact, I hardly think they would want to have publicly recorded what they think of those of us that do. So they only smell “financial waste”; no understanding or appreciation for the facts you state. Though rail passenger service is their product and business they don’t eat their own cooking. Is it appropriate to say they are not fit for this job?
Interestingly, I can’t recall ever reading or hearing a quote from any Amtrak board member regarding these specific issues or commenting on any of the new policies being implemented by the Anderson regime. Your point is, of course, a good one, and it does beg the question: How many Amtrak board members have traveled overnight and patronized the dining car? Ad how many times have they done it??
Well, I guess you always have to think about what Amtrak is thinking. Is Amtrak trying to decrease ridership or increase sales on the Cardinal? There’s an answer to everything. Maybe Delta Guy wants to ruin Amtrak and then go back to Delta? I think he’s trying to save money because if he serves boxed meals, fewer people will ride the Capitol Limited. Then they pay NS and the unhappy passengers less and save money. However, I think Amtrak is really trying to do something because they’ve already heard a lot of complaints about this issue. Hopefully once Delta Giant leaves, things will get better for Amtrak. No offense to Anderson, but he still does his job and deserves the same amount of respect. Things have just gone downhill with Anderson. However. taking away dining service. Just one small part of the rail experience and ruin the whole trip. Especially when you’re eating your Chick-Fil-A sandwich in your roomette on the late Capitol Limited. Who wants strangers looking at your food when you’re trying to eat in the Louge Diner? Plus, the lounge diner is pretty cramped and small. I hope Amtrak doesn’t die because I’m counting on rail service from Chicago to the Quad Cities!