The way that Amtrak portrayed to its employees its plans to eliminate preparation of meals onboard the Capitol Limited and Lake Shore Limited differs slightly from how it framed the change in its news release and service advisory.
For example, Amtrak told its employees that the plan to offer sleeping car passengers pre-packaged cold meals is temporary.
But that doesn’t mean that on-board food preparation is coming back.
Eventually, Amtrak told its employees, sleeping car passengers will able to “pre-order/pre-select meal options prior to departure.”
The memo sent to employees also said that the passenger carrier expects to save $3.4 million a year “some of which will be reinvested in the product.”
Another goal of removing full dining service aboard the Capitol and Lake Shore the Amtrak memo said is “less waste and providing a more contemporary food service model and product (with in room service) for our premium passengers.”
The memo also clarified in a way that the news release did not that Amtrak plans to devote a lounge car for the exclusive use of sleeping car passengers where they can consume their meals.
Coach passengers will not be allowed to use this lounge, which will have an Amtrak attendant on duty but there will be no table service. Table seating will be on a first-come basis.
The pre-packaged meals that Amtrak will serve passengers will come with condiments, napkins and cutlery.
“If a customer finds something missing from their package, needs another beverage or needs assistance moving from their bedroom or roomette to another car on the train – the sleeper car attendant or other employees can provide assistance,” the memo said.
As for staffing, the memo said each train will have an onboard food and beverage staff of two with one lead service attendant in each car.
Although sleeping car passengers will have the option of eating in their rooms, the Amtrak memo indicated that this is “subject to refinement as we move forward.”
As Amtrak framed the change for its employees, “this change will contribute to improved financial performance and more contemporary service delivery on these overnight routes between the East Coast and Chicago.”
The memo suggests that the meal program on both trains will be reviewed after the summer travel season.
During the summer the consist of the Capitol Limited will be two coaches, a baggage-coach, two sleepers, one lounge car for sleeping car passengers, one sightseer café/lounge (Superliner I or II), a transition dorm and a baggage car.
The Lake Shore Limited will operate with six coaches, two baggage cars, three sleepers, one lounge for sleeping car passengers (one of the new CAF cars) and one café/lounge car (Amfleet I split club).
The café/lounge includes 18 business class seats, the standard Amfleet café module and 24 booth seats.
Sleeping car attendants will make reservations for sleeping car passengers for meals in much the same way that they do today in the dining car.
Meal service hours will be the same as they are now: Breakfast 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The attendant in the sleeping car lounge will be on duty between 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. except for allotted breaks. This lounge will be available for passenger use for the duration of the journey.
Tags: Amtrak, Amtrak Capitol Limited, Amtrak dining cars, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited, dining aboard Amtrak, dining cars
Amtrak in the Heartland 
October 12, 2018 at 12:09 am |
There is hardly enough space in a café car, let alone enough food, to serve an entire trainload. The consist listed for the Capitol Limited is not large enough. The prices charged for sleeper cars are exorbitant and should be more than adequate to pay for the diner cars. This is completely unacceptable for a national railroad. Particularly when flying has become so horrible. Somebody forgot to consider the varying food needs of passengers, and that most people, especially diabetics, need a full breakfast, not a yogurt. And what about delays? When they can last for hours, there clearly is no preparation for that. Cold meals? No way. I’d rather bring cans of Chef Boyardee. And the menu is completely unappealing. Short ribs cold? Yecch.
May 1, 2019 at 12:35 pm |
We would use the dining car when traveling coach which would make the trip much better. No longer an option. The rest is all true.
All sugar laden breakfast food and sandwiches for supper. A real
improvement. Anderson doesn’t take a salary but a cut of savings
by shortchanging customers.
June 11, 2019 at 1:08 am |
We experienced this last summer when we traveled on the Lake Shore Ltd. from NY to Chicago. THE FOOD WAS HORRIBLE! Boxes of dried out tasteless goop for dinner and again for breakfast. We are making the same trip this summer. We will eat before boarding the train, and carry snacks. A lot to pay for just an overnight roomette. I hate flying, but I may decide this is our last year on the train!
September 4, 2019 at 12:02 pm |
We had a nice hot meals in the dining car aboard the Cresent last April. The trip was great and we booked another trip for Atlanta in October. Now I am hearing the dining cars will be gone when we will be traveling. Just awful, first class is not first class anymore!