July 10, 2021 - Editors note: Restoring service to all modes of transportation in post-Covid has been a challenge for transportation agencies and Amtrak is no exception. Fewer cars on trains staffed with fewer onboard service personnel and older Superliner equipment not maintained up to snuff has resulted in disgruntled passenger reports. Removal of the Superliner lounge car and degraded cafe/dining service have been many of the complaints we have heard. Here is one website blog from a recent trip:
At the end of June I loaded my 15 year old son on the train for the trip from Fort Worth to Chicago. I booked the trip before I learned that Flexible Dining would be retained, and the Lounge car would remain absent. My son loves rail travel as I do, so we upgraded to a deluxe bedroom knowing no Lounge car would be offered.
We boarded in FTW to learn that our room, and all the deluxe rooms in our sleeper, had no air conditioning. Hot air blew from the vent, which had no damper or flow control. Mechanics in FTW worked on the situation, and my son and I sat at a table in the diner (so called sleeper lounge). The train pulled out of the station slightly late after the mechanical delay and shortly we were questioned as to why we were sitting at a table. Obviously the attendant was not observing the option to allow sleeper passengers to enjoy the sleeper lounge. Later she stated over the PA that this was for 'sanitizing reasons'. I told her that our room was to hot to occupy, so she reluctantly let us sit there a while.
After running for about 20 minutes we went back into the sleeper and saw our attendant. I asked him if the A/C issue had been resolved and he said "I think so". Our room, at the forward end of the car, was probably 90 or so degrees when we returned. The roomette side of the car was frigid. Passenger there were complaining that their rooms were too cold! With no mechanical staff until St. Louis, I knew we were in trouble.
Our train consisted of two P-42 locomotives, and four cars. Sleeper, Cross Country Cafe, Coach-Baggage car, and handicapped-accessible coach.
The lounge end of the Cafe stayed closed for the first 4 hours out of FTW. This was so that the one person running the car could solicit TV dinner orders from sleeping car passengers, prepare, and then serve the sleeper patrons. We were told, as we gave our order, that we could eat in our rooms and 5:00 pm, or come to the 'sleeper lounge' and eat at 5:30 pm. No later time was offered. This would allow the one LSA to open the snack counter to coach passengers, but that did not happen until after 7:00 pm. But, as clearly stated on the P.A., one must take your purchase back to your seat. No table seating was available.
The table area on the short side of the car was occupied by the coach attendant, the sleeper attendant some of the time, the LSA, and the two conductors. 'Crew Lounge' I later learned that a 'food preparation specialist' job had been added as a Chicago-Fort Worth turn to help with heating the TV dinners. That employee works south to FTW, Dallas if the train is late, and then turns to go back north. This means that an additional sleeping car room is removed from sale. The sleeper attendant, coach attendant, LSA, and food specialist all had rooms!
With no lounge car, the only place to sit was our hot room, except for our 5:30 pm sacked and boxed dinner. All the published promises of flexible dining become lies when one travels on the Texas Eagle. I told my son we should get off in Dallas and return via Trinity Railway Express to FTW. My son wanted to 'sweat it out'. And, with expensive and uncertain air travel at the last minute, getting off would have jeopardized our pre-paid Chicago fun. The no A/C situation was miserable. Too bad, for the car was clean, with new carpets. Our attendant was a delight, funny, attentive, and helpful. A lounge car would have been a real help.
At 9:30 pm the attendant came to our room to offer pull-down service for bedding. At that time he let us know that CNOC, that's Amtrak's operation center, had stated the bedroom passengers could sleep in the dining car booths if desired until morning food service began. I did that until about 11:30PM, until the dis-comfort level got bad, and I moved to the 'sauna' and slept with no cover...(no more stated). My 15 year old did OK in the upper bunk, as the resilience of youth is a blessing.
Our train took a 90 minute delay in Little Rock, AR during the night. It seems that the engineer's seat on the locomotive fell apart. Our attendant told us that Union Pacific mechanics were called to change out the seat from the second locomotive to the lead so that we could resume out trip. The train hit rain in the 3:00 am vicinity, and our room cooled a bit, probably into the mid 80's, and outside of waking up to a wet pillow from perspiration, I did get some sleep.
At breakfast we were told that we must stand in line with the coach passengers to order breakfast items, then take them to our rooms, or to tables. I just sat down, and after a while the 'food preparation specialist' took my order and brought it to me. He may have felt sorry for us after a hot, hard night. A roomette or two vacated as we moved north, and our attendant let bedroom folk take turns sitting in a cool room for a while. here was no point trying to clean up or shower, since the car warmed again in the mid-day sun to 90 or so degrees. A shower in the hotel was a real treat!
One important note is that on both trips, up and back, the snack counter stayed closed for hours at at time, and would open for 45 minute to two hour periods before closing again. Coach passengers are on their own.Returning in early July we enjoyed the Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago Union station. It is a really nice facility. Access to the station building was limited however, as Amtrak had leased the 'Great Hall' for a private function. All entrances on Clinton, Adams, and Jackson streets were closed. One could only enter the station via the northeast stair on the west side Canal Street, or enter the east side of the facility.
When it was time to board train 21 we were called to line up in the hallway on the east side of the lounge entrance to wait for an escort to track 22. Those desiring Red-Cap service could go out the front for that service. We were walkers, so we joined the line at 1:20pm. The escort never arrived, so the desk attendant had to leave her post to let us out. The line of sleeper folk was on our own to find and get to track 22. When we entered the platform, the coach people were lined up for several car lengths. Once we made it to the sleeper it was time to depart! Very unsettled boarding process.
Our sleeper had A/C, and was again clean. The attendant was a lazy, hide-out, flunky that I have suffered through before. Too his credit, his work ethic and engagement level has improved dramatically, and I was most encouraged by his transformation. The crew and consist were the same as northbound, with two St. Louis set out coaches on the rear. Thus the long lines to board. The LSA took orders for your entire trip leaving Chicago, dinner, breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next evening, if travelling that far. Our meals were set out on a table in the 'sleeper lounge' in a plastic bag at 4:50 pm. Eat your TV dinner, or don't. What happened to flexible dining? The LSA and skeleton staff were all very pleasant, but shared their frustration at Amtrak management, or mismanagement of the Eagle. Outside of no hot water in the sleeper, we had a pleasant trip.
But... THE TEXAS EAGLE NEEDS IT'S LOUNGE CAR, AND IT'S TRANSITION SLEEPER BACK NOW.
I feel taken advantage of, for we paid big bucks for the two of us to ride. Price does not match service on the Eagle. Fort Worth was a welcome sight, and we were glad we went although train 21 stops 3 blocks south of the station in FTW, next to the former Santa Fe station. Three block walk to the station in heat, wind, and on a wet day, rain. It is sad to see the missed opportunity that the Texas Eagle has become.
I trust that there are some improvements on some routes as we get into summer. I hope they work great. The demand is there. But, as for 21 and 22......Ouch.
At the end of June I loaded my 15 year old son on the train for the trip from Fort Worth to Chicago. I booked the trip before I learned that Flexible Dining would be retained, and the Lounge car would remain absent. My son loves rail travel as I do, so we upgraded to a deluxe bedroom knowing no Lounge car would be offered.
We boarded in FTW to learn that our room, and all the deluxe rooms in our sleeper, had no air conditioning. Hot air blew from the vent, which had no damper or flow control. Mechanics in FTW worked on the situation, and my son and I sat at a table in the diner (so called sleeper lounge). The train pulled out of the station slightly late after the mechanical delay and shortly we were questioned as to why we were sitting at a table. Obviously the attendant was not observing the option to allow sleeper passengers to enjoy the sleeper lounge. Later she stated over the PA that this was for 'sanitizing reasons'. I told her that our room was to hot to occupy, so she reluctantly let us sit there a while.
After running for about 20 minutes we went back into the sleeper and saw our attendant. I asked him if the A/C issue had been resolved and he said "I think so". Our room, at the forward end of the car, was probably 90 or so degrees when we returned. The roomette side of the car was frigid. Passenger there were complaining that their rooms were too cold! With no mechanical staff until St. Louis, I knew we were in trouble.
Our train consisted of two P-42 locomotives, and four cars. Sleeper, Cross Country Cafe, Coach-Baggage car, and handicapped-accessible coach.
The lounge end of the Cafe stayed closed for the first 4 hours out of FTW. This was so that the one person running the car could solicit TV dinner orders from sleeping car passengers, prepare, and then serve the sleeper patrons. We were told, as we gave our order, that we could eat in our rooms and 5:00 pm, or come to the 'sleeper lounge' and eat at 5:30 pm. No later time was offered. This would allow the one LSA to open the snack counter to coach passengers, but that did not happen until after 7:00 pm. But, as clearly stated on the P.A., one must take your purchase back to your seat. No table seating was available.
The table area on the short side of the car was occupied by the coach attendant, the sleeper attendant some of the time, the LSA, and the two conductors. 'Crew Lounge' I later learned that a 'food preparation specialist' job had been added as a Chicago-Fort Worth turn to help with heating the TV dinners. That employee works south to FTW, Dallas if the train is late, and then turns to go back north. This means that an additional sleeping car room is removed from sale. The sleeper attendant, coach attendant, LSA, and food specialist all had rooms!
With no lounge car, the only place to sit was our hot room, except for our 5:30 pm sacked and boxed dinner. All the published promises of flexible dining become lies when one travels on the Texas Eagle. I told my son we should get off in Dallas and return via Trinity Railway Express to FTW. My son wanted to 'sweat it out'. And, with expensive and uncertain air travel at the last minute, getting off would have jeopardized our pre-paid Chicago fun. The no A/C situation was miserable. Too bad, for the car was clean, with new carpets. Our attendant was a delight, funny, attentive, and helpful. A lounge car would have been a real help.
At 9:30 pm the attendant came to our room to offer pull-down service for bedding. At that time he let us know that CNOC, that's Amtrak's operation center, had stated the bedroom passengers could sleep in the dining car booths if desired until morning food service began. I did that until about 11:30PM, until the dis-comfort level got bad, and I moved to the 'sauna' and slept with no cover...(no more stated). My 15 year old did OK in the upper bunk, as the resilience of youth is a blessing.
Our train took a 90 minute delay in Little Rock, AR during the night. It seems that the engineer's seat on the locomotive fell apart. Our attendant told us that Union Pacific mechanics were called to change out the seat from the second locomotive to the lead so that we could resume out trip. The train hit rain in the 3:00 am vicinity, and our room cooled a bit, probably into the mid 80's, and outside of waking up to a wet pillow from perspiration, I did get some sleep.
At breakfast we were told that we must stand in line with the coach passengers to order breakfast items, then take them to our rooms, or to tables. I just sat down, and after a while the 'food preparation specialist' took my order and brought it to me. He may have felt sorry for us after a hot, hard night. A roomette or two vacated as we moved north, and our attendant let bedroom folk take turns sitting in a cool room for a while. here was no point trying to clean up or shower, since the car warmed again in the mid-day sun to 90 or so degrees. A shower in the hotel was a real treat!
One important note is that on both trips, up and back, the snack counter stayed closed for hours at at time, and would open for 45 minute to two hour periods before closing again. Coach passengers are on their own.Returning in early July we enjoyed the Metropolitan Lounge at Chicago Union station. It is a really nice facility. Access to the station building was limited however, as Amtrak had leased the 'Great Hall' for a private function. All entrances on Clinton, Adams, and Jackson streets were closed. One could only enter the station via the northeast stair on the west side Canal Street, or enter the east side of the facility.
When it was time to board train 21 we were called to line up in the hallway on the east side of the lounge entrance to wait for an escort to track 22. Those desiring Red-Cap service could go out the front for that service. We were walkers, so we joined the line at 1:20pm. The escort never arrived, so the desk attendant had to leave her post to let us out. The line of sleeper folk was on our own to find and get to track 22. When we entered the platform, the coach people were lined up for several car lengths. Once we made it to the sleeper it was time to depart! Very unsettled boarding process.
Our sleeper had A/C, and was again clean. The attendant was a lazy, hide-out, flunky that I have suffered through before. Too his credit, his work ethic and engagement level has improved dramatically, and I was most encouraged by his transformation. The crew and consist were the same as northbound, with two St. Louis set out coaches on the rear. Thus the long lines to board. The LSA took orders for your entire trip leaving Chicago, dinner, breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next evening, if travelling that far. Our meals were set out on a table in the 'sleeper lounge' in a plastic bag at 4:50 pm. Eat your TV dinner, or don't. What happened to flexible dining? The LSA and skeleton staff were all very pleasant, but shared their frustration at Amtrak management, or mismanagement of the Eagle. Outside of no hot water in the sleeper, we had a pleasant trip.
But... THE TEXAS EAGLE NEEDS IT'S LOUNGE CAR, AND IT'S TRANSITION SLEEPER BACK NOW.
I feel taken advantage of, for we paid big bucks for the two of us to ride. Price does not match service on the Eagle. Fort Worth was a welcome sight, and we were glad we went although train 21 stops 3 blocks south of the station in FTW, next to the former Santa Fe station. Three block walk to the station in heat, wind, and on a wet day, rain. It is sad to see the missed opportunity that the Texas Eagle has become.
I trust that there are some improvements on some routes as we get into summer. I hope they work great. The demand is there. But, as for 21 and 22......Ouch.