Amtrak Dining Service Changes: A Shift in Tradition

It is not the end of an era for the Amtrak dining car. Not yet. However, it does appear to be a partial casualty of the new, ‘exclusive’ and ‘flexible’ enhancements that Amtrak has introduced to cut costs and, apparently, appeal to millennial travelers.

On October 1, Amtrak announced that the way its passengers dine on board was about to ‘evolve.’ Counterintuitively, the marquee decision was to eliminate the Amtrak dining car with white linen tablecloths and fresh meals cooked in on-board kitchens from several one-night train routes east of the Mississippi River.

The End of an Era for the Amtrak Dining Car?

These shifts were reported by media in somewhat alarmist terms as elimination of full-service dining on long-distance routes, the demise of an American tradition, or even the end of an era.

Amtrak’s announcement even triggered a change.org petition that, as of October 15, had attracted the signatures of over 15,400 faithful train aficionados refusing to surrender without a fight. ‘We cannot let an icon of American railroading fade into history. After all, the Dining Car is a true part of the passenger railroad experience,’ wrote an early signer.

While it’s true that the alterations probably presage more sweeping ones to come, all is not yet lost. And, in any case, many of the enhancements appear to have misled Amtrak’s growing passenger base about the true nature of the updates, both good and bad.

The routes affected by changes to Amtrak’s dining service include the Cardinal (New York–Chicago), City of New Orleans (Chicago–New Orleans), Crescent (New York–New Orleans) and Silver Meteor (New York–Miami) lines. Similar service modifications will hit the Silver Star (New York–Miami) in 2020, and have already impacted the Capitol Limited (Washington, DC–Chicago) and Lake Shore Limited (New York–Chicago) routes.

Amtrak Dining Car Changes are a Boon for Sleeper Car Passengers

Instead of the traditional dining car, Amtrak introduced “enhancements” for sleeping car customers on those lines. Those fresh perks include a new ‘flexible dining’ menu with a continental breakfast buffet, hot prepackaged (but not boxed) lunch and dinner meals, wine, beer and other alcohol offerings, plus unlimited soft drinks, coffee, and tea.

Sleeping car passengers on those eastern lines can also enjoy the complimentary option of ordering their meals to be served in one’s room by a sleeping car attendant, or dining in an unreserved lounge space with booth seating (but no linens) – exclusive for premium passengers.

Meanwhile, coach-class passengers will have access only to the café car, where the current limited selection of hot food options will eventually expand to include the option to pre-purchase meals also available to premium riders.

The biggest minus, of course, is the conversion of some dining cars – once open to all passengers during scheduled meal times (free to premium riders, a la carte for those in coach) – into controlled-access lounges for fewer than 100 sleeping car passengers.

Yes, You Can Still Find Full-Service Dining on Amtrak

Meanwhile, the tradition of full-service dining on Amtrak trains still persists for now, albeit only on overnight rail routes operating west of the Mississippi (the California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle) and the Auto Train between Virginia and Florida.

There is another silver lining, however – the new “flexible dining” approach actually brings more elaborate food service to the Cardinal and the Silver Star, neither of which has had dining cars for years.

Other upgrades are being made to East Coast trains impacted by the new vision. ‘We are modernizing our trains and stations and adding contemporary amenities to make trains the preferred mode of travel for customers,’ said Kimberly Woods, Amtrak Spokeswoman.

These include new seat cushions with lumbar support, refreshed carpets, curtains, and LED reading lights in coach-class cabins, and upgraded bedding, linens, and towels in sleeping cars. Amtrak will also debut new Viewliner II sleeping and dining cars for East Coast trains, announced as ‘the first addition to the Amtrak sleeper fleet in more than 25 years.’

Changing Tastes Cited as the Reason for Amtrak Dining Car Changes

Speaking to the Washington Post, Peter Wilander, who oversees Amtrak’s customer experience, couched these changes as ‘part of an evolution.’

That’s the same language used to describe the changes by Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson in an announcement about ‘exclusive sleeping car experiences.’ He confirmed, ‘We continue to evolve our onboard accommodations and dining experience to meet the needs of today’s customers.’

‘Today’s customers’ is an apparent reference to millennials, a demographic Amtrak is eager to reach. ‘Some people really like (the dining car) and view it as sort of a nostalgic train experience,’ Wilander continued.

‘Some people, especially our new