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One of things about the startup of Amtrak is Amtrak just wrote checks. Operationally, the railroads still operated and supported the trains, just as they had the day before. The passenger services departments still ran things, the reservations bureaus still took reservations, ticket agents...

At first, the San Diegan's daily trips are cut back from 2 day from Santa Fe's 3. The third only ran the days it connected to the three day a week LA-Seattle train. The whole consist also did not run through to Seattle. The train carried a through coach and sleeper that were switched from the...

The Diner Lite version on the Lake Shore that I recall being pretty good used steam tables in an Amfleet dinette. I do not know about how were prepared, but the results were pretty decent meals. It wasn't as good as traditional, but it beat the heck out of Flex.

I think that was probably what they ultimately ended up calling Diner Lite. The Cardinal had it, and the Lake Shore after it got its Heritage diners pulled. It wasn't the same as Flex. At least as it was handled on the Lake Shore, it wasn't bad at all and better than Flex.

Well, it is probably just going to be just enough so CN doesn't impose 10 mph slow orders when the temperature exceeds 30° C/86°F. It is 25 mph track anyway, and I doubt that's going to change, it's just that they'll be able to do 25 on it when the weather warns up.

Actually Flex was introduced well before COVID during the tenure of the infamous Richard Anderson. First called "contemporary dining" with cold entrees, then shifting to "Flexible dining" with reheated airline food, it was intended as a cost saving measure disguised with marketing campaign...

I go over Stevens Pass regularly, both by the Builder and driving. There are spectacular views of very steep and craggy, Alp-like Cascades mountains. However, the railroad is hemmed in by dense forest so those views are generally quick and fleeting through breaks in the trees. The views on...

The bustitutions between Spokane and Seattle/Portland are generally unplanned with no advance notice. They are usually a response to an extremely late running train. The Builder sections have only few hours to get turned at the endpoints, so a severely late train leads to cascading delays and...

The cafe sandwiches these days tend to be much better than "gas station" quality, and the overall quality of them is generally better than Flex, IMHO. A mediocre sandwich beats bad airline food in my book.

Emailing Amtrak is like emailing a black hole. If you want something more, call them again and contact Customer Relations, per the procedure I described above. Customer Service and Customer Relations at Amtrak are two different departments, Customer Service being what they call their ordinary...

I don't, but I have a very clear memory of the Arrival/Departure board ar LAUPT being plastered with Discontinuance Notices that April.

And they've had plenty of time to do it in. My understanding is the diner return to the Crescent has been in the works for awhile. Certainly it's been in the rumor mill for over a year. But they announced Flex Plus instead of something along the lines of "Our diner will be introduced Flexible...

I know that the Santa Fe Chicken sandwich I had in the Maple Leaf's cafe was a much better than the Flex Beef Whatever Bowl ("bourguignon"? Some kind of beef, gravy and limp veggies) on the Lake Shore. I'd have happily taken another Santa Fe Chicken sandwich over the Flex beef slop.

Personally, I like having the Sightseer over the diner. And I find Columbia River Gorge more scenic than Stevens Pass, which has a lot of "tree tunnel". It is one of the few places the views are better from the road (US 2) than the railroad. But since my home station is Everett, second stop...

Well, it is a positive step, I do admit that. A single cafe for all food service and lounge (ha!) was ridiculous in the first place, especially on a long duration train like the Crescent. If their strategy is "Flex Plus", a reheated frozen dinner with a flower, it's a last step, too. They're...

Well, it is, although I don't think it was meant that way...

That's good news and bad news. The good news is the Crescent is getting a badly needed second food service car, improving things for everyone, coach and sleeper. The bad news is that "fully plated" Flex and it being planned to be offered to coach passengers seems to indicate they may be...

To build on Eric's good advice, to contact Customer Relations by phone: 1. Call an Amtrak Customer Service line (800-USA-RAIL, or the AGR line) when Customer Relations is staffed, between 8 am and 8 pm ET weekdays (but start well before 8 pm, you are going to wait in some phone queues) 2...

Thirded. I always hit Phillipes. Great French Dips (try the lamb, and get it either "double-dipped" or "wet"). Good breakfasts and cheap. Good coffee (though you won't be getting a latte, cappuccino, etc, etc. It's...coffee). And there's nothing wrong with getting a French Dip for...

That stretch of track is undeniably rough, but it seems you felt it more heading back to Denver than you did on your way to Chicago. While always within safe parameters, the condition of the cars' suspensions can vary, so the difference you perceived may be due to the cars themselves. I am...