I do not know what the answer is. I think Amtrak has too many employees with a "could care less" attitude. Possibly, it is just too difficult to fire employees at Amtrak. I have little respect for most Amtrak employees.

One beef I have is poor communication about delays, and this is one area where Amtrak actually does a "slightly better" job than the airlines.

Secondly, extending schedules to meet realistic arrival times doesn't and hasn't worked - just look at the Sunset whose trip was extended by over 5 hours a few years ago, and whose timekeeping is *still* abysmal. Another example: when you can make up 2 full hours of delay in 18 hours on the Empire Builder. The delays will grow to fit the space available.

One other minor point: I personally don't think the dinner prices are excessive. But then I come from a country where there is a mark-up of 58% of MRP on a bottle of coke "just because it's served on a train".

Other than that, agreed!

I've mentioned this before, and maybe it is time to bring it up again. Amtrak might have more resources to devote to its internal problems if it didn't have to spend so much time dealing with an indifferent (often hostile) Congress and uncooperative host railroads.

On the schedule padding, I've observations similar to Geoff's. Schedules are already pretty heavily padded, and it doesn't seem to have helped. I suspect the dispatchers look at that padding and figure they have even more room for delays than they had before.

------------------
Trust God, love your neighbor, and never mistake opinion for truth.
-Mr. Toy

The Del Monte Club Car

I think the food is great and very reasonably priced. The service is excellent and the attendants always treat me with courtesy and respect (maybe its that engineer's cap I always wear!)

I cannot wait to climb aboard Amtrak for my next adventure. About the only point I agree on is that yes, the windows could be a little cleaner.

Coast Starlight:

Ontime performance can be here-and-there.

To solve this problem, extend one Surfliner to Klamath Falls, Or., extend the Builder to Klamath Falls, OR, and run one additonal Cascade Train SEA-PDX.

The Superliner Coaches/Diners/Lounges would be distributed between the Surfliner and Empire Builder routes, Parlour cars would be run on the Surfliner Route ONLY.

Sunset Limited:

Operate Los Angeles to New Orleans only, cede the east half of the line over to the City of New Orleans/Empire Builder. Increase service west of NOL to operate five-trips-per-week each direction. East of New Orleans, service would be operated daily.

Empire Builder:

Operate one Cascades train SPK-SEA-PDX replacing the SEA-SPK leg. Operate the entire train via Pasco and Portland. Extend to Klamath Falls, replacing the KFS-PDX segment of the Starlight.

Maintain service south of CHI to NOL, extend to MIA replacing a segment of the Sunset.

Cardinal:

Increase to Daily, combine with Texas Eagle (see below), run Local cars CHI-IND-CIN.

Texas Eagle:

Operate train CHI-SAS-LAX as its own train, operating opposite the Sunset SAS-LAX.

Combine with the Cardinal at Chicago with the name Texas Eagle and trains 21 and 22.

Run Local Coaches STL-CHI-CIN as 321/322.

Trains 421 and 422 would maintain the existing 21/22 slot CHI-SAS only.

California Zephyr and Three Rivers:

These trains should be combined, upgrading three-r to Superliners, extending service on the CZ to PHL. Segment north of PHL to NYP on the Three-R would be replaced by new Keystone roundtrip.

Palmetto:

Upgrade equipment to Surfliner, re-name as "Atlantic Surfliner" and operate Washington-Miami Only. Move Amfleet/Viewliner equipment over to other Florida trains.

Segment of #89/#90 north of Washington to New York replaced by trains #76/#77.

Crescent:

Increase to seven coaches/four sleepers using some equipment off of other upgraded trains.

Pacific Surfliner:

Extend SLO-KFS replacing a portion of the Starlight, service Capitol stops.

Add three more roundtrips LAX-SBA with one to SLO.

San Joaquin:

Operate #701 and #704 SAC-RDD and return.
Add third Sacramento train, extend #702 and #703 SAC-SUI. Add fifth Oakland roundtrip connecting to the stray-motorcoach off #785.

Capitol:

Extend one of the trains ARN-RNO, provide more service SAC-ARN.

Panic Boxes:

Use these cars on corridor trains which are push-pull operated.