Dinner will be served...in Central Texas. The Texas Eagle Dining Car will soon be in service between Fort Worth and Austin, Amtrak staff said this weekend.
In 2002, Amtrak pulled staffing from the Southbound Diner in Fort Worth in a projected $1 million cost-saving plan. Apparently labor costs went down but passenger stomach-grumbling went up.
The Amtrak staffers, speaking in Fort Worth, Texas, said that running Dining Car crew to Austin will provide passengers meals, and still save some operating costs. Amtrak anticipates the plan will be “up and running” by the end of May, 2004. On the Northbound morning train, a plan is to provide for early breakfast box lunch availability due to an improved storage and delivery plan.
The Texas Eagle -- which has Superliner equipment -- runs daily between Chicago and San Antonio, with tri-weekly connections to/from Los Angeles via the Sunset Limited.
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Posted by SilverStar092 (Member # 2652) on :
Thanks for the good word, Chief. My family plans to ride the Texas Eagle again this summer and the thought of a boxed meal en route to San Antonio was not very appealing. Has there been any word about restoring an extra sleeper on the days the thru cars go to LA? Originally we were booked in the San Antonio sleeper then it was axed so Amtrak moved us to the thru car. That leaves a long hike thru the coaches and lounge when we go to the diner.
Posted by jp1822 (Member # 2596) on :
Good news for the Texas Eagle - so this will add lunch in the diner for the northbound Eagle and dinner for the southbound Eagle - on the days this train travels through Texas?
As for the Superliner Sleepers - I just don't get it. Didn't Beach Grove just return like 5 sleepers to service - yet Sleepers are still being pulled off of trains? I realize they are trying to renovate the Superliner I sleepers, but wouldn't it be a one for one trade - five returned to service, five go into the shop?
The should also be utilizing all the standard rooms in the transition dorms that are not in the "crew" section.
Posted by Mike Smith (Member # 447) on :
Chief, were you at the NARP meeting? I was the one taking pictures on the left side of the room.
I also asked about the Sunset Limited rumor, extending it to 4 days a week. The answer was NO... no equipment available and they have to get their UP problems solved first.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I believe that the issue with one vs. two sleepers on the Texas Eagle had to do mostly with the overall weight and length of the train. Amtrak, in it's eternal quest to reduce operating expenses wanted the Texas Eagle to be light enough that one locomotive was sufficient power for the entire route.
------------------ David Pressley
Posted by trainman1 (Member # 1392) on :
quote:Originally posted by SilverStar092: My family plans to ride the Texas Eagle again this summer and the thought of a boxed meal en route to San Antonio was not very appealing.
I haven't had the box meal on the Texas Eagle, but as I understand it, hey're similar to the ones served on the Portland section of the Empire Builder, which I have had. I thought the box dinner was very good, and a bit of a nice change of pace from the dining car...also, it was much better, and more substantial, than any meal I've ever had in coach class on an airplane.
Posted by graynt (Member # 17) on :
I just booked an August trip on the Eagle from LA to Chicago on the net. Three overnights in a sleeper for $216..the Sunset also gives you three nights for $210..probably the two best deals Amtrak has. Question..I clicked on 2 and 22 to book the sleeper,instead of 422. If I clicked on 422 the price would have been over $400. ..Its the same train...why the big difference in price? If someone didnt know any better and clicked on 422 they would have paid over $200 more. Any explanations?
Posted by The Chief (Member # 2172) on :
mikesmith, yes, I was there at the NARP/TX-ARP meeting. I heard your name mentioned, and looked at many nametags to see if I could meet you, because I recognized your name from this forum. Sorry we didn't meet. I was the guy who looks like Mel Gibson.
re: the Sunset Limited news, I filed it under a separate posting.
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Posted by City of Miami (Member # 2922) on :
What are you talking about, graynt: clicking on 2 and 22 instead of 422 and thereby saving $200? I book on the internet and want to know what I'm missing out on! I just got an Amtrak credit card and am looking foward to triple points.
Posted by graynt (Member # 17) on :
When I booked my standard sleeper from LAX to Chicago on the Texas Eagle I first punched in Train 422..LAX to Chicago and a price over $400 for the sleeper came back. Then I hit train 2 to San Antonio and Train 22 to Chicago,same train and a price of $216 came back. Thats what I meant. I was just curious about the obvious price difference.
Posted by TheBriz09 (Member # 3166) on :
422 is the thru train to Chicago, right? So I'm not entirely sure how the reservations system works, but it seems to me that 2 and 22 are technically different trains, so you might not be assigned to the room for the entire trip. You might have one room on 2 and a different room on 22, whereas if you had booked on 422 you would have one thru room.