Are the Coast Starlight and Southwest Cheif non-smoking trains? As far as I know all Amtrak routes are non-smoking as are the airlines per the federal law? Thanks
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Regretably, the Auto Train still permits smoking in it's two Lounges' 'smokehouses'.
Otherwise, the system is smoke-free.
Posted by daniel3197 (Member # 27) on :
I just went to the OFFICIAL Amtrak website at Amtrak dot com searched for "smoking" and it reports that ALL Amtrak trains are NON SMOKING with the SINGLE EXCEPTION of the Auto Train service. Here is a "tinyurl" forewarded webpage of the CURRENT Amtrak smoking policy. I hope this helps you to plan your Amtrak trip! :
All Amtrak trains, Thruway buses and stations are entirely non-smoking except for the Auto Train.
* On Auto Train, passengers may smoke only in a designated, enclosed smoking room located on the lower level of the Lounge Car. * If such a car is not on a train due to an equipment substitution, then that entire train is non-smoking.
Passengers may smoke on station platforms at longer stops as announced by train crews.
* Passengers must remain next to the train, ready to re-board immediately upon hearing the sound of the locomotive horn and the "all aboard" calls from Amtrak employees. * Smoking stops may be shortened or eliminated entirely if the train is operating late. * State or local laws may prohibit smoking on station platforms.
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
Just so people who do smoke are aware of it: You can generally smoke on outdoor portions of station platforms when the train stops (up to a reasonable hour at night), whenever there is enough time to get off and on. Ask your conductor or car attendant which stops are "smoke stops." Sometimes the staff will not be opening the door nearest your seat and you may need to go to a different car to get out.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
I wouldn't need to use the 'AT smokehouse' as I'm not a smoker. However, smoking is still permitted on-board the AT because it makes no intermediate stops where passengers are allowed off the train to smoke. Eliminating smoking on the AT altogether would alienate a noticeable percentage of repeat customers.
Posted by tg_lindo (Member # 3936) on :
The crews seem very serious about enforcing the policy too. On my CZ trip, in the middle of nowhere, they made a stern announcement that if they caught a passenger sneaking a smoke on the train they'd put him/her off at the next stop and that costs to reach destination are passenger's liability. They must have smelled smoke or something.
Likewise, on the CS, the announcement stated that "if we catch you smoking, the next stop will be yours."
Posted by travelplus (Member # 3679) on :
Good cause I'm very allergic to the smoke that I can't breathe and my eyes burn so much when I'm around smoke. I'm glad the conductors will put a smoker off at the next stop.