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[quote user="CSSHEGEWISCH"] Food and beverage service on passenger trains never covered its costs but was viewed as a necessary part of the service.  Even so, a dining car could still be an expensive place to eat which is why a lot of passengers packed their own lunches. [/quote] If I remember correctly, at least through the 50s, the New Haven covered the costs of its food service. Perhaps it was because of the well heeled patrons who hit the bar car before the trains were out of Grand Central or South Station. I just came back from a trip to Florida.  Whilst there I rode the Silver Meteor from Jacksonville to Miami. I went first class, so my meals were included in the cost of my ticket.  Which is a way of ensuring a certain level of traffic in the dinner! If the meals were not included in the first class ticket, I suspect the results for the dinning cars would be even worse than reported. The prices in the dinner are not that much out of line with those at a mid-level restaurant.  For example, I had the Veggie Burger for lunch.  It would have cost me $9.50 had I paid for it off the menu.  A similar burger at Denny's is $7.99 plus tax.   Earlier this year I took the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to San Francisco.  As was true for my previous rides on the long distance trains, the coach passengers appear to favor the lounge car for food service. I suspect that they do so because the prices are lower than those in the dinning car. This is especially true for dinner.  For example, prices for dinner on the Meteor range from $15 for pasta to $25.75 for a steak.   Clearly, the taxpayers are subsidizing Amtrak's food services.  Why should they be required to do so? Where is the common good in this activity?
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