Last week I took the Texas Eagle from Dallas, Texas to St. Louis, Missouri and return. Outlined below are some insights regarding my experience on the Eagle.
The train departed Dallas about 30 minutes late, which is pretty good, considering that it has been running nearly 1.5 hours late, on average, for the past several months. The train was about a half hour late arriving in to St. Louis. Interestingly, the southbound Eagle departed St. Louis on time and arrived in Dallas about 20 minutes early. The age of miracles is not over yet.
I paid $457.50 for a roomette both ways. It was more than double what it would have cost me to fly on Southwest Airlines, but I have been a train buff for as long as I can remember, so I take the Eagle whenever I can. The sleeping car attendants were pleasant, helpful, and professional. They took good care of me. The car temperature was nearly perfect, albeit a little cool on the run back to Dallas. My rooms were clean and comfortable.
I stopped in the lounge car for a drink or two before going to dinner. The attendant on the northbound Eagle was very pleasant. The passenger load was relatively light, and he was not very busy, so we had a great chat about a variety of interesting subjects. It seems that he had been a bar tender before signing on with Amtrak, so he had some really interesting stories to share with me.
I had the continental breakfast both mornings. And I went for the pasta both evenings. The breakfasts were good. They came with cereal, yogurt, croissant, fruit, juice and coffee. The pasta dinners came with cheese ravioli, broccoli, rolls, salad, and a beverage. On the northbound run the pasta was heated properly; on the southbound run it was a bit on the cold side. Everything was good except the broccoli; it was rubbery. Some vegetables, e.g. corn, peas, lima beans, etc. can be frozen and heated in a micro-wave or convection oven with good results. Others, e.g. broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, etc. don't come out so well. I have pointed this out to Amtrak, but they still insist on serving up the rubbery broccoli. Oh well, you can't win them all.
The service in the dinning car was quick and spot on. One of the waiters appeared to have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, but I long ago stop letting other people's attitudes ruin my travel.
The passenger loads appeared to be light. I make a habit of walking through the train to count the number of people that I see on it. Of course, my count is not completely accurate because people get on and off at different stations along the way. Moreover, I don't check the restrooms or every sleeping compartment unless the door is open and I can peer in unobtrusively. Nevertheless, the highest number of passengers that I counted was 46 between Dallas and St. Louis.
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