The acutal law required a plan that was to study cost cuts, efficiencies, and revenue generation activies (ie offering more meals more efficiently). Since the Viewliner diners were to have more efficient roll-on stock carts but were never allowed into service did they comply with this portion of the law? Notice as well all of this could have just been handled with revenue allocation to food service.
I find it spurious to suggest that younger adults have a greater "taste" for a cold breakfast. It seems like the "thing" to do for urban singles (including my recollection for a decade+ ago) is to go out for a "big, bad, breakfast" consisting of some hot egg dishes.
Does anybody have a copy of the "plan" that was to have been submitted to the legislature? I believe it is claimed that the occasional business plans fufill all the requirements for these submissions but they do not mention actual steps.
Perhaps that might be the angle to take... Senator do you have a copy of the plan Amtrak was to have submitted under 243?
(a) Plan.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015, Amtrak shall develop and begin implementing a plan to eliminate, within 5 years of such date of enactment, the operating loss associated with providing food and beverage service on board Amtrak trains.
(b) Considerations.—In developing and implementing the plan, Amtrak shall consider a combination of cost management and revenue generation initiatives, including—
(1) scheduling optimization;
(2) on-board logistics;
(3) product development and supply chain efficiency;
(4) training, awards, and accountability;
(5) technology enhancements and process improvements; and
(6) ticket revenue allocation.
(c) Savings Clause.—Amtrak shall ensure that no Amtrak employee holding a position as of the date of enactment of the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015 is involuntarily separated because of—
(1) the development and implementation of the plan required under subsection (a); or
(2) any other action taken by Amtrak to implement this section.
Fred Frailey got this issue right in the July 2018 issue.Have pre packaged food to eat
The transcontinental flights on American only had cold food. Hot meals in coach, even for a fee are not available on most airlines. Go to their web-sites and check out what is available in coach. Business class and the increasingly rare first class may have hot meals. Some transoceanic flights may still have hot meals.
Superb satire! You only missed one point - this will equally satisfy liberals in Congress as the current Amtrak Board is comprised largely of Obama appointees who in turn chose Mr. Anderson as Pres. & chief executioner of LD trains. (that's satire too as to which party cares about Amtrak - neither!)
aricatAlso, don't expect hot food crossing the Atlantic either. I had a chicken salad and a coke in economy LHR JFK on Delta. At least they feed you on transatlantic flights. Cold is better than nothing these days.
I will never fly Economy for a more than 2 hour flight domestically or internationally. I don't care the cost, my minimum for trans-atlantic travel is Business Class. You can do Business Class on the cheap to Europe if you know how to use CC deals and frequent traveler programs. First Class domestically on American Airlines is typically only $100 to $150 more then Coach if you buy the tickets months in advance........on most routes out of their hub in Dallas.
Next time I travel to Europe I am going to try the CUNARD Cruise line from NY to Southhampton. Always wanted to take that cruise and yell out "Ice Berg Dead Ahead" over the PA at the mid-point (heh-heh).
Unfortunately, Amtrak has been far too occupied, thanks to Congressional interferrence, with making a profit, or at least losing considerably less money. One of the major problems with that attitude is that Amtrak does not own any tracks other than the Northeast Corridor. It cannot "dictate" it's own schedules, nor can it adequately serve most of the markets it's in. The California, Michigan, and Illinois service are witnesses to that, and Texas is beginning a modified version of that between Dallas and Houston.
Amtrak has spent far too much time playing with what works in dining service, and completely failing in the word "service". The staff is usually at least accommodating, but that pales when compared to other meal services. I realize you can't stock a five star restaurant in a dining car, but the constant cuts in meal quality and staff are not the answer either. They've proven that with the Texas Eagle and the "imported" box meals between Ft. Worth and San Antonio.
The United States needs to get serious about rail transportation, provide adequate funding to compare with highways and airports and air traffic control, and then build a workable system with realistic scheduling to provide "service". That's the ONLY solution to keep Amtrak from continuing as a "Congressional Play Toy".
The politicians in Britain are still trying to mess with the current Great Western franchise created after privaization and split in into two parts. I would like to ask Brunel's statue in Paddington about what he thinks about what they are doing to the once Great Western Railway before it became British Railways in 1948. It isn't privatization at all, but government regulation to the maxunder the guise of private enterprize. If you want to eat something on a British train; good luck. The trains into the mainline London stations are very crowded and you will lose your seat if you venture to the buffet. Also, don't expect hot food crossing the Atlantic either. I had a chicken salad and a coke in economy LHR JFK on Delta. At least they feed you on transatlantic flights. Cold is better than nothing these days.
This morning I was watching a website showing the western approach to CUS and the yards. A consist included a C&O private car, 2 vielinwer sleepers, a viewliner diner!!!, amfleet cafee, several coaches, vieliner baggage and one Amtrak locomotive. Was this the Lake Shore Limited consist taht arrived in Chicago this morning?
Mel Hazen; Jax, FL Ride Amtrak. It's the only way to fly!!!
SD70DudePrivatization and de-regulation do not work for everything, for a railroad example go across the pond and ask how well the privatization of British Rail went.
To a hammer, everything looks like a nail. It's the one size fits all notion of econ., that the market is the answer to everything. Correctly applied, markets are efficient. The trouble is when they are misapplied. It's probably why mixed economies seem best.
SD70DudeAlberta did the same thing about 20 years ago. It fell flat on its face up here and that action remains very unpopular. Instead of stabilizing prices and guaranteeing supply, prices rose dramatically and then shot up and down repeatedly. Supply shortages continued, and it was eventually discovered that some power producers had taken advantage of the situation to keep prices even higher by keeping the supply low, and choosing not to bring in electricity from British Columbia when units went down for maintenance. For most of the 2000s Albertans "enjoyed" the highest electricity prices in Canada. More recently steps have been taken to partially re-regulate our market, and that effort is proving popular. Privatization and de-regulation do not work for everything, for a railroad example go across the pond and ask how well the privatization of British Rail went.
Texas has it's own statewide electrical grid and is largely independent of the national grid.......and last I checked a surplus of electricity. My personal opinion is they misjudged growth and over built power plants. There are a number of powerplants that look fairly new that have been shutdown or idled across the DFW metro area. Some of them were supplied by rail even though they burned Oil.
PJS1 Texas deregulated the electricity market straight out of the chute. Bingo! All the customers in the regulated service areas, except for those prisioners of public power and co-ops, about 15 percent of Texans, were given the green light at essentially the same time.
Texas deregulated the electricity market straight out of the chute. Bingo! All the customers in the regulated service areas, except for those prisioners of public power and co-ops, about 15 percent of Texans, were given the green light at essentially the same time.
Alberta did the same thing about 20 years ago. It fell flat on its face up here and that action remains very unpopular.
Instead of stabilizing prices and guaranteeing supply, prices rose dramatically and then shot up and down repeatedly. Supply shortages continued, and it was eventually discovered that some power producers had taken advantage of the situation to keep prices even higher by keeping the supply low, and choosing not to bring in electricity from British Columbia when units went down for maintenance. For most of the 2000s Albertans "enjoyed" the highest electricity prices in Canada.
More recently steps have been taken to partially re-regulate our market, and that effort is proving popular.
Privatization and de-regulation do not work for everything, for a railroad example go across the pond and ask how well the privatization of British Rail went.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
PJS1Here is a link to the new menu being introducted on the NEC: https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/menus/routes/Corridor-Cafe-Menu-061318.pdf
Non-alcoholic drink selection kind of sucks. If you're going to carry Lipton Pure Leaf tea, at least have a few flavors. Maybe they will in practice. Same with the cold starbucks coffee.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.
PJS1Amtrak has had the Silver Star experience to leverage off of for more than a year. I understand the concept of test markets. I am a certified facilitator. I have facilitated customer focus groups. You don't know anything about me.
An electric power utility is very different than retailing or a passenger railroad. Grapes, apples and oranges. And test marketing and focus groups are also very different breeds of cat, both best managed by marketing folks, not accounting pros.
oltmannd Actually, "for a railroad" would be more accurate.
You are correct. Railroad would be more accurate.
Unlike a truly competitive business, which goes out of business if it makes enough bad decisions, Amtrak is propped up by the taxpayers. If it does not get it right, they will bail it out.
Part of the problem is politics. Amtrak is overburden with it; it has to respond to every politician with a modicum of clout in the country. Which is another reason why having the government involved in running a commercial enterprise is a bad idea.
But as I have said in other threads, we are where we are. So, I guess we just have to make the best of a bad decision, which was setting up Amtrak in the first place.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
PJS1Another post suggested that Amtak is moving as fast as it can. Yep! For a government agency.
Actually, "for a railroad" would be more accurate. It's really hard and time consuming to get through the current day's disasters, and the culture rewards those who are good a fire-fighting. There is also the interdepartmental in-fighting and protectionism. Operations will always have a million reasons why you can't change a thing. One or two of them might actually have some validity, but usually it's just risk-aversion.
To see some actual changes make it from a marketing group that suddenly appears awake to implementation is encouraging.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
charlie hebdo PJS1 If I were Anderson, I would discontinue the dining cars in one fell swoop. The gradualism approach suggests a company that does not know what it is doing. Amtrak should be all in on this issue. Your comment suggests you were never employed in the public side of a company, such as retail sales or marketing. What you call gradualism is simply trying out a new strategy on a limited basis. It's commonplace in successful companies.
Your comment suggests you were never employed in the public side of a company, such as retail sales or marketing. What you call gradualism is simply trying out a new strategy on a limited basis. It's commonplace in successful companies.
Amtrak has had the Silver Star experience to leverage off of for more than a year.
I understand the concept of test markets. I am a certified facilitator. I have facilitated customer focus groups. You don't know anything about me.
Another post suggested that Amtak is moving as fast as it can. Yep! For a government agency. Why not? It does not have any real competition. So, it does not have any compelling drivers to do things better, faster, cheaper. This is the reason why government should not be involved in any commercial enterprises.
PJS1If I were Anderson, I would discontinue the dining cars in one fell swoop. The gradualism approach suggests a company that does not know what it is doing. Amtrak should be all in on this issue.
Boars Head is currently doing a lot of marketing and advertising, I see their ads on TV a lot. I am sure they pay for the mention. The menu with photos of the food do look like a nice local diner menu. I am not sure in the old diner that a $28 steak warrants a photo. Photos make me think lower cost places.
CMStPnP PJS1 Here is a link to the new menu being introducted on the NEC: https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/menus/routes/Corridor-Cafe-Menu-061318.pdf So, if Amtrak dropped the dining cars on all of its trains, and implemented this menu or a variation of it in the lounge car, what percentage of the passengers do you think would really be unhappy? If I were Anderson, I would discontinue the dining cars in one fell swoop. The gradualism approach suggests a company that does not know what it is doing. Amtrak should be all in on this issue. Immediate improvements I noticed: 1. Appetizing pictures on front of menu and inside menu of offerings. 2. Boars Head Premium meat brand displayed. 3. "Made fresh daily" listed in the Sandwich Section. 4. Two price points on wine and beer both. Huge Marketing improvement over the cartoonish images and plain text with no pictures on the Superliner Diner menus. Smartly done. Obviously no longer a "we have always done it this way in the past" person in charge.
PJS1 Here is a link to the new menu being introducted on the NEC: https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/menus/routes/Corridor-Cafe-Menu-061318.pdf So, if Amtrak dropped the dining cars on all of its trains, and implemented this menu or a variation of it in the lounge car, what percentage of the passengers do you think would really be unhappy? If I were Anderson, I would discontinue the dining cars in one fell swoop. The gradualism approach suggests a company that does not know what it is doing. Amtrak should be all in on this issue.
Here is a link to the new menu being introducted on the NEC:
https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/menus/routes/Corridor-Cafe-Menu-061318.pdf
So, if Amtrak dropped the dining cars on all of its trains, and implemented this menu or a variation of it in the lounge car, what percentage of the passengers do you think would really be unhappy?
If I were Anderson, I would discontinue the dining cars in one fell swoop. The gradualism approach suggests a company that does not know what it is doing. Amtrak should be all in on this issue.
Immediate improvements I noticed:
1. Appetizing pictures on front of menu and inside menu of offerings.
2. Boars Head Premium meat brand displayed.
3. "Made fresh daily" listed in the Sandwich Section.
4. Two price points on wine and beer both.
Huge Marketing improvement over the cartoonish images and plain text with no pictures on the Superliner Diner menus. Smartly done. Obviously no longer a "we have always done it this way in the past" person in charge.
I'm impressed! This didn't happen overnight. Not just ordering up any old thing from Gate Gourmet. This took time, thought and planning.
It reminds me a lot of the NZ trains I rode.
Which gives us hope that the long term solution for the LD trains could be pretty decent.
And, I agree, someone at Amtrak is alive and thinking.
BaltACD CMStPnP PJS1 Here is a link to the new menu being introducted on the NEC: https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/menus/routes/Corridor-Cafe-Menu-061318.pdf So, if Amtrak dropped the dining cars on all of its trains, and implemented this menu or a variation of it in the lounge car, what percentage of the passengers do you think would really be unhappy? If I were Anderson, I would discontinue the dining cars in one fell swoop. The gradualism approach suggests a company that does not know what it is doing. Amtrak should be all in on this issue. Immediate improvements I noticed: 1. Appetizing pictures on front of menu and inside menu of offerings. 2. Boars Head Premium meat brand displayed. 3. "Made fresh daily" listed in the Sandwich Section. 4. Two price points on wine and beer both. Huge Marketing improvement over the cartoonish images and plain text with no pictures on the Superliner Diner menus. Smartly done. Obviously no longer a "we have always done it this way in the past" person in charge. I wonder if Amtrak is collecting a royalty for displaying the trademarks for the products that are being featured?
I wonder if Amtrak is collecting a royalty for displaying the trademarks for the products that are being featured?
I'll bet it's all part of the deal. It sure looks a modern marketing deal.
I don't think there's any gradualism going on. I think they are moving as fast as they can. They've been asleep a while. They have the new diners. Might as well use them for a first class lounge until you figure out what your longer term plans are...
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD oltmannd Most HIX have exactly one person handling the breakfast.... Same as I have observed at various Quality Inn's and Ramada's
oltmannd Most HIX have exactly one person handling the breakfast....
Same as I have observed at various Quality Inn's and Ramada's
Ditto with Hampton Inns, La Quintas and Country Inns.
oltmanndMost HIX have exactly one person handling the breakfast....
Those cinnamon buns, though. Your waist size increased just by walking past them.
Most HIX have exactly one person handling the breakfast....
oltmanndYes.... Exactly.
Those things take alot to set up and break down. (I was lost on youtube-land one night and was watching the instructional video on them).
zugmann They need a pancake machine like at Holiday Inn Express.
They need a pancake machine like at Holiday Inn Express.
Yes.... Exactly.
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