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I finally had an opportunity to read Food and Beverage Service: Opportunities Exist to Build on Program Improvement Initiatives.  The numbers are scary.  But the following items are my greatest concern. Amtrak does not have a program-wide plan for improving cost recovery while maintaining service levels.  Moreover, the planned initiatives will only result in small efficiency gains because they are being applied to the existing business model.  Specifically, the initiatives do not adequately address losses on long distance routes or alternative business models for food and beverage service.  On 21 of the short distance routes food and beverage service breaks-even because Amtrak counts the state subsidies as revenue.  This is unique accounting. In 2005 the Department of Transportation Inspector General recommended that Amtrak implement pilot projects (food and beverages) to decrease losses.  Nothing happened, and the business model remains largely unchanged. If I remember correctly, one of the recommendations was to modify the dining cars on the Texas Eagle and City of New Orleans.  One half was to be for table service and the other half was to serve as a lounge section.  The lounge cars were to have been removed from these trains. The dinning cars were modified and for a short time the attendant on the lounge car was removed.  But the lounge cars were not removed from the Eagle and probably not from the City of New Orleans.  The attendant is back on duty.  Nothing has changed. On a recent trip to Dallas on the Eagle the dining car had a lead service attendant, two attendants, and the cook. The loung car had an attendant. If nothing else it shows the power of Amtrak to ignore the wishes of Congress and the recommendations of the inspector generals.
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