A close friend of mine was on the Autotrain yesterday and had some very discouraging news to report. The menu selections have been cheapened to provide very low quality food. The steak is gone being replaced by a pot roast style two pieces of beef, the chicken was dry and tasteless and the mashed potatoes were poorer quality than cafeteria food. Coffee is now served in paper cups. My friend said that the dinner that he had at Bob Evans the week before was like eating gourmet food compared to what Amtrak served. The first meal sitting was at 4:30 and all passengers ate the same menu, both coach and sleeper.
There is now only one lounge car for the 490 people on board, and as previously reported no newspapers, ice, wine. cheese and snacks. The train arrived two hours early but anyone still waiting for breakfast was turned away . They had to wait 90 minutes for the car unloading crew to arrive and it took another 90 minutes to get their car.
This experience makes you wonder what you are paying $875 for one way in a bedroom and nearly $600 for a roomette. The atrocious decline in essential provisions is absolutely a low point in Amtrak Autotrain service. If I have to travel to Florida I will drive. We can dine on good food and even with the hotel stay we get there in just slightly more time.
Yup, our family, an over ten consequtive year Auto Train family, rode their last AT this past Spring, just after the changes were made. You nailed it Dlagrua. And they were serving dinner up to midnight too...
But as one of my restaurant customers told me years ago, "if you can get away with serving crap food, and you still have lines out the door, why spend money on better food products"? AT is doing the same thing now, and as long as it remains Sold Out, it won't change.
Truly, truly, a shame. I've gone from a life-long Amtrak supporter / promoter /advocate / enthusiast / NARP member, to more of a "Amtrak LD trains pretty much suck" kinda guy.