51 Cardinal west bound - meal questions

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user 6862

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Leaving at 06:45am, does it serve breakfast on the morning it leaves New York and again before it arrives at Chicago the following morning?

Thank you

Just to add, the 6:45am departure is for the train on the 23 December as per the booking page, the 2018 schedule shows the Cardinal leaving just a couple of minutes after 6am
 
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Glad to see you coming back again, v v!
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You should get breakfast both mornings. Only I think you meant train 51, not 61. (Were you thinking of the "Man in Seat 61" train website?)
 
Thank you for the breakfast info, and you MRD for pointing the error out. Scooting around today and not concentrating again! Penny that's great service too, thanks.

We're chasing two ideas at the moment, one is in the US the other in London, nice to be wanted though!
 
At least for the summer, the Cardinal is cut back to Washington, departing at 11:00 am breakfast will not be an issue until it returns to NYP.
Right, but they're traveling in December. The Cardinal runs to NYP again, starting I think November 14.
 
I've resigned myself not to speculate on what Amtrak will be doing 6 months out. Too many options being bandied about regarding the Cardinal and meal service.
Very true. I remember when I first heard about the Starvation "experiment" maybe four months out, when they claimed that it was only going to last from December to January. Then about a month out, the "experiment" was extended a few months. A few months later it was permanent. So it probably isn't worth getting my hopes up that the Cardinal will be running to NYP again that the date that the site currently indicates.
 
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Hadn't realised that they can sell tickets 6 months in advance but decide later not to run a service. What would happen if we booked tickets out of NY and then the Cardinal subsequently only started from Washington? Would Amtrak make all adjustments and re-ticket us at their cost?
 
Hadn't realised that they can sell tickets 6 months in advance but decide later not to run a service. What would happen if we booked tickets out of NY and then the Cardinal subsequently only started from Washington? Would Amtrak make all adjustments and re-ticket us at their cost?
For the Cardinal, they’d put you on a regional to Washington. Probably the same for the other LD trains that originate in NYP and pass through WAS
 
Hadn't realised that they can sell tickets 6 months in advance but decide later not to run a service. What would happen if we booked tickets out of NY and then the Cardinal subsequently only started from Washington? Would Amtrak make all adjustments and re-ticket us at their cost?
For the Cardinal, they’d put you on a regional to Washington. Probably the same for the other LD trains that originate in NYP and pass through WAS
But it would behoove you to keep up with the situation, yourself...there was a post on another thread about how Amtrak does or doesn't always make the proper re-accommodation.

I believe that in that particular case, the sleeper was cut off a portion for a trip, and instead of just changing the sleeper portion to the shortened segment, they changed the entire trip to coach. So no telling just how it would be handled in each situation...best to monitor it yourself.
 
Absolutely right railiner and I think I read the thread you mentioned too, but I was asking a theoretical question as to what 'generally' happens if a train is cancelled from a station and you are asked to join it at another. AmtrakBlue has explained the likelihood well.

Our Amtrak travels earlier this year had 4 or 5 modifications in timing and we received email notification of them all (not allowed to receive SMS messages as we have a non US phone sim) from a few months ahead to a few days. All the modifications were a few minutes to an hour or so but all departing or arriving from/at the same station.

Reading the schedule and the ticket offered for the wb Cardinal they are at different times and made me think. Then if AB is correct and we had to connect with the Cardinal in WAS we would have to leave NYP at around 3am in place of 6am, makes life a little different.

If you are intimating that Amtrak wont decide on the start point of a train until up to the last moment then maybe we don't ride the Cardinal as at this point there are other options although the Cardinal is our preferred one.

Can you point me in the direction of anywhere on Amtrak's site that will advise in advance (months) if there were to be changes or even the probability?

Thanks for your help
 
The Cardinal would leave WAS the same time (11 am) it would if it had come from NYP, so you would not have to leave NY at 3 am
 
Yes I see now, the Cardinal leaves at 11am after nearly an hour layover in WAS if it were coming from NYP. I had only taken into account the possible arrival time (10am) and working on the basis that most layovers were minutes, not an hour, my error.

So although we could book tickets on the Cardinal from NYP we may get put on the 89 Palmetto which arrives at 9:30am to transfer in WAS. When I though it was only 30 minutes I thought that could be tight if the Palmetto was a little late and we are not that familiar with Washington station either.

If we ended up on the regional would we be able to check bags in NYP through to CHI or wherever we end up? or would we have to check bags for the first time in WAS? As we'd probably book a sleeper we would also miss breakfast even though we had booked and paid for a roomette.

Think I'm answering my own questions here.

Does anyone know why Amtrak can't predict where the Cardinal will start from, is it connected to works around NYP?

Thank you AmtrakBlue it's a big help.
 
The current status of starting in WAS is due to the track work.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the connection especially if it’s the one they list when booking (try a test one for this summer).

You should be able to check your bags in NYP. 89 actually has a baggage car. Plus it will be on the lower level tracks as will the Cardinal because they both sneak under the Capital Building to head south.

The time in WAS for a normal running Cardinal is to allow time to swap from electric to diesel
 
The Cardinal runs to NYP again, starting I think November 14.
Source? A statement of information is speculation unless it is backed up by the facts.
This float your boat?

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cardinal 11:14.png
 
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