City of New Orleans (train) discussion

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I thought I saw the CONO heading north around 1:30 on Wednesday afternoon through the south side (assuming since it was Superliners) - I thought it was earlier, typically, than that.
 
I had the pleasure of riding the CONO from Chicago to New Orleans and then from Memphis back to Chicago a few days ago. I have ridden plenty of Amtrak long distance trains but I would have to say if I was a first time rider this would be my last trip on Amtrak. The trip south was rather uneventful except for one big issue - the food served to sleeper car passengers. I'm not sure it could even be called food. All they have available now is the microwaved in plastic bag crap from the snack car. Buns are chewy. The mac and cheese didn't seem completely cooked. Part of being in a sleeper is the dining experience and this experience was bad. We caught the train northbound in Memphis. The Memphis station is a nasty place that no one seems to want to take care of anymore. Our train was 6 hours late due to weather problems to the south. An extra 6 hours in that station is hell. When the train did arrive it was pouring rain and there isn't much shelter outside the station. We walk along the train until we come to a sleeper with the same car number as my ticket but no open door. Soon two Amtrak employees walk up, open the door, go inside and close the door. I knock on the window and one of the guys opens it and says "What do you want?". I say there are a bunch of sleeper car passengers standing here in the rain and we want to get in. He tells me its not a sleeper car and closes the window. We then get in line with everyone else waiting in the rain to board at the one open door on the train. Finally someone walks by and says that all sleeper car passengers need to go to the 2nd to last car to get on. We do that and finally at close to 5:00 AM we are on the train. Soaking wet but on. I can't believe how bumpy the tracks are for parts of the CONO. This train has a dining car but it is the same crap food as the first car but this time the sleeper car attendant goes and gets it for us. Different rules depending on which way you are going. Once we arrive in Chicago we head over to the Metropolitan Lounge to wait for our next train - the Wolverine. We had to wait for the late train since we missed our connection to the one we were supposed to be on. Why does Amtrak employee the grumpy lady that works behind the lounge desk? She just doesn't seem to like people. I was surprised the Amtrak didn't give us any food vouchers since we had missed our connection. Maybe I needed to seek them out at the ticket office or something. All in all it was a very disappointing trip for us and I imagine others that were on the train.
 
Memphisdoug said:
I had the pleasure of riding the CONO from Chicago to New Orleans and then from Memphis back to Chicago a few days ago. I have ridden plenty of Amtrak long distance trains but I would have to say if I was a first time rider this would be my last trip on Amtrak. The trip south was rather uneventful except for one big issue - the food served to sleeper car passengers. I'm not sure it could even be called food. All they have available now is the microwaved in plastic bag crap from the snack car. Buns are chewy. The mac and cheese didn't seem completely cooked. Part of being in a sleeper is the dining experience and this experience was bad. We caught the train northbound in Memphis. The Memphis station is a nasty place that no one seems to want to take care of anymore. Our train was 6 hours late due to weather problems to the south. An extra 6 hours in that station is hell. When the train did arrive it was pouring rain and there isn't much shelter outside the station. We walk along the train until we come to a sleeper with the same car number as my ticket but no open door. Soon two Amtrak employees walk up, open the door, go inside and close the door. I knock on the window and one of the guys opens it and says "What do you want?". I say there are a bunch of sleeper car passengers standing here in the rain and we want to get in. He tells me its not a sleeper car and closes the window. We then get in line with everyone else waiting in the rain to board at the one open door on the train. Finally someone walks by and says that all sleeper car passengers need to go to the 2nd to last car to get on. We do that and finally at close to 5:00 AM we are on the train. Soaking wet but on. I can't believe how bumpy the tracks are for parts of the CONO. This train has a dining car but it is the same crap food as the first car but this time the sleeper car attendant goes and gets it for us. Different rules depending on which way you are going. Once we arrive in Chicago we head over to the Metropolitan Lounge to wait for our next train - the Wolverine. We had to wait for the late train since we missed our connection to the one we were supposed to be on. Why does Amtrak employee the grumpy lady that works behind the lounge desk? She just doesn't seem to like people. I was surprised the Amtrak didn't give us any food vouchers since we had missed our connection. Maybe I needed to seek them out at the ticket office or something. All in all it was a very disappointing trip for us and I imagine others that were on the train.
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Please call Customer Relations ( not Customer Service) and report the crappy Crews and so called Food, and the conditions @ the Memphis Station!(not owned by Amtrak)

You'll have to wait on the phone but this needs to be reported ASAP!
 

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