Texas Eagle

[Steve4031]

I will be taking a trip from Chicago to St. Louis on Amtrak. I noted in a trip report that a St. Louis coach was added to the back of the train on 21 and 22. This would be great if there are no freight cars on the back. However, in same trip report, poor service was reported on the Eagle. Has anyone else been on that train this summer?

How about time keeping?

Thanks.

 

[Amtrak Watcher]

I take the Texas Eagle to Chicago about once every 4 weeks. The risk seems to be its late arrival into St. Louis from the south. Once it leaves St. Louis, all problems with times are gone.

Last month (June) I enjoyed a "rails and trails" (or whatever it's called) tour in the observation car that started just north of St. Louis and ended just before Chicago. The speaker was pointing out all kinds of interesting details along the way; hundreds of them - more stuff than you could find on the Internet. He was amazing.

The servcie crew seems a bit burned out these days, but I've not been yelled at or anything. But I tend to compare Amtrak service with the airlines, which is universally bad.