I've heard various unofficial opinions about tipping on Amtrak long distance sleeper train travel.
My question: are the staff (dining and car attendants) well paid, or do they depend on tips and if so how much is acceptable?
Please excuse the general frustration; this is a subject which comes up frequently and the long-time members' patience with it is largely growing thin. However, it keeps coming back up because it is a legitimate question, especially for new Amtrak travelers.
Tipping on trains in the United States is a custom which runs all the way back to the 19th century. I'm not saying that you should tip simply because it's traditional, but you should be aware that it is traditional. And, since it is considered traditional, the IRS does tax onboard service staff for the value of whatever gratuities the IRS feels they should receive...whether the staff actually receives them or not.
Again, that in and of itself is not a reason to tip; these staff members chose their profession voluntarily. In the early days, it is true, Pullman porters and many dining car waiters essentially worked for tips. These days, Amtrak onboard staff draw a living wage, with benefits. So you are tipping to acknowledge and reward professional service, not to compensate for an employer who pays only slave wages in order to keep your prices low and his profits high.
My own personal tipping practice, assuming competent and professional service (sleeper beds made up/put down in a timely manner; ice, coffee, juice and water available during established hours; restrooms kept reasonably presentable; being available when needed during working hours, offering to help with luggage to/from the room): $10 per night for a sleeper attendant. I generally don't tip coach attendants unless special services are provided (help with large luggage, meals served at seats [see also dining car]). In the dining car, I tip (in cash if traveling in a sleeper with prepaid meals) as I would for the same meal in a regular restaurant. If served at my seat (in coach) or in my room (in sleeper) I give the attendant the same tip I would have given to the waiter. For luggage assistance in large stations (Redcaps), I tip $1 per bag with a $2 minimum.
The train's
operating crew (conductors and engineers) is never tipped. They work in shifts and their primary duty is to get the train and the passengers over the road safely. The onboard service crew, with but a single exception, is on the train for the entire length of the journey and their primary duty (acknowledging that passenger and train safety is always top priority) is to provide personal service to the customers. Tipping them is customary and traditional and, in my view, appropriate...assuming the service provided is worthy of it.