Shifting Gears: People really hate Amtrak's new dining options

When I pitched a trip from New York City to Seattle last year, I didn't completely expect to get it approved but I'm so glad it did.

2019 was Amtrak's best financial year on record, helped in part by record bookings and cost-cutting on food. That's where things get tricky. Nearly a full year after my first taste of the "flexible" dining that replaced full-service meals of the past, the agency finally responded to a FOIA request for the complaints about them.

In 125 pages, riders opine on the lost service, which included custom cooked steaks, omelettes, pancakes, and even fresh seafood. After all, without the meals to look forward to, sitting on a train for multiple days becomes a bleak affair. And microwaved meals don't help. Now, it's unclear when or even if they'll come back.

You can read the highlights and full document of thousands of complaints here.

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