Anderson has stated he wants some of the most scenic long-distance trains to have “experiential” upsell options, like better food & drink, better individualized service, and better lounge space for first-class passengers. What about Regionals like the Adirondack, Vermonter, Pennsylvanian, and some sections of the Surfliner, Empire Service, Cascades and even the NYC-BOS Northeast Regionals? jp1822 made me think of this in the Cuomo HSR thread with the below post:
jp1822 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:03 pm I am onboard the Adirondack train at least once a quarter, and have been since at least 2003. Typically the Adirondack north from NYP to Plattsburgh or Port Kent and then business/vacation time in Burlyington, VT (pickup a rental car out of Plattsburgh, NY). Is it the cheapest transportation mode - all in from NYC to Burlington VT including car rental - absolutely not. But I use the time on the train to get work done as I now can get WiFi for a good portion of the journey (be it through Amtrak or my own personal MiFi hub.....It’s an enjoyable trip. There’s been various recommendations for building even a separate high speed line between Albany and Montreal.
My three wishes for the Adirondack:
1) Better passenger/coach cars or putting a descent Lounge Car on the train to give the best passenger experience in light of the phenomenal scenery! Business class would be nice but I’d probably term it and build the product more as a “Touring” or “Custom Class” - again catering to those who want a more enhanced onboard experience with better equipment - be it for comfort, food service, lounge service, bigger windows, etc.
2) Better Food Service. This train is serving typically breakfast, lunch, and possibly dinner. More variety and better selections would be nice. I’ve suggested that the Adirondack, Vermonter, Pennsylvanian, and Carolinian train sets be outfitted with the Viewliner II Diner / Lounge. Use them to help the State Supported trains that are on the road all day! It could be the single point of food service on the train, but also serve as a nice lounge with its booths/tables and double row of windows for taking in the scenery. Everyone knows that Amtrak has plenty of the Viewliner II Diners sitting around in Hialeah, Florida or deployed as useless axle count cars. Only 11 Viewliner II Diners (aka Sleeper Lounges) are required for regular service The remaining 14 Viewliner II Diners (and the prototype) have no regular assignment. Here’s an opportunity to use 8. Eventually the remaining 6 could be used on the Silver Star and Cardinal. Amtrak can have the prototype as a backup out of NYC since all trains are humbled there - except Vermonter. I am sure more spares will need to be had, but you get the idea.
3) Enhanced onboard experience. People are not taking this train for its quickness. Better understand who the patrons of this train are and see what onboard offering could be had that could generate more revenue - an upsell basically.
I would say though - don’t discount this train for having low ridership, because over the years I’ve seen the ridership grow pretty steadily. There was a time I could go as a single traveller and have the seat next to me empty for he whole trip - or switch from one side to the other for better scenery south and then north of Albany. That’s not the case any more. Even the conductors joke about the ridership being heavy and Amtrak still trying to treat this train at a lower volume ridership level......