danib62 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 23, 2019 2:08 pm
Given the new influx of sleepers I really do hope there is a return of sleeper service to the former Night Owl/Twilight Shoreliner/Federal.
Amtrak had stated earlier that the sleeping car service on the NEC would be reinstated - on NEC trains 65/66/67. This should hold up, because technically, Amtrak could restore sleeper car service - with Viewliners - now IF it really wanted to. There are 39 Viewliners needed for assignment, Amtrak has 50 Viewliners, even though one of the 50 has been "stored." Only need two Viewliners to restore overnight service on NEC. It would be the perfect trains to "test" the Viewliner II sleepers on as well. Even when all the new Viewliner II sleepers arrive - a fleet of 25 - no one seems to know how they or where the will be assigned, other than augmenting existing sleepers on the eastern LD trains. We can all guess but no one knows.
But the intention of the initial order was to restore NEC sleeper car service - a few announcements affirming this were made in the past year. The other plan was to offer through sleeper car service between the Capitol Limited and Pennsylvanian at Pittsburgh.
What to do with the new Bagg/Dorms with only two LSA's that need to be accommodated in these cars is Amtrak's biggest dilemma it seems. I don't get why they could be revenue space as long as the are "part of a train consist" that already has a Viewliner Sleeper in it that offers a Handicap Room.
Should be interesting to see how long the free "amenity kits" last in the Viewliner Sleepers. Not sure how many times this has been tried and done over the years, starting with the Twilight Shoreliner service when the original Viewliner Sleepers were first introduced. The Twilight Shoreliner Viewliner Sleeper gave out a nice amenity kit, slippers, robe, and even had the windows in a nice "star and moon" wrap. But just like the "fresh flowers in the diner" these perks suffered the rounds of cost cuts......Even the special Twilight Lounge (a special lounge for Viewliner sleeper passengers and business class passengers) was taken off. All started as Warrington's project to make the Twilight Shoreliner be the special "Coast Starlight" of the East! But we all know how he his presidency at Amtrak (and the Twilight Shoreliner eventually) went down in flames!