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The views out the windows are spectacular, but the accommodations on Amtrak have long been a little less than luxurious. Now that’s all changing. In addition to its new three-course dinner offering, Amtrak has set aside $28 million to retrofit the sleeper cars and coaches, as reported by The Points Guy.
Amtrak has already embarked on its three-year project to improve more than 450 railcars: each of its coaches, dining cars, sightseer lounges and sleeper cars. It’s starting with the two-story Superliners, which let you climb upstairs to get better views in the Midwest, South and West. Once those retrofits are completed, the one-story Viewliners used in the East and Southeast get their makeovers.
All rail cars will get new seat cushions and upholstery (these haven’t been updated since the 1990s), new carpeting, curtains, LED lights and tables. The sleeper cars will get new bedding, pillows, towels and eco-friendly liquid toiletry dispensers for the bathroom.
In the dining car (currently only available to overnight passengers or business class passengers on certain trains), you’ll see new seat cushions, rugs, curtains and cafe menus. Those of you who have been riding for the last several years will be thrilled that the menu has finally been updated for the first time since June 2021. Since coach passengers can’t eat in the dining car, the snack bar has also expanded its offerings.
The sightseer lounges (cars with glass walls and ceiling to open up the vista) were always pretty great, but now they’ll have updated seating and carpeting.
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