By Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics; October 8, 2019
Traveling long distances by rail may be an increasingly old-fashioned mode of transportation in the U.S., but there’s still a sizable sect of passenger railroad diehards. And as some long-standing train traditions are in danger of disappearing, the devotees won’t go down without a fight.
Last month, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) announced it would be phasing out the dining car service on many of its long-distance trains, chalking up the change to an Act of Congress under H.R. 749, the Passenger Rail Reform and Investment Act of 2015. By cutting the dining cars and staff in favor of more “flexible” dining options, Amtrak estimates it will save about $2 million a year, according to the Washington Post.