(The Associated Press circulated the following article by Mary Clare Jalonick on July 12.)
WASHINGTON — Travel on Amtrak’s line between Illinois and Washington state is getting an upgrade — including complimentary sparkling wine and cookies on passengers’ pillows — with the goal of attracting riders willing to pay a bit more for a different level of service on the embattled railroad.
The “Empire Builder” faces many critics in Congress and the administration who see it as a money-loser in tight fiscal times. So Amtrak officials are working to save the line by charging customers for a new set of amenities.
“Our plan is to measure what economists call the elasticity of the demand,” said Marc Magliari, a Chicago-based Amtrak spokesman. “That is, we improve the service and raise the fares thereby improving the performance of the train.”
Magliari would not comment on the fare increase amount or the how much money Amtrak has spent on the new services, which will debut Aug. 21.
Passengers will be invited to wine and cheese tasting events, featuring Wisconsin cheeses and Washington wines. First-class diners will eat meals such as braised salmon shank with horseradish and cauliflower puree, Great Northern Baked Ham with sweet citrus sauce and English Beefsteak Pot Pie with braised tomatoes and white mushrooms.
The rooms and bathrooms also are being upgraded. Amtrak said in a written statement Tuesday that the cars’ interiors “have received extensive renovations featuring a new blue and white color scheme and Blossom Cherry wood grain laminates.”
Amtrak’s announcement comes as the Senate Appropriations Committee is preparing to consider funding for the rail service. The subcommittee with jurisdiction over Amtrak funding will meet next week.
In June, the Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee proposed spending $550 million for Amtrak and eliminating 18 routes, including the Empire Builder. But the full House added $626 million for Amtrak, bringing the rail service’s budget to its current level of $1.2 billion.
Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta said the House vote “enables and encourages the wasteful spending and inefficient operations that have come to define Amtrak.”
The administration has proposed that states foot much of the bill for operation of the train service.
Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, praised the improvements Tuesday and said he would work to maintain Amtrak funding in his chamber.
“We are talking about a transportation system folks depend on in areas where they have no other options,” he said.
The line runs through parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and Washington.