Here's the feedback I just gave Amtrak after a super late departure from ABQ->LAUPT caused us to miss our Coast Starlight connection, which relegated us to riding the San Joaquin up the valley.
Done well:
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Car attendants and dining car staff were exceptionally kind and helpful. The steak remains excellent, as was the French toast the next morning.
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Conductors are honest and knowledgeable, kept a "tight ship" and kept people happy.
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Automatic rescheduling of our trip in advance of our late arrival at LAUPT was relatively seamless.
Room for improvement:
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Replace the dinner rolls with something more delicious, like Navajo Fry bread. Easy to make on board, and serve hot.
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Plastic bowls for salad were flimsy and top heavy. Hard to eat when train was hunting/swaying.
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Advise returning to Shenango ceramic dinner plates/bowls/mugs to save the environment from plastic waste + provide a feeling of basic comfort found in any US diner or old railroad dining car. They'll wear better than the plastic stuff and make it easier to eat. Plus producing less trash after each run is definitely preferable in the long term. People are paying premium plus prices to eat in the diner, make it feel at least vaguely luxurious, please!
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Add a soup to the run, easy enough to prepare in a commissary off-train and keep warm in the kitchen. Perhaps a hearty chicken noodle/ vegetables, chili, or something regionally inspired.
DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT NEEDED:
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It took 3 hours (!) to couple an additional P42 onto the head end of the train at ABQ, that's flatly unacceptable. While these engines are pushing 20+ years and probably falling to pieces, keep ops like this under 30 minutes, and give up if the unit is faulty. There was a second P42 stationed at ABQ the entire time, use that or call in BNSF to stick a GEVO on the front or something to get us out of there ASAP.
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This caused us to miss our connection with the Coast Starlight by 2 hours at LAUPT. This kind of ruined our trip, as we were bussed over the Grapevine to ride the San Joaquin service, which:
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Despite having new venture cars, has NO FOOD SERVICE....for a SIX hour train ride.
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Please install food service both on the train and call in some Taco trucks to man the Bakersfield Parking lot. Aguas Frescas and a Burrito would have made the trip bearable. Partner with local food trucks at every major station like Fresno, Bakersfield, Modesto, Stockton, Martinez to ensure food is available to people who want/need it.
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The superliner sleeper on the Chief had an HVAC issue which caused the fan bearings to scream all night while we were trying to sleep.
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Aisle lights were left on full blast all night, which even with the curtains made it hard to sleep.
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These cars need some serious rebuilding. They rode really poorly at track speed and jounced us all night against the window, the door and the upper bunk. Time for Superliner 3's or something new.
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Wayfinding to AMTK bus service in LAUPT was POOR at best. had to backtrack twice just to find the door hidden on the side of the building to get to the bus.
Amtrak is so close to being good, fun, and competent, but the clapped out equipment, chintzy plastic dining wear, and shabby interiors don't really give me confidence that service will improve. However you absolutely must improve, it's such a great service along such beautiful routes. I forever want Amtrak to be a shining example of passenger rail on the world stage. Look into the "Nightjet" service in Austria, or the "Sunrise Seto/Izumo" in Japan for how to do overnight travel both well and affordably.