Unfortunately I made the choice to ride Hoosier State one more time before Amtrak was set to lose control of this route. On my previous Hoosier State adventure there was no food options, wireless internet or business class seating. I was on my way to Midwest High Speed Rail Association 2013 Fall Meeting.
This time around I wanted to see if ride quality had improved and experience the new amenities. October 2014 – Amtrak announced a trial run for limited food, free Wi-Fi and business class seating. That ended at beginning of February.
My round trip on Amtrak Hoosier State took place January 2015 – I rode both directions in business class.
Note above was on cafe car storage cabinet located inside business class. There was no Cafe Car attendant on duty. Conductors stated this was State of Indiana not wanting to fund this position on Hoosier State. Free coffee and limited pre-packaged food items were available at no cost to Amtrak passengers. One conductor stated this was thanks to Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman.
I’d assume note is telling private supplier that food stock is overflowing and not to refill. Odd considering announcement was made – 1 item per passenger and that quantities were limited. On ride to Indianapolis – train didn’t have enough passengers to worry about running out of free snacks.
AmtrakConnect® Wi-Fi, Business class seating and light refreshments will be discontinued on the Hoosier State, as scheduled, on February 1, 2015.
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Hoosier State Trains 850 and 851: AmtrakConnect Wi-Fi and Other Services Discontinued Effective February 1, 2015
The AmtrakConnect® Wi-Fi, Business class seating and light refreshments will be discontinued on the Hoosier State, as scheduled, on February 1, 2015.
In October 2014, Amtrak announced its demonstration of Wi-Fi capabilities and other services aboard the Hoosier State through January 31, 2015. The State of Indiana has chosen not to fund the continuation of these services.
Indiana Department of Transportation Commissioner Karl Browning told the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee this week that INDOT and Amtrak are close to finalizing a 60-day extension of their current agreement, currently scheduled to end on January 31st
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