Amtrak debuts upgrades with renovated Empire Builder

Amtrak's top brass rode the Empire Builder last week in celebration of the passenger train's recent upgrade, but new sleeper cars and a jazzed-up lounge couldn't disguise the ultimate message from company president and chief executive officer David Gunn.

"It'll never make money, but we can lose less money," Gunn said.

He was among several Amtrak officials on board to talk with Flathead Valley civic leaders and tourism promoters as they rode the train from Whitefish to East Glacier.

The renovation aimed at improving the Empire Builder's viability began as a systemwide rebuilding of passenger cars.

"A little over three years ago we were in pretty desperate shape, physically and financially," Gunn said. "Overhauls on equipment had stopped. About a year and a half ago we started revamping cars."

Amtrak made the decision to use the long-distance Empire Builder to debut its new look. Sixty cars were upgraded in the first go-round.

"This program will continue," he said. "This year we'll do another 60 cars. This train [Empire Builder] is a prototype of what we want to do with our transcontinental trains."

Some of the renovations went deep, gutting the sleeper cars and rebuilding them with new designs and better restroom and shower facilities. In the lounge car, seat groupings were rearranged and new drink tables were positioned between the seats. Dining tables and booths have been added to one end. The interiors of the coach and dining cars also were refurbished.

There are now perks for first-class passengers - those with sleeping cars - such as complimentary champagne as they're welcomed aboard and cookies at bedtime. On the second day of their trip, passengers are invited to attend onboard wine- and cheese-tasting events featuring Wisconsin and Minnesota cheeses and Washington state wines.

Amtrak's culinary team has re-created some of the Great Northern Railway's original recipes, adding entrees such as braised salmon shank, beefsteak pot pie and baked ham.

Coach passengers get better service, too, including at-seat food and beverage service and an upstairs snack bar. Passengers can check out a variety of board games starting this month.

"It's all an attempt to make the train viable," said Gunn, who was dressed incognito in faded black jeans, a plaid shirt and green wool socks for his cross-country trip.

Amtrak's long-distance trains - the Empire Builder often at the top of the list - have been targeted by congressional and administration budget-cutters for years, but Gunn defends the need for both the Empire Builder and public transportation in general.

"At a half-million riders a year, this is not an empty train. This is a very busy train," Gunn said.

Transportation, he continued, is a government function "whether we like it or not." He pointed to federal subsidies of airlines and federal highways, adding "sometimes the airlines are in more trouble than we are."

Amtrak's financial troubles have plagued the rail service for most of the 35 years the company has been in business. This year it came closer than ever to meeting its demise, however, when the Bush administration proposed cutting all Amtrak funding.

As an alternative to keep the railroad alive, federal Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta proposed a cost-share program in which the federal government and participating states would split funding responsibility 50-50, giving states more input in shaping efficient rail systems that meet their respective needs.

A bipartisan effort from Congress pushed aside Mineta's plan, with the House and Senate negotiating a passenger rail budget that would give Amtrak just over $1 billion, well short of the $1.8 billion Amtrak requested to keep its current level of service.

"I think we'll do all right with Congress, and it's because of the local support we've had," Gunn said. "People in Washington get very Washington-centric, but we've had such support from across the Hi-Line, and it's support for a service you need. Try flying into Cut Bank."

Mineta, however, has long maintained that Amtrak isn't worth the $30 billion the federal government has poured into it. The Empire Builder lost more than $8 million last year, while Amtrak operated at a loss nationwide of $75 million.

Gunn has been at the helm of the company since May 2002, bringing more than 40 years of varied transit experience to the table. Under his direction, more than 5,000 employees have been trimmed from the company.

"I tend to be a traditional railroad manager, and I've tried to restore fiscal responsibility," he said.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com