# Snack cars on Amtrak **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 12, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935 "2010-10-12T23:34:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/1 "2010-10-12T23:34:59Z")
My folks are visiting from Ohio via the Amtrak. The way these trains are scheduled, they leave at 1:00 AM. I know the dining car will be closed for a large part of the trip. But I was under the impression that the trains have a snack/bar car that will be open all night. Is that the case or does the bar car close as well if they need to get up and grab a quick bite and drink? ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/2 "2010-10-13T00:08:06Z")
In my experience the snack bars usually close around midnight. It’s better to bring one’s own food, though, especially if the dining car will not be open. Except for the cheese and cracker platter, pretty much everything offered at the snack bar is pretty foul. Think along the lines of microwaveable sandwiches available at gas stations. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/3 "2010-10-13T00:11:04Z")
The cafe car should be open if they want coffee or something like that, or at least, I’ve taken the Northeast Corridor out of Washington DC at 3:45 am, and they’re open then. Here’s the snack car menu as of last year, in case you’re interested in the kind of things it has: > **[On Track On Line - Amtrak Tips - Snack Bar Menus](http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amthints-menus.shtml#lds)** > > Trains Community - On Track On Line provides information about Rail Travel and all facets of the hobbies of railroading and trains. That being said, though, I agree with **teletype**. They should bring their own food if they can. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/4 "2010-10-13T01:00:41Z")
> [@teletype](#): > > In my experience the snack bars usually close around midnight. It’s better to bring one’s own food, though, especially if the dining car will not be open. Except for the cheese and cracker platter, pretty much everything offered at the snack bar is pretty foul. Think along the lines of microwaveable sandwiches available at gas stations. It’s also heavily overpriced. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/5 "2010-10-13T02:01:54Z")
Isn’t Amtrak required by law to make a profit on food sales (in contrast to the old private railways that always treated foodservice as a loss leader)? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/6 "2010-10-13T03:30:39Z")
I’ve never known an Amtrak snack bar to be open past midnight. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/7 "2010-10-13T03:32:30Z")
Yeah, just have them pack some snacks, and for sure some bottled water. (Will they really need something to eat at 1 am?) ---
**Author:** ![Neptunian\_Slug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce7236/32.png) [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/8 "2010-10-13T08:35:57Z")
Don’t know if they will need something at 1:00 AM. But they might need something at 6:00 AM. Since Dad is in a wheelchair, I prefer not to have mom carry a bunch of crap on board in addition to toiletries etc. But if the snack car isn’t open, they will have to figure that part out. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/9 "2010-10-13T10:09:37Z")
Ah. Well, the wheelchair may well get them some extra help. No personal experience with this, but on my recent Amtrak trip I noticed Amtrak staff going above and beyond for people with disabilities. Even when I was in the snack car (around 4 pm), an Amtrak staffer butted to the front of the line with purchases for passengers (she had several different credit cards). Nobody seemed to mind . . . really, it’s not like we had someplace else to be. 🙂 I suspect they would also give your mom and dad extra help with baggage. When I travel by train (so far it’s been for only a 3-4-day trip), I have my regular roller bag with clothes/toiletries for when I “get there” and a “train bag” with small blanket, iPod, books, snacks, extra socks, hand sanitizer, earplugs, and other comfort items for on the train. Plus my laptop bag, which takes the place of my purse. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snack-cars-on-amtrak/556935/10 "2010-10-13T12:36:16Z")
> [@Scarlett67](#): > > Yeah, just have them pack some snacks, and for sure some bottled water. (Will they really need something to eat at 1 am?) There’s always a drinking water spigot at the end of the car, so they don’t need to bring water (though bringing a bottle would make things easier, particularly to carry it back to Dad).