Hello Reader,

Welcome back! This week, new menus, an option to store luggage when you travel, and more.

Updates to the Flex Menus

While updating something else, I noticed that Amtrak recently updated its Flex Dining menus. These meals are currently offered on the Cardinal, City of New Orleans, Crescent, Lake Shore Limited, and Texas Eagle. If you want to check them out, take a look at my Flex Dining Page, where I have them available for you.

There are rumors that traditional dining may be coming to the Lake Shore Limited and the Crescent this summer, but nothing has been confirmed yet. However, those two trains are next in line to receive it, based on past plans.

I don’t expect traditional dining to return to the City of New Orleans or the Cardinal. That said, Flex Dining is still a big improvement over what the City of New Orleans used to offer. Since I started riding long-distance Amtrak routes, these two trains have never had traditional dining onboard.

March 2025 Amtrak Long-Distance Train On-Time Performance

This week, Amtrak posted their March 2025 on-time performance data, and I updated my page to make the Amtrak Long-Distance Train On-Time Performance easier to read.

Have you heard of Bounce?

Have you ever visited a city and wanted to avoid dragging your luggage around with you? Bounce might be an option for you.

I haven’t used this service myself, so this isn’t an endorsement—just something I heard from Jacob the Carpetbagger. He used it in his last visit to Chicago and it seemed to go wll. It sounds like a handy idea, and I’m curious if you’ve tried it or used something similar.

Of course, Bounce isn’t your only option. You can usually ask your hotel, motel, or hostel to hold your luggage for a few hours after checkout. Additionally, if you’re traveling through a staffed Amtrak station, many offer luggage storage for a small fee.

What has Kev been up to?

Depending on when you read this, I might be on a train, between trains, waiting somewhere, in the air, or already in Florida. I'm heading to Tampa to help with some projects for Radiant Life Health Solutions before spending a few days at my sister’s place. Eventually, I’ll be bringing my parents back home—they’ve been enjoying an extended stay with her.

This past week was both busy and a little emotional.

As a church organist, Holy Week is always intense—it’s like cramming a month’s worth of work into just one week. On top of that, the 19th marked what would have been my late pup’s 10th birthday. It’s been 10 months since she passed, and I still miss her deeply.

Photos: Me preparing for Good Friday and Abby when she was younger at her favorite place, the local brewery.

I’m really looking forward to seeing my niece and nephews, my sister and her husband, and of course, my folks. The twins are in that fun (and sometimes wild) toddler stage, and they love spending time with their uncle. Mackenzie is excited to hang out too. I’m hoping she and I can start planning some fun activities for when she, the twins, and my sister come up for a summer visit.

Looking at the Markers 🚂

Thanks so much for reading this newsletter and for reaching out—it means a lot! I also want to give a big shoutout to everyone who supports my work. Your help keeps everything running and ensures these resources are here when you (and others) need them.

If you’d like to support what I do, you can visit my support page, join me on Patreon, or click the green button at the bottom of this newsletter. Every little bit truly helps!

Together, we’re inspiring more people to explore the world—one train trip at a time! 🚆✨

Until Next Week…

Happy planning and safe travels,
Kev Monteith