There are some basic improvements that would make me love Amtrak
Amtrak would be my preferred mode of long distance travel if not for a few dealbreakers.
- The room temperature control is completely useless
On a few trips I've taken for both a roomette and full sized room the temperature knob was useless. As someone who cannot sleep when it's hot, I didn't get a single ounce of sleep. The next day I had to drive 6 hours home and was beyond miserable. I can't imagine ever doing a longer distance trip, I think I would have serious issues. I know compartment HVAC is difficult but it could be vastly improved. Even if its just improving the fan pressure and making the air stream operate at the actual desired temperature. This is my #1 dealbreaker.
- Lack of stable internet
This one will undoubtably have its own fanbase as there are people who like the lack of internet. That's fine no judgment either way. You can turn off your phones and devices, but having the ability to access internet is important for some. A long distance trip is enjoyed differently by different people. As an introvert, I would love the idea of doing remote work while staring out at views (while others enjoy a book). This is an even easier problem to fix via starlinks for each cabin. They run quite cheap and will provide high speed connectivity for most trips in the United States. Amtrak released a video claiming an impending improvement to internet connectivity to newer trains but it's truly headscratching because they hinted it will be improved networking on the same technology instead of satellite internet. It makes no sense. It's more difficult to maintain, more expensive, and provides less service. I truly have no idea who is in charge at Amtrak to have such a massive oversight in the big year of 2026.
And that's truly it. The room temperature is the dealbreaker as a temperature-based sleeper. I know there are significant subset of people like this (either hot or cold). There are also a major subset of workers that can't afford to go long distance without internet. It just seems like Amtrak is absolutely destroying their own base of ticket buyers. They truly have no idea how many more tickets they would sell if they made some basic improvements to these outdated cabins.