Amtrak’s Auto Train from Virginia to Florida offers passengers complimentary wine and cheese, and three long-distance routes provide complimentary wine and champagne to passengers, costing Amtrak $428,000 in 2012.
The Amtrak Inspector General has confirmed that Amtrak cooked the books to cover up food service losses that now approach $1 billion.
Amtrak employees traveling on free passes consumed about $260,000 in complimentary meals.
Trains run by states in Maine and Alaska using private contractors have significantly lower labor costs than Amtrak does with its dining service employees.
The states pay $7.75 to $13 an hour, compared with $41.19 for an Amtrak employee.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-14/amtrak-serving-free-wine-to-steak-loses-millions-on-food.html