Variations Between Outdated and New Amtrak Roomettes on In a single day Trains

• For my first in a single day Amtrak trip in 2021, I booked a roomette on a Viewliner prepare.
• Then, in 2025, I booked a roomette on a newly upgraded Superliner prepare.
• The rooms had related layouts, however fashionable upgrades made the second trip a lot cozier.

I will always remember my first in a single day prepare journey in October 2021.

I took an Amtrak Viewliner prepare from my residence in New York Metropolis to Miami and spent the 30-hour trip in a roomette — a 20-square-foot personal cabin — for $500.

After spending the subsequent three years sampling sleeper trains in Europe, I took one other long-haul Amtrak journey from Denver to Salt Lake Metropolis in January. This trip was on a Superliner prepare, and it was solely 15 hours.

I booked the identical lodging — a roomette for $400 — which had the identical fundamental structure with a few variations.

Total, the second roomette had fashionable updates, making my prepare trip extra comfy.

Amtrak sleeper trains from east to west

Amtrak’s Viewliner fleet takes in a single day riders by means of the japanese and southern US, and the prepare line’s Superliner fleet carries passengers west of Chicago and New Orleans.

The primary distinction between the 2 fleets is dimension. The Viewliner is a one-story prepare, whereas the Superliner is 2 tales and consists of a further communal automotive on the highest flooring for sightseeing.

Amtrak is updating the roughly 30-to-50-year-old Superliner automobiles, and about 76% of the fleet has already been refreshed, together with the prepare I took, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari instructed Enterprise Insider.

The Viewliners are a bit newer than the Superliner automobiles — the primary Viewliner prepare was delivered within the late ’90s, in accordance with Magliari. Nonetheless, he stated lots of the one-story trains would additionally get an inside replace in 2026.

Viewliner vs. Superliner roomettes

Earlier than we get into the upgrades, there’s a notable distinction between the roomettes on these two trains.

Each roomettes sleep as much as two individuals, with two chairs forming a decrease bunk and one other knocking down from the ceiling. They each even have mirrors, small closets, and pullout tables.

Some Viewliner roomettes additionally squeeze in a bathroom, they usually all embrace a sink, so vacationers do not have to make use of the shared bogs within the automotive.

The Superliner roomettes do not have plumbing, so friends should use the shared bogs.

Recent seat cushions

Crucial improve to me was the seats.

Once I stepped contained in the Superliner roomette, I instantly observed the seats seemed like they’d by no means been used.

I am positive that is not true, however I did not discover one signal of wear and tear or crust of dust on both seat. Sitting in a single for the primary time felt like sampling a recliner at a furnishings retailer.

Magliari instructed BI that the outdated blue material seats had been changed with tender vinyl.

“The seats have the identical body, however the cushions are new. And there is extra lumbar assist on this present seat cushion design than the outdated seat cushion design,” he stated. “In the event you see grey, vinyl seating, then you already know that you’re in a recent room.”

A snug seat makes a comfortable mattress

My higher bunk on the Viewliner felt like a cot, and my decrease bunk on the Superliner felt extra like a mattress.

I chosen the higher bunk within the Viewliner roomette as a result of I would by no means been on an in a single day prepare earlier than, and sleeping up high felt extra adventurous.

It type of was — however not in a great way. The suspended bunk shook all through the night time from the turbulence of the prepare. I could not discover a comfy place on the stiff mattress and tossed and turned by means of the night time.

I have not slept on a prepare’s high bunk since, however being on the bottom wasn’t the one factor that made the Superliner bunk really feel extra like a mattress. The reclined seat cushions had a bit extra give to them, and the tender vinyl felt smoother on my pores and skin.

Seeing the distinction in consolation after 4 years bought me stoked about the way forward for in a single day Amtrak journey.

Sooner or later, you may catch me on an upgraded Viewliner.