Business: This Is a Railroad?

AMTRAK, the federal corporation that took over operation of the nation’s intercity passenger trains last May, opened its career by dumping some 200 trains. Now it plans a more welcome surprise. Beginning in mid January, the dwindling band of passengers on trains linking Boston, New York, Washington and Florida will see such strange sights as engineers wearing blue bush jackets with brass buttons and ticket sellers resplendent in double-breasted red vests, white visors and multicolored sleeve garters, looking as if they should be dealing out chips at a poker table. Male travelers will be diverted by 24 to 50 “passenger representatives” (Amtrak will not call them stewardesses) wearing a variety of outfits: side-slit red gowns over blue panty hose, skirts and cardigans, red hot pants. The young women are being trained for Amtrak by Continental Airlines.

The new look, which Amtrak eventually plans to spread nationwide, is part of a campaign to make train travel comfortable and interesting again. Some earlier and more substantive improvements: easier to read timetables, and an experimental fare cut between New York and Boston.