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You may have noticed some of the improvements we’ve made to our premium Northeast Corridor service, Acela Express. Others are taking notice as well—Acela Express is growing in popularity with ridership about 20 percent higher than last year. Whether it’s the nearly 90 percent on-time performance, the smooth ride or the quality of our on-board service that appeals to you, we’re pleased to have you with us today.

The improvements in the on-board experience are in large part due to the efforts of the many employees behind the Acela Express product you’ve come to rely on. Maybe you’ve already met Washington, D.C.-based conductors Randy Klein and Joanne Martin, both well-known for their friendliness and broad smiles. Or surely you’d remember Boston-based conductor Gerald Dickerson, who is famous for offering travelers new to his hometown helpful local information.

If you’re traveling in the First Class car, your journey is under the care of Washington-based employee-in-charge Moses Mojica, whose flair for personalized service has earned him a position as a mentor to attendants-in-training. You’ll also have the chance to feast upon the items in our fall/winter First Class menu created by our Culinary Advisory Team. Along with our own group of chefs, the team includes Chef Michel Richard of the Washington, D.C., restaurant Citronelle. Richard recently received the James Beard Foundation Award for 2007 Outstanding Chef and Outstanding Wine Service.

Visit the café car for a meal or a snack, and you might encounter lead service attendant Jeff Todd from our Washington crew base. In addition to ensuring that the café car is well-stocked and up and running on departure, Todd has a knack for making each passenger feel like the only person in the car.

If you’re busy working or simply don’t want to leave the comfort of your seat, we’ve expanded the number of trains aboard which we offer cart service in response to passenger demand. The service is made even more popular with the likes of New York lead service attendant Cindy Kroll, whom passengers ask for by name.

Our service doesn’t always end after you’ve reached your destination, as one grateful passenger who left his checkbook aboard a train recently learned. Our observant New York-based lead service attendant Joseph Andelfinger tracked him down to make arrangements to have it returned as quickly as possible.

These on-board service employees are just a few of Amtrak’s finest, and I hope you get to know more of them. In the coming issues of Arrive, I’ll be introducing you to some of the folks—like our mechanical and operations employees—who work behind the scenes to bring you Acela Express.

Please let the on-board crew know if we can do anything to make your trip with us today more pleasurable. Happy holidays, and thank you for choosing Amtrak.