As more and more menus are including vegan options as standard, it's time Amtrak does so too. Currently, a vegan traveler on Amtrak has to order their meals with 72 hours advanced notice. To me, this is unfair. Many travelers decide at the very last minute that they are going to take a trip, and I think vegans deserve good, convenient food like other riders get. We shouldn’t be forced to make plans so far in advance. If a vegan traveler misses the 72 hour deadline we have to make other arrangements, and even then a vegan meal is not always guaranteed. I am asking Amtrak to make vegan meals standard on their trains so we can enjoy the same traveling experience as other passengers without compromising our values.

My name is Maren Souders. I have been a vegan for 16 years. I chose to become a vegan because I care about animals and don’t want to cause them any harm. I am also an avid train-travel buff, and take train trips as often as I am able. Train travel relaxes me; I love to sit by the window and watch the scenery go by. It truly is like no other mode of travel.

A while ago, I took a trip from Salem, Oregon to San Diego, California for a short sunny getaway. I was aware, from previous trips, that the standard Amtrak dining-car menu did not offer any vegan entrees. On my last big rail adventure, I had forgotten to pre-order my meals until about 70 hours beforehand, and therefore missed the cutoff. I had to subsist on side salads, baked potatoes and snacks.

The next time around I made sure to order my meals at least 72 hours in advance. The ticketing agent assured me I would receive them. Yet, once again, when I got on board, the meals were not there waiting for me. For some reason they had not been picked up. Again I had to make do. If vegan meals were carried standard, these kind of problems wouldn’t be an issue.

More and more Americans are choosing a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. There are now over 16 million of us in the United States alone. Big name restaurants like Subway, Chipotle, and Panera are beginning to take note and offering vegan fare. I think it is time that Amtrak does the same.

Please join me and ask Amtrak to include vegan meals in their standard menu.