I'll never forget my first overnight train trip in October 2021.
I took an Amtrak Viewliner train from my home in New York City to Miami and spent the 30-hour ride in a roomette — a 20-square-foot private cabin — for $500.
After spending the next three years sampling sleeper trains in Europe, I took another long-haul Amtrak journey from Denver to Salt Lake City in January. This ride was on a Superliner train, and it was only 15 hours.
I booked the same accommodation — a roomette for $400 — which had the same basic layout with a couple of differences.
Overall, the second roomette had modern updates, making my train ride more comfortable.
Amtrak sleeper trains from east to west
Amtrak's Viewliner fleet takes overnight riders through the eastern and southern US, and the train line's Superliner fleet carries passengers west of Chicago and New Orleans.
The main difference between the two fleets is size. The Viewliner is a one-story train, while the Superliner is two stories and includes an additional communal car on the top floor for sightseeing.
Amtrak is updating the roughly 30-to-50-year-old Superliner cars, and about 76% of the fleet has already been refreshed, including the train I took, an Amtrak spokesman, Marc Magliari, told Business Insider.
The Viewliners are a bit newer than the Superliner cars — the first Viewliner train was delivered in the late '90s, according to Magliari. Still, he said many of the one-story trains would also get an interior update in 2026.
Viewliner vs. Superliner roomettes
Before we get into the upgrades, there's a notable difference between the roomettes on these two trains.
Both roomettes sleep up to two people, with two chairs forming a lower bunk and another pulling down from the ceiling. They both also have mirrors, small closets, and pullout tables.
Some Viewliner roomettes also squeeze in a toilet, and they all include a sink, so travelers don't have to use the shared bathrooms in the car.
The Superliner roomettes don't have plumbing, so guests must use the shared bathrooms.
Fresh seat cushions
The most important upgrade to me was the seats.
When I stepped inside the Superliner roomette, I immediately noticed the seats looked like they'd never been used.
I'm sure that's not true, but I didn't find one sign of wear or crust of dirt on either seat. Sitting in one for the first time felt like sampling a recliner at a furniture store.
Magliari told BI that the old blue cloth seats had been replaced with soft vinyl.
"The seats have the same frame, but the cushions are new. And there's more lumbar support in this current seat cushion design than the old seat cushion design," he said. "If you see gray, vinyl seating, then you know that you are in a fresh room."
A comfy seat makes a cozy bed
My upper bunk on the Viewliner felt like a cot, and my lower bunk on the Superliner felt more like a mattress.
I selected the upper bunk in the Viewliner roomette because I'd never been on an overnight train before, and sleeping up top felt more adventurous.
It kind of was — but not in a good way. The suspended bunk shook throughout the night from the turbulence of the train. I couldn't find a comfortable position on the stiff mattress and tossed and turned through the night.
I haven't slept on a train's top bunk since, but being on the ground wasn't the only thing that made the Superliner bunk feel more like a bed. The reclined seat cushions had a bit more give to them, and the soft vinyl felt smoother on my skin.
Seeing the difference in comfort after four years got me stoked about the future of overnight Amtrak travel.
In the future, you'll catch me on an upgraded Viewliner.
