EWR shut down for the summer - Amtrak booking

Hello

I am flying out of Newark in June and I was looking at AMTRAK dates. However,

AirTrain Newark will be replaced by buses for critical repair work.

The Airport Rail Station connecting to NJ Transit and Amtrak will be closed throughout the service suspension. Bus service will be available from Newark Penn Station. Regular ticket fees will apply for service between the airport and Newark Penn Station. Customers using the shuttle bus service are strongly urged to allow extra travel time and be prepared for possible delays.

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Amtrak website reflects that in this way:



So quite clearly, they already have the schedule reflecting this and shuttle buses there with a transfer. However, it doesn't reflect all of the trains that stop in Newark. There is a lot more of Keystones that will stop at Newark Penn Station that are not here. Anybody have any idea why that is and if it might be fixed? I would like to get a different time train that will stop in Penn Station and I'd like to have the same ticket for everything rather than have to buy a separate one in Penn Station, but Amtrak's system doesn't sell a combined trip for that time.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the Shuttle bus is not supposed to take 50 minutes like Amtrak suggests - at least according to what I found on the web!

If you want to go to Newark Penn, book to NWK, not EWR.

But don't expect to get a bus ride unless you book to EWR.

As I said, I am flying out of EWR, and I want to take AMTRAK there. And booking to EWR will get you to get off at Newark Penn and then the bus to the airport. So why not make it possible for every train stopping at Newark to be bookable to EWR? Is it possible that it will become an option? Because the current system which I showed in the screenshot does not make sense.

If you want more options book to NWK, and just pay the Airtrain(Replacement Bus) fare on the bus. The busses will be running continusioally just as the Airtrain does. Booking to EWR, the Airtrain fee is included in your total train fare and the buses displayed are just place holders in the reservation system. When you get to NWK you board the next available bus to the airport. Show your Amtrak paper ticket or eticket on your smart phone to the bus driver, and your off to the terminal. Everyone: Amtrak/NJ Transit/PATH riders will all be using the same busses.

Barciur said:

So why not make it possible for every train stopping at Newark to be bookable to EWR?

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Because not every Keystone train stops at EWR, and the bus was only added for trains that do?

RyanS said:

Barciur said:

So why not make it possible for every train stopping at Newark to be bookable to EWR?

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Because not every Keystone train stops at EWR, and the bus was only added for trains that do?

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The correct answer is that it would be far too complicated to program Amtrak's website to handle this added functionality for a project of a relatively

limited duration. But you're absolutely right, it would definitely make sense to do that. I think our guest's suggestion is the best option here.

RyanS said:

Barciur said:

So why not make it possible for every train stopping at Newark to be bookable to EWR?

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Because not every Keystone train stops at EWR, and the bus was only added for trains that do?

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Yeah, but it'd be a convenient thing to do since the bus is there for everybody. But as fairviewroad said, it might be too complicate to program this for 2.5 months, and it probably doesn't change much - I'll just get an extra ticket there and my AMTRAK fare will not include it. Thanks anyhow.

Why not save yourself a good deal of money and take a NJCL or NEC NJ Transit train?

Green Maned Lion said:

Why not save yourself a good deal of money and take a NJCL or NEC NJ Transit train?

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I'm not exactly sure what part of the trip you're talking about?

Also, Amtrak's blocked bookings for NYP-EWR and connections through NYP (such as from the Empire Corridor) to EWR during the duration of the service change.

During the planned work on the Newark airport airtrain from May until August, the EWR NJ Transit and Amtrak station is closed. The only two transit options to get there

are the special EWR replacement airport bus loading from the Newark Penn station which will charge the $5 airport surcharge fee or the regular NJ Transit # 62 bus for $ 1.50.

NJ Transit or Amtrak tickets to and from EWR during this period include the $ 5 fee and require the bus transfer at NWK station. Or you can just purchase your ticket to NWK and either ride the #62 or buy the $5 ticket for the airport bus at NWK station.

fairviewroad said:

The correct answer is that it would be far too complicated to program Amtrak's website to handle this added functionality for a project of a relatively limited duration.

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Well, if one wants to be technically accurate, it has nothing to do with programming the website. Rather, it has to do with programming Arrow, and yes, there would be a lot of manual work involved in setting up every connection for every train, including the various special day exceptions that each train/bus pair does and doesn't run.

Don't let pesky things like "facts" and "logic" get in the way of things. Amtrak should just wave a magic wand and make everything all better.

Green Maned Lion said:

Why not save yourself a good deal of money and take a NJCL or NEC NJ Transit train?

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Probably because neither of those routes serve LNC. Yes, he could take Amtrak to PHL and

then do the Trenton Shuffle, but the savings is minimal compared to the added time and hassle.

Anyhow, another argument for booking to NWK is the possibility that the shuttle bus driver won't

collect tickets or check ticket stubs. So you might end up with a free ride, especially during busy

periods with peak boarding.

Why are we advocating for dishonesty on this forum?

Green Maned Lion said:

Why are we advocating for dishonesty on this forum?

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Spare me.

How is it dishonest if someone boards a shuttle bus prepared to pay the fare and the shuttle bus driver neglects to collect the

fare due to laziness/sloppiness? Anyhow, it was just a possible scenario. Since this shuttle bus connection doesn't normally

operate, we don't know how the fare collection will happen. If it's a "proof-of-payment" system then obviously I wouldn't advocate

for someone to try to intentionally evade the fare.

Making decisions on how to travel based upon probability of being able to evade the fare is inherently dishonest.