fair28
Train Attendant
I booked this trip over a month ago via the AMTRAK website and the entire experience was mostly positive. Booking was easy. I’ve traveled quite a bit and been on just about every mode of transportation there is, but this is my first exposure to LD train travel via AMTRAK. I had to change the dates at one point to a later time period and that was fairly easy too, no hassles, no extra re-booking fees, much easier than airline re-booking. Chalk one up for AMTRAK. I have a smartphone, but, chose to print my ticket anyway. I had the phone with me in case I happened to lose or damage the printed copy. I'm old fashioned in some ways...
This trip was in two legs, the NE regional train 66 from NPN to NYP, and the Maple Leaf train 63 from NYP to ROC.
Boarding at NPN was hassle free, the attendant was courteous and pointed out where the entrance for business class was and where and how to board the car. First exposure to onboard service was positive. Chalk another one up for AMTRAK. So far so good. I’ve read quite a bit of positive and negative reviews and comments and still I wanted my experience to be based solely on MY experience, so I went in with an open mind despite everything I’ve read.
Seats were comfortable and I had enough room for myself and my stuff. I carried two bags with me, I was traveling light and didn’t need to check anything. Having 120 volts at my seat was nice too. The upgrade to business was worth the extra cash. Train left on time I was now set for the 8.5 hour transit to NYC. I took advantage of the onboard WIFI and did a little work and checked all my emails and facebook before heading to the café car for a snack and some coffee. The business class seats share space with the café car, so the walk was short. The attendant again was courteous. Having the beverage including in the price is nice too. Again, if you’re not sure if the upgrade to business is worth it, in my opinion it absolutely is. The onboard WIFI is fine for low-bandwidth apps like email, but, if you want to watch a movie, bring your own. I’d read this too on another forum, so I loaded up my laptop and brought a couple of DVDs.
The best word I can use for the train and cars is old. Not necessarily old and tired, but, old. The cars are in good shape, but just look like they’ve been around a while. The floor was clean and the seats were spotless, but, looked like they’ve been sat in a few times. Despite the age, still the experience was positive for me. I’ve read exactly that from several reviewers and I have to agree. I know budgets have been cut over the years and AMTRAK is not high on the list of priorities for Washington, but, even a conservative like me believes that maybe AMTRAK needs some help. Even a public/private hybrid like AMTRAK still needs support from the government.
The stations that I saw along this route are also best described as old AND tired. NPN was small and the parking was minimal. My daughter-in-law was dropping me off and there was no place for her to park her SUV, all the spots were taken. No matter, the train was already there, so I said my goodbyes and headed for the platform, after she dropped me at the front door. Departed on time.
There was a short layover in DC as we changed engines (from diesel to electric I’m guessing), I’m sure someone who knows will comment on that. I didn’t exit the train at this time, no need. I quit smoking years ago and didn’t need to stretch at all at this point. Left DC slightly behind schedule and had an uneventful transit to NYC. Again passing through several stations both active and inactive and they all looked like they needed some upgrades. Not much to see along this route at night, so I took this opportunity to get some sleep. Quiet in the business car, no loud snoring, so that too was a pleasant experience. Another reason for upgrading to business too. Be sure to bring a small pillow and blanket with you, you will need them.
Arrival in NYC (NYP station) was slightly behind schedule, but, that was fine. I took the escalator up to the station waiting area and took a quick scan of what was open at that time. I had a couple of hours to wait before my connection so I thought I’d check out what was there. I thought about taking a walk through the city, but, decided against that on this trip. Next time possibly. I’ve been to NY a few times and know what it looks like at night. I found the AMTRAK waiting room, and they do check if you’re an ACTUAL passenger before letting you in. I was not all worried or nervous about waiting or even sleeping in this area. Overnight, the AMTRAK waiting room is shared with NJ transit, so, the place was packed with sleeping people. If loud snoring is a problem for anyone, bring earplugs. There was one guy snoring so loud, I thought the roof was going to blow off. I had to move as far away from him as I could. I availed myself of the blanket and pillow I brought and took a nap. The announcements are loud enough to wake the dead, so I had no worries that I’d miss my connection at 7am. At 5am, the AMTRAK police (rather intimidating looking guys actually) woke everyone up who was sleeping to verify they were an AMTRAK passenger, evicting any remaining NJ transit people. The separate NJ waiting area opens again at 5am. They did not accost me at all or ask for any verification. They did ask me if I was an AMTRAK customer, but, did not ask to see a ticket. Don’t know if that’s good or bad. Verification doesn’t bother me as long as it’s done politely.
NYP is another place that might be due for some work too. The overall look was old. The waiting room seats are fine for sitting for a short period, but, I had a long wait, so I wanted to catch some sleep. I placed my bags on the seat next to me and put my pillow on top and was able to sleep a little. I’ve had plenty of experience sleeping in loud or uncomfortable places, so I was actually able to sleep. Be aware if you ever need to wait overnight there, the experience may not be pleasant if you’re not prepared for it.
Just after 7, there was a cattle call for the Maple Leaf. The boarding experience this time can best be described as organized chaos. I read a review recently about another rider’s experience on this line and his experience was the same as mine. This train carries people who need documentation to enter Canada as well as domestic travelers. After finding the gate, the attendant guided me to the second of two lines. The first was for travelers going to either Albany or into Canada. Not quite sure why Albany was in that line, possibly someone else will comment on that. The Canadian travelers I understand, because they needed travel docs to enter Canada. The lines moved quick though and I asked when reaching the platform where the business entrance was and it was at the end of the train. Boarded and found a seat in the FULL business car. I plugged in my laptop and phone and was ready to the trip. Pulled out a couple of minutes behind schedule, but, still fairly on time. Even with the separate lines and organized chaos, the procedures worked well and we all made it on board. The reps were polite and knew what they were doing, possibly a few had worked for Disney. Disney knows how to move people. If I do this again, I’ll know to be in line earlier than I was, I waited for the announcement, appears regular travelers knew ahead of time where to be and when. I wasn’t concerned though, I knew I had a seat and I’m not particular where I sit or if I have to sit with someone else.
This leg was in daylight and I saw quite a bit. Quite a bit of decay. Saw plenty of abandoned factories and whole ghost towns along the route. Arriving in Albany, we had an engine change and a short layover. I did get off this time. I took a few pictures as it was fairly sunny out. On board service again was pleasant and helpful, in fact everyone I had any interaction with was pleasant and friendly. The rest of this leg was uneventful and arrival in ROC was about 10 minutes behind schedule (at one point we had to wait for a CSX freight to pass and that delayed us a few minutes). One of my sons was picking me up at ROC, so I alerted him when we were about 20 minutes out of my pending arrival.
The café car was basically the same as on the last leg, decent variety of things, prices not exactly low, but, not outrageous. Having beer, wine and spirits available is nice, though I didn’t partake this trip. Next trip possibly. Next time out, I may take another poster’s advice and take the NE regional all the way to Boston, then take the Lakeshore limited to ROC instead and have dinner in the Diner car. I’d like to give that a try too.
I’d read a few negative comments about the restrooms onboard and I’ll both agree and disagree with those. I wasn’t expecting a spotless restroom , and it wasn’t, but, not awful either. There was a definite odor, but, it wasn’t overpowering and was bearable. I, like most others I’m sure want to spend as little time as possible in that space anyway.
Overall, the experience was good, I would definitely do this again. I’m hooked, I like train travel and I like AMTRAK in general. If you’re in a hurry, this is not the mode of travel for you, but, if you have time, train travel is the way to go.
This trip was in two legs, the NE regional train 66 from NPN to NYP, and the Maple Leaf train 63 from NYP to ROC.
Boarding at NPN was hassle free, the attendant was courteous and pointed out where the entrance for business class was and where and how to board the car. First exposure to onboard service was positive. Chalk another one up for AMTRAK. So far so good. I’ve read quite a bit of positive and negative reviews and comments and still I wanted my experience to be based solely on MY experience, so I went in with an open mind despite everything I’ve read.
Seats were comfortable and I had enough room for myself and my stuff. I carried two bags with me, I was traveling light and didn’t need to check anything. Having 120 volts at my seat was nice too. The upgrade to business was worth the extra cash. Train left on time I was now set for the 8.5 hour transit to NYC. I took advantage of the onboard WIFI and did a little work and checked all my emails and facebook before heading to the café car for a snack and some coffee. The business class seats share space with the café car, so the walk was short. The attendant again was courteous. Having the beverage including in the price is nice too. Again, if you’re not sure if the upgrade to business is worth it, in my opinion it absolutely is. The onboard WIFI is fine for low-bandwidth apps like email, but, if you want to watch a movie, bring your own. I’d read this too on another forum, so I loaded up my laptop and brought a couple of DVDs.
The best word I can use for the train and cars is old. Not necessarily old and tired, but, old. The cars are in good shape, but just look like they’ve been around a while. The floor was clean and the seats were spotless, but, looked like they’ve been sat in a few times. Despite the age, still the experience was positive for me. I’ve read exactly that from several reviewers and I have to agree. I know budgets have been cut over the years and AMTRAK is not high on the list of priorities for Washington, but, even a conservative like me believes that maybe AMTRAK needs some help. Even a public/private hybrid like AMTRAK still needs support from the government.
The stations that I saw along this route are also best described as old AND tired. NPN was small and the parking was minimal. My daughter-in-law was dropping me off and there was no place for her to park her SUV, all the spots were taken. No matter, the train was already there, so I said my goodbyes and headed for the platform, after she dropped me at the front door. Departed on time.
There was a short layover in DC as we changed engines (from diesel to electric I’m guessing), I’m sure someone who knows will comment on that. I didn’t exit the train at this time, no need. I quit smoking years ago and didn’t need to stretch at all at this point. Left DC slightly behind schedule and had an uneventful transit to NYC. Again passing through several stations both active and inactive and they all looked like they needed some upgrades. Not much to see along this route at night, so I took this opportunity to get some sleep. Quiet in the business car, no loud snoring, so that too was a pleasant experience. Another reason for upgrading to business too. Be sure to bring a small pillow and blanket with you, you will need them.
Arrival in NYC (NYP station) was slightly behind schedule, but, that was fine. I took the escalator up to the station waiting area and took a quick scan of what was open at that time. I had a couple of hours to wait before my connection so I thought I’d check out what was there. I thought about taking a walk through the city, but, decided against that on this trip. Next time possibly. I’ve been to NY a few times and know what it looks like at night. I found the AMTRAK waiting room, and they do check if you’re an ACTUAL passenger before letting you in. I was not all worried or nervous about waiting or even sleeping in this area. Overnight, the AMTRAK waiting room is shared with NJ transit, so, the place was packed with sleeping people. If loud snoring is a problem for anyone, bring earplugs. There was one guy snoring so loud, I thought the roof was going to blow off. I had to move as far away from him as I could. I availed myself of the blanket and pillow I brought and took a nap. The announcements are loud enough to wake the dead, so I had no worries that I’d miss my connection at 7am. At 5am, the AMTRAK police (rather intimidating looking guys actually) woke everyone up who was sleeping to verify they were an AMTRAK passenger, evicting any remaining NJ transit people. The separate NJ waiting area opens again at 5am. They did not accost me at all or ask for any verification. They did ask me if I was an AMTRAK customer, but, did not ask to see a ticket. Don’t know if that’s good or bad. Verification doesn’t bother me as long as it’s done politely.
NYP is another place that might be due for some work too. The overall look was old. The waiting room seats are fine for sitting for a short period, but, I had a long wait, so I wanted to catch some sleep. I placed my bags on the seat next to me and put my pillow on top and was able to sleep a little. I’ve had plenty of experience sleeping in loud or uncomfortable places, so I was actually able to sleep. Be aware if you ever need to wait overnight there, the experience may not be pleasant if you’re not prepared for it.
Just after 7, there was a cattle call for the Maple Leaf. The boarding experience this time can best be described as organized chaos. I read a review recently about another rider’s experience on this line and his experience was the same as mine. This train carries people who need documentation to enter Canada as well as domestic travelers. After finding the gate, the attendant guided me to the second of two lines. The first was for travelers going to either Albany or into Canada. Not quite sure why Albany was in that line, possibly someone else will comment on that. The Canadian travelers I understand, because they needed travel docs to enter Canada. The lines moved quick though and I asked when reaching the platform where the business entrance was and it was at the end of the train. Boarded and found a seat in the FULL business car. I plugged in my laptop and phone and was ready to the trip. Pulled out a couple of minutes behind schedule, but, still fairly on time. Even with the separate lines and organized chaos, the procedures worked well and we all made it on board. The reps were polite and knew what they were doing, possibly a few had worked for Disney. Disney knows how to move people. If I do this again, I’ll know to be in line earlier than I was, I waited for the announcement, appears regular travelers knew ahead of time where to be and when. I wasn’t concerned though, I knew I had a seat and I’m not particular where I sit or if I have to sit with someone else.
This leg was in daylight and I saw quite a bit. Quite a bit of decay. Saw plenty of abandoned factories and whole ghost towns along the route. Arriving in Albany, we had an engine change and a short layover. I did get off this time. I took a few pictures as it was fairly sunny out. On board service again was pleasant and helpful, in fact everyone I had any interaction with was pleasant and friendly. The rest of this leg was uneventful and arrival in ROC was about 10 minutes behind schedule (at one point we had to wait for a CSX freight to pass and that delayed us a few minutes). One of my sons was picking me up at ROC, so I alerted him when we were about 20 minutes out of my pending arrival.
The café car was basically the same as on the last leg, decent variety of things, prices not exactly low, but, not outrageous. Having beer, wine and spirits available is nice, though I didn’t partake this trip. Next trip possibly. Next time out, I may take another poster’s advice and take the NE regional all the way to Boston, then take the Lakeshore limited to ROC instead and have dinner in the Diner car. I’d like to give that a try too.
I’d read a few negative comments about the restrooms onboard and I’ll both agree and disagree with those. I wasn’t expecting a spotless restroom , and it wasn’t, but, not awful either. There was a definite odor, but, it wasn’t overpowering and was bearable. I, like most others I’m sure want to spend as little time as possible in that space anyway.
Overall, the experience was good, I would definitely do this again. I’m hooked, I like train travel and I like AMTRAK in general. If you’re in a hurry, this is not the mode of travel for you, but, if you have time, train travel is the way to go.
