New York Penn Station passengers lining up early

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Joined
Apr 17, 2018
Messages
40
Location
Massachusetts
In my several years traveling through NYP, I've noticed passengers often start lining up ahead of track announcements. I know there are small monitors that give tracks slightly in advance, however I was watching one of these smaller monitors last year & people still started lining up even before a track came on the small monitors. There was no announcement made for the track.

Am I missing something or is my mind reading simply not working?
 
If the train goes THRU (like BOS-WAS), you can check the arrival board for the track number since most likely it will depart on the same track it arrives on. However, this is not possible if it STARTS at NYP (such as NYP-WAS).

Also, you can not assume it will be the same track as yesterday at NYP. It is determined based on what track is available at that time. It could be track 9 today, track 12 tomorrow, track 11 the next day, etc... The only tracks for certain are for any train going thru ALB and NYS will depart from tracks 5-8. Those are the only ones that connect to the Westside Connection.
 
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They give the track earlier than listed even on the downstairs board in Club Acela and they tell people they can start lining up at the gate. I just assume that when people start lining up, others notice, ask, and line up behind them.
 
Or...if you happen to have a scanner, you can sometimes hear them advise the redcaps of the track number in advance, on a station services frequency...
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Or...if you happen to have a scanner, you can sometimes hear them advise the redcaps of the track number in advance, on a station services frequency...
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Or just be standing near a employee who has a radio and hear the track number. Seem to work every time, that I am catching a Sliver service.
 
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Or...if you happen to have a scanner, you can sometimes hear them advise the redcaps of the track number in advance, on a station services frequency...
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Or just be standing near a employee who has a radio and hear the track number. Seem to work every time, that I am catching a Sliver service.
Yes...that'l work, too...just be sure not to give one the impression you are "stalking" them...
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They give the track earlier than listed even on the downstairs board in Club Acela and they tell people they can start lining up at the gate.
Probably the best part of ClubAcela.
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Though, typically when I am in the ClubAcela, I am traveling Sleeper class, and Sleeper class passengers are allow to bypass/skip the line (I assume because the line is for coach).
 
Though, typically when I am in the ClubAcela, I am traveling Sleeper class, and Sleeper class passengers are allow to bypass/skip the line (I assume because the line is for coach).
Sleeper passengers are allowed to cut in front of coach (
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), but bear in mind that plenty sleeper pax don't even bother using the lounge, and are a bit "late to the party". So while any sleeper passenger can bypass coach, those in ClubAcela get a jump on everyone else.
 
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For the most part, it is actually less important for sleeper passengers to get downstairs earlier since they have assigned space and are not contending for "better" seats.
On LD trains, coach seats are assigned, right? So there wouldn't be any real point in getting down there first. I just like to get down there quickly so I can get settled in my roomette before we get moving.
 
For the most part, it is actually less important for sleeper passengers to get downstairs earlier since they have assigned space and are not contending for "better" seats.
On LD trains, coach seats are assigned, right? So there wouldn't be any real point in getting down there first. I just like to get down there quickly so I can get settled in my roomette before we get moving.
No, not all trains have assigned seats. At least not at the start point. Further down the line they start assigning seats. I've boarded the LSL in NYP and was only told which car to sit in. Same for the Cardinal when boarding in WIL.
 
If I'm travelling with my kids, I'll use the redcap at penn, for no other reason then to avoid that madness (unless I have a pass, or sleeper ticket).

Though I often find that WAS is worse. Sure, the station is large and wonderful, but they have everyone funnel through a tiny door, with pushing and shoving. And the ClubAcela agents usually do not preboard on non-acela trains. So.... typically I'll redcap as well. They all get tips
 
Though I often find that WAS is worse. Sure, the station is large and wonderful, but they have everyone funnel through a tiny door, with pushing and shoving. And the ClubAcela agents usually do not preboard on non-acela trains. So.... typically I'll redcap as well. They all get tips
I've given up using ClubAcela at WAS when I'm leaving on a regional train (I finally reached Select Plus 2 yrs ago) as they NEVER announce regional trains. All the other lounges on the NEC DO announce them. So why are they so special??? I simply get in the 'preferred' line when the gate is posted and get on early to get the seat of my choice.
 
In my limited experience, most but not all trains departing NYP allow passengers to choose their seats. When I have boarded there in the past, the Northeast Regional, Lake Shore Limited, and Pennsylvanian did not assign seats, but the Silver Star did.
 
Though I often find that WAS is worse. Sure, the station is large and wonderful, but they have everyone funnel through a tiny door, with pushing and shoving. And the ClubAcela agents usually do not preboard on non-acela trains. So.... typically I'll redcap as well. They all get tips
I've given up using ClubAcela at WAS when I'm leaving on a regional train (I finally reached Select Plus 2 yrs ago) as they NEVER announce regional trains. All the other lounges on the NEC DO announce them. So why are they so special??? I simply get in the 'preferred' line when the gate is posted and get on early to get the seat of my choice.
I, for one, am a frequent user of the Club Acela in WAS for Regional trains. Aside from the fact that it's quieter than the station and the seats are more comfortable, if you keep an eye on the departure board, you have no problem boarding early. To be sure, this applies only for trains leaving from the upper level (gates B-F), as they make you go outside and deal with the crowd for trains leaving from gates H-K. These are trains to and from the south as well as a few originating trains that, for some reason they stage in the lower level tracks.
 
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I thought only Acelas run to the upper level tracks...?
No. Plenty of Washington terminating Regionals use upper level tracks too.

The trains that run through to the south of necessity use lower level tracks. Everything else can and do use upper level tracks, including the Capitol Limited. That does not mean that on occasion they may not use lower level tracks. The Acelas can't because the lower level tracks at present do not have high level platforms. but there are plans to remedy that, leaving only one platform as low level one for the lower level tracks, from what I hear.
 
I thought only Acelas run to the upper level tracks...?
No. Plenty of Washington terminating Regionals use upper level tracks too.

The trains that run through to the south of necessity use lower level tracks. Everything else can and do use upper level tracks, including the Capitol Limited. That does not mean that on occasion they may not use lower level tracks. The Acelas can't because the lower level tracks at present do not have high level platforms. but there are plans to remedy that, leaving only one platform as low level one for the lower level tracks, from what I hear.
Ok. It was just that whenever I passed through WUS, I had only ever seen Acelas on the upper tracks.
 
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