Northeast Regional

I'm taking the Northeast Regional overnight from Providence, RI to Newport News, VA. I'm traveling coach and this is my first time on a long distance train. What am I going to expect as far as the station, boarding and being comfortable on the trip??

Oompa said:

I'm taking the Northeast Regional overnight from Providence, RI to Newport News, VA. I'm traveling coach and this is my first time on a long distance train. What am I going to expect as far as the station, boarding and being comfortable on the trip??

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If you can afford it, it's definitely worth the upgrade to Business Class on this route! ( I'm guessing this is on #67)

Coach isn't very comfortable on #67 and can get crowded on certain nights, especially in and out of NYP.

Bob Dylan said:

Oompa said:

I'm taking the Northeast Regional overnight from Providence, RI to Newport News, VA. I'm traveling coach and this is my first time on a long distance train. What am I going to expect as far as the station, boarding and being comfortable on the trip??

Click to expand...

If you can afford it, it's definitely worth the upgrade to Business Class on this route! ( I'm guessing this is on #67)

Coach isn't very comfortable on #67 and can get crowded on certain nights, especially in and out of NYP.

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It's actually #65 on the way down and #66 on the way back. I was hoping to be able to sleep until the sun comes up. lol

I've taken both 65 (the weekend 67) and 66 in both coach and BC. I also recommend you upgrade if possible. On these 2 trains, ts much more comfortable and well worth it!

Because Providence is a small station, boarding is very easy. Unlike airports, there is no "Security checkpoint" to go thru. When the train is announced (or anytime before it arrives), you just head down to the platform. I have never been to NPN so I have no idea of their boarding procedures.

My experience in Business Class on the NEC is that it can be just as crowded as in a coach. Fridays and Sundays are the fun days.

And I think we're assuming it's the overnight night train, aren't we? The OP did not specify which train s/he would be on.

Train 95 would be another option.

Palmetto said:

My experience in Business Class on the NEC is that it can be just as crowded as in a coach. Fridays and Sundays are the fun days.

And I think we're assuming it's the overnight night train, aren't we? The OP did not specify which train s/he would be on.

Train 95 would be another option.

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Yes, She/me will be on the overnight train. I'm actually leaving tomorrow night but because I was conned into working a double tonight and a shift tomorrow before I leave (departs at 10:20 pm) I will be sleeping, hopefully, most of the trip.

Seats are larger than on commuter trains. I don't know what equipment they use on this train, but look for leg rests -- there are two types, one with a ratchet lift and the other with a knob on your arm rest. For both, lift manually to top level for sleeping, then lower by lifting one more click (ratchet) or pushing the knob forward. There should also be a foot rest on the back of the seat in front of you, which you can lift if it's better for your leg length (I'm short, so my legs don't reach that one, LOL). Recommend you take along a dark-colored hoodie -- turn around so the hood covers your face for privacy and shoulder covering. A pillow helps too, and a cheap fleece throw in case it's cool on the train, and slip-on shoes for convenience when you get up.

Only BC on these trains have leg rests. Regionals use Amfleet I's for coach, which are very tight seat pitches.

I have taken the overnight train from WAS to BOS in Business Class. I found it uncomfortable and did not sleep well. I assume in coach it would have been much worse. If you can afford Business Class and it is not sold out, I, also, recommend Business Class.

I traveled with ear plugs, eye mask and a light blanket.

As has been previously discussed, this train needs its sleeper returned to the consist. If you've got morning business in DC, as I once had, it was very convenient to get me there, and it certainly beat getting up at 3 AM to get the first flight out of Boston.

Have traveled in Regional Business Class a few times and enjoyed it. Have only traveled on weekends and the car had very few passengers. Seats are wider and legroom is more than on coach. Definitely worth the small up charge. Have also taken the Acela quite a few times but it only saves us about 20 minutes time to DC and on many occasions saves hardly any time. On our last trip we clocked the Acela at 137 mph but that was only on the run from New Brunswick through Trenton, NJ. . Much of the time the Acela speed on my GPS showed 110-125 mph. On the regional the speeds were 105 -120 MPH. Not that much difference! I have arrived at the conclusion that the Regional B.C. is the far better buy at about 1/3 the cost of an Acela ticket. Some people are fine traveling overnight in coach/business class and falling to sleep, while others can only sleep in a sleeper car. It may be quite a while before we see another sleeper on the overnight NE Regional run

As I have mentioned, I have heard from who should be a credible source that...there is definitely interest in getting a sleeper back on the train, it's just a matter of waiting for the new ones to come in, and some other stuff.

100% you should get Business Class, more room in your seat, quieter than coach in general, plus free non-alcoholic beverage. If you want to get any sleep that is. Technically the NE Regional is not really a long distance train, so the coach are more like commuter class seating as opposed to trains like the Lake Shore Limited whose coach class is more like the NEC's Business Class.

As far as the station, just show up about 30 minutes before departure with your ticket ready. Like the others have said, no security checkpoints, just go to the correct platform when the train is announced. I have been to Providence's station which is small, you will be fine there, and when leaving NPN, just look around and get a scope of what to expect when you are leaving town.

Bottom line, upgrade to Business Class or you probably wont sleep much. Oh, and bring a pillow and blanket if you can!

I did a slightly shorter but similar trip in December. Stamford, CT to Williamsburg, VA. Overnight in BC. I was impressed at my first business class ride. I did bring a sleeping mask, earplugs and a light fleece. I was quite comfortable. I did not sleep as much as I thought, but that was probably due to staying up to catch the 1AM train. Coming back was during the day, so much less sleeping, but still enjoyed the comfort of BC.

Keep in mind that the Amfleet 1 cars used as regional coaches while not as comfortable as B/C, or the long distance coaches, are still better for most people than today's airline economy. The seats are 20.5 inches wide, domestic economy is 17-18 typically, and you will likely have at least 5 more inches of legroom. The AM1 coaches do not have armrests between the 2 seats.

Please keep in mind that while PVD does not have a security checkpoint like in an airport, the Amtrak police are there often. They sometimes wander the station and swab bags of passengers, other times they set up a table at the top of the escalator leading to the platform and make people stop and get their bags swabbed.