Auto Train discussion 2023 Q4 - 2024

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My wife and I are taking the Auto Train from Lorton to Sanford in three weeks and returning on the Auto Train in January after a 3-1/2 week stay in Tampa. I’m curious if any others have considered options on signing up and paying additional for the priority auto service - being guaranteed that your car will be one of the first 30 to be unloaded. I don’t need that service at all when we arrive in Sanford. Once we have our car, we have only a two-hour drive to Tampa and we won’t be able to get into our rental until 4 pm, so I’m fine with being one of the later ones to get our car. When we return to Lorton, it’s a diffferent story. We’re facing a drive of at least five hours to southern Connecticut so being assured we could get our car early, particularly if the train is delayed, is more important. When I made our train reservation I was only given the option of getting priority service both ways. Has anyone else succeeded in getting that service after an arrival in only Sanford or only Lorton?
 
Skip1229 said:
My wife and I are taking the Auto Train from Lorton to Sanford in three weeks and returning on the Auto Train in January after a 3-1/2 week stay in Tampa. I’m curious if any others have considered options on signing up and paying additional for the priority auto service - being guaranteed that your car will be one of the first 30 to be unloaded. I don’t need that service at all when we arrive in Sanford. Once we have our car, we have only a two-hour drive to Tampa and we won’t be able to get into our rental until 4 pm, so I’m fine with being one of the later ones to get our car. When we return to Lorton, it’s a diffferent story. We’re facing a drive of at least five hours to southern Connecticut so being assured we could get our car early, particularly if the train is delayed, is more important. When I made our train reservation I was only given the option of getting priority service both ways. Has anyone else succeeded in getting that service after an arrival in only Sanford or only Lorton?
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I have done that but as always I booked the two legs on separate PNR since there is no connection involved between the two. That makes it possible to get that service on a single leg. Unfortunately it is a bit late for you to do so. I'd suggest calling Amtrak and see if they can do that for you. Agents can do many more things beyond what can be done on web sites.
 
Seems odd that the website won’t allow priority offloading for only one leg of the round trip (but Amtrak’s booking interface is not great and weird things do happen). I have done priority on one leg on past trips and have always booked it online.

It may be a bit confusing, but did you actually complete a round trip booking? When you do, (at least when I have done it) it will take you through the full booking process twice, once for each direction, after you continue from the first page where you select the stations, dates, and number of passengers. You book first the initial southbound train, including any accommodations, vehicle add on, and priority boarding and it gives a price, which is only for that leg. You then book the northbound trip in the same way, with accommodations, vehicle fee and priority offliad and the price shown will increase to the total for your round trip.

During that process you should be able to refuse priority offload on the southbound and purchase on the northbound (subject to availability). If you already have booked, you still should be able to add it if you didn’t originally (assuming availability). I have done that by modifying my reservation online, but if you are unclear about how to do it or what you already have booked, a call to customer service is probably best.

GL and enjoy your trip.
 
Thanks for this info, I actually did what you’re talking about last year when we went to Florida. Went down there and waited for our car. Made a phone call to Amtrak customer service when we were in Tampa and did get priority offload ordered for the trip back to Lorton. I will plan to do that again this year. This is an annual trip for us so I will try once again to set this up online when I book next year’s trip.

It was great that we got the priority offload on last year’s trip for the return trip to Lorton. We were on that trip the night that a freight train derailed north of Savannah and we had to take a circuitous route via Columbia, SC, which resulted in us not getting to Lorton until 7 pm. Was awfully glad our car was one of the first off the train at that hour!
 
So ... after 40+ of railroading I am finally taking the southbound Auto Train next month.

I'm arriving the night before and purchased Priority Offloading.

Lorton Station -
What time should I arrive? I really do not want to spend 8 hours in the waiting room!!!
1.
How late can I arrive the day of departure with Priority Offloading?
2.
Same for Sanford on the return trip?
3.
Are sleepers upgraded?

Thanks in advance!

Zippy
 
The web site states you must be there with your car by 2:30p the day of departure, so you could have lunch before you get to the station. The train leaves at 4:00p so you won't have to wait 8 hours. They can depart a little early if all of the passengers are loaded and ready to go before 4:00.
 
The only downside to arriving late is if you are in a sleeper and plan on having dinner. The dining times are first come, first served. If you are not having dinner, it will not matter. I believe I have seen YouTubers who have checked in for their dining time and boarding pass but parked in visitor parking, so they could come back later to drop off their car. You would have to check with the attendant about the current policy.

They also used to have a shuttle to the town of Occaquan for those who arrived early but I am not finding any recent articles about it so I am not sure if that service is still provided.

The last time we did this we slept in at the hotel, had brunch at iHop (about 10 mins from the station) and showed up around 12:30. Boarding was actually around 4, but you can explore the station. I brought head phones and a downloaded movie for the wait. I really wasn’t that bad.
 
Our routine is arrive shortly before the gate opens- about 12:15. We tell the person at the car check in we just want to check in in the station to get our boarding pass and dinner reservation (ensures we eat when we want). He has us pull into a temporary spot for me to do that. We then leave and have a good lunch at the Harbour Grille. We return by 2.30 (deadline is 3) have the car checked in and then board about 3:30. Lorton station is very nice.

Same routine northbound except our restaurant is Hollerbach’s. Good German food although we usually get the good Reuben. Good beer too as you would expect.

Same
 
Questions for northbound and southbound Auto Train travelers. I would like to know the consist of the SB train (53) and the NB train (52).
Finally, where are the diner car, lounge car, and cafe car located in relation to the rest of the train?

Here’s an example of a possible answer I’m looking for:
53 SB -> Engines, coach cars, cafe car, dining car, lounge car, sleepers, car carriers.

Thanks in advance.
 
Palmland said:
When we rode it northbound last week: engines, 3 coaches, coach cafe (ccc), 4 sleepers, sleeper lounge (several tables used for overflow dining), diner, 5 sleepers, auto carriers.
Click to expand...
Thank you.

I am curious if NB and SB consist reverse depending upon point of departure. I know that car carriers are uncoupled and switched into off loading sidings, but unsure if the position of train cars remain the same or are reversed for the return trip. I am also aware that the coach seats can be reversed since the cars are push/pull.

Wife is a light sleeper, and I want to book RT tickets in cars farther back (from diesel horn) and are connected to auto carriers. I know this may result in a combination of sleeper accommodations and coach seats.
 
The engines and the auto carrier switch ends. The trainset do not turn around. There a turntable in Lorton so individual equipment can be rotated if need, but the wye tracks were eliminated during an expansion of I-95.

So if the northbound is:
Palmland said:
When we rode it northbound last week: engines, 3 coaches, coach cafe (ccc), 4 sleepers, sleeper lounge (several tables used for overflow dining), diner, 5 sleepers, auto carriers.
Click to expand...
Then the southbound is:

Engines, 5 Sleepers, Dinner, Sleeper-Lounge, 4 Sleepers, Coach Cafe, 3 Coaches, Auto Carriers.
 
Just-Thinking-51 said:
The engines and the auto carrier switch ends. The trainset do not turn around. There a turntable in Lorton so individual equipment can be rotated if need, but the wye tracks were eliminated during an expansion of I-95.

So if the northbound is:

Then the southbound is:

Engines, 5 Sleepers, Dinner, Sleeper-Lounge, 4 Sleepers, Coach Cafe, 3 Coaches, Auto Carriers.
Click to expand...

Palmland said:
My mistake, engines next to sleepers north, next to coaches south. And we had 4 coaches not 3
Click to expand...
Most helpful information. Grazie mille.

So would the following be accurate?

SB -> Engines, coach cars, coach cafe, sleepers, lounge car, dining car, sleepers, auto carriers
NB -> Engines, sleepers, dining car, lounge car, sleepers, coach cafe, coach cars, auto carriers.
 
Cuzzant said:
Most helpful information. Grazie mille.

So would the following be accurate?

SB -> Engines, coach cars, coach cafe, sleepers, lounge car, dining car, sleepers, auto carriers
NB -> Engines, sleepers, dining car, lounge car, sleepers, coach cafe, coach cars, auto carriers.
Click to expand...
At this point I feel the need to go train spotting in Lorton tomorrow. As I will not make it for today departure. So my response is maybe…
 
Last edited:
Cuzzant said:
Most helpful information. Grazie mille.

So would the following be accurate?

SB -> Engines, coach cars, coach cafe, sleepers, lounge car, dining car, sleepers, auto carriers
NB -> Engines, sleepers, dining car, lounge car, sleepers, coach cafe, coach cars, auto carriers.
Click to expand...
That is the way it used to be at least when I traveled by it. At Sanford this places the Sleepers on the main platform track and the Coaches on the side track..
 
Cuzzant said:
SB -> Engines, coach cars, coach cafe, sleepers, lounge car, dining car, sleepers, auto carriers
NB -> Engines, sleepers, dining car, lounge car, sleepers, coach cafe, coach cars, auto carriers.
Click to expand...
After 3 trips this year, that is accurate- although consist is reduced seasonally but in same order.

And yes @jis Lorton is more efficient with entire train spotted on one track with Sanford requiring an extra switch for the two tracks.
 
Cuzzant said:
Most helpful information. Grazie mille.

So would the following be accurate?

SB -> Engines, coach cars, coach cafe, sleepers, lounge car, dining car, sleepers, auto carriers
NB -> Engines, sleepers, dining car, lounge car, sleepers, coach cafe, coach cars, auto carriers.
Click to expand...
NB confirmed on Ashland railcam from this morning (except I don't know how to ID SL diners vs. lounges by the exterior.)

ETA: SB confirmed in the evening.
 
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Wow! Thanks.
Diner, cafe, and lounge car positions are not as important to me as sleepers vs coach.
 

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