Connecting to CT shuttle

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Thanks to all of you!

I will either get the early CTrail up and walk around Springfield a bit or get the later one down to Hartford and the shuttle back up. I have to change trains in Trenton, NJ, every time I commute, and Hartford can't be worse than that, so I should be ok.

Is there a real person to buy a shuttle ticket back from at Springfield? If not, then I will definitely go to Hartford and get both tickets. (They still have real live agents there, right?)

I asked the Amtrak conductor on the shuttle on the way here the other day, and he said you can't buy a ticket on the shuttle. But maybe he thought I meant CTrail, and not Amtrak.

(P.S.--lordsigma, it may just have been a typo above, or you might not know, but I am a "her" not "his"--I'm a lady in my mid-60s, and my real name is Patty.
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I could be misunderstanding the issue, but why can't you just book your ticket on your phone or whatever device you're using to post? Or just buy a Hartford Line ticket and use it on the Shuttle, since they are cross honored?
 
cpotisch--

When I travel, I use the hotel computers to get into AU, and that is fine.

However, I used to be able to get into my Google email, too, from hotel computers, especially ones in places I've stayed before, but Google won't let you in now unless you post a number to your phone (and I do not have a smartphone) or answer a security question (and I certainly can't remember the answers that I came up with years ago, assuming I'd never need them). So I can't get into my email to have Amtrak send me a ticket, which I didn't think of before I left home, and the Amtrak conductor told me I couldn't buy one on the shuttle.

By the way, I finally arrived in the 20th century after a lot of kicking and screaming. And I am darned if I am going to go all smartphony and millennially and join the 21st!
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I also don't have a computer or Ipad or any of that stuff--just a lot of extra clutter to have to carry around--I travel very light. But it sure does lead to some inconvenience sometimes.
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I'll probably just get the early CTrail up and then just ask them at the station in Springfield what to do for the way back.

A lot depends on the weather, too--it's supposed to rain, but not sure when. Didn't bring an umbrella, either, but that's easy enough to pick up at the CVS near the station if it's bad enough to need one.
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Just as an aside, I'm glad to see the Student Prince is still there--my cousins took me to that about 40 years ago! It was good then--hope it still is and is doing a good business!
 
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I think our posts crossed.
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The station I'm boarding at (Windsor, CT) does not yet have a ticket machine, and the Amtrak conductor on the shuttle up said I cannot buy a CTrail ticket on the shuttle, so there's no way to get one from where I am. Which means to get a CTrail ticket on a train, I have to take CTrail, not the Amtrak shuttle.

Of course I'm hoping I can do that at Springfield and use it on the way back to Windsor.

Right now, I'd better go see if the hotel shuttle is available to take me to and from Windsor tomorrow, or the whole thing is off anyway!
 
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Mystic River Dragon said:
I think our posts crossed.
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The station I'm boarding at (Windsor, CT) does not yet have a ticket machine, and the Amtrak conductor on the shuttle up said I cannot buy a CTrail ticket on the shuttle, so there's no way to get one from where I am. Which means to get a CTrail ticket on a train, I have to take CTrail, not the Amtrak shuttle.

Of course I'm hoping I can do that at Springfield and use it on the way back to Windsor.
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Ohhhhhhhhh. Well in that case I'm completely out of ideas.
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Mystic River Dragon I was not aware many apologies and I will correct my post, sorry for assuming!

You can buy Amtrak tickets on the shuttle but not for the normal fare. Springfield and Hartford are staffed stations and also both have the CTrail kiosk - so there you can buy from either the kiosk or the Amtrak agent. Note that as some have said you can use a ctrail ticket in on any Amtrak on the line except Vermonter and can use an Amtrak ticket on CTrail. Only difference is the Amtrak tickets are still technically reserved on a single train so if you want to ride a different train with that ticket you are supposed to change it as you would any other Amtrak ticket (there is no charge.)

Note that at Springfield the CTrail kiosk is in the new station ground level. The Amtrak ticket counter is in the old Amtrak station next track 8.

I am a high tech IT guy but I can relate! I prefer doing business with live people despite working In technology - I purchase 90% of my tickets at the counter in Springfield (except when I’m using AGR points which you still cannot redeem in station.)

It’s probably too late now but the surcharge you would have paid to the Amtrak conductor is probably the same or less than what you had to pay to go back down to Hartford.
 
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That's okay, lordsigma--apologies accepted!
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Also, thanks for the information about buying tickets on the shuttle--perhaps that was what the conductor was trying to tell me, and I misunderstood.

The hotel said of course their shuttle will take me and pick me up, so I've booked it to take me to Windsor at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I'll either get the CTrail or have breakfast in Windsor and get the Amtrak shuttle that comes half an hour or so later.

Thank you all--that was the last series of questions, I promise! My head is spinning from all the information!
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Thank goodness there are more trains to New Haven--I've been figuring out Sunday's trip to Mystic, and there seem to be a number of options for that, including decent connections to Shore Line East. (Only problem with Mystic is that it is supposed to rain all day Monday! I will be visiting very happy sea lions and seals at the aquarium!
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Honestly, this really sums up Amtrak well. Especially this part:

Jim Redeker, Connecticut’s transportation commissioner, said that’s not supposed to happen.

“That may be something that occurs in the field,” Redeker said. “That could be simply that the particular crew that’s on that train is not familiar with our policies.”
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cpotisch said:
Honestly, this really sums up Amtrak well. Especially this part:

Jim Redeker, Connecticut’s transportation commissioner, said that’s not supposed to happen.

“That may be something that occurs in the field,” Redeker said. “That could be simply that the particular crew that’s on that train is not familiar with our policies.”
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Good point but I wonder what is supposed to happen? Interestingly the CTDOT officials don't state with the policies are and what the crew is supposed to do in this instance.
 
DSS&A said:
Another article about Amtrak not having enough cars on its trains

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-biz-hartford-amtrak-ctrail-passengers-kicked-of-20181026-story,amp.html
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It’s not Amtrak’s fault. It’s the state. They demanded that Amtrak honor commuter tickets. Which will force people that have reserved a seat to stand. This shouldn’t have happened in the first place. The only other places that cross honor are Marc and I believe VRE. But VRE and Marc are only 3 or 4 stations not each one.
 
I'm actually thinking about it now, and I think this really was to be expected all along. When you realize that the the Shuttle is 1-2 cars long, is a nicer train than the Hartford Line, ticket prices have dropped significantly, and any random Joe with a Hartford Line ticket can hop onboard, it's the ultimate recipe for seriously overloaded trains.
 
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cpotisch said:
I'm actually thinking about it now, and I think this was really to be expected this all along. It's kind of inevitable when you realize that the the Shuttle is 1-2 cars long, is a nicer train than the Hartford Line, and ticket prices have dropped significantly. That's a recipe for overloaded trains.
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You’re pretty much on point there. But adding cross honoring will do it as well.
 
Acela150 said:
cpotisch said:
I'm actually thinking about it now, and I think this was really to be expected this all along. It's kind of inevitable when you realize that the the Shuttle is 1-2 cars long, is a nicer train than the Hartford Line, and ticket prices have dropped significantly. That's a recipe for overloaded trains.
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You’re pretty much on point there. But adding cross honoring will do it as well.
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Right, that's what I meant - the Shuttle is nicer than the Hartford Line and therefore the preferable train for someone with a Hartford Line ticket.
 

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