Overnight layover at CUS end of January.

[lionelhoguy]

The end of January we will be adding another train to our list of Amtrak train we have traveled on. We are taking the EB from Columbus, WI (CBS) to CUS. There is no direct connection to Texas Eagle (TE) so we are spending the night at a nearby hotel. Will our checked bags be kept overnight? If not we had originally planned to leave our large bags in the locked / secure baggage area in the Metropolitan Lounge. After reading all 36 pages of the thread about the new Metropolitan Lounge, I know that there is not secure luggage storage. I am looking for suggestions as to where to store the large bags overnight. We plan to just take our smaller on board bags to the hotel for the overnight stay.

 

[OBS]

Assuming you have checked your bags straight thru, you don't need to worry about them til your destination....

 

[lionelhoguy]

Assuming you have checked your bags straight thru, you don't need to worry about them til your destination....

Thank you for the reply.

 

[valkyrie]

Note that OBS uses the word *assuming* in his reply. Inherent in this assumption is that AMTRAK will allow you to check your bags to your final destination. My guess is that AMTRAK will *NOT* since the web site does not show a connection between the EB and TE (at least that I could find). Probably worth a call to AMTRAK to ask them if they will.

In any event, when you do check your bag, take a look at the station code on the receipt they give you for the bag and be sure it is where you want to go. On a recent trip, I got off at ALX and as I was retrieving my checked bag another passenger was looking for his. The station attendant asked to see his receipt which was clearly marked BAL so at least they knew where the bag could be found! If your receipt says CHI then you will want to retrieve it in Chicago and check it again the next day. Sorry, if you do need to store it in CHI I don't have any good ideas for you.

 

[CCC1007]

Baggage check is open to passengers up to 24 hrs before the departure of their train.

 

[Steve4031]

So worst case scenario is you check your bag onto the empire builder and reclaim it in Chicago. The window to check the bag is close to the baggage claim so you could easily recheck for the Texas eagle without having to leave the station.

 

[lionelhoguy]

I always check my baggage tag now. We went to Charleston, South Carolina (on the Palmetto) a couple of years ago, our bags went to Charleston West Virginia (on the Cardinal). Since the Cardinal does not run to Charleston every day, it took 3 days to get our bags back. Lesson learned.

I will call Amtrak tomorrow and find out for sure how it will all work, I like the idea of re-checking it to the TE after we claim it from the EB.