Exiled in Express
Lead Service Attendant
A short hop but full of new experiences and charm.
I arrived in PHL via US Airways and timed my arrival at the airport SEPTA station almost perfectly, arriving 30th Street 45 minutes after touchdown. Thanks to the generosity of our own boxcar817 :hi: I was able to gain admission to the Club Acela to pass the nearly 2 hours to train time.
I was at 30th Street early enough that I could have made the earlier Keystone but I would to have had to exchange tickets wait upon arrival in Lancaster and that is not fun at all. Additionally I had the Club pass and booked Business Class for an additonal $4.50, the appeal of telling that tale alone made it worth it.
The entrance to the PHL is really tucked away in a back corner, I wasn't sure I was in the right place until I saw the signs. There was some confusion about trying to gain entry with someone else's pass but was admitted within a minute of approaching the attendant. There were perhaps 8-10 other passengers in the club making it very emplty. After settling in with a view of the concourse and locating power for my phone I looked over the breakfast spread and while not hungry was disappointed to only find prepackaged muffins and soda/coffee available. I did some brief reading and watched the comings and goings of the station and a complete turnover of the club occupants in the 90 minutes I was there. A the attendant was sending some southbound sleeper passengers on the way I asked about the status of my train, the Pennsylvanian, and was told that there was elevator available and would have to join the general boarding line shortly.
Boarding was the usual Mainline mess with a line of 100+ snaking around the concourse. Several passengers got turned away for holding Keystone tickets and sent to exchange for the reserved train. Upon descending to the platform I found the Business class car at the rear of the train and immediately to my right. A vocal conductor stepped in every 2-3 minutes to identify the car the as such and chasing away those that just boarded through the first door they saw.
Train left on time as far I as was concerned with tickets collected quickly with about about a third of the business seats occupied. Wanting to get the most bang for my $4.50 I was in the cafe car claiming my included beverage by Ardmore, surprised to get a full sized can and that there seemed to be no accounting for this stock. Also bought a pizza and enjoyed the fleeing suburbs over lunch. A refill on the way back to my seat and enjoyed the countryside in the pleasantly quiet car. Ontime arrival and I am pleased to report the Lancaster station actually looks like it is undergoing renovations now compared to the past 2 years of drapped plastic sheeting.
Overall the Club Acela is a great improvement over the general waiting lounge and business class was nice but summed up by the conductor's sarcastic tone when referrring to it. Nothing too special but a value at the current price.
I arrived in PHL via US Airways and timed my arrival at the airport SEPTA station almost perfectly, arriving 30th Street 45 minutes after touchdown. Thanks to the generosity of our own boxcar817 :hi: I was able to gain admission to the Club Acela to pass the nearly 2 hours to train time.
I was at 30th Street early enough that I could have made the earlier Keystone but I would to have had to exchange tickets wait upon arrival in Lancaster and that is not fun at all. Additionally I had the Club pass and booked Business Class for an additonal $4.50, the appeal of telling that tale alone made it worth it.
The entrance to the PHL is really tucked away in a back corner, I wasn't sure I was in the right place until I saw the signs. There was some confusion about trying to gain entry with someone else's pass but was admitted within a minute of approaching the attendant. There were perhaps 8-10 other passengers in the club making it very emplty. After settling in with a view of the concourse and locating power for my phone I looked over the breakfast spread and while not hungry was disappointed to only find prepackaged muffins and soda/coffee available. I did some brief reading and watched the comings and goings of the station and a complete turnover of the club occupants in the 90 minutes I was there. A the attendant was sending some southbound sleeper passengers on the way I asked about the status of my train, the Pennsylvanian, and was told that there was elevator available and would have to join the general boarding line shortly.
Boarding was the usual Mainline mess with a line of 100+ snaking around the concourse. Several passengers got turned away for holding Keystone tickets and sent to exchange for the reserved train. Upon descending to the platform I found the Business class car at the rear of the train and immediately to my right. A vocal conductor stepped in every 2-3 minutes to identify the car the as such and chasing away those that just boarded through the first door they saw.
Train left on time as far I as was concerned with tickets collected quickly with about about a third of the business seats occupied. Wanting to get the most bang for my $4.50 I was in the cafe car claiming my included beverage by Ardmore, surprised to get a full sized can and that there seemed to be no accounting for this stock. Also bought a pizza and enjoyed the fleeing suburbs over lunch. A refill on the way back to my seat and enjoyed the countryside in the pleasantly quiet car. Ontime arrival and I am pleased to report the Lancaster station actually looks like it is undergoing renovations now compared to the past 2 years of drapped plastic sheeting.
Overall the Club Acela is a great improvement over the general waiting lounge and business class was nice but summed up by the conductor's sarcastic tone when referrring to it. Nothing too special but a value at the current price.
