Worcester to Baltimore—Best route?

[Rafi]

Folks,

I'm wrestling with a choice here that I'm hoping some of you might be able to help me resolve before I go completely crazy.

My wife and I, who live in Baltimore, are flying into Boston on a Friday afternoon from a vacation in Paris this December; we're attending a family reunion in Sturbridge, MA, which is about 15 miles from the Worcester train station. I'm fairly sure that what I'll do in order to get to Sturbridge is to catch a shuttle from Logan to South Station, and then hop a commuter MBTA train to Worcester on Friday afternoon and have a family member pick us up.

What's stressing me is figuring out the best way of getting back to Baltimore on Sunday. As I see it, I have four options (all of which have a family member dropping us off at Worcester for the return):

1). Hop the Lake Shore stub (449) westbound to Springfield (a portion of a line I've never ridden, so to me this is a rare chance). It's scheduled to arrive in SPG at 2:15 PM, and if it's running on-time, we conceivably catch the southbound Vermonter (57), which departs SPG at 2:50 PM and arrives in BAL at 9:26 PM (this is also a somewhat rare line for me to travel (it's been four years since I was last on that trackage)—I'm almost always on the shoreline NEC these days in New England, so again, it's a nice perk). If 449 is running late, we'd be stuck in SPG until 5:20 when 467 leaves, getting us to BAL on 167 at a late 11:38 PM (she WON'T be happy).

2). Take a commuter train back to Boston and connect with one of the many Acelas or Regionals down to BAL. While I guess this is the safest option connection-wise, it's just so...boring.

3). Hop the Lake Shore stub (449) all of the way to Albany (arrives 5:35 PM) and connect with Empire service 258, which leaves albany at 6:15 PM, arriving NYP at 8:40 PM, connecting with 167, arriving BAL at 11:38 PM (this is the same train we would have to catch if we miss the Vermonter in SPG). This is probably what I'd do if I was travelling alone, actually, as the entire LSL stub train's route has eluded my travels so far, and it'd be nice to wipe it out all at once. Unfortunately, the length of the trip and the arrival time is almost certainly not what she'd prefer.

4). Hop a commuter train east out of WOR back to BOS and just fly home on AirTran ($60 each). This is obviously the fastest way, but not by that much, considering that you need to get to Logan extra early in my experience, and that checking bags is almost a certainty, and that baggage claim at BWI is 30 min wait at minimum.

So, I guess what I'm asking you folks is, what would you do? My wife just wants to keep the travel time to a relative minimum. She's not opposed to the train as long as it doesn't get us home too late. My hope was to catch the Vermonter, but I'm thinking Amtrak may not honor the connection. is anyone familiar with 449's on-time record into SPG? Is it pretty reliable?

Thanks so much,

Rafi

Baltimore, MD

 

[rmgreenesq]

Rafi:

Welcome to my world. Worcester is my "home" station, and unfortunatly, due to the poor coverage (two LSL stub trains) I've never used it to board an Amtrak train.

If I were you, I'd hop the stub to Springfield and take the Vermonter. If you are worried abot misconnecting in Springfield, you might be able to talk your family member to take you to Providence, RI or Route 128 and take the oh so familiar Acela or Regional all the way to BAL.

Edited to add getting from Logan to South Station is really easy. Hop the "Silver Line" bus from the curb at the terminal and it will take you right to South Station.

Rick

 

[AlanB]

Rafi,

A few thoughts.

First Amtrak will not guarentee a connection between 449 and the Vermonter. You could book it by making two seperate reservations, but you would be on your own if the LSL misses the Vermonter. That would mean that you would have to pay any increase in price that might occur on the later train, if you miss the connection.

Next, I don't believe that the LSL's track record between WOR and SPG is all that bad, but still I'm not sure that I'd want to roll the dice at making that connection to the Vermonter.

I definately would not recommend trying for Albany, as much as you might like to. When the LSL does get into trouble, it's usually west of SPG. If you miss 258 at 6:15, which again is not a guarenteed connection, then your next possible train to NY is the Maple Leaf. The Leaf is often late thanks to customs and its long journey. So you could well be stuck in ALB till it arrives.

If the Leaf is more than an hour late or if the Ethan Allen is running even a few minutes late, then you'd miss the last train for the evening as it were, in Penn and be stuck taking the overnight 67 home. I can't imagine her being happy waiting around NYP till 3:00 AM for 67.

 

[battalion51]

I would NOT recommend trying to switch from 449 to 55/57. Everytime I've been on 54/56 we've either been holding out at CP-92 for 449 or 449's being holding out at CP-83 for us. Since 54/56 can't get rolling til after 55/57 arrives (since 55/57 and 54/56 use the same Engineer) I'd say that's a definite no. Now if you REALLY wanted the Inland route mileage you could take 467 which leaves at 520 to 167 which arrives BAL at 11:38 like you listed in scenario 3. I've ridden on 449 (well 447) and the mileage between Boston and Springfield is really nothing to write home about, as is the Springfield line. If I were in your shoes I'd take the T to Boston and take a Regional.

 

[D Phillips]

Rafi,I think that the most logical solution is to ask your family member to take you to Springfield, rather than Worcester. It's not much further, and it's the correct direction.

A few thoughts.

First Amtrak will not guarentee a connection between 449 and the Vermonter. You could book it by making two seperate reservations, but you would be on your own if the LSL misses the Vermonter. That would mean that you would have to pay any increase in price that might occur on the later train, if you miss the connection.

Next, I don't believe that the LSL's track record between WOR and SPG is all that bad, but still I'm not sure that I'd want to roll the dice at making that connection to the Vermonter.

I definately would not recommend trying for Albany, as much as you might like to. When the LSL does get into trouble, it's usually west of SPG. If you miss 258 at 6:15, which again is not a guarenteed connection, then your next possible train to NY is the Maple Leaf. The Leaf is often late thanks to customs and its long journey. So you could well be stuck in ALB till it arrives.

If the Leaf is more than an hour late or if the Ethan Allen is running even a few minutes late, then you'd miss the last train for the evening as it were, in Penn and be stuck taking the overnight 67 home. I can't imagine her being happy waiting around NYP till 3:00 AM for 67.

 

[battalion51]

Thanks for that. :lol:

 

[Anthony]

AirTran has its own section of a terminal here at Logan, and if you aren't checking any big bags, you can just zoom on by with web check-in tickets and not have to get there super early.