Marc J.

Jacksonville FL. Amtrak station is a bit out of the way, but very easy to get to by car, taxi or ride share service. The passenger waiting area is very clean as are the restrooms. There is an ATM in the terminal area, and vending for light refreshments, like water or soda. There are water fountains available. Service is courteous and staff friendly, but if you have never ridden the train before, departure times can vary depending on the train traffic on the rails. (Service tracks are shared with freight trains which can potentially slow things down a bit. However, rail is a safe, affordable and generally reliable form of transportation. Most importantly, you can sit back in your seat, relax, and watch the scenery roll by!

Jennifer P.

This is a small station, which surprised me considering Jacksonville is such a large city. The main room/waiting area smelled awful. It was like a public restroom. Even though it was the end of May, we chose to sit outside to avoid the smell. The tracks were not clearly posted as Track 1 or Track 2. There also should have been more signs indicating which track was northbound and which was southbound. There was a vending machine available. The Amtrak app notified us that the train was delayed, but the station did not announce this at all and the delay wasn't posted on the electronic sign until after I had received 3 delay notifications as the train became more and more delayed. The boarding process was like nothing I'd ever seen. The riders were lined up in three groups. First class passengers and those with rooms lined up in one place. (This made sense since they would be using a different car than coach passengers.) Passengers riding alone were lined up in another line. Those passengers in groups of 2 or more were in another area. When the train arrived, an Amtrak employee got off and spoke to each person/group individually. She then used a piece of paper and a tiny pencil (the kind libraries used to have) to assign seats. We were given our seat assignment and turned to the right on the train, following the people who boarded ahead of us. The seats we had been assigned were occupied, so we had to backtrack to the employee. She then told us we were supposed to go left, not right. The seats were comfortable, with a foot rest, and an outlet under the window. Each seat was able to recline quite far and there was a separate handle that would elevate your feet. There was a curtain on the window. When the conductor came to check our tickets, he took a small scrap of paper and hand wrote our destination to post above our seats. I was amazed at how inefficient the boarding process was and how outdated their seating system is. In 2023, passengers should have been given their seat assignments via the app, or the Amtrak employee should have an app showing available seats. In other cities, we boarded the train on a first come, first served basis and found our own seat. Since there isn't another Amtrak station nearby, I would be forced to get on at this station in the future, but I highly recommend waiting outside and having the Amtrak app on your smartphone or tablet,

Kimberly M.

Amtrak Silver Meteor from West Palm Beach to DC is exactly what I want from a slower paced travel experience - end to end relaxation, decent food, good views and attentive service. No TSA, no X-rays just flash your ticket and board. At WPB the train equivalent of skycaps check bags, can drive you in a golf cart to the train if you are tired or have mobility challenges. WPB station can get a little iffy at night so if you need a restroom they will buzz you in if you ask at the station. You can also easily wait in your car in the parking area near the boarding platform but there is always friendly staff asking after you, I personally felt safe. If you have a first class bedroom, roomette, accessible room or family room you will get an attendant that can bring your meals to your room if you don't want to hit the dining car and turn down your bed at night or make it up in the morning. Staff in the dining room were very sweet and attentive too. You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner and 1 included alcoholic dinner drink besides regular coffee. Tee, soft drink offerings. Lunch and dinner both come with dessert. Lunch was brownie or the infamous butter cake. Dinner service has real silverware, cloth tables, fresh roses and great views. My room was clean and I was pleased that although I am tall I fit comfortably. If no one requiring the accessible room books it and you are booking last minute travel, this is the best room. Wide open shower, in room toilet, sink, plenty of leg room and an upper bunk. If you are claustrophobic this is the best room and in the silver meteor comes with two layers of windows. Attentive service, clean rooms, decent food, great views and no complaints. DC lounge for those with bedrooms booked was just refreshed and quite pleasant. Snacks, drinks, TV and concierge are on hand as is a room you can store your luggage and hit the museums if you have a long layover. Only reason not 5 stars is if you get an older blue vs pink roomette. Seats are smaller and in room toilet is just gross. Pink roomettes have a communal toilet and shower room instead which is much nicer. Blue rooms are in need of a refresh which I hear is planned.

Camo T.

Tammy at station was very accommodating she answered all my questions with professionalism thanks again Amtrak for having such a wonderful team member

Chip R.

As far as Amtrak stations go, this one is pretty nice. On going to see Melissa O. and Robert O. down in Gainesville, this station was my stop before the Thruway service took me on to G'ville. Definitely one of the nicer stops I have seen, I like it. It is fairly modern, not too dated. It has a bit of Floridian flair to it (so it appears in the dark) from the train side as you walk up after leaving the train, it's nice to come in to and feels welcoming. Inside, a good amount of individual seating (most stations have bench or pew type seats, this one is different) and a good amount of space between them. In fact it is a bit like a mini air terminal with specific spaces for ticket purchase, checking in luggage, snack area, etc. You can tell they handle a bit of traffic around here. The scheduling at this station went well. No complaints on train or Thruway bus service on this trip, all was smooth. The personnel and service were good, no stand out items to report. Small but important point, clean big bathrooms also. All in all, a good experience. Bottom line: Nice train station for the Amtrak service. Well maintained and adequately staffed. Ample room and seating. Thumbs up.

Scott M.

Police called on disabled veteran I was waiting for my ride for no more than five minutes. Corporate notified but refused to apologize for gross racial discrimination. Silly me, I thought as a select PLUS rewards member, I might actually be treated as a valued customer. I remain a customer, however, I thought it important to warn those who may not have a ride waiting for them immediately, upon arrival. Amtrak considers passengers on late trains as emergency pest requiring immediate police intervention. If it hadn't have been for the police slow response time I'm sure I'd spent the night in jail because Amtrak's train #92 was late/ *Travelers beware* again keep in mind I was a passenger registered as"disabled veteran"

Shelly M.

This review is slightly different from my Amtrak's Auto Train review. I have flown NUMEROUS times to D.C. and finally drove for the first time two weeks ago, now I decided to try another mode of transportation...... Amtrak's Passenger Train from Jacksonville, Florida to Washington, D.C.'s Union Station. As I stated before, the Auto Train only goes from Sanford, Fl to Lorton, Va and back. This time I didn't have to drive the hour and forty minutes to Sanford, Fl because I was able to leave directly out of Jacksonville going to D.C. I ordered my ticket online which was fairly easy and the check in process inside Amtrak Station was just as easy. They offered an upgrade from coach seats to a small roomette for $200 extra dollars. Definitely not worth it. Got there with no lines to wait in. The train was due to depart at 5:07pm but was approximately 6 minutes late (impressed!) though we must've had to stop at another Amtrak station longer than expected because we arrived in Washington D.C. almost 50 minutes late. Still not too bad. The noise level was not bad at all especially seeing the amount of children waiting with their families. The seats were just as roomy and comfy as the Auto Train seats, however, the bathrooms weren't as nearly as roomy or as clean. The only problem I had was the dining car. I bought pizza about an hour into our departure. When I returned about an hour later for coffee, I saw the server taping "Sold Out" signs over 90% of the items! The man in front of me was really upset because ALL the beer was already sold out and the trip literally just began. I was thinking maybe they will restock at the next station but no! That was all the food and beer on the train for the entire trip! I guess we better pack our own food next time. Lol Anywho, on this trip the free WiFi was sketchy and when it was time for most to fall asleep they kept the bright ceiling lights on which made it hard to fall asleep. Not the case on the Auto Train. At night, they dimmed the lights so you could atleast sleep. Still I would definitely take this ride again. I just know my next trip I will pack my own food and bring my eye mask.

Gabriel N.

Train travel isn't as well regarded in the United States as it is in other parts of the world and it shows in how we've maintained our own rail system. Despite the red-headed stepchild nature of Amtrak, I found my long-haul trip with them up the East Coast to not only be incredibly fun, but packed with tons of folks enjoying this classic form of mass transit. The station in Jacksonville has seen better days. It feels like it's stuck in amber representing an era of travel that was painfully analogue. Thankfully, that particular era had fantastic customer service and I saw that in every Amtrak employee I encountered throughout my journey. From the ticket counter to the staff helping you board the train to the people riding the railway with you, they were all top-notch in their customer service. I saw countless examples of them going out of their way to make sure people were having an excellent experience. I made sure to get comment cards so that I could write about the service to Amtrak's management. It was that good. Tech-wise, the little touches on the train were nice. The wi-fi was decent enough for emails, texts, and social media. The plugs by the seats were a godsend for those with crappy battery life. The seats themselves stretched out for comfort though they lacked instructions on their basic functions. I only discovered a couple of tricks at the very end of the trip. The dining car, nowhere near anything you might have seen in Murder on the Orient Express, was decent in its selection. Think airline options. Also, think airline prices. Overall, I'd jump on Amtrak again. Yes, it was a bit worn along the edges, but the camaraderie I felt with most of my fellow passengers transformed my trip into a very memorable experience.

Shania B.

Such a great experience! I was traveling with three small children and they made sure to accommodate and prioritize us as much as possible. The trains were clean, on time, and staff was very kind and helpful. We will be traveling with them again soon

Jo A.

So far this has been a disappointing trip. First the train is an hour and 15 minutes late secondly there's a strange walk to get onto the train and stepping up into the train but the Porter's are very helpful with bags and seating. The ride itself is smooth and so far my section is nice and quiet. Hopefully, I will not have a seatmate and I can enjoy my journey in peace. I must compliment the fact that I was able to bring my bags, three of them all portable to fit the overhead compartments( with food to cook for New Year's Day) and a computer to try to squeeze some work in, and my personal items without the harassment of the Airport TSA . The fair is moderate and better than the headache of driving 3 and 1/2 hours in holiday traffic.I will give Amtrak another try in the near future since I realized a tip from other passengers that sometimes it is better to pay for two seats to have more leg room and privacy!