In August 2021 we did the Capitol train DC to Chicago in the Family Sleeper and reserved the family sleeper and it was amazing. We will share the downsides in the review however overall it was great. Bad - Two outlets awkwardly (high) located near the door so you needed to dangle any devices you brought (bring a charger that can feed multiple devices for sure) - the reviews were spot on, the train will be delayed but we were on vacation so no worries Good - Super fun, we made sure the kids did not use electronics so we did board games, looked out the window, had snacks etc - if you have the family sleeper, you can bring your own booze and that was awesome! We put a sound machine on, kids went down and my wife and I stayed up with a gin and tonic (mixers were included) and watched a lightening storm in the distance. - Food, most included and it is not overly tasty but included. Bring snacks. - Beds. Comfy and the bunks had security netting to make sure no one rolled off WOULD DO IT AGAIN, just a fun, different thing. read more

This is about Amtrak in SoCal: The absolute worst train company on this planet. They cancel their trains or sell out tickets without adding additional trains all the time, no cancellation emails, no warnings, no apologies, just gtfo. The trains are dirty, there's food on the floors, toilet paper on the floor of the bathroom. Staff is incredibly rude and disrespectful. IF the train rides, it's infrequent and they stop riding really early. It's overpriced for what you get and on top of all that, their pet policy is more restrictive than an airplane. It's a miracle they still exist. read more

Super fast and easy way to get to BWI. I have taken the Metro from DC to Baltimore, and then the shuttle bus to the airport. This is the easiest way, and only cost me around $14 one way. If you purchase a ticket and end up needing an earlier or later train, the friendly staff will help you switch to another train. All of the staff I encountered on the train or in the terminals was very friendly and helpful. read more

I have had a few rides using Amtrak trains and busses. I live in orange County and go visit with family up north sparingly, I recently booked a trip with my daughter and me for my college graduation. Within 25 mins, the train broke down, and we were told nothing as to what was happening or when it would be fixed or that another train was coming to help. I could not find any worker on the train whatsoever. I tried calling amtrak customer service, and that was going to be a 45 min wait. After hours of a delay, finally, someone gets on the intercom to tell us that we need to get off, and another Amtrak train is going to pick us up and take us to LA. We get over to the other train platform and nothing. We are not told anything, and there is no worker helping anyone out with information. Another 25 mins passes and finally we see the amtrak train, however as we board the train we are told that this train will be Towing the browk down train that we all just left, and that's going to take another 1 hour to get that done and make it to Union Station. Making me now 3 hours behind in my trip. I have 3 segments on my trip to Northern california needing to take the bus in between two trains. I could not get any information about the bus that I was late for, but I was reassured that they would be waiting for anyone that was late. Fucking lies!! No they will not wait but we did! We had to wait over another hour for another bus. Then 45 mins for another train. By the time I made it to my destination, I was too late for my college graduation and did not get to walk with my class. Now a few days later I need to make my way back home to the OC and so far everything's fine get on the first amtrak train for 4 hours get on the bus for over 2 hours and finally the last train at union station in LA and we are not moving or going anywhere. The conductor that comes on is less than empathetic speaking to everyone on the train about another mechanical problem and another delay!! Nothing for the next hour of letting us know or getting us on another train because this 784 Pacific Surfer is broken again, just like the last one. I was supposed to be in irvine, ca by 610pm. Even while writing this review, I am still stuck on the train with my 12 year old daughter needing to go to school and work tomorrow with no one explaining anything to us it's already almost 730pm. I know this review may not mean anything to anyone and that Amtrak does not care about losing one customer when they service thousands, but Amtrak service your fucking trains!! You make plenty of money off the backs of hard working people to do it. Maybe this review will save someone from missing special occasions or getting home at a decent time. I wasted 200$ to go to my graduation, and I didn't even get to do that. Fuck you Amtrak never will I waste my money again. read more

Amtrak has really gone down in customer service, guest relations over the years. I have been using Amtrak frequently since childhood. The conductors and customer service agents were always very friendly, fun, and made using Amtrak such a wonderful experience sometime we would use Amtrak just for the joy of it. For the last three years I have noticed a sharp decline. However, not just myself but many others have mentioned this to me as well. Conductors now can be abusive how they address guest, I have even been physically pushed by one and had him throw a bag that contained a camera and the camera broke. There were several witnesses to this incident and Amtrak said they would take care of it but never did anything. I had a transfer to a bus once, and simply for asking the bus driver if his bus was the one headed to my destination (there were several unmarked buses in the pick up area) I was spat on, again with witnesses. One of the witnesses tried to assist me after he saw this, he was also a passenger on the same route. The bus driver left him behind for helping me (keep in mind I'm also disabled and walk with a cane). That passenger then told me two stories while we waited for Greyhound (strangely much better customer service) from his horrible travel experiences with Amtrak. Once, a sealed wine bottle he had gotten as a gift on his trip, was stolen from him by a conductor, just pulled out of his bag, as he walked off the train. Customer service did nothing for him. A few weeks later, he witnessed an elderly lady using a walker be pushed by a conductor, he went to help her, and the conductor screamed at him. Once again this young man reported the incident to customer service and they did nothing. When I call customer service or chat online with agents these days, I am met with poor attitude, aggressively mannered and hostile agents about 70% of the time. I cannot believe how much things have changed, it is not only shocking but sad to be honest. This is not a company that cares any longer. Part of the problem likely being that there is no competitor. One train system for the United States, they can just do whatever they want now and apparently have take to that exactly. I'm over it personally. After I spend my saved up points, I will no longer be traveling by train, which will be challenging as a disabled non driver, but is necessary at this point. While I think there will still be occasions people can have a good experience, I cannot recommend anyone use Amtrak anymore without expecting some form of abuse, humiliation, disrespect, or otherwise poor and neglectful service. Ugh, this was a sad review for me to write. read more

Rude damn ticket check! they are giving you attitude right away and they are rolling their eyes if you don't get back to them right away, or if you have another opinion. what wrong with you damn people? read more

This is the only way to travel...if you're on the "no fly" list. It's literally first come, first serve and if you get on a stop later than the "big one." You're stuck with someone who smells, an outlet your power cord can't reach and a new miserable experience for the next several hours. I took the train on a whim to try something new. When I got on and saw it was mostly full, and that I had no chance of enjoying my first experience, I canceled my return ticket. I would rather drive to my destinations (and definitely fly) where I know I'm not at the mercy of everyone else and my seat and comfort are guaranteed. Keep this way of travel for those who can't drive and aren't allowed to fly. I choo choo choose something else. read more

GET IN LINE! If you're not a DC local and don't know the rules, get in line at the right gate 20+minutes before you depart or you'll either be dead last on the train or you'll get yelled at for not knowing the ropes. Good news is that theses lines go everywhere and the views are gorgeous. Look for discounts like the $10 tix for their 10th anniversary, much easier on the app to book. Also- don't be afraid to ask info for help. read more

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Amtrak kicked off two elderly black women on a train they allowed to board when their tiny, elderly puppy accidentally took a poop on board. The ladies were kind and cleaned up, but had the COPS called on them to kick them off in the middle of Colorado. Absolutely disgusting!!! And during Christmas! Shame on this company and their staff and all those on board who said nothing as the sad elderly black ladies were escorted off the train. SHAME!!! read more

Amtrak made me wait for hours because they did not have an engine ready for departure and my train DID NOT HAVE air conditioning while I waited for the train to move and the conductor forgot to scan my ticket so they tried to cancel my ticket and make me buy a new one. Worst experience of transportation. DO NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE read more

If you want me to skip to the chase so you do not have to read the entire review, here it is. I highly recommend you choose some other form of travel rather than AMTRAK trains, unless you just want to experience a train once or twice in your life, or have no other option. Drive if possible to your destinations. You can see so much more than on an American train and you can get out and stop when you want. Plus you get none of the cost of the train and the, usually, poor service. The only positive of taking an American train is it keeps you from having to drive and it's good for those afraid to fly or drive. I have used AMTRAK as an adult 3 times. Each time was pretty bad. You cannot say I didn't give it a chance. My daughter used it a dozen times, maybe, getting back and forth from school but stopped due to there being much cheaper options and not as much hassle. Twice we took the train long distance, once was the Auto Train to Florida and the other was a regular sleeper train from Pennsylvania to Florida. We had a sleeper room on both trips. Needless to say, these were bumpy sleepless nights. The people working on the trains as bartenders and porters were not friendly and almost seemed a little, well, less than normal in common sense! We tried to be nice to them and left tips, but, man, were they somewhat incompetent. We were never so glad to end the journey! I have been on a regular daily long-distance train in Europe and it was like night and day. Of course, no one expects a totally smooth ride on a train but I find it likely engineers could improve the ride on AMTRAK trains somewhat. The tracks are along some of the least scenic areas of the United States for most of the AMTRAK trips. We saw a lot of empty lots, shacks and the backs of industrial buildings, plus trees and some rivers of course. The trains themselves are not fancy inside like European trains and the dining/bar cars were very basic cafeteria looking. The food and snacks I will not comment on as they were adequate though not a great selection. We brought on most of our own snacks and booze, as I recommend to you. You really are not on the train to get good dining. The sleeper cars were decent and are a nice option on a long ride. They just seriously need to improve the porter service on these sleeper cars and add more options. We were supposed to have unlimited coffee, but the coffee was only there during certain day time hours. They need to offer free snacks to the sleeper customers as well, 24/7. Train delays, yikes! In both of the above rides, the train was delayed on at least one leg of the trip. On one it was delayed some three hours causing us to have to hang out very late at night in the Philadelphia station for hours because we missed our connecting train. Of course, you get no money back for this hassle, not even a voucher good for another train ride. This leads to my next paragraph. Recently we booked a trip from Harrisburg to NYC but canceled due to the virus outbreak of 2020. We canceled over two months in advance. Of course, we not only got a $0 cash refund but they charged us $24 per ticket to cancel. Are you kidding? That was 25 percent of the cost of the ticket. Plus there was plenty of time for the company to re-book the seats as it was months in advance. You can't get a cash/credit card refund back! They give you a voucher good on another train trip. So now we have this AMTRAK voucher (for a train company we don't even like), still have the credit card bill, lost the cancellation fee, and will be forced to use AMTRAK again. OMG. Finally, the cost of using an AMTRAK train is almost unreal. You can fly to most cities and rent a car for a week and still save like 25 percent! We wanted to book a train to Cincinnati once. The cost was three times a flight cost and took twice as long as driving there. This is typical with whatever trip you plan with AMTRAK and the train will inevitably be delayed somewhere along the trip. It is just not worth using train travel in the United States, yet. I hope they improve this before I die because I actually would love to be able to take the train more often. But who has the time, patience or money to take AMTRAK as it stands now? read more

I am so dissapointed. First time on Amtrak and I hate it. It's terrible for an overnight trip if you sit in the Coach seats. No where to put your feet up that is comfortable. You cannot stretch your legs out. Whole entire train rattling the entire time and people being disrespectful talking at 2am. I will never do this again atleast with the Coach seats. So upset. read more

Train canceled first time ever using the train they provided no alternative transportation. Just the worst experience ever do not recommend just drive to wherever your going. read more

I will never travel with Amtrak again. They are the absolute worst company and the service is horrifying. Train arrived to our destination 8 hours late. We were then forced to walk out of the terminal in a rough part of Chicago at 2:30 A.M. and fend for ourselves. read more

Trash business got there 5 min prior to train departure they made me pay 40 for the next one

The staff was great very wonderful and helpful did a trip from spokane washington to Portland Oregon. I will say train station in spokane was so sad and disappointing but Oregon train station was so classy it had a nostalgic ness to it nice and beautiful. And I thought the train staff in both directions was very good on the wearing the mask situation. My family and I loved the train, hopefully joe biden can get funding for amtrak cause they deserve it read more

The Amtrak High Speed Acela crew in Washington, DC, including Bill Vullo, were enormously helpful to us with our trip to NYC. I almost lost my wallet but their quick thinking saved the day, and saved our Christmas. We're now loyal Acela boosters and will take the train whenever it's available. Thanks again guys. Best, Lisa & Ted p.s. the ride was quick, smooth and efficient -- what's not to like?! read more

These five stars are for Lisa in the Acela Lounge at Union Station in DC. She was the most helpful Amtrak employee during our multi-day journey. People like her, and the Redcap she called for us, catalyze customer joy and loyalty. Up to the point of meeting Lisa we were feeling like Amtrak was not reaching it's full potential. There IS a market for rail travel-- especially in the "sleeper car" business/pleasure travel arena. For example, we could have easily flown from Savannah to Boston in a few hours for less money. However, we chose Amtrak because we wanted to travel by rail for the nostalgia and to see and appreciate America close up. Unfortunately, many of the employees we encountered on this trip with Amtrak did the absolute minimum in a "punch-the-clock", "I'm taking my break, you can wait" attitude that was explicitly demonstrated. On the plus side the station managers in Savannah and the Silver Star train 92 conductor (that promptly greeted us very pleasantly and directed us efficiently) did their jobs admirably well. Amtrak could be ferociously competing with and challenging other transportation modes and vacation options if the majority of Amtrak employees followed the good examples we saw and detailed above. read more

Rant Alert No one at the dc Amtrak train would help me lift my suitcase up the train steps to get on. Finally after adking 4 amtrak employees, having my disability ticket, n doctors letter, an employee carried it up the steps n gave me SHIT about it the entire time! He said, "well i could hurt my back. We could become disabled by carrying it. N most of workers r women n they can't lift it". I could lift my suitcase if i didnt have enough metal in my back to start a hardware store n stage 4 cancer in my body. I asked, what about passengers in wheelchairs. He said, a craine lifts them n i shouldnt travel with anything i cant carry. I wish i had him recorded. Does this mean i can never travel alone? I have to be put in a fricken wheelchair n sit n it the entire train ride. I feel like crying. Amtrak, ur getting a phone call. read more

0 stars. They were 6.5 hours behind yesterday and currently 3 and counting. And I've never rode this train and it be on time and staff never has any answers. Lazy. Unhelpful. And inconsiderate of your time. And if you complain they will kick you off. I personally seen them do this to someone in front of me. They should just fire everyone top to bottom and start over read more

I took Amtrak for the first time ever and it was a pleasant experience. I booked a roundtrip business class Acela Express train to/from DC about a week before my trip. The train had Wifi which was good but the Wifi wasn't too fast, and the seats were comfortable and quite spacious. The train shook too much for my liking though. I appreciated that the conductor made announcements as we were approaching stations. Not a bad experience for a train in the USA. read more

Acela is awesome, tried it for the first time on Sunday. The train was on schedule, really smooth and had working wifi the whole time. My favorite feature was that there was literally no security (though I guess that worries me too, conflicted!) so you can get there just a few minutes before departure and you're good. Also the fact that it's city-center to city-center is a huge plus, no taxis to far away airports required. If I need to get from NYC to DC again, I'm definitely going by train... Take note LA and San Francisco! read more

I bought a first class ticket, which includes meals and drinks. The racially predjudiced staff decided to serve the entire car except me. Staff refused to serve me and were disrespectful. Car ride was rough, first class is the same as coach. But the racist staff is unacceptable. 1/10 experience, don't waste your money just so you can be discriminated against. Customer service refused to investigate or issue a refund. read more

Long overdue, but I want to show my appreciation for Christian, first and foremost. He identified that I incorrectly booked tickets for a trip to NYC and then steered me to Charlie and Angela who helped process a correct roundtrip ticket, got me on a train within an hour after I had planned, and didn't give me too much hassle about the price. Adrian then finished up by printing out the ticket. It was also nice that Angela walked by once I was on the train and remembered me and smiled and wished me a good trip. Good service. read more

I, Kimberly S, am now happy to announce that I am a train traveler at the ripe old age of 30! An avid reader since I was a mere child, I had always imagined that traveling by train was a sophisticated and romantic way to be on the go. When Harry Potter came out, I became obsessed with the idea of snack carts that sold a dizzying amount of home baked goods and also carrying an antique leather trunk with my initials stamped on it. Let me tell you, it is nothing like that AT ALL. On the other hand, it is a very cheap and efficient way to get from town to town. Plus they have beer! The WiFi is something terrible but luckily I had my Verizon stick with me. I was lucky enough to meet a friendly passenger who helped me figure out where to go, which cars to sit in, and how to get people to scan my tickets. Nobody on my ride was sketchy or smelled bad and I got to sit down the entire way. It was definitely a step up from the metro. Unfortunately my conductor did not wear an awesome conductor hat or have a bushy mustache but otherwise, it was overall a great trip! read more

I was promised breakfast was included and upon arrival it was not. Custer relations offered no resolution , travel documents are vague and unclear. footrests on train we're broke, and no assistance finding our boarding car. read more

Served its purpose and got us to DC from NYC safely. Comfortable seats, good air conditioned cars, clean bathrooms, food/bar car, outlets at each seat to charge up, clean bathrooms, and WiFi. Pretty much on schedule, and the Amtrak workers were helpful. Cost per ride or round trip depends on what day, line, and times you choose. What does alarm me is the total lack of security protocols practiced by this transportation line. No one checks bags or suitcases for weapons or questionable objects. How safe and secure can one be when riding Amtrak? Overall, no complaints here when it comes to the actual ride. Just hope no nut jobs ever do something stupid when it comes to taking advantage of the security weakness. read more

Amtrak is great if you are relatively close to a train station. It was useful during the winter when there was the threat of ice and snow. We were traveling up to Philadelphia to visit a friend and the train trip itself from Union Station to Philly took the same amount of time that it would take to drive, however, the train ride is considerably more expensive than driving. Plus, if you don't live near the train station like I do and have to take the metro or taxi to get to one, that adds more time and money. However, it is a pleasant ride. The views are pretty especially if you take an early morning train ride and see the sun rise. Comfy seats and not having to deal with staying awake or traffic is a definite plus. read more

If someone gave me the choice between riding Amtrak again and getting robbed at gunpoint I would hesitate a little before I chose getting robbed. At least if I get robbed it's over, maybe 3-4 hours at a police station and then I can get on with my life. Amtrak took over 20 hours. Granted, it was a cheap ticket but the experience is a weird one. I got on board and despite there being less full cars was directed to go to a particular one. Despite there being empty seats I was told to relocate because they were reserved for handicapped passengers. The rule on the CTA, DC Metro, NYC Subway is it's priority to them first, but if there are no handicapped people around then it's free game. Apparently at AMTRAK it's not the same so the seats stayed empty for the most part-and no, I wouldn't be bitching about it if it was a handicapped passenger. The club/lounge car was set to open about 30 minutes after departure from Union Station but then it got delayed 10, then 20 minutes until a line with some really disgruntled, but slightly haughty people formed. 'Come on and open!' they started screaming openly as if to say "we're better than this! This isn't the damn Greyhound!" After waiting in line for 20 minutes for a bottle of water I went back to my seat where the passenger next to me regaled me with how bad his train experience was. Now on an airplane you can act like you're listening and then zone out for the 2-3 hours you're on the plane and then once you leave think "Thank God I don't have to deal with that guy anymore." My trip had the guy next to me and the guy across the aisle from me talking to/over/at each other and occasionally including me in the conversation. I had nowhere to go, just trapped like a rat as they opened their bags full of boxed wine, tall boys and bread. ^Not hyperbole, that actually happened. 21 and half ish hours later (it was supposed to be 20) I arrived at Penn Station dirty, tired and slightly sick from train food, which is basically 7-11 grade but upcharged since they've got you, sucka! I took the train once to say I did it. Now let's never speak of this again. read more

I love trains. I love Amtrak. They provide the only nationwide passenger train service in the United States. They make for every train travel I've used with them always memorable, fun, and always wanting me to come back for another trip. Since 2008, I can safely say I've been riding Amtrak more consistently. I've always been looking to live as close as I can to their service because well, 1.) I am an Amtrak Guest Rewards member, and 2.) Traveling by train is always my preference to driving. From New York to Washington, D.C., the experience is fast, efficient, and fun. Sure, the prices are a bit steep, and you don't get the experiences you might get if you were to fly, but flying isn't the same as traveling by train, not at least that I think so. You can bring your own food and drink on the train, sleep, relax, and not have to worry about bumping into anybody when you have to go to the bathroom during those long trips. And of course, the view out the window is just breathtaking. Plus, riding in trains like the Acela (a high speed bullet train from Boston to Washington) is just an awesome combination of class and speed. It feels awesome. Take a snooze in the quiet car (some trains strictly enforce the rules for this car), and you'll feel refreshed. Whenever I take Amtrak, sitting in the quiet car (2nd car from the engine) is a must for me, if I can get it. For the young train rider, to the veteran one, Amtrak provides an amazing experience for all. Amtrak will continue to provide amazing service for everybody and for many more years to come, because Amtrak continues to strive for a better passenger, and a better railroad in this country. You need rail service in this country. It's what built it. Without it, I don't know where this country would be. Railroads, especially passenger ones, are essential to making this country move, and I for one hope to see it move for many, many more years ahead. Thanks Amtrak for all you do each day. read more

On Amtrak the aisles are wider, the seats are comfier, there's more leg room. . . Everything is just so civilized on the train. Even the VIEWS are better! Train stations are always in the city center because when they were developed when the centers of commerce were located in the city's downtown core and the train lines served to connect one to the next. Because travel by bus occurs on interstate highways that intentionally skirt the city center the views are more often than not, subpar. Is it worth paying more than double a bus fare to ride the train? I guess it depends on who's paying. But I'll let you be the judge of that. read more

I rode Amtrak from Baltimore to Washington DC, and back again. The experience up in Baltimore was rather horrible, but the experience at Washington DC's Union Station was quite good! The clerk at the desk who helped us purchase our tickets was friendly, efficient, and speedy with issuing the tickets and helping us navigate the transit schedules. The trains were clean, with working restrooms and a water tank with cups. I stopped in on the diner car around New Carrollton, and didn't have time to order food before we arrived at BWI Transit Center. They have a bunch of overpriced, mediocre looking food, and bottled beer. There was ample room for us to store our luggage on the short trip. The conductor was friendly and made sure to remind us where our station was. I'm happy to see how quickly and efficiently Amtrak got us around. Aside from the horribly surly customer service in Baltimore, it was an overall good experience. The trains were clean, and had magazines for reading pleasure. read more

Our trip from DC to Philly was met with "DELAYED" across the schedule board at Union Station. We jumped in line to see an agent to find out our options. The agent and her possible superior were friendly and couldn't give us a reason for the delay or an ETA, but did give us available options, such as catching another train and paying any difference there might be. We said screw it and just stuck to our original reservations. While waiting at the gate, another female employee kept everyone abreast of the train, its ETA, and that everyone was in the correct line. Great job, and something to simple to do. Thank you! Our train ended up being maybe 30 minutes behind schedule. No biggie as we were on vacay and had no where important to be. As you head down to the tracks, another employee announces where the quiet car is, and assists boarding passengers. The cars were clean, and have dual 110 volt outlets though on the window side only. A stretched cord from the aisle would definitely be an intrusion on an unknown fellow passenger. Only certain cars have restrooms and food sales. TICKETS: We booked our tickets the night before our trip, an oddball thing my spouse does, usually without limitations, but for some reason, the tickets went quickly on this day. Definitely book a day out or more. OVERALL: Quick, comfortable, fairly affordable. read more

This has been an experience of a lifetime.  The bathrooms are DIGUSTING and it took us 35+ hours to get from Washington DC to Miami FL, which should have only taken 22 hours.  I understand things are not always in their control but really... The ride was a BIG JOKE and there were a few incidents  (3 accidents/incidents) beyond their control but riding with Amtrak will NOT happen in this lifetime for me again.    There was a cat meowing for the first 25 hours and the seats are a joke....not comfortable at all.  Sleep deprivation is real.  Then the food stand have the nerve to closed...hunger and thirst is not a joke.  Expensive and limited ice.  We brought snacks but did not know I needed to bring the kitchen sink too.  Surpirse...they finally decided to give us a slice of COLD cheese pizza per person and a 8oz bottle of water to shut us up and calm our patience down...why????  What a joke?  Also the staff was semi-cool as they was loosing their patience too.  Commuication is key and they were limited in giving us updates.   NEVER AGAIN.   Go with caution if you dare.  Too much time wasted. read more

So disappointed. This train smells like farts. No part if it was cleaned on the cross country trip, meaning bathrooms were crusted with leftover poo and a mess of pee all over the seats. Trash and food debris littered the observation room. None of the employees enforce any of their rules, so children run screaming through the aisles and people listen to music/watch shows without earphones. Sleeping is all but impossible. The food is crazy overpriced and NOT good, so bring your own if you're going on a long trip; you'll spend more in meals than you did on the ticket. I did it as an alternative to flying just to see what it was like and I'm never doing it again. read more

Dirty train. Trash left behind in seat. When I asked staff about cleaning the trash out, she said I needed to wait for us to arrive in Philly for anyone to board the train and clean it. I was in New York when she said this and getting of in Philadelphia. So I had to sit the whole ride with trash in my seat pocket or so their job and clean it myself. I did pay Amtrak all this money to clean trash. read more

Full Disclosure: I'm a professional public transportation advocate, and much of my work focuses on Amtrak. Like many things Amtrak, Acela Express can be hit-or-miss. On-time reliability is far better than it used to be in the past. The modern trainsets are already approaching a decade in age and Amtrak is slowly working to replace little things like upholstery. The staff are generally good (though there are some bad apples). The meals and bottomless booze in First Class is amazing. The only real reason I ride Acela is to make good use of the upgrades I get through the Amtrak Guest Rewards program. Once upgraded, one also has access to the ClubAcela lounges in major stations. They're nothing special, but they do have free wi-fi, refreshments, and a place to store your bags if you'd like to sightsee. Complain about the fares all you want, but the fact is that Amtrak is going gangbusters with ridership on all its trains. Because it is under enormous (and, IMHO, unfair) political pressure to minimize its losses, instead of necessarily serve the public interest, Amtrak fares will reflect the market. And the market for fast trains is growing rapidly in this country. Thus, Amtrak will charge a range of high fares for Acela (still cheaper than airline shuttles) and moderate fares for Regionals. They don't have to charge fares that compete with Chinatown buses, because there are more than enough folks willing to pay for a premium product. read more

Amtrak Booking - Acela Express First Class - Public Transportation Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Had my first trip this past week (a business trip) aboard the Acela Express - from Union Station to Penn Station and then back again. Was seated in Business Class. Was not sure what to expect - but had heard good things from work colleagues about this mode of travel. I got a nice comfortable seat with lots of room and a table to work off. I love the fact that there are electrical outlets - one can plug in to standard AC outlets and charge any devices that need juice! The restrooms are huge compared to those on an airplane! 2 hours and 45 minutes from Union Station to Penn Station. Just be careful walking through the cars - especially if you go for a beverage or food - the train can be a bit bumpy at times. Only thing I will criticize them for is the quality of the food in the Cafe Car. It couldn't be that hard to make the food a little more interesting. For example - the turkey sandwich I ordered was bread, turkey, and cheese. How about some lettuce, tomato, and onions to crisp it up, add flavor, and make it more yummy! Given how good the overall travel experience was - I am not going to penalize them a star for the food - next time I will simply get what I want at the Station and bring it on the train with me! read more

They have the testicles to beg for Federal Aid to the tune of over 1 Billion $$$ a year. They have the poorest customer interaction of any origination. We Have thousands of mile on the tracks, and every year it get worse with customer service. This was the straw that broke the Camel's back. I will drive before ever using this poorly ran transportation again. read more

Decided to take a weekend trip from LA to San Jose. I used to be a metrolink commuter before the pandemic, so when I looked at my travel options, I felt pretty positive about taking an amtrack train+bus combo to avoid the long drive. Big mistake. First of all, it is not clear which platform/bus station you need to leave from, so you have to stop by the amtrack office to ask. The staff is extremely rude and unhelpful. I understand it might be annoying to be answering questions like that all day, but if you just include this information on the ticket or send me an email with it, I wouldn't have to ask you. On my way to San Jose, the bus driver kept making long stops and leaving the bus multiple times for around 20 min without saying anything. So I was not surprised that we ended up arriving an hour late which I feel is very inconsiderate because a lot of people have connecting buses or trains. On my way back from San Jose, the bus has also arrived an hour late. To add, the buses themselves are not that great. They look pretty old, only a few of the seats have charging ports, a lot of the seats don't recline, and the whole bus shakes so much during the trip that you can practically feel every bump on the road. I also attached a photo of the bathroom window which looks ridiculous. To sum up, I would advise not to take amtrack for long trips because it is very unreliable and uncomfortable. Next time I'll definitely just fly or drive instead to spare myself the headache. P.S. I had to take amtrack for short trips to work several times before and it was fine, although pricier than metrolink. read more

Amtrak Booking - Public Transportation Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia